A FATHER and son team have built a home for hedgehogs to try and tempt the elusive mammals into their back garden.
Peter Moore and his seven-year-old son, Zachary, from Merstham, built the elaborate house out of wood.
The project started after Zachary became interested in the prickly creatures.
Mr Moore, of Albury Road, told the Mirror: "He goes to Holmesdale Community Infant School and each class is an animal.
"He was originally a rabbit, he was then a hedgehog, that is where it all started off and then somehow he started looking online and found you could build hedgehog houses.
"We then got some plans off the internet and then together we have built this rather elaborate hedgehog house."
The family only moved to Albury Road in the past month, but they built the hedgehog home during the summer and have waited until the autumn to put it in the garden.
Two weeks ago, the pair were nervously awaiting their first visitors when Mr Moore spotted an article in this newspaper, which showed how a nest of hedgehogs had taken up residence in an Albury Road garden.
This has increased hopes that, before autumn is over, the patter of hedgehog feet will be heard in the home.
Mr Moore added: "Our garden is quite open, it's not so wildlife- friendly.
"But hedgehogs cover quite a wide area when they are travelling, so we are learning. We were going to speak to all the neighbours to try and encourage everyone to put a hole into the fence so they can travel through the gardens."
Mr Moore promised to keep the Mirror informed should any hedgehogs arrive.
A 2011 survey by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) indicated that about a quarter of the nation's hedgehog population had been lost in the past decade.
There is no consensus on the exact reason for the decline. Experts including the BHPS have cited increased use of pesticides and the loss of suitable habitat as possible causes. Smaller gardens and increased development have made it harder for hedgehogs to find homes, making them more vulnerable to predators and the elements.
