Hedgehog trapped for a day in Waltham Abbey sewage pipe

The female hedgehog's face was touching the sewage water

A "huge" hedgehog got into a prickly situation when it spent 24 hours wedged face-down in a household sewage pipe

The RSPCA said it was called to a house in Waltham Abbey, Essex, after the unusually large female became stuck tightly inside the pipe.

It was a "life-threatening situation", the charity said, as the animal's face was in the sewage water.

The hedgehog was eventually rescued when RSPCA officers smashed the drain to free it.

The hedgehog got stuck in the garden of the house last week

RSPCA animal collection officer Mariam Adwan with the safely rescued female hedgehog

RSPCA animal collection officer Mariam Adwan said: "The animal was really big and had become wedged in a pipe between two access points.

"There was no time to lose, and after the usual methods to rescue the animal weren't working, there was only one thing for it. We needed to smash the drain to get at the huge hedgehog.

"Luckily, the animal-loving householder was more worried about the hedgehog than her pipe, and gladly gave us permission to break it open," Ms Adwan said.

The hedgehog got herself into a rather prickly situation

A bit of brute force finally got the hedgehog out

The animal is now being looked after at the South Essex Wildlife Centre, where it will be rehabilitated before being released back into the wild.

The "unusually large mature female" will soon be released back into the wild to take part in yet more adventures