A HEDGEHOG taken in by Secret World wildlife rescue has been declared obese.

Roly Poly has been put on a strict diet by staff at the East Huntspill rescue centre after he weighed in at a whopping 1kg 950, twice the size of his companions.

A retired Minehead couple found Roly in a garage wrapped in a Father Christmas jacket. He was too underweight to hibernate safely so they put him in their conservatory where he was kept warm on a heated pad.

His weakness for cat food meant he put on so much weight he could not curl into a ball.

Secret World founder Pauline Kidner said: “We’ve had to house him in an otter box because a normal hedgehog one is far too small and his intake of cat food and cat biscuits has been reduced to 150g per day so he’s gradually losing weight.”

For a chance to see orphaned or abandoned animals and birds go to Secret World’s Wildlife Babies Jubilee Open Weekend from Saturday June 2 until Tuesday June 5.

Doors open from 10am to 4pm. There is no admission charge but donations are welcome on the day.

The charity is also asking for donations of tinned kitten and puppy food to help with a recent influx of orphans.

For information on the Weekly News backed Call of the Wild Appeal for a new wildlife and education centre visit www.secretworld.org.