THE body of a swan found dead in a Bolton canal is to be tested for bird flu.

The bird was seen in reed beds on a disused stretch of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal by a walker yesterday and reported to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

A team from Defra was due to remove the body today and send it for testing at the EU's bird flu laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey.

A spokesman for Defra said there was no cause for panic.

"Birds can die for a huge number of reasons," he said. "Our programme for bird surveillance has been going on for three months, and in that time 3,000 birds have been tested. Only one case of the H5N1 virus has been discovered.

"Our advice to the public is that they should report bird fatalities to us."

He said the bird would be tested for avian flu and other diseases.

The swan was spotted by 66-year-old Alan O'Brien as he was walking along the towpath from Radcliffe to his home in Manor Avenue, Little Lever, at lunchtime yesterday.

He said: "I just spotted it in the water and it seemed to be in a very odd position, lying on its front with its wings spread out and its head tucked under its body.

"With the recent reports of bird flu, I thought it was something I should report. There's a lot of geese and swans which seem to be nesting on the canal at this time of year."

Anyone who finds a dead bird can report it to Defra on 08459 33 55 77.