A pedigree livestock farmer whose cattle were slaughtered due to bovine TB has been refused permission to take his battle for compensation to the House of Lords.
Devon dairy farmer David Partridge took DEFRA to judicial review over the level of compensation he received for a number of high value pedigree animals.
The animals were TB reactors and compulsorily slaughtered in March 2006.
Mr Partridge claimed he received inadequate compensation because the amount was based on average values and failed to recognise how much each animal was worth.
The High Court ruled in Mr Partridge's favour last July.
It found that DEFRA's approach to the valuation of high value animals was unlawful.
But the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's decision, and said there was no discrimination in DEFRA's approach to the valuation of 
high value animals.
Mr Partridge then applied for permission to take his case to the House of Lords.
The NFU supported Mr Partridge in a petition to the House of Lords seeking leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision.
But the House of Lords appeal committee has decided it will not give Mr Partridge leave to appeal to the House of Lords.
This means that the Court of Appeal's decision, handed down on April 1 2009, stands.
Mr Partridge said he was "saddened" by the decision, but thanked the NFU for taking the case as far as possible through the English courts.
NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond said: "We are bitterly disappointed that Mr Partridge will not be able to take his case to the House of Lords.
"This has been an important case, not just for Mr Partridge, but for other NFU members with high quality, high value livestock.
"The NFU entirely disagreed with the Court of Appeal's decision, and that is why we supported Mr Partridge as he sought to take his case to the House of Lords."
The NFU will now push for the government's cattle compensation advisory group, which has not met since 2006, to be reconvened.
There were unresolved issues with the tabular valuation system and the government should look into the issue as a matter of urgency, said Mr Raymond.