The areas will be north west of Stroud in Gloucestershire, north east of Cheltenham, near Eccleshall, Staffs, on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border, west of Tiverton in Devon and south east of Tiverton.
 
The 300km2 ‘catchment areas’ were selected using criteria including the level of TB?incidence in the last five years. A Defra team will be holding meetings with farmers in the autumn to discuss the project.

Farmers’ leaders have been bitterly opposed to the vaccination approach, favouring a programme of culling badgers.

MORE:Phone Defra on 0844 248 0073.