A member of the public has come to a hedgehog's rescue after it's head got stuck in a bottle.

The RSPCA was contacted after a female hedgehog was found with smashed glass around its neck in Lambe Close in Snodland.

Inspector David Grant managed to free her, before taking her to one of the charity's wildlife centres to be checked over.

After two days of checks at Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings, the hedgehog was released back into the wild.

Inspector Grant said: "This could have been a much worse situation for this hedgehog but thankfully she was not injured.

"The majority of people do throw their litter away carefully but for the few who don’t, it can be very hazardous for animals.

"I suspect in this case, the hedgehog was looking for food when she got stuck.

"Most cases of litter affecting animals are preventable if rubbish is disposed of properly and responsibly."

Last year the RSPCA answered 5,081 calls about animals affected by litter.

Broken glass can cause serious injury and small animals can get trapped in jars and bottles so householders are urged to clean and recycle glass as much as possible.

If you see an animal in distress, please call the RSPCA’s 24-hour helpline on 0300 1234 999.