Badger culling is spreading across England — even though experts have warned that killing the animals in an attempt to curb bovine tuberculosis (TB) flies in the face of science.

The scheme has expanded to 21 areas and was given the green light by Environment Minister Michael Gove earlier this week.

Defra says that around 33,000 badgers would be killed over the next eight weeks in areas including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.