WETHERIGGS Animal Rescue Centre has been forced to close because of a nearby outbreak of avian flu.
The centre, at Greta Bridge, is on the edge of a three-kilometre protection zone put in place after an outbreak of the disease near Ravensworth last week.
The closure of the shelter could not have come at a worse time as staff were preparing for their major fundraising event of the year - a Christmas open day due to take place on Saturday, December 11.
Terry Bowes, who runs Wetheriggs, said: “It’s our big fundraiser to get us through the winter. Obviously, this is going to put great pressure on our already limited funds but we have to look at it from the point of view of protecting what we have.”
The centre also relies heavily on hatching rare breed fowl for funds but has stopped all of its sales because of the heavy restrictions on the movement of birds.
This includes getting a licence from a veterinary inspector.
Measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of exposure, such as disinfectant mats placed at all entrances to buildings where animals are housed.
Mr Bowes said the closure was made after consultation with Defra.
He added: “We are just at the edge of the 3km zone. The epicentre seems to be around Thirsk and it has radiated from there. Because of the high risk we are unable to carry out any rescues during this time.
“We ask all our volunteers to walk through the footbaths provided.”
He expected the protection zone could be in place for as long as three months until the migrating birds which brought the disease into the country return to Scandinavia and the Arctic in the spring.
Anyone who wants to support the centre during the closure can contact Mr Bowes on 07764 352835.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
