BONFIRE-builders across Keighley are being urged to be on the alert for hedgehogs.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society says the creatures can be drawn to wood piles as ideal hibernation spots.

Society bosses are asking people to take simple measures to help keep the popular mammals safe during the Bonfire Night period.

Spokeswoman Fay Vass said: “If material is stored on open ground in advance of having a bonfire, it’s crucial to dismantle it and move it to another spot just before lighting.

“Ensure it’s moved to clear ground – never on top of a pile of leaves as there could be a hedgehog underneath, and not too close to pampas grass which can ignite very easily and is another favourite spot for hedgehogs to hide.”

Other advice includes:

* Don’t build a bonfire until the day it is to be lit.

* If a large bonfire must be built in advance, protect it whilst building by putting some chicken wire one metre high all the way around the bottom. This should be held in place with stakes and the wire should slope outwards at an angle to make it difficult to climb. A ring of old tyres around the base stacked a few high can also work.

* If while building a bonfire it is left unattended, even for a short time, check it for hedgehogs and other animals – including family pets – before lighting.

For more details, visit britishhedgehogs.org.uk.