BIRD flu's impact on the Dorset economy will be assessed over the coming week.

Tourism boss Malcolm Bell said that the next seven days are crucial.

Mr Bell, chief executive of South West Tourism, said: "It is too early to be confident about what will happen. If we discover it is a one-off that can be contained, then there will be a limited impact.

"However if it begins to spread to Purbeck and other areas along the coast then it could be a very nasty scenario."

Sandra Palmer, of Farmer Palmer's tourist farm in Organford, said they had yet to receive any instruction from Defra.

She said: "It is a bit of a waiting game but I don't think it is going to affect us very much.

"We are being vigilant, but only have our chickens to worry about."

Mrs Palmer said she had real sympathy with John Houston at Abbotsbury.

As well as tourism, farming and other country businesses could be affected.

South West director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) John Mortimer said: "News of H5N1 in migratory wildfowl is the outbreak we feared the most.

"We are working closely with Defra to keep in touch with the situations and any developments and we are contacting all our members in the area advising them that control areas and monitoring areas have been officially declared and explaining the consequences of those orders.

"We are advising members to be extremely vigilant and to observe strict biosecurity controls."

The Borough of Poole council has sent letters to poultry farmers offering them advice.

Three mute swans found dead at the Abbotsbury Swannery, near Weymouth, were on Thursday confirmed to have had the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Two more dead swans were found along the nearby Fleet on Thursday night but Abbotsbury Tourism Ltd general manager John Houston said this was nothing unusual.

Bob Lister, chairman of Friends of Poole Park, said the park was taking no action at the moment.

"We may make some contingency plans such as disinfectant troughs for cars and people if it does spread.

"We may have to make provision to close the park to traffic, but hopefully it shouldn't come to that.

"Most of the birds we have here are fed by people so stay here and don't move around. The birds that tend to move are Canada geese. They come in the morning and leave at dusk, but we tend to discourage them from the park."