He established what was to become a world-renowned centre for the study of infectious diseases of poultry from two ex-prisoner-war huts in the grounds of Houghton Grange in Huntingdonshire, near Cambridge.

For instance, in 1947 of the chickens over 8 weeks of age submitted for post mortem to the UK Central Veterinary Laboratories 14.2% had the disease and by 1949 this figure reached 20.4%.

The two diseases, with completely different aetiologies, were included together under the general term ‘Avian Leukosis Complex’ leading to much confusion for diagnosticians and pathologists.

Throughout the 1950s debate raged over the causes of different syndromes within the Avian Leukosis Complex, if it was transmitted vertically or by contact and if it could only be controlled by selective breeding, as recommended by some researchers at Cornell University.

In 1959 Peter Biggs was employed to head the Leucosis Experimental Unit (LEU) devoted to unravelling the problems of lymphoid leukosis and fowl paralysis and ambitious plans were set in train for purpose-built complex of isolation laboratories and the production of disease-free chickens from another isolation unit built at Boxworth, some 8 miles away.

This proved a very productive period for research on Marek's disease with collaborations, and friendly rivalry, between laboratories on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1967 the investment at Houghton paid dividends when the causative agent of Marek's disease, a highly cell-associated lymphotropic herpesvirus, was identified.

Although the causative virus was now identified there was still no means of prevention and the threat from acute Marek's disease assumed huge proportions with half of the birds succumbing in some flocks and losses in excess of 25% being frequent.

It worked in the 1960s with the British Egg Marketing Board, collaborating with the University of Liverpool on research on avian infectious bronchitis.