A SCHOOLGIRL rescued a tiny baby hedgehog from being stoned to death by a group of teenage boys.

Daisy West put aside her fears when she saw the gang throwing stones at the hedgehog, and stepped straight into the middle of the group to save the frightened animal.

The 11-year-old Fort Hill Community School pupil has a huge appreciation of all animals, and knew she had to do something when she saw the boys tormenting the vulnerable creature near her home in Rooksdown, at around 4pm on September 11.

Her aunt Stephanie Oakley, who was with her at the time, said: “We were walking back from school and there was a crowd of about five or six teenagers and they were all stood around something and we saw it was this little hedgehog.

"They were poking at it with sticks, and attaching conkers to its spikes and throwing stones. My niece was so upset and went over and picked up this hedgehog and carried it away. They were all shouting at us."

Stephanie added: “If it’s animals concerned she has the confidence to do something.”

Daisy and 24-year-old Stephanie, who is a childminder, took the baby hedgehog home and made a makeshift bed for it using a box and newspaper, before feeding it.

Daisy’s mum Tara then contacted The Happy Hedgehog Rescue, based in Yateley, and founder Jayne Morgan came to collect the animal, who had been named Tinker.

Sadly, Tinker didn’t survive because he had internal parasites, but Jayne said Daisy’s intervention prevented the baby animal from suffering a prolonged and agonising death.

She said Tinker weighed just 205grams and had lost a lot of weight, estimating that he was probably around six to eight weeks old.

Jayne added: “He probably has brothers or sisters that need help because they are probably unwell too having caught the parasites from their mother.”

Many hedgehogs suffer from parasites because they eat too many slugs and worms, which should only make up a small proportion of their diet.

Their numbers have been declining because their habitats are lost, with many gardens now too tidy and formal to attract beetles and caterpillars which hedgehogs can eat.

Jayne, who rescues up to 600 hedgehogs a year, said Tinker would have suffered a horrible death if Daisy had not rescued him, adding: “He was given the best care. If he hadn’t come to us he would have been eaten alive by the maggots.”

She advised the public to take in any hedgehogs seen outside in the daylight, because they are probably ill, and to contact a rescue centre as soon as possible.

Stephanie praised her niece for her actions, adding: “It was so upsetting. My niece adores animals and she couldn’t believe that someone would do that to an animal. It’s disgusting. I wish that people spent more time learning about the animals and how to care for them.”

Jayne has reported the incident to the RSPCA, along with a second incident in Basingstoke on Tuesday night, when a gang of teenagers were seen kicking a hedgehog down the street.

It was rescued and taken to Happy Hedgehog Rescue, where it is being treated for shock and possible internal injuries.