First official hedgehog crossings installed to help save the species

It is feared there are just one million hedgehogs left in Britain, compared with 36 million in the 1960s

England’s first official “hedgehog crossing” road signs have been unveiled amid a battle to save the species.
About 150,000 hedgehogs are killed every year on roads across the country, with experts believing that these deaths are contributing to the animal’s decline in the UK.
It is feared there are just one million hedgehogs left in Britain, compared with 36 million in the 1960s.
Last month, Kingston council in south-west London installed four newly approved crossing signs in Old Malden after discovering the ward had become a surprise “stronghold” for hedgehogs, with about 100 of the animals in the area.
Mike Massimi, a Lib Dem councillor, hopes the warnings will set a “precedent” in the struggle to save them.
He said: “This area has a lot of large gardens and big green spaces… it is very rich in biodiversity. We have a lot of hedgehogs.
“The signs are something that people can relate to. We all drive, we all walk by. I was very pleased when the senior officer said yes. Slow down and people will start asking questions, some of them will look online. It’s about care and a way to raise awareness.”
The new sign features a hedgehog with white quills inside a red triangle above a message that reads “hedgehogs crossing”.
The design was approved by the Department for Transport in December last year following a failed rollout of an older iteration, unveiled in 2019.
The rollout was plagued by red tape and road users complained the old design – a black silhouette of a hedgehog – was too hard to see from a distance.
Only four councils applied to use the design but all were denied and no signs were ever installed.
In Old Malden, two signs have been installed on Avondale Avenue, one on The Hollands and one on Downfield, which all contain high volumes of hedgehogs.
Mr Massimi stumped up nearly £500 of his own cash to pay for the project before Kingston council reimbursed him.
Resident Clare Hellings has had hedgehogs in her Old Malden garden for nearly ten years and thinks the signs will make a big difference in preserving the population.
She hopes the signs will raise awareness not just for motorists but also people using strimmers in the garden.
The 58-year-old, who gives talks on hedgehogs to the local community, said: “It can be a bit of a rat run in my road. I asked the council a few years back about having signs and it got nowhere. But these new signs are great, they do get run over.”
Elliot Newman, a biodiversity officer at Kingston council, said suburban areas such as Old Malden are now a “stronghold” for hedgehog populations as their rural habitats are slowly disappearing.
He believes there are multiple factors that contribute to the decline of the species. “For hedgehogs, the industrialisation of agriculture in rural environments, with the destruction of hedgerows, has been destroying their habitats,” he said.
“In the rural environments, we are seeing an even greater decline. What we are finding now is that suburban areas which have gardens are really important strongholds for the species.
“We are trying to do things to help, protect and conserve that population. The hedgehog was voted the UK’s most favourite mammal, they are a much loved and much-valued species who can engage and inspire local people about the wonders of wildlife on our doorstep.”
Grace Johnson, a hedgehog officer for the charity Hedgehog Street, said: “It’s great to see Kingston council’s hedgehog signs are now in situ, which we hope will raise awareness of hedgehogs locally and further encourage residents to help them more broadly like becoming a Hedgehog Champion via Hedgehog Street, and making gardens hedgehog havens.”
The Department for Transport said it is down to local authorities to roll out the hedgehog crossing signs.