Derbyshire campaigners livid at 'broken promise' as 70,000 badgers face cull

The proposal has been announced by the government despite a promise earlier this year to support badger vaccination and move away from shooting.

Members of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust are concerned that the cull will result in the deaths of healthy badgers that have already been vaccinated by volunteers in the county.

Dr Jo Smith, CEO of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “This is a staggering government U-turn and one which will result in thousands of healthy badgers being shot across England this autumn.

“In March the government promised to move away from lethal control.

"However, after seven years of badger culling, the government has failed to act on its own advice and is expanding its culling programme into new regions including Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire into what will be the biggest cull yet.

“We are at a critical turning point for our natural world and this latest U-turn should set alarm bells ringing.

"Culling is an outdated policy that seeks to eradicate protected wildlife rather than addressing the real problem, cattle-to-cattle infection, which is the main cause of bovine tuberculosis.

“Recent news that investment in a cattle vaccine is underway is welcome — but it is not enough.

"Moving the culling into areas where badger vaccinations have been taking place will also undermine this vital and under-funded work.”

The trust leads the country’s most extensive vaccination programmes and Derbyshire is one of six new areas where culling has never previously taken place under government licences.

A campaign against the culling, initiated by wildlife trusts across the country, has resulted in more than 14,000 people writing to their MPs raising concerns about the plans.

Dr Smith added: “Culling is outdated, ineffective and immoral.

"This government has repeatedly said it will be guided by the science, yet it seems to be ignoring its own advice.”