Cull results defended by Minister

The Environment Secretary Owen Paterson confirmed he was looking into the possibility of gassing badgers to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis, after revealing that the six-week cull in west Somerset had killed 60 per cent of the local badger population – 10 per cent fewer than originally targeted.

Both pilot culls, in Somerset and Gloucestershire, could be granted extensions of up to three weeks by Natural England.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has remained steadfast in its support of the disease eradication policy but the proposed extensions were greeted with uproar from animal rights groups.

Mr Paterson said the indications were that the Somerset pilot had been “safe, humane and effective” and while the target to remove 70 per cent of the local badger population had been challenging the reduction that had been achieved will deliver “clear disease benefits” as part of a four-year cull.

Asked to confirm whether Defra was undertaking new research into the possible gassing of badgers in the Commons this week, Mr Paterson said: “Until we can establish vaccines, we have to use the tools employed by other sensible countries which is to remove wildlife. We made it quite clear in our TB strategy that we would look at other methods of removing wildlife.

“And yes we are looking at gassing, but we will not use it unless it is proven to be safe, humane and effective.”

There have been claims of illegal gassing being used to kill badgers already, but Peter Kendall, president of the NFU, said he understood that the companies managing the two culls had gone to great lengths to ensure the operations had been carried out safely and humanely.

Mr Kendall said: “I want to thank those involved in carrying out what is a very important first step on the long road towards eradicating TB in cattle, in badgers and from our countryside.

“Our absolute focus, and that of everyone involved, is disease control. More than 38,000 cattle were slaughtered in Great Britain in 2012 because of bovine TB. These badger cull pilots are a very important first step in what is a 25-year strategy to eradicate this terrible and infectious disease.”