A baby hedgehog was subjected to a horrific attack after thugs kicked the animal around like a football.

The youths had a kick-about with the prickly animal in a children's playground in Victoria Gardens, Eastbourne.

Local residents who witnessed the malicious attack on Monday evening rescued the baby animal from the group before calling East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS).

Rescuer Tony Meads was soon at the scene to assist the injured animal.

Mr Meads said: “The poor little girl was very frightened and had a number of broken and bent prickles over her body as a result of being kicked, so I rushed the hedgehog up to our Casualty Centre for further assessment.”

The hedgehog is believed to be no older than five or six weeks old and weighs approximately 250g.

She has been named Victoria by rescuers and was medicated and bedded down at the care centre.

An x-ray taken yesterday revealed Victoria had suffered a fracture to her hind left leg.

Trevor Weeks MBE, manager of WRAS's casualty care centre, said: “Her left fibula has been fractured but luckily the tibia is intact and will act as a splint, so she is able to weight bear on the leg. I wasn't expecting this at all.

“She must have been kicked with some force because it takes a lot to break their bones at this age so they can put up with quite a lot.

“We will be able to get her back to the wild only thing I have got to start considering is now we are getting into the autumn she's going to have to be 600g before we can release her because of the colder months.”

Police have been informed of the incident and the WRAS added that it was “shocked and appalled” by what had happened.

Victoria will hopefully have healed and gained enough weight to be released back into the wild in three weeks.

Anyone who witnessed the event is asked to contact Sussex Police quoting reference 827 of September 3 2013.