Have these pair been killed in another Frome animal attack ?

An awful photo shows a terrible incident with two dead hedgehogs laid out, with one clearly bleeding from injuries before it died, leading local residents to ask if this is another animal attack.

The pair were discovered today ( June 17) dead and laid on a car in Frome.

At least one appears to have been attacked.

The police have been informed and Frome Nub News has asked them to comment on concerns from local residents that this is another in a long line of incidents involving attacks on animals in the area. In the past we have reported animals - usually cats - being the target of someone with a ballbearing weapon.

The shocked resident who reported it to the police urged locals to get in touch too.

They told Nub News " The police are looking into it, so if anyone else in Frome has any information on animals being deliberately harmed such as the birds with slingshots to get in touch with me so that we can put a stop to this animal cruelty. "

This is the first time Nub News has heard of hedgehogs being shot at although locally many have reported pigeons and a cat being hit.

Hedgehogs do have some degree of legal protection in the UK.

• they are listed on schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) which makes it illegal to kill or capture wild hedgehogs, with certain methods listed
• they are also listed under the Wild Mammals Protection Act (1996), which prohibits cruel treatment of hedgehogs
• a species of 'principal importance' under the NERC Act, which is meant to confer a 'duty of responsibility' to public bodies

The dead hedgehogs were found on a car bonnet on a vehicle along the lane which connects Keyford Place to Singers Knoll in Frome in the early hours.

In May 2020 the police put out a warning to pet owners to be extra vigilant after a cat was hit in the eye by someone using a catapult. You can read that story HERE . That attack happened in Mountsfield.

One commentator on social media summed up local feelings saying : " I hope whoever did this gets caught and punished because if not I've no doubt they will go on to do far worse in the future. "