We’ve issued a three-point-plan to help reduce the risk of harming hedgehogs during bonfire season.

Fay Vass, Chief Executive of BHPS said: “As bonfire season approaches, we’re asking people to #RememberHedgehogs and help keep the wildlife living in our gardens safe from harm.

“A bonfire pile looks like a perfect readymade home to a hedgehog seeking a safe winter nest to hibernate in. They have no idea we’re about to set light to it!

“So stop to consider if you could mark the season in a more hedgehog-friendly way. Take a few minutes to think about wildlife – it can really help save the lives of hedgehogs, other wildlife and pets.”

BHPS is asking us all to Stop, Move and Check this November:

1. Stop – do you need to have a bonfire? Can you attend a community event, or mark the occasion in a more wildlife-friendly way? The fewer bonfires there are, the fewer wildlife casualties there will be.

2. Move – if you do decide to have a bonfire, only build it on the day you plan to light it. Move all collected materials to a new site just before burning, in case hedgehogs, other wildlife or pets have decided to hide inside.

3. Check – before lighting from one side only, check the entire bonfire pile carefully for wildlife and pets. Shine a torch inside the pile and gently lift each section with a pole or broom as you look. Never use a spade or fork as these can cause great harm. Also listen for the huffing sound of a hedgehog which has been disturbed.

Fay added: “It’s vital to remember hedgehogs at this time of year and to give them the best possible chance to escape the danger of a lit bonfire that they’ve mistaken for a safe haven.”

If you do find a hedgehog in your unlit bonfire heap:

• Gather it up with its nest and place in a high-sided box with plenty of torn newspaper, towelling or straw. Ensure the lid has air holes and is firmly secured – hedgehogs are great climbers!
• Use gardening gloves or a folded towel to handle them – those spikes are sharp!
• Put the box somewhere safe and quiet, such as a shed or garage well away from the festivities and offer the hedgehog some meaty cat or dog food or cat biscuits and water.
• Once the embers are totally dampened down that night, release the hedgehog under a hedge, bush or log-pile near where it was found, with its original nesting materials and some more food and water.

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