PLEAS to urge the Government to scrap badger culls fell on deaf ears yesterday as farmers teamed up to reject it.

Three leading politicians at Gloucestershire County Council who farm for a living said a ban on killing badgers would "deny them the right" to seek out a possible solution for Bovine TB.

During a passionate debate in a full council meeting at Shire Hall, the county's Liberal Democrats wanted the councillors to back a motion urging the Government to axe pilots in favour of exploring alternative solutions like oral vaccines.

Councillor Simon Wheeler (Lib Dem, Hester's Way and Up Hatherley) said: "Why is there TB on the Isle of Man, where there are no badgers, and why is TB twice as high in Ireland, where badgers are virtually extinct in some areas?

Barbaric

"It's appalling and barbaric in the extreme. TB is an enormous burden on farmers, but it is too easy to claw at straws."

His call was backed by fellow Liberal Democrats, with group leader, Coun Jeremy Hilton, (Westgate) adding: "We need a 21st Cntury solution to TB, not a 19th Century one – it is a 19th Century one to kill animals so it does not spread to others.

"There is also an issue of farmers roaming fields late at night with a loaded pistol. God help the guy walking his dog seeing that."

But the Lib Dems' passionate plea to reject the cull was criticised by others, many of whom farm for a living. Coun Brian Thornton (Con, Tidenham), chairman of the authority, said: "As a farmer, I am desperate for a solution to be found. Farmers face heartache and financial loss due to this disease. I want to see any measures which will bring this disastrous state of affairs to an end. Refusing a cull is denying an opportunity to see if this is a solution."

Coun Will Windsor-Clive (Con, Newent), who is also a farmer, said: "This is a difficult issue – the previous Government spent 12 years trying to find an answer to it and couldn't. When it comes to other solutions, it's very complicated and who knows if anything will work. With regards to an oral vaccine for badgers, how you get them to eat it, I don't know."

Coun Robert Vines (Churchdown, Con), another farmer, joined in the criticism, before the motion was thrown out.

The locations for the highly controversial culls are likely to be revealed today by the Government and are set to include the Tewkesbury area.