The Health and Safety Executive is monitoring the threat posed to construction workers by bird flu amid fears that pigeons could spread the virus to sites.

The first UK case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed more than 60 people in the Far East, was identified this week. Scientists have warned that the virus could trigger a pandemic if it mutates to spread from birds to humans.

A spokesperson for the HSE said the organisation was monitoring the situation closely and would step in if necessary to protect workers from the disease.

He added: “Bird flu will become an issue for us if there is a threat to workers. This could affect people if they were clearing pigeons from areas and the birds were infected.”

The Construction Confederation is also monitoring the situation. A spokesperson said that the body would liaise with the appropriate agencies if the risk increased.