I WAS chatting the other night to a Welsh farming friend whom I had served with on the National Farmers' Union council. He is still firmly of the opinion – despite the Welsh assembly facing a legal challenge over its decision to cull badgers – that by the start of next year north Pembrokeshire will be at the centre of an enormous wildlife cull.

To cull badgers in an area the size of the Peak District, if not bigger, is certainly not going to be without its problems.

Staff have already been trained and reportedly a good number of farmers have agreed to participate.

There are certainly going to be some fun and games when the cull begins. Can you imagine the thought of hundreds, if not thousands, of dead badgers being trucked around the UK to be rendered and disposed of?

It is certainly not going to be a pleasant job for those who are going to have to trap and slaughter such a popular mammal.

If only 20 years ago, when TB reared its ugly head in Staffordshire, the politicians had taken decisive action and removed infected setts, I am firmly of the opinion that we would have seen the death of only a handful or two of badgers.

Yet here we are today facing a cull, thanks to politicians over the years who have refused to bite the bullet to stop this terrible disease spreading.

It has been interesting to see what effect mass culls have had in Ireland. It has taken more than a year to see any sizeable reduction in TB cases. The latest report shows a fall over the past few months of 21 per cent.