CUMBRIA County Council has declined to ban badger culling on its land.

The authority said it saw "no need to adopt a prohibition policy at this stage" after being presented with an e-petition calling for culls to be outlawed.

The petition was presented to the council by Eileen Clark on behalf of the online campaign, Save Cumbria's Badgers from Culling.

A Cabinet report said: " Although cases of bovine TB arise in herds within the county, we are fortunate in being geographically distant from those parts of the country where the disease is widespread in both cattle and wildlife.

"Current evidence from veterinary surveillance does not indicate the presence of bovine TB in Cumbria's wildlife population and we sincerely wish for this to remain the case."

However, the report accepted there was "always as risk that the disease could take hold here".

It added: "Should the TB status of the county change, we will review the situation, with full consideration given to all the implications for Cumbrian farmers and our wildlife."