Derbyshire badger vaccination trial makes 'positive start'

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has said its programme to vaccinate badgers as an alternative to culling has got off to a successful start.

The trust wants to show that an injection can prevent the spread of Bovine TB from badgers to cattle.

It is part of a five-year programme aimed at convincing the government to fund alternatives to culling.

Last year the government carried out a trial cull to prevent the spread of the disease, but an independent scientific assessment concluded they were not effective.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said it supports the vaccine but said it does not work when the badgers are already infected.