Protests over badger culling

Participants in yesterday's anti-badger cull protests were reportedly seen chasing BNP supporters down London's Whitehall, reports the International Business Times.

The BNP and EDL march was opposed formally by activists from groups including Unite Against Fascism and Hope Not Hate.

Rock star Brian May led around 2,000 animal welfare supporters - some wearing badger masks - in a march through central London today as they called for the Government to abort plans to cull thousands of badgers.

Thousands of people decked in black and white clothing have marched on Westminster to call for an end to plans for a badger cull.

Rock star Brian May led around 2,000 animal welfare supporters - many wearing cardboard badger masks - as they chanted "stop the cull" in protest at pilots in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset - two bovine TB hot spots, due to start from today.

The pilot culls aim to ensure free-running badgers can be killed humanely, with marksmen observed by independent experts to check they are killing the protected animal swiftly, and post-mortem examinations carried out to assess speed of death.

Queen guitarist Brian May has renewed calls for the Government to abort plans to cull thousands of badgers in an effort to tackle bovine TB.

May said: "The great bit of new information is it has now been demonstrated that the cull cannot make economic sense. It will lose the taxpayer money rather than save it.

"That was really the last shred of reason that you could give for this cull going ahead. It is a very good time for Mr Cameron to reconsider and withdraw from this monstrous cull, in the public interest.

"Our point is to save wild animals from abuse and there is no doubt this cull is going to cause intense pain on a massive scale to badgers. You cannot call it humane, which is apparently what these pilot culls are about.

"It has become increasingly apparent to me that, although we call ourselves a nation of animal lovers, we treat them appallingly".

We spoke to anti-badger cull protesters in Bristol as they boarded a coach for the London demo this morning. We asked them what means they will go to in order to disrupt the shooting.

Rock star Brian May will today lead a rally against planned badger culls, due to begin from this weekend in an effort to tackle bovine TB.

The Queen guitarist, a long-time campaigner against the plan, will be joined by TV naturalist Bill Oddie as they lead a march through Westminster.

Organisers say they expect thousands to join them, all wearing badger masks, in an effort to demonstrate their opposition to the culls, the pilots for which are in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset.

Some 5,000 badgers are set to be killed in the two south west regions, with policing costs expected to reach £4 million to cope with potential disruption from activists.

Police last night said they were "prepared" for any disruption and protests.

Read: Protests to begin over controversial badger culling

The Government plans to roll out badger culling more widely in hotspots of the TB disease, if this weekend's pilot culls are successful.

The costs of the cull will be borne by farmers.

But experts, including scientists behind the long-term trial, have raised concerns that the policy will have "unimpressive" results in reducing TB and suggested that it does not make economic sense.

And protesters, led by rock star Brian May, have pledged to do everything possible to stop the cull, which they claim is not justified by the science and is inhumane.

Read: Protests to begin over controversial badger culling

Controversial culling of badgers as part of efforts to tackle TB in cattle goes ahead from this weekend, in the face of protests from animal welfare campaigners.

Some 5,000 badgers are set to be killed in two pilot culls in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset, with policing costs expected to reach £4 million to cope with potential disruption from activists.

The pilot culls aim to ensure free-running badgers can be killed humanely, with marksmen observed by independent experts to check they are killing the protected animal swiftly, and post-mortem examinations carried out to assess speed of death.

The pilots will also assess whether sufficient badgers can be killed in an area to have an effect in reducing TB in cattle, following a long-term study which found that culling 70% of badgers in an area could reduce the disease in herds by 16%.

Read: Badger cull: your questions answered