Sschools returning from the holidays are being urged to check in sports netting for trapped animals.

Wildlife campaigners say creatures are becoming caught in disused equipment and starving to death.

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) has made the appeal after volunteers were called to free a hedgehog caught in a child’s football goal in the Sovereign Harbour area of Eastbourne on Friday.

Rescuers had to cut the hedgehog free from the netting to release it.

The volunteer animal rescue service is appealing to students, teachers and parents to check in football goal netting, tennis nets and other types of netting found at home or at school.

Trevor Weeks, WRAS rescue co-ordinator, said that many animals including hedgehogs, foxes and even deer are killed every year after getting trapped.

WRAS volunteers have recently rescued animals in Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford.

Mr Weeks said: “We had to rescue three hedgehogs caught in one cricket tunnel, of which all but one was dead.

“The hedgehog rescued on Friday has been very lucky and thanks to the vigilance of the residents it has been saved from a slow and distressing death.

“Because hedgehogs have got spines it is difficult for them. Their spines do not bend like fur does so they go into something and try and when they try to come back it is all too easy for them to get stuck.

“Last year there was a fully grown stag that was trapped in a football goal.”

WRAS previously appealed for netting to be removed during school holidays and when not in use so that animals could pass underneath safely.

Mr Weeks added: "If you are a student at a school or college please check around your school or college for animals which may have been caught in netting over the summer holiday.

“If you are a parent, teacher or even a governor of a school or college please go and check the netting yourself and push for any netting used on school grounds to be removed when not in use and most importantly removed during holidays.

“Parents with children’s football goals should dismantle or remove the netting from the goals when not is use."

* Earlier this year, a rare albino deer fell victim to a swing rope left hanging in the woods near Mayfield.

Click on play below to watch a video of the rescue: