Test-case challenge to plan for anti-TB badger culling

The Welsh Assembly went against Defra in deciding to keep the culling option open, as most farmers want, and expected to start this year.

Meanwhile, its officials were briefed to check all other angles and a Christmas report on a drive to check cattle more regularly said it had had "real impact".

This appeared to support the Badger Trust argument that bovine TB is a problem mainly caused by cattle-cattle contacts rather than reservoirs of the disease in wildlife and the Trust has now launched an argument for judicial review of the authorisation of badger culling, on the grounds it is not legally a reasonable strategy because "culling must be strictly necessary to eliminate or substantially reduce the spread of disease".

The challenge has been filed to the High Court in London. The Welsh government's response is due in late January and a preliminary decision is expected from the High Court in the Spring. Meawnhile, the Welsh minister for rural affairs has confirmed that there will be no culling before May 2010 anyway.