The new head of the RSPCA has made a dramatic, public apology for the charity’s past mistakes and vowed to be less political and bring fewer prosecutions in the future.

In his first interview since taking over as chief executive, Jeremy Cooper admitted the RSPCA had become “too adversarial” and dragged too many people through the courts under its previous leadership.

Mr Cooper said that the charity had alienated farmers in its aggressive campaign against the Government’s badger cull and disclosed that it would be “very unlikely” to ever bring another prosecution against a hunt.