Badgers will not be culled under plans to be announced today by Ministers. The Government has decided to halt a “senseless and bloody” badger cull in England which been suggested by some scientific advisors in order to halt the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis.

Animal welfare advocate and Blackpool MP, Gordon Marsden today strongly welcomed the announcement and said “I have received many letters and emails from constituents about this proposed cull.”

“I strongly opposed the badger cull from day one, and after strong lobbying I am pleased the Government is now halting plans for a badger cull. I have always campaigned strongly in favour of animal rights - I supported the ban on hunting and backed calls to end primate research, this issue is no different.”

The RSPCA recently launched a campaign calling for a re-think of the proposals to implement a mass badger cull. Mr Marsden signed up to that campaign and commented “There has been little scientific evidence to back the claim that culling badgers reduces the cases of Bovine Tuberculosis, and a recently published study from Professor John Bourne noted that in areas of the country where forced badger culling is taking place, there are often increased rates of Bovine Tuberculosis.”

“I think people in Blackpool would agree with me that the senseless killing of any animal is outrageous. Without firm scientific evidence supporting the need for a mass-culling of badgers, the Government had no choice but to abandon these plans”.

8/07/08