Brightlingsea’s hedgehogs and other wildlife has a little more protection from traffic after warning signs have been installed on the town’s main roads.

The installation of the signs – thought to be the first in Essex – on Church Road, Ladysmith Avenue and Chapel Road, comes after two years of pressure from the Brightlingsea Hedgehog Highways Rescue (BHHR) group and the support of Brightlingsea town councillor Kate Mitchell.

“The signs are designed to alert drivers to high-risk areas, helping to reduce collisions involving hedgehogs, badgers, and other small mammals,” said Vicky Pudney of the BHHR. “Hopefully this will raise awareness and make people think about their speed.”

Over the last year or so the group has rescued 65 orphaned, sick, or injured hedgehogs in Brightlingsea and surrounding towns and villages. It’s currently fundraising for a purpose-built base that will include a hedgehog intensive care unit, along with a sheltered outdoor area where recovering hedgehogs can learn to forage and make nests.

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