Brian May hits back in badger genocide row

However, he went on to say that he believed the media stories were a smear attack orchestrated by those in favour of killing badgers.

He wrote: “My feeling is that, although there are apparently genuine comments here from religious leaders, this story has been 'manufactured', as part of the continuing effort by the pro-cull lobby, to try to discredit me, smear me, because they desperately wish I would shut up - stop telling the truth.

He said: “I can't imagine that rabbis are glued to their TV sets, analysing the words that I speak. I imagine that it's more in the line of a reporter ringing up and saying, ‘Hello - we're doing a story on Brian May using inappropriate words which might upset Jews - would you like to comment?’”