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Campaign couple stop badger cull

THIS IS SUSSEX | 23 July 2010
A COUPLE have won their fight against the Welsh government and saved thousands of badgers from certain death.

CAMPAIGN: Jeff and Pat Hayden
Jeff and Pat Hayden, of Eden Vale, East Grinstead, have been campaigning on behalf of the Badger Trust, Sussex for two years after the Welsh Assembly (WA) announced plans to cull the creatures.

The WA ruled that badgers in West Wales should be trapped and shot to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

Mr Hayden, treasurer for the Badger Trust, Sussex, said: "Many farmers believe that bovine TB is spread from badgers to cattle."

In the 1950s, 40 per cent of cattle and badgers were infected by the disease, but now only nine per cent of bovine TB comes from badgers, he said.

He added: "What about the other 91 per cent of cases? Badgers aren't the root cause of the spread of the airborne infection. Killing the badgers upsets their social nature and then they spread out into other areas and, possibly, infect other badgers or cattle."

The Haydens lost the judicial review against plans for the cull, but won an appeal at London's High Court.

Speaking of last Tuesday's decison, Mr Hayden said: "When we got this result, I couldn't believe it. We had worked so hard and it was over in a flash."

The couple, along with the board of directors from the Badger Trust, had to raise £100,000 to pay for legal fees.

Companies and individuals pledged money to help and it was thanks to them that they were able to prevent the killing of thousands of badgers.

Mrs Hayden: "Before long we will have another fight on our hands to save the badgers in England. I think we need to try and convince farmers that the badgers are not solely to blame for the disease."

 

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