A NATURE-LOVING filmmaker is raising awareness of the plight of hedgehogs nesting in pre-prepared bonfires.

Tom Sands has been using a smartphone with built-in thermal imaging technology to help locate the creatures.

Mr Sands, producer and director at Substantial Films, has captured his friends hunting for hedgehogs nesting in bonfires around Lewes.

The 27-year-old was brought up in the area and spent his childhood going to bonfire parties.

He said: "I’ve loved bonfire night since I was a kid and Lewes builds some of the biggest bonfires in the country.

"For us this is a great fun time of year but it can be a very dangerous time for hedgehogs and other wildlife, with dozens accidentally being killed each year.

“I wanted to find a way to raise awareness of this and encourage people to check their bonfires for wildlife before lighting them."

Hedgehogs are in decline across the UK with numbers falling to less than one million from 30 million in the middle of the 20th century.

Some experts believe if the current decline continues the hedgehog could eventually become extinct.

One of the main ways to prevent the animals being hurt on Bonfire Night is to build bonfires at the last minute and to search them thoroughly before they are lit.

Mick Symes from the Lewes Borough Bonfire Society said: “It’s a big problem that wildlife is getting caught up in such a fun occasion.

"When people are building bonfires in their gardens at home, they’re smaller and more compact which makes it cosier for hedgehogs.

"Anything the public can do to ensure the safety of these lovely little creatures is a welcome step forward.”

The short film captures friends Sophie Barker and Rob Davis using a thermal imaging camera in the Cat S60 smartphone to help locate the animals.

The thermal camera highlights temperature contrasts to reveal hedgehogs as small red and orange balls of heat, hidden among the cooler wood, which shows up in purples and blues on the screen.

Tom’s friend Sophie, also a passionate nature-lover, agreed to help him make a film to get the message out there.

Sophie, a London-based PA, said “It can be a dangerous time of year for wildlife during bonfire night so I was really excited to help Tom make this film. The thermal camera made spotting the hedgehogs and other creatures very straightforward. It’s such a rush when you see that little orange ball light up on the screen and you know you’ve saved one.”