Wakefield Council joins '˜Hedgehog Heroes Roll of Honour'

Wakefield Council is supporting the British Hedgehogs '˜strimmer campaign' by joining their Hedgehog Heroes Roll of Honour.
Coun Maureen Cummings with Vicky from Oggles Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.Coun Maureen Cummings with Vicky from Oggles Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.
Coun Maureen Cummings with Vicky from Oggles Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.

As part of the campaign, the council is helping to protect local hedgehogs when carrying out grounds work in the district by reminding operatives to check the area before starting work.

The council is now displaying waterproof stickers on all its tools and machinery, such as lawn mowers and hedge strimmers, that could pose a risk to hedgehogs.

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Coun Maureen Cummings, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Communities said: “We are delighted to get behind this campaign. It is important that we act now to protect our local wildlife. The habitat of hedgehogs is often more at risk when spring arrives, hedgehogs are starting to come out of hibernation and garden and open spaces are more regularly maintained.

“We hope that the stickers on all our machinery will remind those that use them to check for these much-loved, but in danger, animals.”

Fay Vass, Chief Executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said: “We have been delighted at the response to this campaign and thank Wakefield Council for getting involved. We hope that it will save many hedgehogs and would encourage gardeners and landlords to help further by ensuring that there is easy access in and out of gardens too - a 13 x 13cm hole at the bottom of boundary fences and walls will create a hedgehog highway that will help hedgehogs get around your neighbourhood.”

Residents can also do their bit to help protect and save local hedgehogs by:

• Checking areas before cuttings them.

• Moving piles of rubbish to a new site before burning it.

• Ensuring netting is kept at a safe height.

• Checking compost heaps before digging the fork in.

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• Stopping or reducing the amount of pesticides and poisons used.

• Covering drains or deep holes.

• Ensuring there is an easy route out of ponds and pools.

Oggles Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre is a not-for-profit rescue centre based in Dewsbury. They provide a rescue, treatment and rehabilitation for injured hedgehogs. To contact the centre call 07954 138853 or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about the campaign visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk