DEFRA has announced a cull of at least 615 badgers in Dorset to begin this year.

The exact dates when culling will begin have not been announced, but a licence letter has been released which states that Natural England is ‘satisfied that sufficient funds have been deposited to cover the cost of completing the cull’.

It follows an application by Dorset farmers to Natural England earlier this year for culling to be allowed in the county. The move was condemned by the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

The letter was publically released by Defra this morning. The culls will also return in Gloucestershire and Somerset, where trials have been taking place for a number of years.

As well as culling, Defra announced other proposals to curb the spread of bovine TB, which costs taxpayers £100m each year.

These include: A consultation on introducing compulsory testing for all cattle entering low-risk areas, such as the north and east of England, to reduce the risk of new TB cases in these regions.

A consultation on changes to the criteria for future badger control licences such as reducing the minimum area for a licence – an approach based on the latest scientific evidence and supported by the Chief Vet. A call for views on controlling TB in non-bovine animals such as pigs, goats, and deer.

Farming Minister George Eustice said: “England has the highest incidence of TB in Europe and that is why we are taking strong action to deliver our 25-year strategy to eradicate the disease and protect the future of our dairy and beef industries.

“This includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, vaccinating badgers in the buffer zone around high-risk areas, and culling badgers where the disease is rife.

“Our approach of dealing with the disease in cattle and wildlife has worked overseas and is supported by leading vets.”

Chief Vet Nigel Gibbens said: “Controlling bovine TB is vital for our beef and dairy industries. These proposals to further strengthen testing in the low risk areas will provide additional protection to farmers in those areas, helping them to stay disease free.

“Maintaining strong cattle disease control measures, combined with culling wildlife where the disease is most prevalent, will help us to achieve further disease reduction on farms suffering from TB in the high risk areas.”