HOuseholders in the Wellington area are being urged to think about our prickly garden friends who will soon begin to consider where best to build their nests in readiness for hibernation.

The Experts in Property network of independent estate agents has launched a Hedgehog Friendly Properties campaign to help emphasise the importance of the preservation of our prickly friends, of which numbers in the UK are in rapid decline.

Everyone who has a garden is being encouraged to take hedgehogs into account. Several measures can be taken to help protect, as well as provide essential food and shelter for hedgehogs.

The advice includes leaving a corner of the garden untended – piling leaves or building a log pile will attract more insects for hedgehogs to eat as well as provide a safe site with potential for nesting.

To find out more about the plight of hedgehogs and what you can do to help, visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk or www.hedgehogstreet.org