Campaigners in last ditch bid to thwart badger cull

The Badger Trust has launched a last-minute bid to block the cull of badgers in Wales.

Three weeks after a High Court judge threw out the trust’s legal challenge to the cull, the charity has applied to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to overturn the decision.

Trust chairman David Williams has now claimed the judicial review judgement could have implications for other wildlife.

“The judgement could be interpreted as giving a green light to the killing of all sorts of wildlife across England and Wales on the flimsiest of evidence of any benefit in the form of disease prevention,” he said.

“As a registered charity we have a duty to work for the welfare of badgers for the public good. Consequently the trust must do all it can to ensure that the legislation that is clearly intended to protect animals does so, and that any exceptions to prohibitions have to be rigorously tested.”

The Welsh Assembly Government is expected to respond to the trust’s submissions on Friday 7 May.