Health bosses are working on the premise of 'when' rather than 'if' an avian flu pandemic hits Preston and South Ribble.

But public health consultants from two primary care trusts have reassured people that plans are being made locally to counteract any potential outbreak of pandemic flu.

Dr Arif Rajpura, consultant in public health at Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust, wants to reassure local people that every effort is already being made to prepare for any potential outbreak.

Experts believe such an outbreak could affect up to 25 per cent of the population nationally.

He said: "A flu pandemic planning committee has been in operation for the past few months, planning and putting into place measures to minimize the effects of any potential pandemic flu outbreak.

"The group are looking at issues such as ensuring there is extra capacity within the local health service and business continuity within the PCT in the event of widespread cases of flu.

"Providing emergency planning training to staff and preparing advice for GPs, pharmacists and nursing and residential homes are other matters we are considering.

"Information packs are being sent to every GP practice in the country to help them answer patients concerns."

A spokesperson from Preston PCT said similar plans had been put in place for the city and urged patients to have the winter flu vaccine to protect against the more common strains of flu.

Dr Rajpura also stressed he does not want people to worry unduly about a potential outbreak and wants to dispel 'myths' that people have built up around pandemic flu.

He added: "Currently avian flu is not pandemic - humans are not passing on the virus to other humans. It has only been transmitted from bird to bird, and bird to human.

"The cases of avian flu in humans have involved people with very close exposure to infected birds."

"We cannot be complacent though as experts believe a pandemic virus may emerge from an avian influenza virus, for example if it mixes with human flu, creating a new virus which is highly infectious for people."