HEDGEHOGS are amongst the wildlife affected by the practice of developers putting nets over hedges.

A demonstration has been staged at Rocks Green near Ludlow against the practice.

Now the Ludlow based national charity the British Hedgehog Preservation Society has joined the chorus of concern.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society that has more than 11,000 supporters is concerned at the placing of netting in order to keep birds and other wildlife out, ahead of the removal of a hedge.

There is also a petition that has been signed by more than half a million people that calls for developers to have to include ‘hedgehog highways’ in new build schemes.

Hedgehog Awareness Week is from May 5 to May 11 and the newsletter offers tips on how to ‘do one extra thing’ to help hedgehogs during the week.

The new Hedgehog Friendly Campus project funded by the Society has been launched. It calls upon universities to get involved with making their land hedgehog havens.

Hedgehog numbers have been falling for many years for a number of reason including habitat loss.

It is important they they are able to travel from garden to garden in search of food - hence the need for hedgehog highways to be created in housing developments.