ANGER has been expressed after a hedgehog was savagely killed by a speeding motorist on a Largs road which has been branded a 'race track' by upset residents.
Margaret MacInnes, who lives on Moorburn Road, has told the News that the street is frequently used by speeders, and says she hopes that drivers will take on board residents concerns and slow down following the death of a harmless hedgehog on the road.
She has suggested that it is time for road bumps on the road to prevent a serious tragedy in the future.
A silver car blazed past Mrs McInnes's window on Sunday night at 7pm, and she said: " You couldn't stop or go round it, no you just drove over it."
She added: "The hedgehog population is in decline so I've been doing my bit and feeding the hedgehogs for a few months now and this isn't the first time they've been killed on the road.
"If they put speed bumps on the roads here then possibly that would stop the speeding and the drivers too busy with their mobile phones in their hands or stuck to their ears may then pay attention to the road.
"Though I have seen malicious drivers in the past purposely accelerating and steering towards a neighbours cat as it was crossing.
"I have security cameras and you can see drivers taking the opportunity to fly along the Moorburn Road through the night, you'd think speed limits don't apply to them.
"There's just too many drivers that come along this road who don't take care or pay attention, and there are some that use Moorburn Road like a race track."
One local business owner also raised concerns about the situation.
They told the News: "It is just a matter of time before there's a serious accident on Moorburn Road.
"Cars, usually the same ones, are regularly travelling at 60 or 70mph plus after midnight."
British hedgehogs have undergone a long historic decline according to the British Hedgehog Society, with rural populations remaining low.
Britain’s National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy was launched two years ago to implement measures in order to arrest the decline.
A spokesperson for The British Hedgehog Preservation Society said: “It’s always sad and distressing to discover a deceased hedgehog – their numbers are in steep decline and every single hedgehog is important.
“Hedgehogs don’t have a ‘fight or flight’ reflex – which means when they see a car heading towards them, their instinct is to freeze and curl into a ball, sadly this is no defence against a car. Taking extra care when driving at night and being mindful of nocturnal wildlife is one simple thing we can do to help protect our dwindling hedgehog populations.
“We would also encourage people to report such sightings, as well as happier sightings of healthy hedgehogs, on the BIG Hedgehog Map at www.bighedgehogmap.org
Largs Police have been contacted for comment.
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