Britain's hedgehog population halves since millennium, report finds

The number of hedgehogs living in Britain's countryside has halved since the turn of the century.

Poor management of hedgerows, habitat loss and new roads and housing developments has led to the decline, the State of Britain's Hedgehogs report found.

Made famous by Beatrix Potter's Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, the spiny mammals have also suffered from an increase in the use of artificial turf and concrete in gardens, removing their natural habitats.

Climate change is also considered to be a contributing factor to their decline, the report by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and the People's Trust for Endangered Species said.

Emily Wilson, hedgehog officer for Hedgehog Street, a campaign run by the report's authors, said: "There are many reasons hedgehogs are in trouble.

"The intensification of agriculture through the loss of hedgerows and permanent grasslands, increased field sizes, and the use of pesticides which reduce the amount of prey available, are all associated with the plunge in numbers of hedgehogs in rural areas."

While the story in the countryside is glum, the report found there is a more positive outlook in cities.

In recent years the decline rate of hedgehogs in built-up areas has slowed down following a steep decrease of a third since 2000.

Britons are being asked to leave out cat food, have wild areas in their gardens and look out for hedgehogs in distress - such as being out during the day.

There is hope that when the UK leaves the European Union more cash will be given to save the country's declining wildlife populations.

Ministers want the current farming subsidy system to be redesigned so farmers will not get payments depending on how much land they own but for "public goods" such as protecting wildlife.