BBC presenter Chris Packham is among campaigners taking part in a demonstration over badger culling.

Badger Trust and wildlife and nature groups are holding a protest and mass lobby of parliament next Tuesday (September 3).

Dale Vince, owner of green energy company Ecotricity, and vet Dr Alice Brough are among the speakers at the event which will be attended by members from Oxfordshire Badger Group.

Defra's badger cull started in Oxfordshire on June 1, 2024 and 621 badgers are targeted.

Peter Hambly, chief executive of Badger Trust, said: "It is estimated that the government-licensed cull has killed half the badger population since 2012, despite the weight of scientific evidence that there is no causal link between badgers and bovine TB spread in cattle. 

"In addition, the government's figures show that 94 per cent of bTB is spread from cattle to cattle, and that badgers are 800 times more likely to catch bovine tuberculosis from cattle than to infect cattle themselves."

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New Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed MP has followed predecessors Owen Paterson and Liz Truss in signing off licences and 230,000 badgers have already been shot.

Mr Hambly added: "In its election manifesto, Labour described badger culling as 'ineffective'; so why did the intensive badger cull start again this weekend under their watch?"

In March the previous Conservative government launched a consultation on proposals to evolve badger control policy and support responsible cattle movements and purchasing.

Badger culling would remain an option in areas where there are both high levels of infection in cattle and evidence suggesting badgers are part of the local disease problem.

Due to the General Election a summary of responses is not now expected until autumn 2024.