BY HANNAH GRAHAM

AS the go-ahead has been given to the badger cull in Dorset, controversial protests have started as there are debates on whether this was the best option for the situation.

The government have allowed six weeks of non stop culling in all three counties until next January.

Many people still say this should have only been done as a last resort, and that in the long run, vaccines would prove more efficient than culling badgers that may or may not have the disease.

The government are introducing this as part of a 25-year strategy in an attempt to eradicate Bovine TB in cattle.

You would think that they would address the issue directly and introduce vaccinations for cattle at risk to TB, but instead, they insist on killing harmless animals that again, may not have the illness.

This has been allowed to go ahead, despite angry protests sweeping the county because they say that this will be more cost effective than vaccinations. However, how much money are they going to be using to get the resources to kill all these badgers, and as they are not testing any dead badgers afterwards, how can they be sure that they aren’t de-populating the country from perfectly healthy animals that are not carrying the disease?

Dorset is the third region in the country to give this project the go-ahead, after both Gloucestershire and Somerset carrying out pilots.

The controversy that has plagued the public in these places is bound to follow here, with Dorset born Queen guitarist, Brian May, saying he will fight against badger culls in the county, and it is expected he will remain a key role in the protests.

The general public are still hoping that the government will change their minds and see sense, however at this point in time, it doesn’t look as though they are reconsidering their no doubt unpopular decision.