If you're bringing the firework celebrations to your back garden in west London this Bonfire Night, be sure to check for hedgehogs before you light up.
Hedgehog numbers have fallen by 30 per cent since 2002 and every year, an unknown number of hedgehogs die or suffer injuries because bonfire piles are not checked before being lit.
To save hedgehogs and other wildlife, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) has urged for bonfires to not be built until the day they are to be lit.
If a large bonfire must be built in advance, you should add some chicken wire all the way around the bottom at an outwards angle to make it difficult for the animals to climb.
Fay Vass, Chief Executive of BHPS, said: "Piles of bonfire material look like five star hotels to a hedgehog in search of a hibernation site.
"It is crucial to dismantle and move bonfire material that has been stored in advance on open ground.
"Move it to another spot just before lighting and ensure it’s moved to clear ground - never on top of a pile of leaves as there could be a hedgehog underneath, and not too close to pampas grass which can ignite very easily and is another favourite spot for hedgehogs to hide under."
Society Patron, Ben Fogle added: "It's awful to think of poor hedgehogs being burnt alive on bonfire night, please, please check fire piles carefully before lighting them.
"Hedgehogs are a species in decline, every single one is precious."
The hedgehogs tend to hide in the centre and bottom two feet of the bonfire, so check by gently lifting the section with a pole or broom so as not to harm them.
Fay said: "If hedgehogs are found, take as much of the nest as you can and place them in a high-sided cardboard box with plenty of newspaper/old towelling.
"Ensure there are air holes in the lid and that the lid is secured firmly to the box, as hedgehogs are great climbers.
"Wear garden gloves so as not to get human smells on them and to minimise stress caused to the hedgehog, also, it protects your hands from their spikes.
"Put the box in a safe place such as a shed or garage well away from the festivities, as fireworks can terrify them, and offer them meaty cat or dog food and fresh water to drink.
"Once the bonfire is totally dampened down, release the hedgehog under a hedge, bush or behind a stack of logs with more food and water."
