Hedgehog sextuplets are a right handful

These orphaned hedgehog cubs were found cold, hungry and close to death after their mother died. The six siblings were discovered next to the body of their mother in the back garden of a house in Henley-on-Thames.

They were taken to St Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital in Buckinghamshire where they will be hand-reared by staff working around the clock until they are strong enough to be released back into the wild. Experts say it is unusual for hedgehogs to be born this late in the year. Les Stocker, of St Tiggywinkles, said: "They're doing really well on the bottle.

"We were very surprised when they came in. The fact we've had good weather lately could be why they survived on their own."