THE badger cull will not meet Government targets for the number of animals killed because of disruption by protesters, it has been claimed.

The target for the six-week cull is 316 badgers in Somerset and 615 in Gloucestershire, but a letter seen by The Guardian which was sent by Gloscon, the company licensed to carry out the Gloucestershire cull, allegedly says interference by activists is proving “quite significant” and “we are not achieving planned numbers”.

The letter was reportedly sent to farmers. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has said it would not comment on the ongoing badger cull until the official figures have been published.