The RSPCA is appealing for information after three hedgehogs have been found in an Alsager park with skull fractures in three separate incidents.

Each of the hedgehogs were discovered with head injuries in Milton Park, Alsager, with the first discovered on 28th May, one again on the 31st May and the final one on 6th June.

The hedgehogs, one of which was a female who recently gave birth to a litter, were taken to an emergency vets and the Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue Centre where sadly they had to be put to sleep to "end their suffering".

The rescue centre then contacted the RSPCA and Inspector Natalie Perehovsky is now investigating.

She is urging anyone who might have seen anything suspicious or unusual to please get in touch with the RSPCA or the police, quoting crime reference number IML-1007061.

Natalie said: "We do not know for sure whether these were accidental or deliberate incidents but the details of the injuries would suggest they are the latter, so we are very keen to find out what happened to these poor hedgehogs.

"We'd urge members of the public who may have seen anything suspicious in the park to please contact us, in strictest confidence, on our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018."

It is believed the final hedgehog, which was found on Sunday, had likely sustained their injury at least a few days prior to this and had been "struggling for some time".

This means they could have all happened on the same day or within a few days around the end of May.

Clare Simmons, of Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue Centre, said: "What has happened to these hedgehogs is absolutely tragic.

"They all suffered isolated skull fractures with no injuries which would suggest non-deliberate causes such as bite wounds from other animals, or broken bones from an RTC.

"One of the hedgehogs was a lactating mum so must have recently given birth but sadly despite best efforts trying to search for them, the babies have not been found.

"It would appear as though the hedgehogs had been struck whilst running.

"This is because when hedgehogs are scared their defence mechanism is to curl up into a ball and any impact would then damage their spines but there was no damage to any of the hedgehog's spines.

"The way the injury has been sustained means we just can't put it down to anything else, it would appear as though someone has attacked these hedgehogs in the middle of Milton Park."