Young animal lovers have helped save the life of a hedgehog when they discovered it was trapped down a drainpipe.

Children who go to Chattenden Primary School found the young animal inside a 10cm wide pipe on their playing field at their school in Chattenden Lane.

The kind-hearted youngsters reported the mammal was trapped to their head teacher, Tim Muggridge, who called in the RSPCA.

Brian Milligan, RSPCA animal collection officer said: “These quick thinking youngsters saved this little animal’s life - there is no way he would have got himself out of that prickly situation by himself.

“It’s amazing that they managed to spot him as he was completely jammed down this old drain pipe - about the length of my arm deep.

“I could not reach him with the normal wire grabber I would normally use, but instead had to very gingerly pull him up, bit by bit.

“Eventually I got him up to a mid way point when I could just about turn him round and lift him out.

“Fortunately there was a bit of water down the drain which had kept him hydrated, and we think he was only there for around a day, so I was able to release him back to the wild where he belongs.

“It was a great lesson in wildlife for the children - and how man made objects such as drains pose dangers to animals.

“We always urge people to think about how holes like this can be perilous for little creatures like hedgehogs, and so need to be kept covered or better still, filled in.”

Next week, from Sunday, May 3, to Saturday, May 9, is it is Hedgehog Awareness Week.

In the 1950s it is estimated there were about 36 million hedgehogs in the UK, but figures now show the country appears to have lost about 30% of its hedgehog population.

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Hedgehogs are declining in the UK at the same rate as tigers are globally – at around 5% a year, both in rural and urban habitats.

BLOB: The RSPCA is a charity which relies on donations to exist, to help please text HELP to 78866 to give £3 (texts cost £3 plus one standard network rate message).