LONDON, November 14 (RIA Novosti) - Around 22,000 free-range turkeys will be culled at four farms in east England, following a bird flu outbreak at a farm in Suffolk.

On Tuesday afternoon the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed the deadly H5N1 strain had been found at Redgrave Park farm.

The U.K.'s acting chief veterinary officer, Fred Landeg, said the culling was "a precautionary measure taken to prevent any potential spread of the disease."

The slaughter of 6,500 birds, including ducks and geese, started at Redgrave Park farm on Tuesday. A three-kilometer protection zone and a ten-kilometer surveillance zone have been established around the farm.

Poultry farmers have said the measures will not interrupt supplies of turkeys for Christmas, a season during which the U.K. consumes around 10 million turkeys.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has claimed over 200 human lives since it was first registered in Southeast Asia in 2003.