A FARMING union has criticised a BBC documentary on badgers, fronted by Queen guitarist, Brian May.

Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmer and Me aired on 23 August looking into bovine TB and badger culling, which the Farmers Union of Wales has strongly criticised for creating an ‘irresponsible narrative’.

Over 11,000 cattle were slaughtered in Wales during the past year (April 2023 to March 2024) affecting not only farming businesses, but also every family member and farm worker involved. There is also a significant financial burden on the industry and the taxpayer.

FUW President, Ian Rickman said: “Airing a documentary without balanced scientific evidence offers nothing to the debate around bovine TB control.”

“The documentary overindulged an individual's opinion based on unproven theories of a singular experiment on one farm. The farm in question continues to be in a cycle of bovine TB breakdowns which is a situation that is sadly mirrored on many farms across Wales, where current government policy does not allow the culling of badgers to control the spread of TB in cattle.

“It is extremely disappointing that the programme failed to portray the vast complexity of bovine TB in any detail, with no expert counter-argument to the proposed theories despite there being opportunities to do so.

“Frustratingly, the badger was depicted as the victim, with little regard given for the thousands of cattle slaughtered despite scientific research supporting the transmission of infection between cattle and wildlife.”

The FUW acknowledged that the current on-farm test used to identify bovine TB is not sufficiently robust, however, similar testing technology used in conjunction with a fully holistic approach to bovine TB eradication has been successful in other countries.

Defending the programme, Badger Trust said the documentary showed how the government and its agencies rely on decades-old inaccurate testing, knowing its insensitivity, not giving vets and farmers the information they need to stop the spread of bTB among cattle herds.

From the randomised badger culls to now there is no causal link between badgers and bTB spread in cattle.

Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, said: “This documentary focused on farmers and the support and advice they need to reduce bTB in cattle. It is clear that, like everyone else involved in this debacle, the farmers have been badly let down by misinformation and distractions. They need the proper support to reduce bTB in their herd, not more nonsense about culling badgers, which science has repeatedly shown will never be an effective bTB solution. “

Brian May has also defended the programme against accusations of bias, posting on Instagram: “If you're a farmer and think this is a load of old tosh please watch it (the documentary) just once - and see if it rings any bells.

“Please remember that it's a journey shared by a TEAM - one dairy farmer, one farm vet, one wildlife expert and myself, a curious and doggedly persistent scientist. There can be no bias in the programme because all 'sides' are represented in our team.”