OPPONENTS of the proposed cull of badgers in west Gloucestershire are bringing their latest weapon into the Forest this Friday, in the shape of a badger 'Battle Bus', which is being brought to the area in the run-up to the forthcoming council elections. A distinctive black and white striped converted ambulance with a screen fitted onto one side, it is emblazoned with the message: 'Badgers have friends...and those friends have votes.'

A specially-made short film will be shown on the bus's screen, which can be seen at Coleford from 1-3pm, and Lydney from 3.30- 4.30pm on Friday afternoon.

There, campaigners from Animal Aid and Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting (GABS) will be handing out leaflets and campaign postcards – which are addressed to Conservative Party policy minister Oliver Letwin.

The bus is the brainchild of Team Badger, a coalition of animal protection organisations, dedicated to stopping the pilot cull of badgers, which is due to start in the local area on June 1.

In addition to the bus, with a crew dressed in black and white suits with badger masks, the cosmetics and toiletries company Lush have also joined the pro-badger campaign, and are set to distribute campaign postcards in all its 104 high street shops, and their windows will carry the same slogan as the badger bus.

Jeanne Berry from GABS said: "We've spoken to thousands of local people in Gloucestershire about the cull and the overwhealming majority are firmly against it. All the political parties in the County Council elections, apart from the Conservatives, are against the cull, and we are asking our supporters to contact the Conservative leaders to ask them to change their minds before the election. We aim to get this message out across the country as the badger bus goes on tour."

Kate Fowler, Head of Campaigns with Animal Aid said: "We hope that come May 2nd we will have only badger-friendly councillors in Gloucestershire, and that Oliver Letwin will take heed of the tens of thousands of votes that could be lost in a general election should the government insist on over-riding democratic opinion."