Hundreds join mock bird flu exercise
Officials will put their bird flu plans to the test today and tomorrow during a real-time simulation of an outbreak in Britain.
Hundreds of people will take part in Exercise Hawthorn, which is set three days into an outbreak of avian influenza in poultry.
It will be co-ordinated from the headquarters of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London with local disease control centres in Bury St Edmunds, Leeds, Cardiff and Gloucester.
The exercise is expected to check that there are adequate contingency plans in place and will be followed by a report to be published in the summer.
It will include the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Environment Agency, Downing Street, the Ministry of Defence, and other Government departments.