CALLOUS youths who kicked a hedgehog “like a football” and left it for dead in Culcheth have been dubbed “barbaric” by a local man.
Graham Russell said he was disgusted to learn the four local youths had carried out the act in Lodge Drive at about 4.20pm on Sunday August 12. 
He said: “I was walking through the village when I noticed a dead hedgehog lying in the gutter by the side of Lodge Drive. My first thoughts was that it had been hit by a vehicle but a woman sitting in her car nearby told me that she had just witnessed four children kicking the live animal as it was crossing the road.
“They were kicking it around like a football before leaving it to die in the road. Her young daughter had also witnessed this barbaric act and had to leave the area in a distraught state.”
He said the youngsters were recognised as being part of a group who often cause a nuisance riding scooters and causing a disturbance at the nearby Millennium Gardens.
Mr Russell said: “These youths know who they are and I just hope the woman in question managed to report the matter eventually so that these mindless yobs can be brought to book.”
The matter was reported to the police.
Founder of Warrington Hedgehog Rescue Virginia Jones said the number of incidents of cruelty to hedgehogs was increasing.
She said: “Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. A few months ago there was a similar incident in Culcheth where youths were throwing a hedgehog around. It is horrible as some people do not seem to realise the pain and suffering this causes to hedgehogs.”
The society is concerned about the wellbeing of hedgehogs which are declining in numbers and she believes could be extinct in the UK by 2025.
She added: “Sadly these incidents are becoming more common. It is part of society as children do not seem to be brought up to respect animals.”
Pictured: a hedgehog like the one killed at Culcheth.
Barbaric attack on hedgehog
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
4 Comments
That is just SICK and reading it turned my stomach. How can kids (or anyone else) do such a barbaric thing to a poor defenceless animal? Absolutely disgusting and I hope they are traced and dealt with accordingly !!!! Infact the way I feel at the moment is that I’d like to kick them across the road a few times too and see how they like it. Bet they woudn’t feel so ‘big’ then eh 🙁
We have received many expressions of disgust on the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum to this article and to think that there used to be an anti-wildlife crime officer for Cheshire until recently. Hopefully these idiots will be identified and punished especially as they seem to be known to many people in Cultcheth. The police just need confirmation of their actions by the public – hopefully that will be very soon.
I know kids are very much their own beings nowadays and become feral in the blink of an eye. But you do have to wonder what sort of upbringing this bunch of cruel despicable idiots have had. No doubt we will be told they too have been treated horribly and can’t be held responsible for their own actions. Or perhaps when they are indentified the parents will say “it was only a hedgehog what’s all the fuss about?” I really hope they are caught soon. This is one instance where public naming and shaming is justified, whatever their ages.
I wouldn’t agree with the statement “some people do not seem to realise the pain and suffering this causes” These morons do realise the pain and suffering this causes and this is precisely why they do it! There is an established link between kids who inflict pain on animals growing up to eventually commit violent crime and the link could probably be because they are not dealt with early enough or severely enough. These kids are already known to have been causing trouble….and appear to have been getting away with it. How far are they going to be allowed to go? Perhaps if the ‘adults’ who make the laws had a bit more common sense things might improve.