Opponents of badger cull plan vuvuzela protest

Animal rights activists plan to subject farmers in badger cull zones to a campaign of sleep deprivation in an attempt to make them drop their support for the killings.

Campaigners will use fireworks, rape alarms and vuvuzelas near the homes of farmers who allow the cull to take place on their land, according to a source close to the leadership of the radical opposition to the cull.

Up until now they had promised not to target farmers during the cull, intended to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis. However, a leading activist told The Independent this policy would be "torn up".

"There will be constant phone calls and demos outside farms," the man, who gave his name as Jay, said. "It will probably involve sleep deprivation for farmers. If setting off a firework 200yd from someone's house gets someone in trouble [with police] so be it."

Under the terms of the culling licence, issued by Natural England to a consortium of farmers and landowners in Gloucestershire on Monday, shooters must have access to cull on 70 per cent of the total land area covered by the licence. Activists hope to force farmers to remove permission.