DISMAY coupled with confusion and anger has surfaced following news that the Government has selected 'West Glou­cestershire' as one of two areas in England where a badger cull will take place.

In a statement last week Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said the cull was designed to tackle the devestating impact of bovine TB – a disease which in 2010 forced the slaughter of 25,000 cattle.

Describing TB as a chronic and devastating disease, Mr Paice said it had taken a terrible toll on farmers and rural communities.

He said: Nobody wants to cull badgers. But no country in the world where wildlife carries TB has eradicated the disease in cattle without tackling it in wildlife too."

The cull, he said, was just part of a wide range of activity on bovine TB. "We already have robust measures to control its spread amongst cattle, which we plan to strength further, and are continuing to work hard on the development of practical and usable vaccines."

Farmers and landowners locally can now apply to Natural England as a group for a licence to take part in the cull. Applications will be assessed against strict criteria before a decision is taken on whether to issue a licence.

Among them, individuals must be able to demonstrate a high level of competence in marksmanship and successfully complete a Government approved training course. Those taking part must also comply with all the Government's TB cattle controls.

Dr Gordon McGlone, chief executive of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, said there was widespread dismay at the decision.

"We have been asked by local landowners and farmers for more information about how they can vaccinate badgers on their land as they do not believe the cull is the long term answer," he said.

Speaking to the Review, Dr McGlone said the Trust was urging the Government to pursue as a matter of priority the development of an oral vaccine for badgers and a cattle vaccine.

He said there was much confusion in the proposals. However there would be no forced entry to land on which the owners did not want badgers destroyed.

There was also, he said, a limit of 70 per cent on the number of badgers destroyed in any one area. "How on earth do you know when that figure has been achieved?" he asked.

A local landowner with badgers on his ground described the cull as heavy-handed and unnecessary. "No-one will be coming onto my land to cull the badgers. I would resist that it any way possible," he said.

•Gloucestershire Wild­life Trust has been carrying out a vaccination programme on badgers. A report is published on http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/">www.wildlifetrusts.org/

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