Children seen torturing hedgehog outside chip shop

Spud has broken spine tips, burns and other injuries

A hedgehog being tortured by a group of children was rescued by a passer-by.

A bystander intervened to save the life of a hedgehog - since named Spud - outside a Leicester chip shop at around 17:00 BST on Wednesday.

The children had been picking up and dropping the animal, they had also been placing him on top of a bin and allowing him to fall to the pavement.

Volunteers at Leicestershire-based Digby's Hedgehog Rescue have taken Spud into their care.

The woman who stepped in smelt smoke on him, and volunteers inspecting him found that his injuries included burns.

Lisa Sharma, leader at Digby's alongside founder Shannen Hawker and Andrea Cross, says it is not possible to tell if the burns are from his ordeal at the chip shop, or from a separate bonfire.

Spud has a tender pink nose which would normally be black

The surprises didn't end there, however, as despite being a relatively young adult hedgehog, they also discovered Spud has previously lost a back leg on his travels.

Ms Sharma said: "He's a sorry little thing, but he's still with us which is amazing.

"I was actually quite surprised he unrolled to let us have a look over him.

"He's been eating the wet Percuro Earth food we have donated for our hogs, and munched his way through some biscuits."

Once healed enough, Spud will go out to one of the group's 15 or so volunteers to recuperate and gain weight.

'No respect'

Normally hedgehogs are released back to the area they were found, but as a three-legged hedgehog he will be released to a "supported garden" where volunteers can continue to monitor him.

Ms Sharma added: "I am absolutely disgusted that some children have no respect for animals and don't see these beautiful creatures as living beings.

"It really saddens me that we live in such a cruel world when here at Digby's and lots of other rescues are doing so much to try and save these endangered little animals."

Digby's, which is fundraising to buy an incubator, is a not-for-profit organisation which has been helping Leicestershire's hedgehogs for eight years.

Last year they released 200 healed hedgehogs back into the wild.