Animal protection officers say they have unearthed fresh evidence of badger baiting in Sussex.

Officers from the county branch of the Badger Trust said six incidents had been uncovered in the last year, in Ashington, Cowfold, Crowborough and Cuckfield.

A sett in Cowfold had been raided for a second time in the last week, officers said.

Jeff Hayden, treasurer of the Sussex charity, said: "You would think this was going on 200 years ago and in Ireland or Yorkshire, but this is 2006 in Sussex.

"A dead badger was found in Crowborough. The sett had been filled in and when we dug down I put my hand in and found the dead animal.

"It's very upsetting. A lot of the work we do is quite unpleasant."

The Badger Trust has been monitoring setts over the last few years but police fear baiting is on the increase.

The charity said that up to £40,000 could change hands in bets in an evening of badger baiting.

However, the trust, who have launched a hotline for witnesses, said it was hard for police to catch and successfully prosecute the culprits. Phil Taylor, of the trust, said they recently stumbled on four diggers and at least three dogs at a set but they escaped.

Badger baiting was made illegal in 1835. However, it has never died out and police believe it has become more common in the last 20 years. The offenders use dogs and digging equipment to take badgers from their setts. They are then attacked by dogs for "sport" whilst spectators gamble on the dog's performance.

Badgers suffer severe injuries before they are killed. The dogs are often badly injured as well.

Mr Hayden said: "When you see badgers and start reading about them you realise what likeable and social animals they are.

"The young ones play games you can imagine your children playing tag and leapfrog."

The Badger Trust are also campaigning against a "badger cull", proposed by the Government, to help control Bovine TB. The charity said only ten per cent of badgers carried TB.

The Badger Trust hotline is 07910 198720