A cull of hedgehogs is being proposed in a bid to protect seabirds on islands off the north-west coast of Scotland.

The move has come from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the body charged with the conservation of the country's wildlife, habitats and landscapes.

It is calling for a cull in the Western Isles to protect the internationally important bird populations of the Uists.

We like hedgehogs as well, but they are really out of place in the Uists

George Anderson Scottish Natural Heritage

SNH admits that the move will be controversial - but believes that the other efforts to reduce the hedgehog population have failed.

However, one animal lover has warned the organisation that there will be "hell to pay" if the cull goes ahead.

There are now some 5,000 hedgehogs on the islands, where they were first introduced in 1974.

SNH said they were responsible for a significant decline in the breeding of waders because they eat the birds' eggs.

Last year, a study published in the scientific Journal of Applied Ecology suggested that hedgehogs were having a devastating impact on seabirds in the Outer Hebrides.

Population management

It had long been suspected that hedgehogs ate large quantities of seabirds' eggs on the grassland where they nest.

An experiment carried out on South Uist found that wading birds like the dunlin, lapwing, redshank and snipe had a better chance of breeding successfully if hedgehogs were excluded from certain areas.

Various methods of managing the hedgehog population have been considered by SNH.

Research was carried out on South Uist

These included sterilisation and contraception, or capturing the animals and moving them to the mainland.

However, SNH board members will be advised at their meeting next week that total eradication is now the only viable option.

The agency acknowledged that the proposal would be deeply unpopular but said it was obliged - under European law - to protect the internationally important bird population of the Uists.

George Anderson of SNH said hedgehogs had an "extremely nice image" and were loved by many members of the public.

"At SNH we like hedgehogs as well, but they are really out of place in the Uists and they are causing major difficulties for the local wildlife," he said.

Tourism draw

He said the decision, which is expected to be approved at a board meeting next Tuesday, would not be taken lightly.

"We could just ignore the problem and not get any bad press," he added.

"But then I think we would be doing a huge disservice to both the birds in the Western Isles and the people there, who enjoy that wildlife being around them and the huge tourism draw that that wildlife is."

If they start killing hedgehogs there is going to be hell to pay

Les Stocker

However, Les Stocker - who runs the St Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital with his wife Sue and son Colin - described the proposal as outlandish and inhumane.

He predicted that hedgehog lovers would fight the move through the courts if necessary.

"If they start killing hedgehogs there is going to be hell to pay," he said.

He also questioned how the animals could be culled, as it was "not easy" to give a hedgehog as lethal injection.

"It is so badly thought-out that I just can't see it happening," he added.