A baby hedgehog which sparked a prickly problem for trading standards officers when he sneaked into the country, has wound up at Gatwick Airport.

For “Henri the hedgehog,” who sneaked his way into the UK from France on a ferry and caused a rabies scare, has been taken to the Animal Reception Centre at Gatwick Airport.

He will be spending the next four months or so there in quarantine.

His discovery at Newhaven raised fears of the possibility of rabies coming in from the continent.

He was taken to a pet sanctuary in West Sussex and given a container of food to tuck into.

Henri was then collected by officers from West Sussex Trading Standards, whose role includes disease control and prevention, and taken to Gatwick.

Lionel Barnard, the West Sussex County Council cabinet member who oversees Trading Standards, said: “We acted quickly when a vet telephoned us, concerned there could be a risk of rabies.”

He said: “The risk was low, but we decided it would be better to take no chances and put this little creature in quarantine. The most important thing is to protect the community.”

He added that no-one should try to bring an animal into Britain unless the rules are followed. Laws about bringing in pets changed in January last year.

Meanwhile, Trading Standards officers are still trying to find out exactly how Henri managed to snuffle his way past officials into the UK. But as hedgehog numbers have declined by 25% over the last decade, there should be no shortage of good homes for him to go to when his quarantine finishes.

Members of the public with concerns that an animal (pet or otherwise) might have been illegally imported into the UK should contact Trading Standards on 08454 040506.

Details on the laws about bringing animals into the UK are available on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website at: www.defra.gov.uk