AN auction held to raise funds for a legal battle against a proposed badger cull in north Pembrokeshire has raised over £7,000.

The sale of donated items, including paintings, photographs, holidays in the Pembrokeshire area and books, was organised by Pembrokeshire Against the Cull in partnership with The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

Over 200 people attended the auction, held at the Castel Malgwyn in Llechryd last month, and many remote bids were received beforehand.

"We were particularly pleased to see so much interest in the auction in advance, as it demonstrated great interest in the event — but also, critically, strong local support for the fight against the cull," said a Trust spokeswoman.

"We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated, or helped with the organisation of the event, and contributed to its huge success."

The Wildlife Trust said it expects a statement from the Assembly's minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones soon on what its next steps to help eradicate bTB in Wales will be.

The decision halted a proposed cull of badgers in north Pembrokeshire which had been scheduled to start this summer.

The Wildlife Trust is backing scientific recommendations with regards to bio-security and vaccination. It remains committed to pushing hard for vaccination and says a licensed, injectable vaccine already available could be used to vaccinate badgers against the disease, and provide a much better long-term solution at a significantly reduced cost.