ANIMAL protection groups in Gloucestershire have welcomed a National Farmers' Union decision to drop plans for a judicial review which would allow a badger cull.

But farmers in the county hope another way will be found to allow them to go ahead with the scheme, which they believe will stop the spread of tuberculosis to cattle.

The NFU yesterday announced it would not take the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs to court over the decision not to allow a cull, which farmers hoped would stop the spread of TB to their dairy and beef herds.

Tony Dean, chairman of Gloucestershire Badger Group, welcomed the decision.

He said: "It's a really good step in the debate.

"We have been saying for a long time that the Defra line, which was that badgers are not responsible for the spread of the disease, or at least that a cull would have no discernible effect, was correct.

"It is the position taken by the Government's scientific advisers.

"We all understand that this is about farmers' livelihoods, but at the same time you can't just go around killing animals on the off chance it will stop a disease.

"If they were allowed to do this, the cull would fail to stop TB and then the next thing would be a cull on deer which also carry the disease.

"The evidence points to the fact that cattle are very susceptible to TB and things like the way cattle are transported and housed can help prevent its spread.

"We hope the NFU will listen to the scientific advice and take the steps scientists recommend."

The NFU said it had been advised a judicial review was not the best way to proceed on the matter by Natural England.

But it is considering the possibility of a review on a separate point of law.

Martin Haworth, NFU director of policy, said: "We remain committed to supporting a challenge to what we believe is an unlawful restriction on producers' ability to take action to prevent the spread of TB on their farms."

Westbury-on-Severn dairy and beef farmer Jay Greenwood said: "I hope the challenge will continue because TB is spread by badgers and it's impossible to say it's not.

"We have a TB test coming up in January and we will fail it because there is always at least one reactive animal in these tests. That will mean we lose animals and we will not be able to move the others as we need to.

"It's a financial and a psychological blow and it's very hard to have it hanging over you all the time."