Saved From Homeless Christmas

Each was discovered struggling to survive in the recent cold snap and handed in to an animal charity.

They will get cat or dog food for their Christmas lunch to help them build up strength.

They are just some of a huge number of the creatures at risk of death this Christmas because of their size and the weather.

A warm October is thought to have created a second breeding season for the hedgehogs, meaning more young ones than ever before are currently rustling around.

Many animal rescue centres, such as Wildlife Aid in Leatherhead, Surrey, are being inundated with small creatures.

So far 50 - a record number at this time of year - have been handed in to the charity.

Simon Cowell, MBE, co-founder of the centre said: "Come Christmas night more than ever before will be sleeping with us.

"In the past fortnight we have had 10 handed to us which is abnormal. Often we do not get any after October."

So far, the smallest given to the charity was a young hedgehog which weighed just 7 ounces and was discovered wandering alone across a garden lawn.

If big enough all the hegehogs will be released back into the wild next Spring.