Badger culls to start in June: full statement
Natural England has given the culls final approval, and chosen Dorset as a reserve culling area.
Badger cull trials may now take place elsewhere
A Government minister has hinted that the region's trial badger culls scheduled for later this year may NOT go ahead in the planned areas.
Government delay badger cull
Two pilot badger culls in the Westcountry to tackle TB in cattle are to be delayed until next summer.
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Brian May's fist of defiance in face of badger cull
Brian May this afternoon celebrated pushing for a Commons debate over a cup of tea in Portcullis House.
Badger cull plans prompt Commons debate
In the last hour it has emerged that a debate will take place in the House of Commons next week to discuss the impending badger cull.
It comes as hundreds of people are gathering at Dunster in West Somerset tonight for a big protest against the cull, which is expected to start in the next few days.
The full 6 hour debate will take place on Thursday 25th October after a petition exceeding 100,000 signatures was gathered by Queen guitarist Brian May.
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Badger cull protest planned tonight
A peaceful protest is due to take place in Dunster this evening to voice concerns about the planned badger cull trial
Read the full storyExperts urge Government to reconsider cull
More than 30 leading animal disease experts have urged the Government to reconsider culling badgers in Somerset and Gloucestershire. In a letter to the Observer newspaper they say the pilot culls risk increasing the spread of TB in cattle rather than reducing it.
Supporters of the cull say killing the animals is the best way to tackle the disease in the absence of effective vaccines.
Wildlife Trust begins badger vaccination programme
Somerset Wildlife Trust is to begin a badger vaccination programme in West Somerset next week
The trust won't allow culling to take place on land it owns. 11 wildlife trusts around the country are working on vaccination schemes, which they believe are the best way to tackle bovine TB.
E-petition against badger cull hits 100,000 signatures
More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the cull of badgers planned for Gloucestershire and West Somerset.
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Brian May speaks out about the impending badger cull in the West
Brian May has been speaking to The Westcountry Tonight about why he is supporting The Badger Trust's continued legal fight, to stop the Government's planned badger cull.
The Queen guitarist was attending a meeting of The Badger Trust at Taunton's Brewhouse Theatre. He claims badgers are already being deliberately shot, poisoned or gassed, then dumped on roads in the Westcountry to look like roadkill.
Wildlife groups unhappy with badger cull decision
The Badger Trust has lost its High Court bid to stop the cull of thousands of badgers in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset.
At a hearing last month, the Trust accused the livestock industry of using badgers as a scapegoat, and underestimating the risk of cattle-to-cattle transmission of bovine TB. Today it was ruled that the legal challenge failed on all grounds.
The two proposed culling trials are scheduled to begin later this summer. Dr Gordon McGlone is from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. He isn't happy with the decision.
Badger Trust loses High Court bid
The Badger Trust has lost its High Court bid to block a cull of thousands of badgers to tackle tuberculosis in cattle.
The Trust argued Government proposals for two pilot culls were "very, very controversial" at both animal welfare and scientific levels and should be stopped.
But today Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in London, ruled the legal challenge had failed on all grounds and refused to quash a Government decision last December to allow the culls by farmers and landowners to go ahead.
At a hearing last month, the Trust accused the livestock industry of using badgers as a scapegoat and underestimating the risk of cattle-to-cattle transmission of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).
Badger Trust loses High Court challenge
The High Court has ruled in favour of allowing farmers and landowners to cull thousands of badgers to tackle tuberculosis in cattle
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