As number of slaughtered cows rises, farmers grimly await decision from environment secretary, Hilary Benn

Farmers are considering legal challenges if the government does not sanction a cull of badgers in England as part of a programme to tackle tuberculosis in cattle.

Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, accused ministers of presiding over a "foot and mouth-like disaster" while businesses were being ruined.

He said 28,000 cattle were slaughtered because of TB last year and the figure was expected to be almost 40,000 this year. "It is something we have got to act on ... but no one wants to do it on their watch. It's like having foot and mouth day after day after day."

The environment secretary, Hilary Benn, will announce his decision on Monday, and his department yesterday refused to comment on BBC reports that he had decided not to proceed with a cull.

The row over whether a large badger cull would work has led to disagreement between scientists.

Lord Krebs, who designed previous culling trials in south-west England, said on Radio 4's Today programme that a cull could lead to half the badgers in Britain being killed and only achieve "a modest reduction in TB in cattle".

But Sir David King, a former chief scientific adviser to the government, said culling could make a significant contribution. "There is no policy for managing TB in badgers and as long as that continues the epidemic will spread."

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