NEW research suggests frequent testing of cattle would be more effective in controlling bovine TB than shooting badgers.

Computer modelling research carried out at Queen Mary University of London suggests testing could even lead to the eradication of the disease whether or not badgers were culled.

It said in a typically sized region culling badgers would save 12 cattle, whereas more frequent testing of cattle could save 193.

Anti-cull campaigners have welcomed the news. Dominic Dyer, of the Badger Trust and Care for the Wild, said: “This research is large-scale and objective, and takes into full account the possibility of badgers being responsible for bTB infections in cattle, yet still it concludes that the answer to beating this disease is to focus on the cattle.

“This is the message we at the Badger Trust, Care for the Wild and many others have been hammering home over the past couple of years, so maybe now the Government will feel the need to actually listen.

“The role badgers play in spreading this disease has been massively exaggerated and the impact of culling them has been completely misunderstood.”

The research, published in the Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment journal, said factors such as larger herds and keeping cattle inside in winter could also explain the rise of TB cases in recent decades.

Matthew Evans, professor of Ecology at QMUL, said: “Of the available bovine TB control strategies we believe that how frequently cattle are tested and whether or not farms utilise winter housing have the most significant effect on the number of infected cattle.

“We’ve successfully used our model to replicate real world situations and are confident it can be used to predict the effects of various changes in the way we tackle the disease.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “It’s clear that there’s no single measure that will on its own achieve control of TB.

“That’s why we’re pursuing a comprehensive strategy to tackle bovine TB, which includes regular cattle testing, tighter cattle movement controls, vaccinations and culling in areas where the disease is widespread.”