Lack of sightings suggests further drop in hedgehog population

Fewer than a third of Britons spotted a hedgehog in their gardens last year

Almost half of British people have never seen a hedgehog in their garden, according to a survey which suggests a decline in the creatures.

Only 29% of people taking part in this year's annual wildlife survey for BBC Gardeners' World magazine had seen a hedgehog in their garden in the past year, down from 32% the previous year. Only 11% of the 2,348 people who took part in the survey said they saw hedgehogs regularly in their gardens and 48% had never seen one.