Badger culling is expected to commence

Protesters have said they will interrupt the badger culls set for the weekend

By Nicole Hamer |

12:24 31 May 2013

On Saturday, 1st June, badger culling is set to being in England – in Somerset and Gloucestershire – a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) minister has said.

The reason behind the culls, the Government and farmers have stated, is to kill a number of badgers in a bid to tackle TB. Up to 5,000 badgers would be killed in order to prevent the disease affecting cattle.

Minister David Heath, of DEFRA, has explained that the Government is intent on carrying out the badger cull pilot schemes.

He said when speaking to BBC Radio Five Live: “Nobody wants to kill a badger if they can avoid it but we do need to get on top of this disease.”

According to reports many protestors have said that they intend to disrupt the culls at the weekend.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson could perhaps put the culling policy in place for the rest of the country. If this was the case, it may mean that twice as many badgers would be killed.

Protesters managed to put the badger culling schemes on hold last year. Brian May, renowned for being a guitarist in the band Queen, is a campaigner against the culls.