RE James Stephenson’s farming column (Gazette & Herald, Wednesday, September 3) and its headline “Badger culls to continue”.

As usual Mr Stephenson is a little selective and economical in his synopsis of the contentious issue of badger culling.

The facts are there for those who wish to know them:

- The previous badger cull in 2013, instigated by the coalition were widely regarded as a complete failure. An independent panel appointed by DEFRA concluded the culls were “neither effective nor humane”. This failure led to the abandonment of a nationwide roll-out of the culls;

 - The latest round of culls which are to continue in Gloucestershire and Somerset (but without independent monitors) will not solve the problem of TB in cattle.

Only a UK-wide vaccination programme, and controls on the movement of cattle at risk of TB, will have the desired effect of reducing and eventually eliminating this devastating disease.

As to Mr Stephenson’s accusation that the badger trust is wasting public funds – what nonsense! Let’s face it, organisations like the trust are the essential difference between the “shoot it if it moves, spray it if it doesn’t” philosophy of people like me.

Stephenson (and the NFU) and the rest of us, the vast majority of people who really care about the countryside, it’s people and it’s wildlife.

And as to actual squandering public money, we only have to look to certain sectors of the farming industry over the last 30-40 years to have any real perspective on this concept.

Finally, Mr Stephenson mention Princess Anne (that ultimate arbiter of wisdom and perspicacity) and her comments on gassing badgers.

These comments were, at the time, and have continued to be rejected out of hand by those who really understand and care about animal welfare. The British countryside and the wider environment.

Mr H O Griffiths, Pickering.