LISA Frost is helping to lead a crusade from Haddenham to the Hebrides to undertake the biggest hedgehog evacuation in history.

The 33-year-old animal lover, who works at St Tiggywinkle's animal hospital in Haddenham, is packing her bags for the mercy flight next week to try and save 5,000 of the prickly little mammals from mass extermination.

The hedgehog population on the island of North and South Uist and Benbecula has spiralled since a single pair were introduced in 1974. But they now pose a serious threat to rare birdlife on the island and Scottish Natural Heritage is preparing for the largest ever culling of the timid nocturnal animal a children's favourite after Beatrix Potter's character Mrs Tiggywinkles in her Peter Rabbit books.

Lisa, head of research and development at the animal hospital in Aston Road, said: "It is not definite we will be able to move them. Scottish Natural Heritage were due to cull them last week but there was such a public outcry they are now looking into relocation. But at the moment they may still go ahead with the cull."

Lisa and her team will be travelling up to the Hebridean islands to try and work out if an evacuation is possible.She said: "It is not going to happen overnight. It will be a a very long and drawn out job that will take years. I don't think there has ever been a major cull of hedgehogs." In 1986 a similar extermination was planned in Orkney until the hedgehogs were flown to safety with the help of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the local airline and the island's residents.

If the evacuation goes ahead the hedgehogs will need to be found homes across the country. Lisa added: "We will need people who will put the hedgehogs into their gardens to help release them back into the wild."