BADGER culls are set to be trialled in five new areas of the country in a bid to control a possible outbreak of Bovine TB.

Shooting of badgers will begin in early September in South Devon, North Devon, North Cornwall, West Dorset, and South Herefordshire, according to the BBC.

More than 2,000 badgers have been killed since the cull started in the counties of Dorset, Devon and Somerset.

The government has a 25-year strategy for culling which they hope will fully eradicate the disease. However, opponents believe that there is no evidence to suggest that culling will stop the disease from spreading.

According to The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), England has the highest rate of bovine TB in Europe, which results in thousands of cattle being slaughtered every year.

Tony Francis, a farmer who had TB in his herd near Okehampton in Devon, is backing the culls to prevent an outbreak of the disease which affects cattle.

READ MORE: No badger cull for our county

Badger cull will stop disease spreading

He told the BBC: "It's an issue which has been going on for decades. No one has really got on top of it. I think the agricultural industry feel we've got to try and take control of it.

However, Jenny Pike, of campaign group Devon and Cornwall Against the Badger Cull, said only 6% of TB cases in cattle came through badgers and the government should focus on curbing cattle-to-cattle transmissions.

She said: "It really is not a good use of taxpayer money, and it's going to cost thousands of badgers their lives for no benefit at all to farmers."

VOTE: Should we be setting up more badger culls? Would you like to see badger culls in Cumbria?

READ MORE: Badger cull to tackle bovine TB 'to be extended'

New research throws light on link between badgers and bovine TB