The Government needs to "set in stone" its plans to ditch its controversial badger cull, Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas said today ahead of a debate on the policy in the Commons.

Ms Lucas said the decision by ministers this week to delay the cull until next summer was "welcome news" but the Government should take the opportunity to make a complete U-turn and announce plans to abandon the policy completely.

Speaking ahead of a debate in the Commons today, she said: "The delay until 2013 is welcome news, but we now need to set this in stone and stop the cull altogether.