County Durham hedgehog rescue centre appeals for foster carers

A Gateshead family is encouraging people to become foster carers for hedgehogs in the hope of boosting their dwindling numbers.

The Hedgehog Hotel in Dipton, County Durham, takes in injured hedgehogs and rehabilitates them so they can be released back into the wild.

With the help of the centre, the McMullon family in Ryton have been foster carers for two years - setting up their home and garden into a hedgehog haven.

A report in 2018 suggested UK hedgehog numbers had halved since 2000. Rough estimates put the population at one million, compared with 30 million during the 1950s.