URGENT VACCINE NEEDED FOR BOVINE TB - GEORGE

Commenting on the Government's decision to suspend the reactive culling of badgers in the bovine TB trials because initial results show reactive culling caused a 27% increase in bovine TB cases, Andrew George MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Rural Affairs Secretary, said:

"Wildlife groups will be assured that the Government has taken action based on the sound evidence of the bovine TB trials.

"The findings of the trials prove that the policy of reactive culling is no longer a viable option.

"Successive governments have promised that a bovine TB vaccine will be identified. This Government must now urgently pursue a candidate vaccine as the only realistic policy to begin the process of controlling this epidemic."