PLANS for a controversial badger cull in north Pembrokeshire have been dropped.

Environment Minister John Griffiths has said the Welsh Government will instead be looking towards vaccination as the answer to the bovine TB problem.

He made the announcement this afternoon in the Senedd.

Pro-vaccination group, Pembrokeshire Against the Cull, (PAC) has welcomed the move to a strategy based on vaccination. It said it was particularly encouraging that the Minister was going to start the vaccination programme without delay this year.

It said the decision would be a relief for those worried about the potential impact on tourism from culling.

PAC chairman Celia Thomas said: “We are very pleased that the Minister John Griffiths has taken the brave decision to change course and use badger vaccination to address any potential risks posed by Badgers in the spread of Bovine tb.

"We would urge him to improve and enforce the current cattle controls, in particular those that reduce opportunities for cross infection in cattle such as isolation and rapid removal of TB Reactors, in all Welsh Bovine tb hotspots."