FARMERS in West Somerset have branded the RSPCA irresponsible after it released badgers into the wild near Lydeard St Lawrence.

They say the badgers could add to the spread of bovine TB at a time of heightened concern about the disease.

Johnathan Moorhouse, who farms pedigree Hereford cattle, said: "We live in constant fear of bovine TB all the time. It's the biggest fear for a livestock farmer.

"There's a general consensus that there's a reservoir of bovine TB and that badgers are the biggest culprit.

"We've seen an increase in the disease in this area over the last few years, and it's irresponsible of the RSPCA to do this when everyone is concerned about the disease."

The RSPCA has maintained the animals concerned, which were released near Combe Florey, had been tested for bovine TB but had been found to be clear of the disease.

A spokesman said the charity had followed protocols, familiar to the NFU, when it released the animals, and that the release, designed to discover how they dispersed and survived, had been done with the co-operation of the landowner.

The Institute for Animal Health says the incidence of bovine TB has been rising in England and Wales with farmers suffering huge financial losses and distress because of infections in their herds.

Badgers have been suspected of being a source of infection since the early 1970s. The Institute says some infected badgers develop TB and produce large numbers of bacteria, which can spread to other animals.

Infected badgers have been shown to transmit infection to cattle under experimental conditions. Other wildlife species, such as ferrets, also are susceptible.