Hedgehog rescuer campaigns for road safety signs

A kind-hearted volunteer who has nursed hundreds of poorly hedgehogs back to health hopes signage to prevent more of the species being injured will be installed in her town.

Vicky Pudney set up her Brightlingsea Hedgehog Highways Rescue Facebook group after spotting a tiny hedgehog roaming the Essex town a few years ago.

She said she had looked after hundreds of the spiky species in her makeshift hedgehog hospital in her garden, including more than 60 last year.

The animal lover said she had discussed her idea for street signs - warning drivers that hedgehogs could be on the road - with town councillors.

She hopes Essex Highways will support her initiative. The authority told the BBC it would "welcome" any proposals for road sign improvements.

Road traffic accidents were "one of the biggest" reasons hedgehogs needed her care, she explained.

Ms Pudney, 50, said she could provide care for up to 15 of these spiny mammals at a time. Some stay for weeks or months until they are healthy enough to survive in the wild, she says.

"That can be quite a lot of work as they're quite complex little creatures."

She is currently caring for Dingle who came to her in December after being found in a back garden weighing less than an apple at just 272g (9.6oz) and missing most of his spikes while suffering with two skin diseases.

Now, almost six months on and having increased his weight by four times to 1.2kg (2.6lb), Ms Pudney hopes Dingle will return to where he was found in the next week.

"He's regrown his spines lovely. I'm just waiting for the last batch to grow because until he has his spines, he can't protect himself against any predators," she said.

Ms Pudney runs the service while also volunteering at a local cat rescue and for the charity Cats Protection.

She said she had received extra training from a veterinary nurse.

"I soon realised that Brightlingsea has got a really healthy population of hedgehogs, particularly in certain areas," she continued.

She said donations helped her look after the hedgehogs, adding: "It does cost a lot of money."

She thanked the many volunteers who helped put food and water out around the town for the hedgehogs.

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