Three swans die amid fears that the population in Marlow will be wiped out.

Three dead swans have been found in the Stoney Ware area of Marlow after catching bird flu, rescue organisation Swan Support has confirmed.

Treatment and Rescue Centre Co-ordinator, Wendy Hermon, said Swan Support was working to collect and dispose of the swans to prevent the spread of bird flu to other animals.

She added: "The longer a body is there, other birds are more likely to feed on it. It can also spread to foxes and other animals like dogs, who risk infecting humans.

"In Windsor, bird flu took out about 70 swans in December. This is still early days but, because there aren't many swans in Marlow, there's a risk it could wipe the whole flock out."

Wendy said: "We're the only organisation working in the area alongside the King's Swan Master, David Barber. We go about picking up the dead swans so we can minimise the threat of the virus."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs say that bird flu is a disease caused by influenza viruses. Viruses in birds can be classed as either highly or low pathogenic depending on how severe they are. 

The current strain of bird flu in the UK is highly pathogenic and very infectious. DEFRA guidance states that while the strain poses a fatal risk to birds and other poultry, its impact on human health is minimal.

Despite this, government guidelines say members of the public should not pick up or touch any dead or sick birds they find. 

Residents in Marlow are encouraged to call Swan Support if they find infected birds.

The volunteers at Swan Support will then treat or dispose of the birds in the proper way, wearing full PPE. 

Marlow took part in the Royal Swan Upping along the River Thames last summer, where swans and cygnets were ringed with markers as part of an annual census of the bird population. 

The tradition is also a wildlife conservation effort to check the health of the swans, which are the property of the King. 

The new strain of bird flu, called H5N1, has led DEFRA to declare Great Britain an avian influenza prevention zone. Readers can click here to view details of bird flu cases and infection zones in England.

Swan Support can be reached at info@swansupport.org.uk or 07968868172.