Rock legend, Brian May, has lent his support to a campaign against the Welsh Assembly's proposed badger cull, due to start in Pembrokeshire this year.

At a packed Pembrokeshire Against the Cull (PAC) meeting last night (Monday) a message from the Queen guitarist was read out: “I'm totally with you ... and would like to help make a difference," it said. ".Just tell me how I can help, Cheers Bri”

Around 250 people crammed into the meeting in Newport's Memorial Hall . It was chaired by ecologist Dr Mike Snow. Speakers included AMs Peter Black and Joyce Watson ; Sarah Kessell from the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales Wales; Rob Daley representing tourism in Pembrokeshire and Geoffrey Laurens from Badger Trust.

PAC said that they had invited the Welsh Assembly's Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones and Chief Veterinary officer, Dr Christianne Glossop, who both declined an invitation to attend.

The packed audience heard from Rob Daley, who runs a holiday letting business, that bookings had been affected drastically by the news of the cull.

Audience members involved in the tourism industry confirmed the fact that potential customers were being put off by the destruction of Pembrokeshire’s reputation as a wildlife paradise.

Both AMs advised that, with elections approaching, prospective candidates would have to make their views on the cull clear and that this would give voters a chance to decide who best represented their feelings on the subject.

Sarah Kessle said that The Wildlife Trust opposed the cull as lacking in scientific validity. She said the trust, would be affected, both as a major landowner and as tourist services providers.

Geoffrey Laurens from Badger Trust stated that vaccination was the only sensible way forward to control bovine TB (bTB). He said that cattle movements and cattle in close confinement together were proven to be the cause of 95% of all bTB infections.

PAC chairman, Celia Thomas displayed a poster that landowners could display on their gates which plainly tells cull contractors that they were denied access to the property. If contractors were denied access, she said, they would have to apply to magistrates for permission to do so.

A lively but well mannered session followed in which the gathering unanimously voiced their opposition to the cull.

All agreed by show of hands, that Elin Jones should have attended the meeting and should be encouraged to come to future meetings, especially as she lives locally.