Hedgehog highways coming to Newton Abbot

Council giving away free frames

Hedgehogs in Newton Abbot are being given a helping hand by the town council.

It is helping to create ‘hedgehog highways’ so the creatures can roam freely to find food and life’s other essentials.

They need holes in garden fences large enough to let them pass through.

It means householders need to dig away at their hedges so the hogs can manoeuvre safely, and to encourage the work Newton Abbot Town Council is giving away 50 free hedgehog highway frames to give the gaps a funky look.

Town clerk Phil Rowe said: "The council was approached by the ELM Wildlife Rescue charity who gave a presentation on the threats faced by our hedgehog population and we decided to get behind their call for help."

"We know that Britain has lost as many as 75 per cent of its native hedgehogs in just the last 20 years so it’s critical we all do our bit.

"Creating a highway is as simple as cutting a 13cm x 13cm gap in the bottom of your fence. Decorating the hole with one of our funky frames will help get children interested and might encourage them to take other steps such as creating bug hotels or planting flowers that attract bees and other pollinators."

The hedgehog highway frames are on a first-come, first-served basis from the town hall, with proof of residency in the Newton Abbot area required.