They say love is blind - and for Stuart the lonely wood pigeon that certainly proved to be the case.

Rather than befriending other pigeons at the animal sanctuary where he lives, he has found happiness with a more prickly customer - Daffyd the hedgehog.

The unlikely pair spend much of their time snuggled together in a corner of the Carla Lane Animal Sanctuary at Horsted Keynes.

It is a happy ending to Stuart's sad story. He was left in a box outside the sanctuary about a year ago.

Blind and confused, he was ignored by the other pigeons in the aviary.

Animal rights campaigner and script writer Miss Lane said: "For the first three weeks he didn't have a friend.

"The other pigeons couldn't really be bothered with him and he was often in the corner on his own."

Stuart was finally adopted by another pigeon but only in a half-hearted manner.

Miss Lane said: "The other pigeon just stands around because he's basically quite lazy. He wasn't much good as a leader."

Then Stuart and Daffyd bumped into each other on the aviary platform for disabled birds and their unusual partnership was born.

Daffyd came in with a wound probably caused by a strimmer and he cannot be released back into the wild. He was put in with the birds as the aviary is warm and sunny.

Miss Lane said: "We found them snuggled up together. The hedgehog always seems to offer his face to Stuart as if he knows he is prickly.

"They have their own corner and at night they go into a wooden home.

"We never separate friends and even though Stuart is blind they just seem to know when they're close to each other."

Stuart's old lame partner does not seem to be jealous of his new friend although Miss Lane said there often is jealousy between the birds.

Daffyd is sociable and likes to wander around the aviary platform among the other birds.

However, his prickles started annoying an injured parrot named Trooper and workers had to build a barrier between them.

Stuart's blindness limits his movements but when volunteers come in to clear out the aviary he will perch on their shoulders.

Miss Lane said she is pleased the two have struck up a friendship, particularly as Stuart is so severely disabled.

She said: "We do all we can for blind animals but I think nothing we do can make up for them being unable to see.

"Disabled animals do seem to take care of each other more. It's as if they are grateful for any friendliness."

For more information about the sanctuary or to donate money go to www.carlalane.com