A WOMAN who runs a hospital for hedgehogs claims many of them are being fatally poisoned by slug pellets.

Angela Squires, who has run CRASH in Canford Heath for 20 years, says she has seen up to four hedgehogs a day brought in which she believes were suffering symptoms of the poisoning.

“Hedgehogs are endangered animals and are having a terrible time with the increase of foxes and badgers in the area now,” she said.

“But I am sickened by the numbers coming in suffering from slug pellet poisoning. At this time of year we expect some cases, but never in such quantities as we’re seeing now.

“About four a day can arrive with the same symptoms, out in the day, shaking violently.”

Most slug pellets contain metaldehyde, which can poison wild animals.

Gardeners often try to put pellets in places where pets and hedgehogs cannot reach them, but Angela claims hedgehogs and other wildlife suffer poisoning when they eat the poisoned slugs.

Some other wildlife experts do not accept that metaldehyde is killing hedgehogs on a wide scale and suggest the quantities found in dead slugs would not be enough to poison them.

But Angela said she was confident about the cause of the symptoms she sees.

“I know straight away its metaldehyde poisoning and there is no antidote. The animal always dies in extreme pain, usually the same night. All I can do is administer pain-killing injections and sedatives to help with the pain,” she said.

“Every time one is admitted, I always ask if anyone uses slug pellets, and the answer is always yes.”

Angela expects to give up the hospital this year because of disability and lack of funds.

“This will be my last year so I am desperate to get the message home to people to do all they can for these charming and helpful little animals before it’s too late,” she added.

Les Stocker, founder of the Tiggywinkles hedegehog rescue centre in Buckinghamshire, said more research into the issue was needed and it would be helpful to have toxicology reports.

“If she’s finding these and she could get some post mortem reports, we would all appreciate it,” he said.