SURREY County Council has rejected a call to follow Hampshire County Council's example and ban culling of badgers on any land that it owns or leases.

A motion proposed by Liberal Democrat county councillor Will Forster (Woking South) calling for the ban was rejected at a meeting of the full council on what Labour councillor Robert Evans described as "a sad day for animal welfare in this county".

But an on-line petition launched by a member of the public with the same aim is continuing apace. At present it has over 1,160 signatures and the public still have until January 24 to sign up.

The culls which began in Gloucestershire and Somerset, aimed at halting bovine tuberculosis, sparked huge opposition from groups including the RSPCA.

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.