CONGRATULATIONS to the campaigners who petitioned Worcestershire County Council not to allow the culling of badgers on its land (“Pleas to end ‘unscientific’ TB culls on council lands”, Advertiser, May 21).

They are absolutely right that such a cull would be “inhumane, inefficient and unscientific”.

It would also not be done out of any love of cows, because fewer than 40,000 dairy cows are killed annually in the UK because of bovine TB, which is less than 10% of the 450,000 that are put to death each year, with more than 100,000 being killed due to infertility, 120,000 because of mastitis and lameness and the remaining 200,000 because they have become too old to be efficient milk producers.

Naturally cows can live to be 25 years old, but the dairy industry slaughters them at only 5 to 7 years of age, and 100,000 male calves are killed annually on dairy farms because they are of no use for producing milk.

All this suffering and slaughter because humans want to drink a product that is really meant for calves!

And all totally unnecessary when we can all live perfectly healthily without consuming animal products.

Thankfully more and more people are becoming vegan or vegetarian every year and many others are reducing their consumption of meat, fish, eggs and dairy out of concern for animals, the environment or their own health.

Worcestershire Vegans & Veggies can be contacted at info@worcsveg.org.uk, on 01562 700043 or via our website at worcsveg.org.uk Ronald Lee Communications Officer Worcestershire Vegans & Veggies Kidderminster