Baby hedgehog's 'lucky' rescue from drain in Preston

A baby hedgehog was "lucky to survive" after being plucked from a drain with water up to its mouth, said the RSPCA.

The animal charity were called to an address in Grimsargh, Preston by a woman who found the hoglet but initially thought it had drowned.

After noticing bubbles coming from the animal's nose, she drained the water until help arrived.

An RSPCA inspector then rescued the five-week-old hedgehog - who has been named Mr Prickles - with a pole.

"He was really lucky to survive as the water was up to his mouth so it is fortunate he was spotted or he would have drowned," Emma Dingley from the RSPCA said.

"I think he must have been out with his mother and the rest of her litter at night when he fell down the drain as he was too young to be out on his own."

"The vet said he was in good health just very cold.

"He was sneezing and shivering so I wrapped him in a blanket with a hot water bottle inside and about half an hour later he stopped shaking."

After spending the night with the inspector on Thursday, the hoglet was taken to the Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich where it will be cared for it until it is old enough to be released back into the wild.

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