TB: Farmers ready for fight unless badgers culled

Farmers are considering legal challenges if the government does not sanction a cull of badgers in England as part of a programme to tackle tuberculosis in cattle. Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, accused ministers of presiding over a "foot and mouth-like disaster" while businesses were being ruined. He said 28,000 cattle were slaughtered because of TB last year and the figure was expected to be almost 40,000 this year. "It is something we have got to act on ... but no one wants to do it on their watch. It's like having foot and mouth day after day after day." The environment secretary, Hilary Benn, will announce his decision on Monday, and his department yesterday refused to comment on BBC reports that he had decided not to proceed with a cull. The row over whether a large badger cull would work has... [read full story]