Vets say law is clear and Geronimo the alpaca must be put down

Specialists including Defra bovine tuberculosis expert say positive tests indicate danger to public health

The row over his fate has captured the public's imagination - with a petition to save him gathering nearly 100,000 signatures and his friendly, furry face splashing newspaper front pages. But vets have cautioned that the law is clear: Geronimo the alpaca must be put down.

The six-year-old animal is facing a death sentence after twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a deadly respiratory disease that has blighted the countryside for decades.