West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, says he is encouraged by the "good progress" being made in the project to roll out a badger vaccine in West Cornwall.

The aim is to tackle the problems of bovine tuberculosis in the local cattle herd; a project he originally proposed last year and in which he has collaborated with the Zoological Society of London.

Local volunteers have been working to set traps to administer the vaccine safely before releasing badgers back into the wild.

This is the first year of a project which the Government has so far refused to fund and support – preferring to put resources into their two badger cull pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Mr George said, “I was encouraged by what I saw at the weekend. The project has received strong co-operation and support amongst local farmers and landowners and has popular backing amongst volunteers from the local community.

"It is great that we have the full support of the Zoological Society of London, the National Trust, the Wildlife Trust and other respected bodies.”