Campaigners yesterday lost the latest round of their legal battle against the culling of badgers.

They accused the government at the Court of Appeal of acting unlawfully by allowing the latest badger culls to go ahead without an independent expert panel (IEP) to monitor whether the animals are being killed in a humane way.

The Badger Trust asked three judges at a recent hearing in London to rule that there was a “legitimate expectation” that an IEP would be put in place.

But their case was dismissed in a decision announced today.

The challenge arose from a decision to sanction a second year of “controlled shooting” of free-roaming badgers in Gloucestershire and Somerset as part of efforts to tackle tuberculosis in cattle.

The Badger Trust said it was “disappointed” by the Court of Appeal’s decision “against ensuring an independent referee.”