'Badgers have moved the goalposts' says Owen Paterson over cull
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson this afternoon claimed that "badgers are moving the goalposts" in the ongoing fight against TB.
The North Shropshire MP was talking to BBC Spotlight about the first cull trial which has been taking place in Somerset when he made the claim.
During the interview, broadcast on BBC One this lunchtime, presenter Justin Leigh asked Mr Paterson MP why he had changed the targets for the cull.
Watch an excerpt from the video here
He said: "You didn't estimate the number of badgers in the area correctly in the first place, you haven't reached the 70 per cent target of killing badgers that you set yourself at the beginning of this and now the trial has to be extended. You're moving the goal posts on all fronts.
But Mr Paterson replied: "No that's not right at all, the badgers are moving the goalposts. You're dealing with a wild animal, subject to the vagaries of weather, disease and breeding patterns.
"Very roughly there's 1,000 fewer badgers this year than last year, and my personal opinion having talked to some of these guys on the ground is that sadly some of these badgers are very sick and that shows that we're absolutely right to bear down on disease in a hot spot area."
The cull has been taking place for six weeks and an extension of the scheme for a further three weeks is now being considered.
It is being carried out in an attempt to control TB in cattle, which can be spread by badgers - though opponents say the culls will have no impact.