IN 1970, England and Wales were virtually free from Bovine Tuberculosis after a great expense and a number of years had elapsed.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, because of the ghastly practice of badger-baiting - which meant that captured badgers were set upon by dogs - a Badger Preservation Bill was introduced by Parliament.

This was badly-drafted and meant that although badgers were not an endangered species, farmers were unable to control their numbers.

As a consequence over the next few years their numbers doubled.

They are lovely animals, which roam over quite large distances eating snails, worms and so on, but like all animals their numbers have to be controlled.

In 1987, farmers in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire on the edge of the Cotswolds started to encounter bovine tuberculosis breakouts. Normally, provided a herd is clean, Ministry vets test it every three years. If any reactions are found then the tests occur every two months until the herd is clear.

Order

Not only that, but farmers are unable to move stock off the farm and there is an order placed upon the premises. Once clear, there is a six-month test, and only when clear for a year, are tests resumed at three-year intervals.

The breakouts in the Cotswolds coincided with the presence of badger sets on the farm.

There was overwhelming evidence of cross infection from badgers.

When a cow is infected she is immediately isolated and culled - destroyed.

Badgers, on the other hand, are not caught and tested as it is against the law to shoot them and they are nocturnal creatures.

Badgers urinate on the grass and cows eat the grass - it is as simple as that.

At that time the then Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was unwilling to take the positive action required in spite of being constantly told by farmers of their breakouts.

One of the main reasons for this inaction was the pressure from badger protection groups, most often from the urban communities.

With the best of intentions, their actions sabotaged any chance to control the problem.

With the doubling of numbers, many badgers are killed on the roads and are often to be seen on the roadside. Many of these corpses are tested in the laboratories and examination confirms tuberculosis. Eventually this breakout travelled down to the South West, whereupon testing was carried out.

However, there were great difficulties, as activists released badgers from cages, sabotaged officials' cars and even their homes. Regrettably this type of action is being carried out today in Herefordshire.

In 15 years, bovine tuberculosis has now spread to most counties in the west of England and Wales, and is costing farmers, the Government and taxpayers millions of pounds a year.

The only ultimate solution is the creation of a suitable vaccine for cows to protect them from tuberculosis.

Until then, a slaughter policy is the only answer both for cows and badgers, as we are not going to be able vaccinate badgers.

Dairy farmers are very close to their cattle. They all have their individual temperaments, exactly the same as humans, and many a tear is shed when a cow has to be removed from a farm. There isn't the same relationship with badgers.

n John Bennett began producing specialist ice-cream at Bennetts Dairy, in Lower Wick, in 1984. His son, Duncan, now looks after around 200 cattle at nearby Manor Farm, which has been in the family since 1918. It has been certified clear of bovine TB after its last two-month test was clear.

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