Angry cattle farmers bombard Benn with calls for badger cull

Farmers yesterday shouted down the environment secretary, Hilary Benn, over his refusal to order a badger cull to try to stamp out bovine TB disease.

Benn and his department were accused of "waffling" and prevaricating by not delivering a clear policy to control and eradicate the disease.

Delegates at the National Farmers' union's centenary conference in London heckled the minister as he dampened hopes of a widespread badger cull, insisting that winning public acceptability was crucial to the future policy. Benn said he fully understood "the difficulties, stress and financial hardship" faced by farmers whose herds had been struck down and slaughtered as a result of the infection.

He told the conference he planned to take a decision on a new policy to deal with the problem soon after the cross-party Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee reports on the issue in the next few weeks.

The NFU president, Peter Kendall, urged the minister to make the "right decision" on culling badgers to end the spread of the "absolutely devastating" disease, and said political leadership was needed to explain to the public the difficulties farmers faced. As Benn answered concerns about increasing levels of tuberculosis in UK cattle, one farmer shouted that in 10 years of Labour government "you've done bugger-all. Stop waffling."