SOME farmers wore black arm bands and others pleaded for urgent political action against badgers when bovine TB was discussed at the annual National Farmers Union conference in Birmingham.

It was claimed a quarter of livestock and dairy farms in Herefordshire and Worcestershire were “down” because of the disease and that culling of badgers in hot spot areas was needed now to bring it under control.

But Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the environment, food and rural affairs - who was at the conference and admitted it was a nightmare situation - was unmoved by the farmers’ pleas for an immediate short-term cull.

Asked by NFU chairman Peter Kendell what he was going to do to eradicate bovine TB, he replied: “I realise that most of you, if not all of you, believe my decision not to cull was the wrong one, but I stand by it.”

More than 20 farmers from Herefordshire were at the conference and heard their neighbouring colleague Tim Jones, who farms near Tenbury, call for a short-term culling policy for hot spots.

Mr Jones, whose own cattle have been affected by TB said while vaccination was a long term priority, action was needed in the short term.

“Of course we would like a long-term solution that didn’t involve a cull but at the moment a quarter of livestock on dairy farms in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are down so action is needed,’’ he said.

Dismissing the call for a cull Mr Benn said the Government would watch what was happening in Wales as well as a badger vaccine project in six areas of England this summer.

“We’ll listen to the views of the farmers who take part and we will go on investing in badger and cattle vaccines. That must be the way out of this nightmare,’’ he said.

But farmers, many wearing black armbands with “TB” on them, protested at the lack of action saying there should not be a “wait and see” attitude.

They heard that 150,000 cattle have been slaughtered in the west of tthe country including Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire and other parts of the region since Labour came into power in 1997.

Herefordshire livestock farmer Julia Evans, a former NFU county chairman, said she was disappointed, but not surprised at Mr Benn’s attitude.

But there was no time to wait for a cattle vaccine and a change in European legislation and action should be taken like that in Wales because bovine TB was spreading out of control, she said.

NFU president Peter Kendall earlier asked Conservative shadow minister Nick Herbert and his Liberal Democrat counterpart Tim Farron to join in and give political leadershship to help eradicateTB from the national herd.

Mr Herbert responded by supporting short-term action, saying: “We can no longer stand by while bovine TB claims 40,000 cattle a year, costs £80 million a year and destroys livelihoods every year.”

Mr Farron said his party was committed to tackling the disease to help ensure “an effective science-based badger cull as part of our armoury to tackle this cruel disease”.

Updated figures are likely to show that more than 6,000 cattle were killed in the West Midlands last year and more than 1,000 herds placed under restriction.

In Herefordshire and Worcestershire the number of animals killed is expected to be over 3,000.