A new road signs has been introduced after it was revealed hundreds of people are injured every year in collisions involving animals.

In 2017, 629 people were injured in accidents involving an animal in the road and four people were killed.

The Department for Transport figures excluded horses.

In response the Government has unveiled a new traffic sign, featuring a hedgehog, to warn road users of hazards due to animals in the road ahead.

It could be placed in areas where accident rates are highest.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is calling on local authorities and animal welfare groups to identify accident and wildlife hotspots where the sign should be located.

The road sign is also designed to reverse the decline in wildlife numbers, in particular, hedgehogs whose population in rural areas has halved since 2000.

Mr Grayling said: "We have some of the safest roads in the world but we are always looking at how we can make them safer. Motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users are particularly at risk.

"The new small mammal warning sign should help to reduce the number of people killed and injured, as well as helping our precious small wild mammal population to flourish."

Between 2005 and 2017, 100 people were killed, with a further 14,173 injured in accidents where an animal was in the road.

These signs will be used to warn motorists in areas where there are large concentrations of small wild animals, including squirrels, badgers, otters and hedgehogs.