A spokesperson said: “If you find a hibernating hedgehog or dormouse in your shed or summer house, the best thing to do is welcome the little visitor and make its stay as safe as possible.

Common hibernation spots for hedgehogs include compost heaps, piles of logs and leaves, under hedges, specially designed hedgehog houses, and tree cavities.

HEDGEHOGS ARE going into hibernation about now. There isn't a precise date on which they all go into their winter state together; timing is an individual matter and it depends on both the weather ...

Unfortunately, people often mistake a hibernating hedgehog for a dead one. READ MORE: Gardener's urgent warning over hydrangeas as one trick could promise to thrive them.

Hedgehogs hibernated during the winter just past and are waking up now as the days lengthen, as temperatures rise, as food becomes more plentiful and as the promise of summer looms.

Common hibernation spots for hedgehogs include compost heaps, piles of logs and leaves, under hedges, specially designed hedgehog houses, and tree cavities, while dormice may choose roof spaces.