Rethink badger cull

I was truly saddened to read of the proposed cull of thousands of badgers due the high probability they are responsible for the spread of bovine TB (your report, 23 October).

Sir David King, the chief scientific officer, stated that there was a clear source of badgers spreading infection. With that in mind, I would like to ask why bovine TB is prevalent in areas where there are no badgers and, conversely, why there are few or no cases in areas where badgers are plentiful.

I would ask all those concerned in this proposed cull to think again. The spread of foot-and-mouth in the 1960s was erroneously blamed on starlings, with the recommendation to the farming community to cull, destroy nests and deter these birds from their neighbourhood in any way they could.

If this matter is devolved, I hope the Scottish Government will carry out a great deal more research into the circumstances before we remove these beautiful creatures from our land.

RON BLANCHARD, Kinghorn Road, Burntisland, Fife