A Suffolk sheep farmer is counting the cost after losing sheep to a deadly Bluetongue outbreak in East Anglia - just as he begins his lambing season.

On Saturday morning, four cases of the virus were confirmed in farmer Tim Pratt's sheep flock at Woodbridge.

Five of his pregnant ewes have died with their lambs in utero. Three or four more ewes became ill and aborted but appear to be recovering. He doesn't know whether there are more deaths to come.

(Image: Lucy Taylor)

The outbreak could not have come at a worse or more critical moment for the vegetable and sheep farmer, who manages Wantisden Hall Farms.

"We have had a busy, busy summer, we are tired and this hits you. It's not great," he says.

He has just begun his lambing season - meaning Tim's 400-strong flock of Dorset Horns and Poll Dorsets are particularly vulnerable. Tim's farm is unusual in that his lambing season is planned for the autumn while most farmers lamb in spring.

(Image: Lucy Taylor)

"It's a key time of year," explains Tim.  "It's not a very good start to be honest. Financially, it's horrendous."

These and other cases of the livestock disease - which can be deadly to certain livestock and is spread by midges - have led government vets to declare the whole of Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk a Bluetongue zone. The disease poses no threat to humans.

The movement restriction zone means that sheep, cattle, goats, deer and other ruminants and camelids including llamas and alpacas can now only be moved under licence.

"The virus itself not only does it make their mouth and nose swell but also makes the ewe abort because she's trying to look after herself," says Tim.

(Image: Lucy Taylor)

"We have started to lose lambs. We have it. We got four confirmed cases on Saturday morning. We have lost a number of ewes already - and we have had a number of abortions."

Normally at this time of year, Tim would be looking to sell some of his rams and breeding females at market. Now he will have to keep them and hope to sell them next year.

It will all add to his bottom line as it will mean more animals to feed over the winter.

Along the Suffolk coast, lots of sheep graze next to water where midges live and breed. Strong winds have swept infected midges over the Channel from Holland and Belgium where Bluetongue has taken hold - posing a threat to farmers across the East coast.

(Image: Lucy Taylor)

Tim - who is head sheep steward at the Suffolk Show - can't see the crisis ending any time soon.

Meantime he has sick animals to deal with and a higher population of sheep to overwinter than he might have expected as animals get stuck on farm.

He runs a mixed 1,700 acres (700ha) farm - which includes a large vegetable-growing operation - on behalf of the Kemball family.

The first case of BTV-3 this season was declared in Haddiscoe on August 26, quickly followed by other cases in Norwich and Lowestoft. 

A Bluetongue Restricted Zone and Infected Area was announced, and was quickly extended over the following days as more cases emerged to cover the whole of Suffolk, Norfolk and now Essex.