Cadent Gas owns and operates the largest natural gas distribution network in the UK. They are therefore regularly digging up the roads and pavements in order to repair or renew pipes. The holes they excavate are usually wide and deep and are often left open for several weeks before being filled in.

Cadent's practice is to put standard safety barriers around the excavations as a warning to cars and pedestrians but they do not cover each and every hole. These deep, uncovered excavations are therefore a real danger to wildlife, in particular hedgehogs.

There are now fewer than 1 million hedgehogs left in Britain and they face many hazards. They need to be able to move around freely at night and travel long distances in search of food. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, relying on their senses of smell and hearing instead. Therefore deep, excavated holes in roads and pavements that are not covered, are a real problem. Most safety barriers are raised off the ground, so a hedgehog can easily walk underneath and fall into a deep hole. They will of course likely be seriously injured and have no means of escape.

We are therefore asking Cadent not to just rely on barriers but to cover ALL of their excavations, especially at night.