LAST WEEK we had a cow taken away for slaughter because she was a TB reactor. Lovely young cow, very sad. Left behind was a strong, six-week-old bull calf. We had to teach it to drink milk (from a local dairy farm) and feed and care for this calf. This week an abattoir rang to say the calf must go too as the cow had TB lesions, and it was duly collected.

How distressing for all concerned – the cow separated from her young calf, the orphaned calf left alone, the people who cared for it disheartened.

If Wales is going to follow to vaccinate against TB policy, it will never, ever be free of the disease, and nor will all the other mammals in the countryside. Must we vaccinate sheep, pigs, foxes, deer, cats, dogs, hedgehogs, otters, mink, and so on? See the DEFRA website for yourself.

Henry Humphreys Gwehelog Usk