A CHARITY that rescues and rehabilitates hedgehogs from its rescue centre near Newton Abbot has shared its top tips to look after the mammal ahead of Hedgehog Awareness Week.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s Hedgehog Awareness Week runs from May 3 and 9.

And ELM Wildlife has shared its simple steps to help protect the spiny mammal.

The charity says to avoid netting and pesticides - hogs can get trapped in the former and the latter can poison them.

It is also urging people to consider making ‘hedgehog highways’, which allow the animal to move easily between gardens, as well as putting out fresh water and wet, meaty food.

The charity said: ‘Please be very careful when using garden machinery in your garden.

‘Check grass and undergrowth before strimming’.

For more information, visit British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s website - www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk