An e-petition calling on the government to stop the badger cull, which was started by Queen guitarist Brian May, has  reached the 100,000-signatures target required to trigger a debate in Parliament.

Earlier this month the Badger Trust lost its legal battle against the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) when the Royal Courts of Justice found in favour of Defra’s decision to issue Natural England with licences to carry out a cull of badgers to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

Since the ruling a coalition of charities and campaigners including the Badger Trust and the RSPCA launched the Stop the Cull campaign led by May, which includes the e-petition as well as rallies, social media activity and a film (below). The petition currently has over 110,000 signatures.  

The campaign is only the second charity e-petition to have reached 100,000 signatures, the first charity-related campaign to reach the target was one to remove VAT from air ambulance fuel. Petitions with 100,000 are referred to the Backbench Business Committee which is responsible for scheduling debates in backbench time. Any subject can be considered but an MP needs to make the case to the committee.

Other celebrities who have endorsed the campaign include Sir David Attenborough and Simon King OBE.

View the campaign film below: