Hedgehog almost dies after yobs paint her blue and yellow in Leeds United colours

NewsUK News A HEDGEHOG was left on the brink of death after yobs painted her in the colours of a Premier League football club. The adult female was discovered by a woman in her back garden in Yeadon in West Yorkshire, covered in yellow and blue paint – the colour of the Leeds United football club. A hedgehog was left on the brink of death after yobs painted it in the colours of a Premier football club Credit: SWNS The hedgehog was discovered by a woman in her back garden in Yeadon in West Yorkshire Credit: SWNS The paint had left the spiny mammal unable to curl up into a ball and struggling to breathe due to the fumes. Staff at an animal rescue centre – who scrubbed the oil-based paint from each spine and gave the hedgehog pain relief – branded the act “disgusting”. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Diane Cook, 51, who owns the rescue shelter, said: “It’s an unbelievably stupid thing to do. “We know it was done deliberately, and she had not just brushed against wet paint or fallen in some paint, because she’s completely covered except for the front of her face, tummy and legs. The paint had left the spiny mammal unable to curl up into a ball and struggling to breathe due to the fumes Credit: SWNS It equally could have starved to death or died from malnutrition Credit: SWNS The paint was so ‘thick and tough’ that the spines had effectively been ‘glued together’ Credit: SWNS The hedgehog will be microchipped after all the paint is removed and released back into the garden where it was found Credit: SWNS “This is absolutely disgusting behaviour to happen to any animal, never mind a creature that in our country is on the Red List and classed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’. “ She added that the hedgehog could easily have been killed as the paint had rendered it basically immobile. She equally could have starved to death or died from malnutrition. The paint was so “thick and tough”, according to Diane, that the spines had effectively been “glued together”. Most read in The Sun The animal lover said the emulsion was similar to that used for decorating or even marking road surfaces. The toxic fumes from the paint had caused the tiny creature “severe breathing problems”. The hedgehog will be microchipped after all the paint is removed and released back into the garden where it was found. Hedgehogs numbers are rapidly dwindling in Britain and are now listed as “Vulnerable” on Britain’s red list of mammals. According to the latest State of Britain’s hedgehogs report, the hedgehog population has declined by 30 per cent in urban areas and 50 per cent in rural areas since the turn of the century. A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Unfortunately someone in the LS19 area of Leeds has sprayed a hedgehog blue. “This has caused unnecessary suffering to the animal and it is being treated by rescue.” They added that anyone with information about the incident should inform the shelter. 2 comments2