Yesterday a range of news sources reported that a Dorset badger cull is "looking increasingly likely", paraphrasing the words of Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill. The BBC, the Daily Telegraph, the Dorset Echo were among those reporting the story.

This news will come as a shock to many, but perhaps not a surprise. Given the Government's pursuit of several highly-controversial wildlife policies lately -  buzzards, badgers and ancient woodland to name but three - the writing seems to be on the wall, regardless of the public backlash.

Badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire may not have met their targets or been successful, but it evidently hasn't put Defra off rolling the cull out in new counties. Dorset is currently a back-up county, if the previous culls did not go to plan. A decision is expected within a month.