An area of south Cumbria is being monitored after being identified as a potential hotspot for bovine tuberculosis. 

The Government's Animal and Plant Agency has been monitoring cases in the county as part of a national plan for Britain to be TB-free by 2038.

It says exposure to infected badgers, the movement of undetected infected cattle and exposure to infected deer have been the main drivers of cases in the county.

A 'cluster' of incidents of bovine TB, which can be passed on to humans in some instances, in the South Lakes led to the area around Cartmel Fell being identified as a potential hotspot for cases.

The agency said the area was being 'closely monitored' for further developments.

A total of 22 TB incidents were resolved during 2023 in Cumbria, according to government figures.

Of these, 11 were new TB incidents that started in 2023 and 11 started in 2022.

Six TB incidents were ongoing at the end of 2023 in Cumbria.

A report summarising incidents in 2023 warned farmers that 'more broadly, purchase of undetected, infected cattle continues to present a significant risk to Cumbria' and 'introductions of cattle without due regard to the TB history of the herd of origin may result in single incidents or as alluded to above, may result in infection being transmitted from cattle into local wildlife resulting in establishment of new TB hotspots'.

The report said TB control measures will be 'aimed at resolving herd incidents quickly and with the least impact on farm businesses as possible'.

The Government recently announced a new strategy to eradicate bovine TV and has pledged to end badger culling within five years.

More than 230,000 badgers have been killed and 278,000 cows have been compulsorily slaughtered in efforts to control the disease, costing taxpayers more than £100 million every year, it said.

The new 'holistic' strategy includes a badger vaccinator field force to increase vaccination-rates, measures to control cattle, a nationwide wildlife monitoring programme, and a pledge to speed up work on a cattle vaccine.

The package will allow Government to end the badger cull by the close of Parliament, which could be in 2029, it added.