I AM writing in response to Phil Grice's letter on bovine TB published in the Journal recently. I worked with MAFF on the West Wales sampling and culling investigations in the early 1980s and thus have experience of the problem at first hand. I am not in principle against the notion of controlling wildlife populations where there is a clearly demonstrated excess population and a clear chance of some realistic gain from the control process.

So far, we have, by way of "consultation" being given a glossy non-scientific "expert group" document by the authorities which is little more than a sales brochure for the decision now taken to cull badgers.

What I would like to see properly done to enable me to get anywhere near supporting such serious depredations of one of our few remaining large(ish) predators is: A clear and fair cost-benefit analysis that takes into account the cost of the control effort alongside the realistic TB reduction estimate together with the cattle culling cost. This needs to be presented properly, otherwise the Assembly will stand accused of wasting taxpayers' money at a time when all of us are being asked to face serious cuts in our public services.

A fair examination of the costs of a sensible epidemiological control measure — which has hitherto been totally ignored through political expediency — the abandonment of dairy farming in TB "Hotspot" areas. We do not offer taxpayer support for businesses that choose to locate themselves in the "wrong" place for their successful execution, unless a clear employment benefit is to be gained by large numbers of the population.

Clearly that is not the case here.

I am totally opposed to my Government pursuing such a flawed policy and outraged that the life of a wild animal can be treated in such a cavalier fashion for the sake of expediency.

Dr Steve Morris BSc, PhD (Wales) MSc (Duneim)

Whitland