RAT traps set up in people's gardens are catching and injuring hedgehogs.

A couple who run a hedgehog rescue service in Loughton has seen an increase in the number of injuries caused by a new style of rat trap, which has become popular because it is so easy to use.

Derek Knight is now appealing to people using the traps after three hedgehogs had to be put down when they became caught.

He said: "The rat population has increased round here and people are worried about putting poison out in case their cats or dogs eat it. But the traps are lethal. Hedgehogs get their front legs caught in them and once their legs are gone you can't save them. They are chopped off and there's nothing you can do.

"Sometimes the hedgehog can walk around for days with the trap still attached because it's so light. It would be so painful for them."

The new traps are now widely available to buy in the area, and have become popular because they are easy to set, unlike the old versions.

Mr Knight said: "People didn't bother using the old one's because they would get their fingers caught. And people won't pay out in the credit crunch for pest control because it's expensive so they are trying to do it themselves by putting down rat traps."

Three hedgehogs have been handed in to Mr Knight and his wife Sandra after becoming caught in traps, but all of them had to be put down because of their injuries.

The traps have powerful serrated jaws to crush the rats, but Mr Knight said it is illegal to use them out in the open where they are a danger to other animals.

He said: "They are meant to be used indoors or somewhere other animals aren't in danger. Hedgehogs are endangered and we need to encourage people to look after them."

European hedgehogs are becoming increasingly rare in the UK and are listed as a species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

They also have partial protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and it is illegal to trap them or kill them without a licence.

Mr Knight said people need to be aware of the dangers before baby hedgehogs are born.

He said: "Babies are beginning to be born now and when they start walking around in a few weeks time they are in danger of these traps. People might not realise what they are doing but they need to be aware now before more are killed."

For more information about how to look after hedgehogs visit thehedgehog.co.uk.