NOVEMBER 5 is fast approaching and it is time to order your fireworks, build up the bonfire and chew on a toffee apple.

But the night can go with more of a whimper than a bang for hedgehogs who are looking to settle down for a seasonal snooze just before the celebrations get under way.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust is appealing to bonfire partygoers to make sure that hedgehogs do not find themselves in a hot spot as soon as the annual celebrations get under way, writes Ruth Lythe.

The Wildlife Trusts' People and Wildlife Manager, Helen Freeston said that falling temperatures during November put hedgehogs in the mood for an autumnal doze and that a bonfire could appear to be an ideal spot.

"Hedgehogs use twigs, leaves and dry grasses to build a cosy winter nest and may move to a new site at least once during the winter months. To a sleepy hedgehog, a ready made nest such as a compost heap or a pile of timber seems ideal and a newly built bonfire will look like the perfect place to bed down," she said.

Hedgehog champion Margaret Dixon who, with her husband Roger, has cared for more than 100 of the creatures at her Kendal home, said that hibernating hedgehogs risked a rude awakening.

"Bonfire Night is a very dangerous time for them, if they are trapped they are just incinerated and nobody can help them," she said.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust has issued a series of simple guidelines to help bonfire organisers and families with back garden celebrations keep an eye out for the prickly guests.

These are: l Try to build a bonfire as close to the night as possible to reduce the chance of a hedgehog moving in.

l Ideally make your pile of material next to the bonfire site and re-build the stack prior to lighting it.

l Before lighting the bonfire search for hibernating creatures using a torch and rake, to gently pull back twigs or vegetation.

l Move any hedgehogs found to a ready made hedgehog box or somewhere dry and safe away from the fire.

l If possible create an alternative hedgehog home by placing some boxes in the surrounding area or raking up grass cuttings or autumn leaves into a pile a safe distance from the fire.

For more information about caring for hedgehogs, contact The British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801 or visit www.software-tecnics.com/bhps. If you find an injured hedgehog call your local RSPCA office on 0870 3335 999.