The NFU legal challenge over the decision by the government not to allow a badger cull in Derbyshire has reached its conclusion today and has ruled against the NFU.

Tim Birch of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: ‘We welcome the decision of the court today that ruled against the NFU’s legal challenge of the UK Government over not allowing the badger cull to come to Derbyshire. We hope that the government continues to support badger vaccination in Derbyshire and keep badgers free from culling.’

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust continues to lead the largest badger vaccination programme in the country. The Trust will continue with their badger vaccination programme  during 2020 working closely with the Government, landowners and farmers.

Tim Birch added ‘We urge the Government to widen its support for badger vaccination across the country and call for the badger cull to be stopped. Badger vaccination is the clear way forward. Bovine TB is primarily a cattle disease spread by cattle and this is where efforts to control the disease should be focused - not on badgers. Rather than wasting public money and time on court battles, the NFU should support badger vaccination and we repeat our call, for us to work together on rolling out a wider programme. Government policy has now changed to support vaccination and the NFU should be supporting badger vaccination not obstructing it.’

In September 2019, Defra announced that culling licensee Natural England would not be extending the badger cull to Derbyshire.

The NFU submitted its application to the High Court for a judicial review of the Derbyshire badger cull refusal on 6 December and the hearing was held earlier last month via videolink.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust recently released a report which also suggested evidence used in support of Derbyshire’s cull is flawed.

ENDS