Fire that killed 3,000 turkeys treated as accident

A fire that killed thousands of turkeys at a farm is being treated as an accident, the fire service says.

The blaze broke out at a shed on the Aviagen Turkeys site on Peach Lane in Nantwich, Cheshire, shortly after 16:00 BST on Sunday.

The building was "significantly damaged" in the fire, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said, and the company later confirmed about 3,000 birds were killed.

A fire service spokesperson told the BBC the most likely cause was an electrical fault within the building.

Nine fire engines were sent at the height of the blaze and crews stayed until about 16:30 on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Aviagen Turkeys said on Monday: "We are grateful for the swift response of the fire service and are working closely with customers to implement our contingency measures, which are in place for just such an eventuality."

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