A KILLER disease that has struck the turkey population means Christmas dinner could be more expensive this year, farmers have warned.

Although fears that the disease could spread from the continent have subsided, North-East suppliers said a scarcity of decent turkeys could still send prices rocketing.

Supplies of turkey were expected to be affected by a fatal liver disease, which struck in mainland Europe weeks before the key slaughtering period.

British farmers feared it could spread from the continent because the EU has banned the only drug that can treat the disease in the birds.

Emtryl was put on the banned list by the EU earlier this year due to its potential link with cancer.

Coupled with an influenza-type virus among Dutch birds, turkey farmers have been monitoring their flocks more closely than normal this year.

With the first of their 400 free-range Kelly Bronze turkeys about to be slaughtered, at Murton Moor Farm, near Murton in east Durham, Martin and Judith Dryden are relieved to have escaped unscathed.

It is the fourth year they have reared Kelly Bronze turkeys, which were re-introduced to Britain from the US by former County Durham farmer Derek Kelly, now based in Essex.

Mrs Dryden said the Dutch viral threat was a little too close for comfort, but a wel- organised cull prevented anything like the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, which blighted the British farming community in 2001.

She said: "Apparently, they did a mass cull all around those farms affected by the influenza and it stopped it from spreading.

"But an awful lot of turkeys had to be slaughtered as a preventative measure and, from what I have been told, a lot of the farms weren't able to re-stock.

"It could affect the price of turkeys in this country as we import a tremendous amount.

"Due to the changing value of the pound, it's less favourable anyway for imports."

She said word of mouth was helping to spread news of the quality of the Kelly Bronze, while the fact that they were free-range and reared on drug and GM-free produce appealed to a wider market.

The Drydens took 150 of the birds four years ago, but each year have increased their flock due to the growing popularity of the birds.

They can be seen among the craft and traditional farm food stallholders on Palace Green, at Durham Christmas Fair this weekend, giving samples and taking bookings for turkeys.