Market Drayton sees a spike in hedgehog figures

There have been 45 hedgehog sightings in Market Drayton since the spring.

It comes despite a survey by the RSPB finding the number of people who have never seen a hedgehog in their garden rising to 24 per cent last year.

Richard Stapleton has helped conduct Market Drayton's own survey detailing where hedgehogs have been spotted in the town.

"For the last eight years we have been taking hedgehogs from Cuan Wildlife Rescue in Much Wenlock and rearing them over the winter in the greenhouse and a pen before releasing them in the churchyard at Christ Church in Market Drayton and other places where people feed them," he said.

"Since early spring we have started to conduct our own survey to find out where they are being spotted in Market Drayton.

"The results have found that they are all over the town, including right in the centre.

"It is really surprising where they have been found.

"Since making people aware through the church and meetings, they have said they have started feeding hedgehogs at home and it has generated quite a lot of interest.

"One gentleman on Cemetery Road has night cameras around his bungalow and he has been observing them after dark.

"He had 10 different ones at once on his lawn."

The results of the RSPB survey has come as no surprise to the Shropshire-based British Hedgehog Preservation Society, which has been sounding the alarm over declining populations for decades.

According to The Wildlife Trusts, in the past decade hedgehog numbers have gone down by 30 per cent due to a variety of factors including habitat loss and changes in farming techniques.

Many worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars and millipedes, which form the hedgehog's natural diet, have been killed off by chemical treatments and intensive farming methods. Badgers also compete for the same food.

It is estimated there may be lfewer than a million hedgehogs left in the UK.

As hedgerow habitat in the countryside dwindles, so the garden becomes even more important as a hedgehog haven.

Mr Stapleton added: "They are the nation's favourite animal and, along with badgers and foxes, they have loads of things against them.

"People can try and encourage them by putting holes or pipes through fences so they can travel in other people's gardens easily.

"They like moist puppy food with jelly and not gravy. They don't like fish which is why we don't give them cat food."

Meanwhile, time is running out for people to sign a petition calling for new legal protection for hedgehogs under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning the prickly animals will have to be taken into consideration when planning new housing or business developments, among other things. The petition was launched by Oliver Colvile, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, but is being backed by both BHPS and the People's Trust for Endangered Species.

Last week, Fay Vass, chief executive of BHPS, who is based in Dhustone, Clee Hill, near Ludlow, said: "The online petition has now reached about 44,000 signatures and there are still paper copies to be collected.

"But ideally we would like 100,000 as that's what it needs for it to be automatically discussed in Parliament."

Anyone who spots a hedgehog in Market Drayton is urged to call Mr Stapleton on 01630 653203 or pop into Christ Church and put a sticker on the survey map.