Alderney vet Helen Dickinson has taken in a baby blonde hedgehog which is too tiny to hibernate. (0903928)

ISLAND vet Helen Dickinson has spent the last week caring for a baby blonde hedgehog which is too tiny to hibernate. The spiky creature was handed into Helen’s Veterinary Surgery, in Ollivier Street, after a local woman spotted him in the car park at St Anne’s Church.

Helen has named the eight-week-old male Orinoco, after the famous Wombles character.

He weighs just 280g – less than half the required 600g which hedgehogs must weigh in order to survive hibernation.

The vet says Orinoco is a victim of last year’s autumn weather.

‘If it’s a mild autumn a female hedgehog will think it’s still summer and safe enough to have another litter, which may be her second or third of the year.

‘Unfortunately, if it’s nearly winter, the temperature will drop suddenly and any hedgehogs born late in the season aren’t given a chance to grow.’

She added that hedgehogs born late in the breeding season are known as autumn juveniles.

‘But this one’s an autumn baby. He’s much too small to hibernate and if he hadn’t been found he would not have been able to keep warm and would probably have died.’

Orinoco has been well cared for since Helen adopted him and has even made a friend – a kitten called Madame Cholet.

‘I gave him a shampoo and set when he came in, to warm him up,’ said Helen. ‘He’s also had plenty of kitten food to keep him going. Madame has been supervising all his treatment and is very curious about him. She was especially interested when I washed him.’

Helen said Orinoco would be released back into the wild in May, if he remains healthy.

The smoking ban continues to be hotly debated in the island.

Locals are still divided over whether Sir Norman Browse, the President of the States, should have used his casting vote to introduce the controversial legislation.

Some say Sir Norman should have stuck with the status quo, while others are delighted he had the bottle to stand up for what he believes is right.

Whatever the fall-out from the vote, smoking will be banned in enclosed public places from 4am on 1 June.

And as Coronation Inn landlady Terri Marriner told me this week, publicans will simply have to abide by the new laws, whatever their views on the legislation.

It is to be hoped that licensed premises don’t suffer because of the ban and that all the fears over increased noise pollution and litter aren’t realised. In fact, it would be nice to think that some will see trade increase this year, perhaps from people who currently refuse to venture out into smoke-filled pubs.

As the President said, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. If the ban is a disaster and leads to pub closures and increased unemployment, the legislation can always be amended.

All we can do now is wait for the summer and see what happens. It will be interesting to gauge public opinion once the ban has been in force for a year

or so.