THERE can be few subjects which generate stronger emotions than the killing of badgers.

Now, these animals - a protected species - will once again be culled on our doorstep in the name of Government research.

Why? Because farmers blame badgers for the escalating incidence of tuberculosis in their beef and dairy herds.

Earlier this year, 300 vets called for a 'strategic cull' to tackle bovine TB, which saw 3,000 new cases in 2004.

But conservationists say there is not enough evidence to prove that badgers spread the disease to cattle.

Who is right? There can be little argument that the incidence of TB in Britain's cattle herds is on the increase.

More than 1,000 farms in Devon and Cornwall had TB in cattle in the first six months of 2004, according to Defra statistics.

As a result more than 2,000 cattle from Devon were slaughtered and nearly 1,500 from Cornwall.

Many farmers in Worcestershire and Herefordshire are also suffering.

But is a badger cull the answer? We say an emphatic no. There is little or no scientific evidence to support the slaughter.

More than 20,000 badgers have been killed in the name of research since the early 1980s, entirely eradicating the species from some areas of the country. And yet bovine TB still returns.

Yes, action is needed to prevent the spread of this disease. But making Mr Brock the scapegoat is not the answer.