THE leader of Worcestershire County Council is writing to the Government to urge a fresh solution on tackling bovine TB - after admitting concern over badger culling.

Councillor Adrian Hardman has agreed to lobby environment secretary Liz Truss over alternative tactics, acknowledging the "fierce criticism" over the controversial shooting.

During a cross-party debate at County Hall today, it also emerged that the council was approached two years ago by the Government to become a badger cull pilot area, only to be refused.

Your Worcester News can exclusively reveal how the pilot would have concentrated on areas in and around the Powick council ward and down towards the M50, which includes Callow End.

At the time, former Tory Councillor David Thain, who has since lost his seat at County Hall, rejected it after consulting the area's representative Lib Dem Tom Wells.

During today's debate the opposition Labour group tried to get a motion backed to outlaw any culling on council-owned land, but Cllr Hardman altered the wording and said killing of badgers was "illegal" in the county anyway.

A motion was agreed by all parties saying shooting badgers has been criticised by "some members of the public, some eminent scientists and some animal welfare action groups".

It also said the council has "already declined to participate in the current project and as such killing of the badgers in the county is illegal".

The letter to Ms Truss will urge her to "consider all options" in the fight to eradicate TB.

Cllr Hardman said: "I myself would like to see a different control method.

"But what is quite clear to me is the need to find a solution to bovine TB - our dairy industry is under considerable threat."

Councillor Richard Udall, Labour's rural affairs spokesman, said: "I know the sheer despair of bovine TB - we need to find an answer because farming is so important to Worcestershire's economy.

"We have to deal with facts, and the fact is this cull will not work - the last one failed and this will also fail."

During the debate some politicians defended the shooting, with Councillor Ken Pollock saying "why are we sentimental about badgers".

“Hedgehogs are eaten by badgers, they eat it and leave the skin,” he said.

“Why is it that badgers are the only animals in this country allowed to expand their population so much so they have to go hungry?”

He also said the report saying the first cull failed was open to debate, as there are no accurate numbers on the badger population, and said countries like New Zealand had made a success of similar projects.

Councillor Rob Adams, a farmer in White Ladies Aston, said bovine TB makes him "sick to my stomach" and also defended the cull.

“Do you know how it feels, Richard? That scenario when the vet sees them, that sickness in my stomach when you’ve got a little calf you’ve got to isolate straight away.

“This is a very emotional issue.”

He said he did not blame the badgers for the bovine TB crisis which has engulfed Britain, but wanted any solution to be found quickly.

Cllr Hardman's letter to the Government will also highlight that "some Worcestershire residents have concerns" about shooting badgers.

The second cull is currently underway in Gloucestershire and Somerset.