Tesco has moved to clarify its policy on the planned badger cull in England, after one of its customer services managers mistakenly sent out a letter claiming it would not source from any suppliers involved in the cull.

In the letter, a customer service manager wrote that Tesco enforced “a strict policy of not sourcing from any suppliers that are involved in, or financially benefit from, this practice” after a concerned customer asked about its policy on the badger cull.

“We understand the concerns you have about the badger cull,” the manager wrote. “I would like to assure you that none of the suppliers we source from take part in this activity.”

However, when asked about the letter and its badger cull policy by The Grocer, Tesco said the letter had been sent out in error. It said the cull was a matter for farmers and the government.

“We are sorry that the customer was given the wrong information,” a spokesman said.

By that time, Tesco’s letter had been circulated on the web, with anti-cull supporters on Twitter praising the supermarket for taking a stand against the cull.

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