Hedgehog trapped for a day in Waltham Abbey sewage pipe

A "huge" hedgehog got into a prickly situation when it spent 24 hours wedged face-down in a household sewage pipe

The RSPCA said it was called to a house in Waltham Abbey, Essex, after the unusually large female became stuck tightly inside the pipe.

It was a "life-threatening situation", the charity said, as the animal's face was in the sewage water.

The hedgehog was eventually rescued when RSPCA officers smashed the drain to free it.

RSPCA animal collection officer Mariam Adwan said: "The animal was really big and had become wedged in a pipe between two access points.

"There was no time to lose, and after the usual methods to rescue the animal weren't working, there was only one thing for it. We needed to smash the drain to get at the huge hedgehog.

"Luckily, the animal-loving householder was more worried about the hedgehog than her pipe, and gladly gave us permission to break it open," Ms Adwan said.

The animal is now being looked after at the South Essex Wildlife Centre, where it will be rehabilitated before being released back into the wild.