Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has asked for road signs to be designed alerting drivers to the presence of the small animals after a meeting with the Ludlow-based British Hedgehog Society.

The Government wants to help the animals get across the roads safely in an attempt to halt the decline in numbers.

Mr Grayling, who is also the parliamentary hedgehog champion, said: "The Great British hedgehog may be a prickly character, but they are close to all our hearts and especially mine.

"The fall in the number of hedgehogs is a great concern to me so I want to do all I can to help halt this decline.

The number of hedgehogs in Britain has fallen from 30 million to one million since the 1950s

"I have asked whether road signs can be designed to make drivers aware when small wildlife is present in order to protect species like this."

Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, welcomed the news.

"It's something we suggested," she said.

Advertising

"Chris Grayling is the parliamentary hedgehog champion, and we had discussions with him, and it was one of a number of things we mentioned during those discussions.

"It won't stop all hedgehogs being killed, but we hope it will make a difference.

"It can only benefit the hedgehog population to make people aware that they are in that area. If only one or two people slow down, that could make a big difference."

Miss Vass said one of the problems was that hedgehogs were not very adept at fleeing from approaching cars.

Advertising

"Their natural defence is to curl up into a ball, but that's not a defence against cars," she said.

The number of hedgehogs in Britain has plummeted from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s, to just one million today, and motorists have been identified as one of the causes

The hedgehog came top in a 2013 poll to find a national species for Britain.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society was founded in 1982, and its patrons include Only Fools and Horses star John Challis and former politician Ann Widdecombe. For more information visit britishhedgehogs.org.uk