Badger campaigners aim for shock factor with giant anti-cull billboards

Six large billboard posters have been pasted on sites across the county including a huge poster on a wall near Shrewsbury Railway Station.

Shropshire Badger Group chairman Jim Ashley said: "At the start of the year we sent an open letter to Shropshire farmers to let them know our views that a badger cull is not a good idea and that vaccinations are the way forward.

"We are now following that up with these posters. There are 200-plus farmers in Shropshire and we want to get the message across to them. We had to go with this image as we needed one which will hit people right between the eyes.

"Vaccines have almost rid the country of TB in people. Why is it such a leap to see the link between vaccines and stopping TB in badgers? This should have been done 20 years ago."

Mr Ashley explained that his group was already involved in a vaccination scheme in south Shropshire which has seen the farm become TB free.

"We are also involved with Shropshire Wildlife Trust and two of our members are approved vaccinators," he said. "We believe this is the way forward. There are several eminent scientists who share our view."

John Mercer, NFU regional director, said: "Bovine TB is devastating Shropshire dairy and beef herds and the NFU and its members remain committed to tacking this disease in line with Government policy.

"At the moment vaccination is not a workable option on its own."

An anti-badger cull march will take place in Shrewsbury on February 8, starting out from The Square at 1pm.

Last month Environment Secretary Owen Paterson insisted he was still investigating bringing a badger cull to parts of Shropshire.