Dozens of young hedgehogs are dying due to the cold weather, it emerged today.

Weather victim - one of the hedghogs held by Jenny Mears. Picture: LUAN MARSHALL HOG1

The Benfleet Wildlife Sanctuary, in Watlington Road, is looking after 16 of the tiny creatures and expects to have many more brought in before the new year.

Hedgehogs cannot hibernate unless they weigh at least one-and-a-half pounds - otherwise they will die of starvation in their sleep.

Usually the woodland animals have their babies in the spring or summer - meaning they can grow and put on weight in time for winter. But the wet spring and the mild autumn meant many hedgehogs did not have their young until October and the youngsters are not yet fully grown or heavy enough to go to sleep.

This means they are exposed to the frost and are dying of cold.

Veronica Mepham, who runs the sanctuary, said: "It is a terrible pity but they have been totally thrown by the weather.

People are bringing hedgehogs into us as they find them - but that is probably only a small percentage of the ones who are dying of cold because they are not being found."

Published Thursday December 27, 2001