THE culling of badgers in West Wales is to be put on hold until a legal hearing takes place at the end of the month.

The temporary halt of the controversial cull comes after welfare group the Badger Trust won the right to appeal against a judicial review.

The initial judicial review by the Trust was turned down in April, favouring an Assembly cull of badgers.

The appeal hearing is due to take place on June 30.

Earlier this year, Assembly Rural affairs Minister Elin Jones announced that up to 1,500 badgers would be culled in a pilot cull area in north Pembrokeshire and parts of adjoining Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

The cull is part of a wider-ranging programme aimed at tackling bovine tuberculosis in cattle, which includes stricter controls of cattle herds.

Badgers are believed by many to be responsible for spreading the disease to cattle.

The start of culling will not be announced until after the appeal.

Gwendolen Morgan of London law firm Bindmans LLP, which represents the Trust, said: "The success of the Badger Trust's application to appeal to the Court of Appeal calls into question the Minister's plans to embark on this costly, ill-conceived cull, which is likely to do more harm than good in terms of TB reduction."

Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones had initially said that the cull would continue despite the appeal.

However, on Friday, she said: "We will continue with our scientific approach that underpins our eradication programme. We will proceed with the preparatory work under the legal powers available to the Welsh Assembly Government.

"In light of the fact that the hearing will now be held very quickly, I can commit to a delay in removing badgers until the judgement is delivered. I do so in anticipation of an early and positive judgement for the Welsh Assembly Government."

Llechryd farmer Tina Sacco, who has previously called for a vaccination policy instead of a cull, said: "I think it's common sense, to go ahead with the possibility of losing a legal challenge would've been catastrophic, with badgers scared out of their wits running everywhere."

She felt that the delay added weight to calls for vaccination.

"It's always been a frontline defence for both man and animal.

"Elin Jones needs to give justification for a cull rather than a vaccination."