16/12/24 TB testing device, rural pubs and community buy-outs.

Scientists at Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities have won more than a million pounds worth of funding for a trial which they hope will create a real-time test for bovine TB. The project will use hand-held microwave technology to remove DNA from cattle and badger pooh samples, which will then be tested for bovine TB on the spot. If it works, it'll be a massive boost for farmers across the country, where the disease costs the government alone £150m a year.

All week we're looking at rural pubs, it's not been an easy few years for the sector. CAMRA, The Campaign for Real Ale, estimates that 2024 will have seen the closure of around 1,200 continuing a longstanding trend within the hospitality sector. We discuss the challenges facing them, and hear from a community in mid Wales which has clubbed together to buy the village pub and keep it alive.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney