Devon MP asks for cull to be extended

A Devon MP has called for the badger cull to be extended to his area.

Gary Streeter, MP for South West Devon, made the request following the extension of the cull to Dorset last week.

Here's Farming Minister George Eustice's response

Campaigners against the badger cull say they're preparing a fresh legal challenge.

It came as rock star Brian May led a mock funeral procession at Westminster in memory of badgers already killed in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

The cull, which the government says is backed by leading vets, was recently extended to Dorset but Dr May said he was seeking a judicial review:

Brian May will lead a march to oppose the planned Government badger cull later.

MPs will join the Queen guitarist at the event in London, which has been organised by Team Badger - a collective group of animal welfare charities.

Almost 2300 badgers were killed in the last cull, between 2013 to 2014.

The government has announced that the Badger cull has officially restarted across Somerset - as well as in a new area in Dorset.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says Bovine TB costs taxpayers £100m each year and is a significant threat to the future of our beef and dairy industries.

But protesters argue that the culls are ineffective.

The cost of culling badgers to tackle TB in cattle in our region is more than previously thought.

It costs £6,775 to kill one badger. This is nearly £600 more than predicted by the anti-cull Badger Trust, who made a Freedom of Information request that led to the real figures being released by the Environment Department (DEFRA).

The overall cost of the cull is almost £16.8 million.

A DEFRA spokesman says bovine TB has cost £500 million over the last decade.

The government has recently approved extending the cull to Dorset.

The South West's controversial badger cull is to be extended to Dorset.

Several farmers had applied for a licence to kill the animals, which are thought to infect cattle with bovine TB.

The government says extending the cull is part of a long-term strategy to beat the disease - but protestors argue that existing culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire (which are to be repeated this year) are ineffective and fail to meet their targets.

A wildlife charity which is strongly against the cull has recently awarded a grant to a badger vaccination programme in Dorset.

Earlier this week an animal welfare charity - founded by Queen guitarist Brian May - threatened legal action if the badger cull goes ahead for a third year.