THE pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire was a "miserable failure" after it failed to achieve the minimum kill target, according to an animal protection organisation.

Humane Society International/UK (HSI/UK) described the cull as "ineffective and inhumane" after 253 badgers were killed in the county, 362 animals short of the minimum target of 615. In Somerset, shooters only achieved the minimum target of 315 badgers.

The second year of trial culls came to an end on Monday. The maximum target in Gloucestershire was 1,091 while in Somerset it was 785 badgers.

The figures, which have not been officially confirmed by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), were revealed by a source at Natural England to Team Badger, of which HSI/UK is a member.

Cull operators have admitted disruption caused by protesters adversely impacted their work.

Cull supporters blame badgers for spreading TB to cattle.

Wendy Higgins, of HSI/UK,said they were “mightily relieved" shooters failed to kill the target number of badgers in Gloucestershire and didn’t exceed the minimum in Somerset but described every animal death in the cull as an "innocent life wasted for a pointless, unscientific and immoral policy".

Mrs Higgins said: "For the second year in a row the badger cull has been a miserable failure, not simply because it’s proved ineffective but because it remains scientifically discredited and ethically unsupportable.

"It’s time for Defra and the NFU to face facts and be honest with both farmers and the public - shooting badgers has been a costly and humiliating distraction that needs to end now."

HSI/UK believes vaccination, improved farm bio-security and stricter cattle movement measures are the only way to tackle bovine TB.

Mrs Higgins added: "The public knows it, scientists know it, more and more farmers are coming to realise it, it’s time for the government to kill the cull.”

The BBC claims a source close to Defra told them plans to extend badger culls will be cancelled if the pilots missed their targets.

But a Defra spokesman said it was "far too early and unhelpful to speculate on figures" as they still need to be independently audited.

The spokesman confirmed the humaneness of the culls will also be reviewed and signed-off by the chief veterinary officer.

He said: “But the fact remains that England has the highest incidence of bovine TB in Europe and doing nothing is not an option.

"We need to protect our beef and dairy industries, and our nation’s food security. That is why we are pursuing a comprehensive strategy to deal with the disease, supported by leading vets, which includes cattle movement controls, vaccinating badgers in the edge area and culling badgers where TB is rife,” he added.