A HEDGEHOG rescue has joined forces with councils to raise awareness about the dangers strimmers and brush cutters pose to wildlife.

Hundreds of the prickly creatures are seriously injured, often fatally, every year leaving many baby hedgehogs, known as hoglets, orphaned.

Willows Hedgehog Rescue, based in Bromsgrove, contacted a number of councils including Worcestershire County Council which have agreed to help.

It will be informing its staff so they are aware of the dangers to hedgehogs as well as warning people living in the county to take precautions while gardening.

Awareness leaflets and posters have been provided to all councils joining with helping raise awareness along with a wildlife aware warning triangle that will be fitted to all line and brush cutters in use.

Jayne Lawrence, from Willows, said: “Councils are large scale users of strimming equipment and maintain large expanses of hedgerow and verges in and around our towns and cities.

“These areas provide important habitat for hedgehogs and while leaving areas wild is preferable for wildlife where they do need to be cut operators need to be aware of the potential danger for wildlife if the area is not checked first.”

Lewis Bridgman, Ringway Worcestershire divisional manager, said: “This is a great campaign to help raise awareness of the local environment and native wildlife.

"As a company we already try to ensure our activities have a minimum impact on all wildlife, but we are looking forward to working closely with Willows Hedgehog Rescue and our supply chain partners to further reduce any potential impact our works may have.”

Charlie Walker, co-founder from Willows, said its aim was to make all operators aware of the danger that strimmers can pose to wildlife and especially hedgehogs.

“Danger that can be avoided by simply checking the area to be cut before working.”

Willows Hedgehog Rescue is extremely pleased that a large number of local authorities have responded positively to their contact agreeing to come on board with awareness both internally and externally and Willows after the initial launch are planning to offer posters and the equipment awareness triangles to other authorities around the country should they wish to take part.

It is only the first part of the campaign – earlier this year, Willows contacted as many line trimmer and brush cutter manufacturers as they could asking them to include awareness information in manuals and to include a wildlife warning triangle on the products.

Among the manufacturers which replied were Stihl GB, Bosch UK and Makita UK.

Unfortunately, none said they felt able to be able to implement these seemingly simple changes.

However, all three companies did join with Willows in raising awareness through social media and Makita through newsletters and brochures.

The rescue team called the move 'a great step forward in raising awareness of this serious issue to ground nesting wildlife’ have vowed to continue their fight in a bid to get the warning triangles on every brush cutter and strimmer in the country.

For more information about the project and the organisations involved on the Willows Hedgehog rescue website willowshedgehogrescue.co.uk