10:47AM, Tue Jun 5, 2012

Queen Guitarist Brian May Inspires Newcastle Hedgehog Village

By Jenny Wotherspoon Location: Forest Hall

Plans to expand Tinker Town hedgehog sanctuary in Forest Hall

A back-garden sanctuary for disabled hedgehogs could soon be expanded into a hedgehog village inspired by rock legend Brian May.

The enclosure behind a bungalow in Forest Hall, Newcastle, is currently home to two rescue hedgehogs which were so badly injured they can never be returned to the wild.

Sanctuary boss Moira Simpson, who named the haven Tinker Town after its first resident, is hoping to create a much bigger enclosure - similar to the one animal welfare champion May has at his home in Surrey.

Mrs Simpson runs the Pricklepad Hedgehog Hospital from her home, and already has a number of rehabilitation pens to help injured hedgehogs.

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Her plan is to create a sanctuary big enough to provide a permanent home for her disabled hedgehogs, but also with space to rehabilitate those who can later be released back into the wild.

She has secured land from a local farmer, but will need to raise money for fencing, water pools and sleeping sheds to keep the hedgehogs happy.

The sanctuary's permament residents, Tinker and Stumpy, both came to the hospital with unexplained injuries.

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Tinker was covered in tar and was badly cut underneath, while Stumpy was missing a leg.

Both hedgehogs have recovered, but Tinker can no longer curl into a ball, and neither of them would be able to survive in the wild.