England introduces first official hedgehog crossing signs

The first official hedgehog crossing signs have been installed in England.

Four signs were unveiled in Old Malden in London after it was discovered there was a thriving population of hedgehogs in the area.

It's thought that around 150,000 hedgehogs are killed on UK roads every year.

The hope is that these signs will help drivers and pedestrians keep an eye out for hedgehogs crossing the road in the area.

These are the first official road signs approved by the Department for Transport

It is hard to say exactly how many hedgehogs there are in the the UK now, but conservationists believe the population has dropped a lot in recent years.

A 2022 report from wildlife charity Hedgehog Street suggests that there are fewer than a million in the wild, compared with an estimate of 36 million 50 years ago.

Some towns have previously put up unofficial road signs to warn residents of hedgehogs.

The Department for Transport, who approved the designs in December 2023, said it is down to local authorities to roll out the official signs.

It is hoped that the signs will mean that people are more aware

Conservationists hope the signs, along with other schemes aimed at helping hedgehogs will boost the UK's population.

Grace Johnson, a hedgehog officer from Hedgehog Street, said it was "great" that Kingston council had approved the signs in Old Malden.

She said she hoped they will "raise awareness of hedgehogs locally".