A prickly customer gave a fireman a shock when he walked into the firestation unannounced.

But this was no usual visitor - it was a baby hedgehog who had wandered in from the cold.

Leading fire fighter Paul Dennis - who also works as a photographer for theKent Messenger Group - was the first to discover him.

The tiny animal, who should have been hibernating, made himself at home under a desk at Aylesham retained fire station on Friday.

Paul said: "I was at the station doing paper work when he just wandered in through the front doors and sat under the desk.

"He looked very scared so I put him in a box and took him home with me.

"I fed him some cat food and gave him a bit of water I didn't just want toleave him there as I thought he might not survive.

"My two boys wanted to keep him but I don't think my cats did!"

Paul named the little hedgehog Dave after fellow fire fighter Dave Miller because of his spiky hair.

He has now been given a new home at the Lord Whiskey animal sanctuary in Stelling Minnis.

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