THE first licence to cull badgers in England was issued this week to farmers in Gloucester, with a similar licence expected to be given to landowners in West Somerset in the coming days.

The Government-backed cull is intended to try and curb the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle and could see as many as 3,000 badgers shot in the first phase alone.

Both West Somerset and Gloucester have been picked as pilot areas for the scheme, which has been heavily criticised by wildlife campaigners.

And while Government quango Natural England was issuing the first culling licence, pop group Queen's guitarist Brian May was launching an online Government e-petition to try and stop the "indefensible" cull.

As the Free Press went to print yesterday (Thursday) morning the petition had attracted 64,000 signatures, more than half of the 100,000 needed to force a debate on the cull in Parliament.

Under the Government's current culling scheme, Natural England could issue as many as ten licences each year for people to shoot free-running badgers.

The National Farmers' Union has welcomed the pilot, saying TB costs farmers and UK taxpayers more than £100 million each year.

Opponents believe the cull should be ditched in favour of a vaccination scheme.