The adverts were run in response to trial badger culling in Wales

AN ANIMAL rescue centre has been told to withdraw controversial newspaper adverts condemning the start of a trial of badger culling.

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East Huntspill-based Secret World, which administers the Save the Badger organisation, had taken out adverts calling for the trial in western Wales to be stopped.

But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has found against the centre, and has now ordered that the adverts never be run again.

The adverts claimed that the Welsh Assembly’s pilot scheme in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion was going to ‘exterminate’ badgers, and that young cubs would starve underground.

But three complaints by the Farmers Union of Wales were upheld by the ASA, who said that certain facts in the adverts were misleading.

Secret World’s founder Pauline Kidner said: “We are disappointed with the findings of the ASA.

“We had an honest basis for the content of the advertisements but have decided to accept the ASA findings and not spend any further campaigning funds on appealing.”

The ASA has ruled that the adverts must not feature in any newspaper in their current form, and that there must be ‘robust substantiation’ for statements in future adverts.