THE Dorset Wildlife Trust is backing a petition to end the badger cull.

As reported last week, the government has granted new licences for badger culling, one of which could see more than 2,000 badgers killed in Dorset.

The trust is supporting the online petition started by its president, Simon King.

It is calling for the withdrawal of licences that have been issued by the government to cull badgers, particularly in Dorset. It says culling is a “deeply flawed” method for controlling the spread of bovine TB.

Last week Natural England confirmed the criteria have been met to allow seven new licenses to be issued in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire - with operations now underway.

These are in addition to existing licenses, with the one already in place in Dorset moving in to its second year of culling.

The government said that 28,000 cattle had to be slaughtered in England last year due to bovine TB and these measures will help tackle the problem.

The government’s strategy also includes tighter cattle measures, improved biosecurity and badger control in areas where the disease is rife.

New operations will be carried out under four-year licenses which will allow culling to take place every year between June 1 and January 31.

Farming Minister, George Eustice, said: “Our comprehensive strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England is delivering results, with more than half the country on track to be free of the disease by the end of this Parliament.”

However DWT chief executive, Dr Simon Cripps said: “Dorset’s wildlife and our county’s farmers are both too important for the government to be issuing this wrong and ill-conceived advice, and so deserve better. Not only is Government not giving advice based on sound, credible science, they are building up expectations that this could succeed and causing serious divisions within communities.”

“Through the petition we are calling on the government to stick to evidence-based decisions, to stop wasting public money on something that performs no public service, and to give genuine support to the farming industry and wildlife.”