Myth Bust: Sunday Times claim that badger cull trials will be extended nationwide
No one wants to kill badgers - we want to see healthy badgers thriving alongside healthy cattle.
The myth: The Sunday Times have claimed that badger culling trials, planned to take place in Gloucestershire and Somerset next year, are likely to be extended nationwide.
The truth: There are no plans to roll out the cull nationwide. Badger culling would only ever happen in areas where bovine TB is a serious problem.
We are committed to carrying out the two pilot culls next summer to test the effectiveness, safety and humaneness of controlled shooting of badgers. A panel of independent experts will oversee and evaluate the results of the pilots and feed back to Ministers. Ministers will then make a decision, based on the data gathered during the pilots, on whether to roll out the policy to other areas.
No one wants to kill badgers - we want to see healthy badgers thriving alongside healthy cattle, which is why there are strong laws in place to protect badgers.