Around 50 Pembrokeshire "badgers" escaped across the Teifi Marshes to the safety of Ceredigion during an anti-cull protest this weekend.

On Saturday members and supporters of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and Pembrokeshire Against the Cull joined forces to protest against Welsh Assembly Government plans to cull badgers in north Pembrokeshire.

In Saturday's Great Escape protesters, many dressed as badgers, made the journey from the Teifi Marshes nature reserve, through the estuary and across the bridge into Cardigan, to “escape” the cull zone.

They then mingled with Saturday shoppers in Cardigan, garnering support for their campaign and petition.

The nature reserve is one of seven within the Intensive Action Pilot Area managed by the Wildlife Trust. Two badger sets in the reserve are amongst those that will be included in the cull.

Dr Lizzie Wilberforce, Conservation Manager for the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales said: “We were simply delighted at the turnout. The Wildlife Trust and Pembrokeshire Against the Cull are both utterly opposed to the planned cull.

"The Welsh Assembly Government continues to state that there is limited opposition to their plans to cull badgers. Today we have proved otherwise.

"Our reception in Cardigan was extremely positive. People passing in cars were using their horns to show their support and many people came forward to sign our petition”.

“We believe it is really important that the Welsh Assembly Government understands quite how many of the voting public object to their plans to cull badgers.," she added.

She pledged to continue to oppose the cull, and urge the government to pursue an alternative approach of vaccination and increased biosecurity.

"The Wildlife Trusts in Wales are cattle owners and as managers and we absolutely understand the severity of the problem of bovine TB in this area of Wales. We have a vested interest ourselves in finding a solution. But culling is simply not the answer”