. [i]The letter below appeared in yesterday's Guardian:[/i] We are disappointed that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has decided not to listen to scientific evidence, the majority of the public or the advice of external stakeholders and, instead, is to go ahead with badger cull trials (Report, 15 December). These proposals are providing false hope that badger culls will eradicate the terrible problem of bovine TB. The trials will cost farmers £1.4m and cost £2m for police forces in each cull area over four years. If the government goes ahead with 10 cull areas from 2013 onwards, it could cost £20m plus in policing costs alone. We call on the government to focus its resources on improving biosecurity, limiting the transfer of TB between cattle, and producing fully functional vaccines for both badgers and cattle. [i]Joe Duckworth Chief executive, League Against Cruel Sports Mark Jones Executive director, Humane Society International/UK Anne Brummer Founder and trustee, Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue Andrew Tyler Director, Animal Aid Lorraine Platt Co-founder, Conservatives Against Fox Hunting Libby Anderson Acting chief executive, One Kind Simon Cowell Founder/director, The Wildlife Aid Foundation Robbie Marsland UK director, International Fund for Animal Welfare Wally Burley, Chair, Labour Animal Welfare Society Peter Bottomley MP Conservative, Worthing West Martin Horwood MP Liberal Democrat, Cheltenham Dr Caroline Lucas MP Green, Brighton Pavilion Kerry McCarthy MP Labour, Bristol East Bob Russell MP Liberal Democrat, Colchester Adrian Sanders MP Liberal Democrat, Torbay Mike Weatherley MP Conservative, Hove and Portslade Chris Williamson MP Labour, Derby North[/i] .