SIR,

Hedgehogs are in decline and could even be extinct by 2025 if the same levels keep up.

Roads, pesticides, destruction of hedgerows and natural habitats and the rise in numbers of badgers are cited as the main causes of the hedgehog emergency but also, at this time of year, it's really important to remember that bonfires are very tempting places for hedgehogs to curl up in for winter.

If you can, either restack your bonfire immediately before lighting it or check it thoroughly for the small creatures, who make nests out of leaves and dead grass and can camouflage themselves very well.

If you find a hedgehog, re-release it well away from the bonfire site, preferably, after the fire has been lit.

(Name and address supplied)