A RARE family of five prickly creatures has taken up residence in ‘hedgehog hospital’ after their home was disturbed.

A resident of Bishop Cuthbert, Hartlepool, stumbled upon the mother and four babies while renovating his garden shed.

Joyce Kaiser, 82, who has dedicated herself to hedgehog preservation at her home in the town's Coniscliffe Road for more than 20 years, took them in and is now looking after the family.

She will release the mother within a few weeks, but keep the babies over Christmas to fatten them up.

Mrs Kaiser, who was married to Hartlepool’s longest-serving councillor Stan Kaiser until his death in 2009, explained that the babies are “autumn juveniles” – vulnerable young hedgehogs that are old enough to leave their nests, but too small to hibernate.

These hoglets struggle to find food throughout the winter months, and if they do attempt to hibernate it is unlikely that they will survive.

Mrs Kaiser provides them with food, shelter, and warm blankets throughout the colder months until they are strong enough to be released back into the wild the following spring.

She said: “To be successful in hibernation, a hedgehog has to weigh 600grams.

“These autumn juveniles only weigh about 130, so they don’t have enough time to make up that weight.

“I will keep them on heat mats because I don’t want them to hibernate.”

Some of the hoglets are so small they have to be fed by hand, and their bellies massaged to encourage healthy digestion.

“People bring these hedgehogs to me because they’re born very late in the season and they know they won’t make it through the winter,” Mrs Kaiser said.

Every week Mrs Kaiser buys mealworms, dried cat biscuits, powdered milk, ringworm treatment and antibiotics to ensure the juveniles are given the best possible chance of surviving in the wild.

She is keen to educate the public about hedgehog welfare, particularly with bonfire night approaching which brings with it the risk of many being burned alive after crawling into unlit bonfires for shelter.

Mrs Kaiser is an active member of both the British and Cleveland Hedgehog Preservation Societies and makes regular visits to schools to teach children about hedgehog preservation.

She said: “One of the things I’m trying to do is encourage everyone to set up feeding stations in their gardens.

“All you need is an upside-down plastic box with a hole cut out for the hedgehog to go in.

“Put some food inside and some water nearby, and you’ll be doing your part to help hedgehogs survive.”

To help fund Mrs Kaiser’s work, visit http://homepage.ntlworld.com/d.e.martin/CHPS/chps.html