Meet Nelson the spineless hedgehog who just loves a massage

Rescue centres across the country are home to hundreds of hedgehogs but many won't have a resident like Nelson.

Nelson the hedgehog. - Credit: Archant

The little hedgehog is unique in the fact that he is more or less spines with only a few on the lower half of his body.

He is a resident at Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue in Hemsby where each day a volunteer has to give him a massage with lotion to help combat his dry skin.

Nelson is just one of the needy animals at the rescue centre which also homes a blind fox, deers and kittens.

It is run by Tonia and John Garner. They met 10 years ago and soon discovered they shared the same dream - to set up a wildlife sanctuary.

Since then, they have rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of animals and birds each year, and expect the figure for 2016 alone to exceed 1,000.

And yesterday all of their hard work was recognised when they were presented with a special award at the House of Lords.