Jane Smith from Staffordshire Wounded Badger Patrol takes local democracy reporter Richard Price out on patrol along public footpaths in north Staffordshire as the badger cull gets underway.

With the annual badger cull now underway in Staffordshire, activists from Staffordshire Wounded Badger Patrol has begun nightly patrols on public rights of way in the county's 'badgerlands'.

The group monitors the activities of those operating under the government-licensed cull, which was brought about to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

Activists argue thousands of badgers are shot unnecessarily throughout September and October each year, and say the cull won't eradicate bTB.

As well as this, they believe the licensed cull provides cover for illegal activity – and their patrols seek to disrupt both, as well as ensuring licensees operate within the strict rules set out by Natural England, who issue licences.

Staffordshire Wounded Badger Patrol stresses it only uses peaceful and legal means to do so, and only ever patrols public footpaths.

The group is non-confrontational, and says any hunters it has encountered usually pack-up and leave the area when they become aware that its members are in the vicinity.

As well as badgers, cattle are being killed in large numbers as part of the fight against bTB.

The government issued figures in May stating more than 27,000 cattle across England were slaughtered in the previous 12 months as part of a drive to tackle the issue.

The culling of badgers to control bTB was first introduced in England in 2013, and permission has been granted for between 38,410 and 83,210 badgers to be killed nationally by 2025.

Jane Smith, from Staffordshire Wounded Badger Patrol said: "We're the frontline defence of where the badgers live.

"It's the fourth year we're doing it.

She added: "We've not yet had a year where we've not seen illegal activity against badgers. That's how widespread it is in Staffordshire.

"The rules around cull licenses are very, very strict."

Jane says shooting across public footpaths is prohibited, but that her group has witnessed instances where this rule has been breached, and part of their role is to report this to police.

As well as this, Jane believes badgers are being unfairly scapegoated.

She said: "I think we should look much more at how cattle are housed, how cattle are transported and sold at market.

"Cattle are being driven up and down the M6 to go to various markets. It's not badgers that are doing that, it's cattle.

"So the herds are getting mixed and that doesn't make sense if the government is so worried about bovine TB."

She believes the government should've gone down the vaccination route much sooner, and that the movement of cattle should be restricted until th issue is deemed under control.

Meanwhile, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has resumed its badger vaccination programme this summer.

The charity says it aims to reduce the risk of badger to cattle transmission of bTB and show that vaccination is a viable alternative to culling.

Jeff Sim, senior conservation manager for the trust said: "The trust is very conscious of the hardship that bovine tuberculosis causes in the farming community and the need to find the right mechanisms to control the disease. However, we believe that a badger cull is not the answer.

"The trust believes that vaccination of badgers against bTB is currently the most effective way of reducing the risk of badger to cattle transmission of the disease."

The government has said that both supplementary culling and new culling licences would end in 2025.

It added that any new licences issued in 2022 would allow culling until the autumn of 2025.

All supplementary licences (which allow an extension to culling in existing areas) would also then cease.

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