Church leaders say a badger cull is "necessary" to stop the out-of-control TB virus ruining the West's farming industry.

The Anglican Church in Somerset has now called for urgent talks to help solve the problem of TB in cattle.

And the Bath and Wells Diocese has made it clear it considers a cull an essential move – despite campaigners' pleas that it is not the answer.

Chairman Tom Done said: "No one, including most farmers, wants to see a mass cull of all badgers but in the interest of cattle, badgers and farmers it will be necessary to control the badger population so that we can have healthy setts and herds."

TB is out of control across the South West and is threatening to engulf the rest of the country.

There have already been devastating consequences for livestock: last year 20,000 cattle had to be slaughtered on the region's farms, 2,816 new TB cases were reported – a 40 per cent increase on 2007 – and at the end of the year there were 4,000 herds under restrictions.

Farmers are compensated for animals compulsorily slaughtered but the Government has imposed lower payments in an attempt to reduce the millions of pounds it spends on the disease each year. One Somerset farmer recently received £200-a-head less for a group of slaughtered animals than he had paid for them at auction weeks before.

Churchmen want urgent talks between farmers, badger groups and the Government to find a way out of the problem – even though Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn has repeatedly refused to order a badger cull, the last time just two weeks ago when he met a deputation of Devon farmers.

But Mr Done said the situation was leading to bankruptcies and depression for many farmers, including those unable to sell their stock because of positive tests.

"Let us believe we can have a positive debate between the badger groups, farmers and Defra with all sides looking at the interests of one another so we can have healthy wildlife and cattle for the benefit of those of us who love our countryside" he said.

TB was eradicated from the countryside 50 years ago but has reappeared. Pro-badger groups say it is spreading because cattle are farmed more intensively and kept in larger herds. But trial badger culling in Ireland has seen a reduction in cases.

Farmers say the problem exploded since badgers were given legal protection in 1992, a move which led to a big leap in the animals' population.

Badger campaigners said the TB problem could be reduced if cattle were tested before they were moved to market or from farm to farm. Despite the extra expense for farmers – who opposed the idea – the testing regime was introduced in 2005 but TB cases have continued to soar.

Farmers are now warning dairy and beef cattle numbers are reaching a tipping point beyond which it will be impossible to breed up enough replacement animals, risking shortages of milk, cheese, butter and beef.

The Badger Trust remains as opposed as ever to a cull.

Spokesman Jack Reedy said: "A diseased badger is extremely difficult to identify. Unless there is a sure and certain way of doing it, we remain against a wholesale cull of badgers. We have always considered it extremely unfair for anyone to consider the wholesale destruction of an indigenous wildlife species for what, on the basis of trials, is a marginal effect on the problem.

"We do want to see bovine TB eradicated as it was perfectly satisfactorily 50 years ago, but we also want to see a measured, comprehensive approach to the control of this disease."