FARMERS are being urged to sign up to a badger vaccination scheme aimed at eradicating bovine TB.

Shropshire and Herefordshire, a hot spot for the disease, has been chosen by Defra to be in the front line of a five year prevention control programme in England.

The area named to take part stretches from east of Bromyard to Tenbury, then on to Cleobury Mortimer.

Belmont Veterinary Centre, based in Hereford and Bromyard, is holding a meeting in Bromyard on Monday for farmers to be brought up to date with the situation.

Vaccination is expected to start in the spring and the vets will be advising farmers in the chosen area to sign up for the scheme, which is voluntary.

Matthew Pugh, of the Belmont practice, said horrendous losses of cattle were taking place through bovine TB and the only legal way of dealing with badgers was through vaccination.

Farmers will not be expected to vaccinate badgers. Special teams are being trained and then contracted by Defra.

After being injected, each animal will be marked for identification purposes and the vaccination teams are expected to revisit each year to deal with new badgers.

Mr Pugh said it could take three or four years before the results of the trials are known.

The meeting is at Bromyard Rugby Club at 7.30pm.