Farmers told to improve anti-TB fight

FARMERS should toughen up controls to prevent TB spreading in cattle, a Government-backed review warns today.

More than 40,000 badgers face a cull this autumn while 34,553 have already been killed in England since 2013 in a bid to stop the disease.

But the report by Oxford University Prof Sir Charles Godfray said too much blame was put on badgers.

The study says: “Trading in often high-risk cattle is severely hampering disease control measures.”

Badger Trust chief executive Dominic Dyer said the £70million cull is failing farmers, taxpayers and wildlife. He added: “It’s a national scandal.”