More than a dozen dead swans have been found floating along a canal as bird flu spreads across Lancashire.

The dead swans were spotted on a stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Church and Altham in East Lancashire this week.

More than a dozen dead swans have been found on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in the Hyndburn area of East Lancashire | John Riley

placeholder image — More than a dozen dead swans have been found on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in the Hyndburn area of East Lancashire | John Riley

The public have been urged to report any dead birds to Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

Last week, the agency said there had been an increase in reports of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, across Lancashire.

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Yesterday, Lancashire County Council declared an outbreak of the disease in Kirkham. It said a 3km (1.8 mile) protection zone and a 10km (6.2mile) surveillance zone is in place and must be adhered to.

It means all bird keepers in the 3km protection zones are legally required to house their birds and follow ‘strict biosecurity protocols’.

Those bird keepers in the 10km protection zone are also legally required to house their birds if they have more than 50. Those who keep less than 50 birds are not allowed sell or give away their eggs, poultry products or live birds.

In October, wetland centre Martin Mere was forced to close the nature reserve near Burscough over the half-term holidays due to fears that avian influenza had been detected among its collection of birds. It has since reopened.