Autumn is a dangerous time for Prickles the Hedgehog, even though he was named as Britain’s favourite creature only a few months ago. And next Tuesday will be the most perilous night of the year, according to TV star and nature campaigner Ben Fogle.

Life is bad enough for hedgehogs without Bonfire Night, its numbers in steep decline anyway from road traffic, slug pellets and, for youngsters born late in the year thanks to our long, hot summer, starvation because they have not had the time to build up the fat reserves to serve them throughout their winter hibernation.

They also face threats from keen gardeners, not just from slug pellets, but from machines like strimmers as we clear out those overgrown corners before winter falls: those corners are often a winter home for hedgehogs and a whipping from a strimmer is often fatal.

But according to Ben Fogle, patron of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, worst of all of the man-made deathtraps is the November 5 bonfire, which by now may be well built up ready for the big night and, this weekend, a tempting target for a creature seeking a cozy nook in which to over-winter.

Unless you wish to condemn this humble mammal of the flames, do not build you bonfire in situ: move it to the required spot on Tuesday. If you have already built the stack, please go over the base carefully with an implement like a hoe rather than a garden fork before starting the blaze.

Let’s burn Buy Fawkes – good Yorkshireman that he was and probably innocent of would-be Regicide – rather than Prickles: he’s too important part of our wildlife and far too popular to go up in flames.