SHOPPERS in Hereford on Saturday witnessed around 250 people marching through High Town in protest against badger culling.

The Herefordshire Badger Group staged the march from Castle Green through High Town and The Old Market.

A badger cull has taken place in Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset- farmers insist culling is necessary to tackle the spread of bovine TB, which results in thousands of cattle being slaughtered every year.

But the county's badger group think culling is cruel, ineffective against bovine tuberculosis and expensive.

Hereford resident Sara Siloko, who is a member of the group, said: "Marchers came from all over the country to join the march, as well as many Herefordshire citizens. "Our Herefordshire Badger Group stall at High Town fielded many questions from the general public, and got more signatures to our petition demanding a stop to the cull, which will be presented to government soon."

Herefordshire could be on the roll-out list for culling badgers in 2016.

The group's recent petition to Herefordshire Council gained 2,000 signatures against badger culling in the county.