A rare albino hedgehog, weighing 300g, has been found in a garden in Thornbury near Bristol.

The male, which has been named Bobby, has been taken to a rescue centre in Yate where it will be cared for during the winter.

Yvonne Cox from the centre said the hedgehog seemed healthy but was probably a late born, and might not have survived the winter.

Experts say just one in 10,000 hedgehogs in the UK is an albino.

Very few reach adulthood, partly because they are easily spotted by predators.

Ms Cox said that during the last 11 years at the rescue centre she has never taken in an albino hedgehog.

“I take in 150 hedgehogs a year and I’ve never once had one through the doors,” she said.

She said Bobby’s weight would need to be boosted to around 600g between now and the spring.

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