A TIVERTON team taking part in National Citizen Service have decided to campaign to raise the awareness of hedgehogs, and what we can all do to help them.

Hedgehogs, whose numbers are in catastrophic decline due to loss of habitat, are being killed on our roads and by modern farming methods - this decline could see hedgehogs extinct by the year 2020.

Annie Nichols who runs the North Devon Hedgehog Rescue Centre said: "Hedgehogs are in massive danger - their numbers have collapsed and we need to do all we can to prevent them dying out in the wild."

The team is hoping to raise awareness of this problem by visiting schools, creating posters and attending local events. A main aim is to build hedgehog friendly habitats with feeding stations with the help of a local nature reserve.

Amy Bayet, a member of the NCS team, said: "This visit has opened our eyes to how important it is to raise awareness of the needs of hedgehogs in our community and to getting everyone involved."

Increased awareness and establishing local links with hedgehog rescue centres would help to enable any sick or injured animals to be cared for quickly, educating people this way could save many local hedgehogs.

The team successfully raised money for their charity at the Tiverton Balloon Festival at the weekend by selling 6 hibernation boxes, as well as this they also appeared on BBC Radio Devon.