More than 100 badgers vaccinated by Dorset wildlife volunteers

Volunteers say the badger vaccination programme is "cheap, humane and works"

A group of volunteers has vaccinated more than 100 badgers against bovine TB since May as an alternative to culling.

The Dorset Badger Vaccination Project traps the animals in cages and administers an injection.

Sue Aldous said vaccinations will continue until 31 October. Licences were granted by Natural England.

Ms Aldous said it costs about £100 per badger to vaccinate, compared to reported culling costs of more than £6,700 per animal.

A badger cull recently started in Dorset following pilots in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

'Won't cure sick badger'

Ms Aldous said: "We are in the business of healthy badgers and healthy cattle, we want to prevent bovine TB and we have chosen to do it in this way."

Fellow vaccinator Martyn Johnston said it was "cheap, humane and works".

In "edge" areas, where bovine TB is not prevalent, unlike Dorset, vaccination programmes are supported by the government.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "Based on the advice of the chief vet we are adopting a measured approach which already includes vaccinating badgers in areas at risk from the spread of bovine TB, as well as tightened cattle testing and movement controls and culling where the disease is widespread.

"As vaccination has no impact on infected badgers, we have been advised that it cannot entirely replace culling in areas where the disease is rife."

A National Farmer's Union spokesman said: "Vaccination will not cure a sick badger and previous research has shown that up to one in three badgers in areas where the disease is endemic, like Dorset, have the disease."

He said "all available options" must be used to help eradicate the disease.