SHARP-EYED children gave their classmates a lesson in life-saving when they rescued a baby hedgehog trapped in a school garden.

The tiny ball of spikes was caught in netting surrounding the garden of St Lawrence’s Primary School in York.

Two pupils were watering and planting shrubbery as part of an after-school gardening club when they spotted the frightened creature.

Gabriella Sorenson, eight, and Tansi Marshall, ten, ran to get their teacher and parents to help rescue the animal which was caught in fencing surrounding the shrubbery, and had wire wrapped around its neck and paws.

Together they helped untangle the animal from the fencing.

The young pair then wrapped the hedgehog in a blanket to keep it warm while their teacher, Jessica Davies, rang the RSPCA for advice.

Ms Davies said: “Some of the pupils were watering our plants on Monday when Gabriella and Tansi came across a hedgehog caught up in netting. They ran to their parents who were standing nearby and then ran to get me. The netting was caught up in his paws and around his neck; he was really frightened was making these little grunting, whimpering noises.

“We managed to untangle him, but it was clear there was some netting still caught in his paws that we couldn’t get out.

“I rang the RSPCA who advised me to take the hedgehog to a veterinary surgery.”

Gabriella’s parents took the hedgehog to a nearby vet to be treated.

Ms Davies described the girls as “brilliant” in handling the situation.

“They were very attentive and wanted to do what they could to help,” she said.

After the wire was cut out of his paw he was fed and watered and then he was released back into the wild.