Foot and Mouth Disease: Thursley National Nature Reserve Closes 10/08/07

Natural England's Thursley National Nature Reserve(NNR)lies within Defra's NPZ2 Protection Zone, near Elstead in Surrey. The Reserve is close to Woolfords Farm, which has been associated with the recent outbreak of FMD. There are no grazing stock on this open access, healthland reserve.

Thursley National Nature Reserve remains open to visitors.
© Natural England

Surrey County Council has received consent from the Secretary of State to close rights of way and other forms of access within this 3km Elstead Protection Zone. In support of Defra's disease control measures, Natural England will close all access to this National Nature Reserve.

Natural England has dedicated Reserve staff who will be assisting the Local Authority with signage and closure, in accordance with Defra guidance.

For more information please contact the Natural England Enquiry Service: Tel: 0845 600 3078 or enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk, or the Natural England press office: 0845 603 9953.

Natural England's priority is to support Defra and farmers in the containment and eradication of this disease and we continue to be in close contact with Defra over our involvement with the control process. Site staff, on notification of the closure order, are working to sign and close all access points on to the heathland reserve as quickly as possible.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Thursley National Nature Reserve Remains Open 07/08/07

Natural England is taking every step to support Defra in preventing the spread of Foot and Mouth disease.

Natural England is working closely with Defra, their partners and customers to ensure that the wider countryside remains open. The popular heathland site at Thursley National Nature Reserve, which is within the Surveillance Zone, remains open to visitors.

However, as a key step to support disease control, Natural England has suspended all planned visits to farms within the 3km Protection Zone (PZ) around the infected site and the wider 10km Surveillance Zone whilst investigations into the source of Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak continue. Staff will be contacting any land owners and occupiers affected by this action.

With sensible precautions, they are continuing to provide their normal range of services across the country. Natural England is continuing to work with farmers and land managers across the country on their programmes to conserve and enhance the natural environment, whilst observing strict biosecurity measures as recommended by Defra.

They encourage anyone to get in touch through the normal routes if they need to discuss anything with Natural England.

They will continue to update their website on this issue as more information becomes

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