# Hedgehog Dies After Spray-Painted Blue in West Yorkshire > An adult male hedgehog found near Wakefield Police Station was spray-painted blue, suffered severe chemical burns and died the next day. - Publisher: Briefzora (https://briefzora.com) - URL: https://briefzora.com/hedgehog-dies-after-spray-painted-blue-in-west-yorkshire - Published: 2026-10-31T00:36:52+05:00 - Author: Briefzora Desk (https://briefzora.com/author/briefzora-desk) - Section: Lifestyle - Image: https://briefzora.com/uploads/2026/10/tragedy-as-hedgehog-screams-itself-to-death-after-yobs-spray-paint-i-ypqqeh.webp ## Key points - An adult male hedgehog was found behind Wakefield Police Station after being spray-painted blue. - The paint burned several layers of skin and melted the animal's spines. - The hedgehog was taken to Castleford Hedgehog Rescue on October 27 and died the next morning. - Beth Campsill, 29, said the hedgehog screamed in pain and died from infection and possible paint toxins. - Hedgehogs are listed as vulnerable in Britain, with populations down up to 50 % in rural areas. ## Why it matters The death highlights severe animal cruelty and the declining status of hedgehogs in Britain, affecting wildlife conservation efforts. ## Article An adult male hedgehog was discovered by a farmer behind Wakefield Police Station in West Yorkshire after it had been spray-painted blue to resemble the cartoon character Sonic. The paint was applied so close to a large area of the animal's back that chemicals burned away several layers of skin and caused its spines to melt. The creature was taken to Castleford Hedgehog Rescue in West Yorkshire around 4 pm on Tuesday, October 27, and died the following morning from its injuries. Beth Campsill, 29, who runs the rescue charity, said it was the worst case of spray-paint-based cruelty she has witnessed in her 16 years of work. > "When the hedgehog was brought to us he was screaming in pain. I gave the poor thing the maximum pain relief I could, but he didn't stop, he effectively screamed himself to death," she said. Campsill added that infection from the chemical burns and possible poisoning from paint toxins caused the death. She posted about the incident on Facebook, noting that some commenters suggested the substance might have been an antiseptic spray for livestock, but she believes it was spray paint because of its thick texture and the way it burned the skin. The rescue worker also had to scrape off remaining spines that had not yet fallen out. RSPCA guidelines explain that the hedgehog was also suffering from flystrike, a condition where flies lay eggs on wounds and maggots feed on the flesh, which can be fatal. Campsill said the animal would likely have endured a slow and extremely painful death in the wild, and she was relieved it was brought in so its suffering could be eased. Hedgehogs are listed as "vulnerable" on Britain's red list of mammals, with numbers falling up to 30 % in urban areas and 50 % in rural areas since the turn of the century, according to the State of Britain's hedgehogs report. Campsill plans to report the case to police but is uncertain whether the perpetrator will be held responsible given the location where the hedgehog was found. The incident follows a similar case in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, where a female hedgehog was painted yellow and blue in Leeds United colours, leaving her unable to curl up and struggling to breathe from fumes. Staff at the rescue centre that treated the Yeadon hedgehog described the act as "disgusting". ## Frequently asked questions ### What caused the hedgehog's death? The hedgehog died from chemical burns, infection and possible poisoning after being spray-painted blue. ### Where was the hedgehog found? It was discovered behind Wakefield Police Station in West Yorkshire. ### Has similar hedgehog paint cruelty been reported? Yes, a hedgehog in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, was painted in Leeds United colours and suffered similar distress. --- When citing, please link to https://briefzora.com/hedgehog-dies-after-spray-painted-blue-in-west-yorkshire and name Briefzora as the source.