Farmers march over cull decision

Shropshire farmers whose livestock has been devastated by bovine TB were marching on Parliament today in protest at the Government's failure to cull diseased badgers.

Dozens of farming families say they want to highlight the human cost of the disease, which has wiped out entire herds and shut down hundreds of farms across the country.

The onslaught of TB has left Shropshire with an estimated million-pound headache and some farmers claim Defra's decision last week not to cull badgers will simply make the misery worse.

Yesterday the Government ruled out a cull of badgers to tackle the problem.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told the Commons that having a cull could end up making the disease worse and he was not prepared to take that risk.

In a statement to MPs he said vaccination would instead be made a priority, with an extra £20 million invested over the next three years.

Shrewsbury farmer Andrew Bebb came up with the idea of a demonstration after being inundated with calls from fellow farmers who had been crippled by the disease.

"It's a nightmare which isn't going to go away," he said. "TB is taking its toll not only on the livestock but on the farmers.

As chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on dairy farming, Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has long supported a cull of diseased badgers.

Mr Kawczynski yesterday told the Commons he was "absolutely devastated" by the Government's decision, warning that it would now have to go for judicial review.