There is no doubt that bovine TB [bTB] is a dreadful disease that is on the increase and something has to be done about it, but unfortunately there has been rather more heat than light in past discussion with badger lovers and farmers increasingly polarised in their opinions.

Yes, it's true that approximately 25,000 cattle have been slaughtered in 2010, and that is a tragedy if your herd is affected. But while recognising this, let's put it into proportion: figures available on the Internet suggest that an estimated 300,000 were slaughtered because of mastitis, lameness, infertility etc.

It has also been shown that only a tiny percentage of badgers actually show signs of bTB. The only really scientific exploration into the problem were carried out under the Randomised Badger Culling Trials [known as the Krebs Report] which found that of 9,919 badgers killed between 1998 and 2005 only 166 had the lesions that mark them down as a serious threat; 39 years of trial watching badgers at Woodchester Park show­ed that only 5 per cent were capable of passing on the disease, whilst 80 per cent were wholly free of it.

When the Government says its determination to cull badgers is based on scientific evidence I accuse them of blatant untruth and obscurantism; Krebs in his report states quite clearly: "After careful consideration of all the [trial cull] and other data presented in this report, including an economic assessment, we conclude that badger culling cannot meaningfully contribute to the future control of cattle TB in Britain." If the Government believe they have scientific reasons for going ahead with the cull they should publish it in entirety so we can see clearly what is, and is not, being said. Nor are opinions helped by those non-scientists who claim to be able to recognise setts or individual badgers carrying the disease. They cannot, and even the scientists find it difficult to confirm that an animal has it until it starts to show lesions.

The reality is that, as your report said, culling will simply displace badgers to be replaced by others, health unknown. There is no real alternative to making money available to develop vaccines for cattle, or badgers, or both. That is why Wildlife Trusts such as Gloucestershire and Devon are vaccinating badgers in trials to ascertain the effectiveness of what vaccines are currently available.

These will take some years to come to fruition – there is no quick fix, and those seeking one are deluding themselves.

– Philip Hyne.