Congleton's town mayor has paid a visit to Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue Centre to see the care given to poorly animals found across north Staffordshire.

Cllr Margaret Gartside arranged the visit after a member of staff at the town council recently rescued a hedgehog in Congleton.

She made a £50 donation on behalf of her colleagues – with funds donated by staff and councillors at the town council.

She also put forward 10 new names for future hedgehogs at the rescue centre. 

Clare Simmons, a former paramedic, runs the rescue centre from her home in Baddeley Green – and last year took in over 400 hedgehogs from across the area.

She first began taking hedgehogs in around five years ago, and says she is already busy with many diseased and injured hedgehogs this year.

They are often injured by garden strimmers – and Clare says many of the female hedgehogs she takes in at this time of year are pregnant.

Cllr Gartside saw a hedgehog who'd given birth on the day of her visit, and was feeding six hoglets.

The babies can't be touched for the first two weeks or their mother may reject them.

Clare has an in-depth knowledge of the hedgehogs' needs and is able to release many of them back into the wild.

She said: "Hedgehogs do not sunbathe! If you find a hedgehog out in the day, unless it is moving purposely for food or nesting materials, then it is almost certainly in ill health and in need of rescuing.

"If you can please collect it, put it in a box and bring it to the rescue centre as quickly as possible. 

"Hedgehogs can also be injured by strimmers, and when cutting back long grass please check for hogs."

The cost of the heating, lighting, cages, bedding, food, medicine and vets bills associated with Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue is all paid for through donations and fundraising.

The organisation is now planning to register as a charity to enable it to apply to more support in the future.

Cllr Gartside said: "I was so impressed with Clare, her knowledge about the welfare of the hedgehogs and the care and love that she gives to each and everyone of them.

"She has already taken a number of hedgehogs from the Congleton area and I was pleased to be able to offer some support to this voluntary group."