A NATIONAL charity for hedgehogs based in Ludlow is warning that Bonfire Night can be a disaster for the small prickly garden creature.

With bonfire night fast approaching, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is urging people to build bonfires on the day they are to be lit to save hedgehogs and other wildlife from appalling suffering.

This will not only save wildlife from burning to death but will also stop the bonfire from getting soaked should it rain the night before!

“If material is stored on open ground in advance of having a bonfire, it’s crucial to dismantle it and move it to another spot just before lighting,” said Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

“Ensure it’s moved to clear ground – never on top of a pile of leaves as there could be a hedgehog underneath, and not too close to pampas grass which can ignite very easily and is another favourite spot for hedgehogs to hide under.”

If a large bonfire must be built in advance, the advice is to protect it whilst building by putting some chicken wire, at least one-metre-high, all the way around the bottom.

This should be held in place with stakes and the wire should slope outwards at an angle to make it difficult to climb, as hedgehogs are good climbers!

If, whilst building, a bonfire is left unattended, for however short a time, it’s imperative to check for young children, hedgehogs and other animals, including family pets, before lighting.

Hedgehogs tend to hide in the centre and bottom two feet of the bonfire, check by gently lifting the bonfire section by section with a pole or broom.