Ross-on-Wye was on the borders of the badger cull area last year, which covered Gloucestershire, but the town could now be included in a new cull location which includes South Herefordshire.

The cull started in Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset, but shooting will now be carried out in five new areas of England, in a bid to control Bovine TB.

Shooting of badgers will begin in early September in South Herefordshire, South Devon, North Devon, North Cornwall and West Dorset. Culling is part of the government’s 25-year-strategy to eradicate the disease, but opponents say there is no evidence culling is effective.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have not confirmed if the selections had been made, but said it was “currently considering applications for further badger control licences as part of the usual licensing process.”

Animal rights campaigners have condemned reports that the badger cull in England is to be extended to five new areas. David Bowles, the RSPCA’s head of public affairs, said the cull - an attempt by the Government to eradicate bovine tuberculosis was not necessary.