CAMPAIGNERS travelled to London on Saturday to join a protest against the Government’s badger cull.

Culling began in two pilot areas over the weekend – Gloucestershire and Somerset – in a bid to tackle bovine tuberculosis.

About 1,000 animal welfare campaigners took part in the protest, led by former Queen guitarist Brian May, and delivered a 234,000-signature petition to Downing Street.

Jo Bates-Keegan, who lives in Blackburn and chairs Lancashire Badger Group, said: “Lancashire Badger Group is hugely sympathetic to the plight of farmers. However we are convinced, as are the vast majority of the wildlife and conservation organisations in the country and indeed scientists in this field, that this badger cull will only be to the detriment of farmers and badgers.”