Forensic scientists are about to launch a DNA database for some of wild Britain's toughest customers - and most poignant victims.

The purpose: to put a stop to badger-baiting, a form of sport with dogs first outlawed in 1835. The RSPCA has commissioned a company called Wildlife DNA Services, based at the University of Wales, Bangor, to build up the genetic profiles of hundreds of badger families across Britain, it announced today.