Hedgehog recovers from tar attack
A young hedgehog is recovering from being covered in tar.
The hedgehog, which has been named Tinker, was spotted on CCTV cameras struggling to move after the tar had hardened on her back.
She was taken to Moira Simpson's Pricklepad Hedgehog Hospital in Newcastle - where she was treated with antibiotics and hydrotherapy.
Mrs Simpson said: "She was traumatised, she had a terrible wild stare in her eyes and obviously in pain."
The tar, which was believed to have been poured on deliberately, was removed one tiny piece at a time as it dried, in a process that took about three months.
Tinker is now being put in a bath of water as part of hydrotherapy treatment to help strengthen her body before being released back into the wild in the spring.
Mrs Simpson said: "The infection underneath was horrific so she was treated with pain killers and antibiotics.
"Each time the tar curled up at the edge we were able to cut a little piece off each time, it was like leather.
"Her muscles had tightened up so much, she was not able to curl up, so that's where the hydrotherapy comes in.
"It really gets the heart going, the muscles going and builds up her strength again.
"The whole idea is to get this curling muscle working again so she can bend and curl up to protect herself when she's back in the wild."