LAKE District hedgehogs could be facing a prickly end, as they become the latest victims of one of the warmest winters on record, reports Ruth Lythe.

Margaret and Roger Dixon, who run a branch of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society from their home in Kendal, say that they have been inundated with dozens of hungry hogs who had failed to hibernate because of the warm weather.

This year's winter has been recorded by the Met Office as being the second hottest on record, with a mean UK-wide temperature of 5.47C.

Mrs Dixon explained that it was not cold enough for the hedgehogs to hibernate as they usually did from late December to the middle of April. However, it was not warm enough for the creatures to be easily able to find their favourite foods of moth larvae, slugs, snails and caterpillars and many were starving.

She said there was evidence that hedgehogs were stirring a month earlier than normal and she urged anyone who found a hog in need of help to contact their local vet or the Hedgehog Preservation Society (Kendal branch tel 01539- 727 920).

See March 9 Westmorland Gazette for full story.