A WOMAN who runs the region's only hedgehog sanctuary is appealing for help to keep it going.

Lynne Appleby, 51, started Hog Haven at her home in West Dyke Road, Redcar, in 1989 and has since cared for 1,500 hedgehogs which have been injured, ill, orphaned or abused.

But now she is running out of cash and fears the sanctuary might have to close.

Miss Appleby, who is unable to work due to a heart condition and gets her only help from her 81-year-old mother, has used her savings to fund the sanctuary, which costs £4,000 a year to run.

She said: "I've taken in ten hedgehogs in the last six days and we have about 70 at the moment. It's a 24-hours-a-day job and very expensive. It's tiring but rewarding."

She said the recent influx had been caused by many of the animals getting their heads trapped in discarded McFlurry ice cream cartons from McDonald's takeaways.

"They get them stuck on their head and even if they manage to get the top off so that they can breathe, they can't feed, often leading to an horrendous death," she explained

"I have asked McDonald's to redesign the cartons and have contacted Baroness Miller, the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for the environment. Hopefully, she is going to take it up on our behalf."

Brownies in Darlington and children from Eston Park School have raised money for the sanctuary and workers in the Cleveland Police control room raised £135 by dressing up in Hallowe'en costumes at the weekend. Anyone else who can help is asked to ring 01642 484920.

Miss Appleby would also appreciate gifts of chicken-based cat food and kitten food, along with kitchen roll, cotton wool buds and disinfectant.

"Just one tin of cat food, or a 50p coin, would help," she said.