Badger cull: 2nd round may have begun in Gloucestershire

A week after the first badger cull took place in Somerset, the second round is believed to have begun; this time, in Gloucestershire.

07:46 04 September 2013

A trial second cull is believed to have begun in Gloucestershire where about 5,000 badgers are expected to be killed over six weeks by trained marksmen. The government said that this procedure is necessary, despite attracting anti-cull protesters, in helping control TB in cattle.

With protesters vowing that they will disrupt the shootings, Gloucestershire Police badger cull policing operations was at “full capacity” starting on Tuesday. However, it was confirmed that as of this writing, there are no arrests that have been made.

A police spokesman explained that the procedure was a Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) policy and that it is being implemented by companies that were licenced by Natural England.

A Defra spokesman said: "It's a decision for the cull companies to start. There will be no more operational details from them until after the cull has started. They haven't specified locations."

A police spokesman said: "Our role will be operationally independent, impartial, even-handed and fair to everyone whatever their views, interest or involvement in the pilot scheme."