'Cull badgers to fight TB'

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Sir David King backed the killing of badgers in areas where there was a "high and persistent" incidence of the disease in cattle.

He said the wild animals were a clear source of infection for the disease in cattle and reducing the number of badgers in areas where there was a significant level of infection in cattle reduced the incidence of bovine TB.

He based his advice to Defra on analysis of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB's (ISG) research from the randomised badger culling trials in 30 areas of England.

The ISG earlier this year said culling badgers was not an effective way to control the spread of TB in cattle, because of high costs and low benefits.

But in his report, Sir David said destroying badgers was the "best option available at the moment to reduce the reservoir of infection in wildlife".

The chief scientist said there was a need for "strong action" to stop the increasing level of infection of animals with bovine TB.

But he said culling would reduce the number of badgers in an area, not remove them completely, and must be done humanely and "within conservation considerations".

And he said other options such as vaccination should be pursued in the long term, while the cull should take place alongside existing measures to control the disease in cattle.

Culling should take place in a minimum area of 100 square kilometres and should be "sustained", with efforts to stem migration by badgers back into the culled area.