THE rubbish collection after Christmas always seems massive, but what looks to us like the debris at the end of a feast is the ideal spot for a Christmas dinner to many a small mammal.

Bin bags are easily torn and, once inside, a little hedgehog in search of a snack can have a wonderful time. Unfortunately, it can also find itself in a whole heap of trouble.

Rubbish bags may well contain juicy titbits, but they also have mesh bags (good for holding oranges) that trap small feet, plastic cream cartons that are easy to crawl into but not to reverse out of, and yards of old sticky tape that makes an effective noose.

Please try and avoid trouble outdoors this Christmas. Seal your mesh bags inside old wrapping paper, cut the sides of your empty cream cartons, and wrap up the used sticky tape.

These, of course, are only a few hazards. If we all dispose carefully of our Christmas litter, recyling as much as possible, we'll have the satisfaction of knowing that as well as enjoying the festive season we've helped watch out for some of our precious wild creatures.

A H COLES, British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Knowbury House, Shropshire.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.