A SANDBACH farmer is supporting the expansion of a borough-wide badger vaccination programme.

Vaccination is viewed as a long-term approach to reducing the prevalence of bovine TB in cattle herds, which can prove so damaging to agricultural livelihoods.

The Cheshire Badger Vaccination Programme (CBVP) is an alternative to controversial badger culls and is supported by Cheshire East Council.

CBVP has already started vaccinating badgers on farmland and council-owned land and Katy Lowe, a cattle farmer from Hassall, said: "I am very pleased to hear the vaccination programme in Cheshire is to be expanded.

"They have vaccinated the badgers on our land and I have found them to be professional, thorough and understanding of the plight that farmers face.

"For me, vaccination offers a viable and effective alternative to culling."

Cheshire East is committed to providing resources to support the programme after a Cabinet vote last January.

Cllr Nick Mannion, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member for environment and regeneration, said: "We realise that by supporting the programme with council resources it can offer vaccination free of charge to more farmers across Cheshire East and therefore play an important part in controlling bovine TB in the borough."

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CBVP is also coordinating the badger vaccination programme across Cheshire West and, by vaccinating in key areas across the whole of Cheshire, its aim is to create a 'firebreak' of vaccinated badgers to prevent the spread of bovine TB from the high-risk areas to the low-risk areas.

Elaine Alexander, coordinator of CBVP, said: "Bovine TB is a devastating disease and very difficult to eradicate once it takes hold in an area.

"It is spread in several ways, primarily between cattle, but there is a small incidence of infection from badgers. Vaccination forms one important part of a range of measures to control this disease, including increased biosecurity and minimising cattle movement."

Vaccination creates herd immunity in the resident badger population and does not cause disturbance to the social structure, so creating a stable and protected population.

By contrast, culling removes local badgers and creates a void for new badgers to move in. These may or may not be infected and so perpetuate the cycle of infection.

More details can be found on the CBVP website.

Any farmers in Cheshire interested in knowing more about vaccination should email CBVP's Elaine Alexander at: [email protected]