Huge increase in badger cull will see up to 42,000 shot

Ministers expand England's culling area by 70% to try to curb TB in cattle as scientists dispute programme's effectiveness

The controversial badger cull in England has been hugely expanded into 10 new areas, with up to 42,000 animals now due to be shot in an attempt to curb tuberculosis in cattle, up from 32,500 last year.

The farming minister George Eustice claimed the cull is starting to show results in Gloucestershire and Somerset, with drops in tuberculosis incidence, but did not highlight a rise seen in Dorset.