Town to recruit dedicated 'hedgehog officer'

A dedicated hedgehog officer could be appointed in Ipswich to help the creatures move about safely and to increase their numbers.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is planning to employ the expert officer, if it can raise enough money to pay their salary.

The proposal follows a survey, which appeared to show that Ipswich was a hedgehog hotspot, with some 2,500 of the prickly mammals spotted in the area.

Dr Simone Bullion, senior conservation adviser at the trust, said: "What was particularly evident from the survey is that our urban areas are very important.

"Hedgehogs still look to be hanging on in our towns, so it is imperative we do all we can to keep them there and make conditions even more hedgehog friendly."

It is believed around 36 million hedgehogs roamed the country in the 1950s but the animals are now in sharp decline with less than a million in the UK.

BBC Radio Suffolk has launched a campaign – Going the Whole Hog – to try to encourage people to make their gardens more welcoming for hedgehogs.