An animal rescue centre has urged nature-loving residents to help hedgehogs to reverse a dramatic decline in their numbers.
Withington Hedgehog Hospital in Manchester is currently caring for more than a hundred adult and baby hedgehogs.
Barbara Roberts, who runs the hospital, said local populations had halved in a decade with loss of habitat, food supply, and road accidents all contributing to their struggle to survive.
Ms Roberts said when she first came to Manchester in 1962 hedgehogs were “prolific” in gardens and people would “hear them huffing and puffing, we don’t hear any of that now”.
