A HOOK woman has inspired a new wave of residents to help the area’s animals.

Helen Griffiths has inspired friends and family to join her in helping Hook’s Hedgehogs, following an opportunist purchase last Christmas.

She said: “Last December while choosing my Christmas tree in a local garden centre, I saw a hedgehog house for sale.

“We stuffed it with dry hay and then, during the cold weather at the beginning of spring we lifted it gingerly up and found a hedgehog curled up, fast asleep inside.”

And the success of the impromptu purchase has led to many of her friends following her example

“Many of my friends have now done the same, bought food and, or, a shelter”, she continued.

“And we are doing our bit to help the declining hedgehog numbers in the UK.

“We have been visited by a hedgehog pair and hopefully we will soon be blessed by the patter of really tiny feet.”

The number of hedgehogs in the UK has been in a steady decline for over 15 years and conservationists and trust groups are doing all they can to encourage people to set up hedgehog habitats in their garden to ensure the numbers recorded stabilise and the drop in the species slows.

Some of the tips they give include cutting a small hole at the base of your fence as the nocturnal creatures often wander long distances between gardens at night.

Leaving food and water, including hedgehog biscuits out at dusk in shallow dishes will enable the animals to eat more easily. However, given the amount they do eat and hunt, slug pellets are warned against as they can be potentially fatal, and hedgehogs often dine on slugs and snails.

They also warn about getting too friendly with the mammals as if a baby hog is handled, the mother will abandon them.

Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said: “Hedgehogs are unfortunately in decline, we have lost a third from urban areas and half from rural areas since the year 2000. We need to do all we can to help them, so this project sounds great! 

“In fact, it is very in keeping with a national project we run with People’s Trust for Endangered Species, called Hedgehog Street. 

“Hedgehog Street encourages people to make their garden hedgehog friendly and talk to their neighbours to get the whole street involved, opening up valuable habitat for hedgehogs.” 

Helen concluded: “My friends and I are delighted with our nocturnal visitors and feel happy we are doing our bit to support our local wildlife. Perhaps others in Hook would consider doing the same.”

For more information about the British Hedgehog Preservation Society visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk or call 01584 890801.