A BADGER protection group based near Wotton-under-Edge is offering a 1,000 cash reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of badger killers.

Stop War on Badgers says it will pay the reward for any information leading to a successful prosecution.

Simon Hacker, group spokesman, said: "We're asking anyone out in the countryside to keep an eye out for unusual activity around known setts.

"We will pass on vehicle details, descriptions, time and place of any suspect activity and will preserve all anonymity over any information."

The protection group has said in light of the government's likely decision not to instigate a badger cull, it has received information that interested parties may be taking matters into their own hands.

Mr Hacker said: "The NFU has lost the argument for a cull. Falling TB in cattle and DEFRA's science have left them high and dry but sadly there are already noises about DIY culls from people taking matters into their own hands.

"We've won the argument by virtue of science and logic and fortunately for the cattles' sake the true bTB causes are at long last coming into focus. But for the badgers the threat is still great many people are so brainwashed that badgers spread TB they are willing to risk prosecution."

Stop War on Badgers is requesting that people contact them with any information about badger corpses so they can arrange an independent veterinary autopsy to determine the manner of death.

However, a spokesman from the NFU said targeting the causes of bTB was still important but farmers would not be taking matters into their own hands.

The spokesman said: "It's not legal to kill badgers and no farmer would do it.

"The NFU still says the disease has to be tackled. As far as I'm concerned the situation hasn't changed.

"It's a disease both species have and unless we tackle it in both species it wont' get cleared up.

"It's not a case of farmers don't like badgers."

For more information visit, www.stopwaronbadgers.org