Badgers have been blamed by farmers for spreading bovine TB, which has lead to the slaughter of some 36,000 animals as year, particularly in the West County. But other experts from organisations like the RSPCA claim that this is the wrong way round: it is the cattle which spread the disease to badgers.

This caused a massive controversy and the Labour government, which abandoned plans for mass culls in England – although they went ahead in Wales – and instead launched a major research programme into the possibilities of vaccinating badgers against the disease.

Today, the environment department Defra reversed that decision, giving farmers the right to cull badgers on their land which could lead to the deaths of tens of thousands of one of Britain’s favourite mammals, Brock the Badger, star of hundreds of childrens’ stories.

Although this has not been stated publicly, cost is probably one of the main causes of this volte-face. The costs of slaughtering TB affected cattle is said to run at £90,000 a year, a figure that could triple in the next few years as the disease spreads: it has already been reported as far north as Derbyshire.

Further information can be seen from the department for environment, food and rural affairs.

What impact will this have on the Countryside of the Yorkshire dales?  Give us your views.