LEAVING pumpkins in the woods is bad for wildlife, warns Forestry England.

The organisation says that, while social media posts often suggest leaving pumpkins for wildlife after Halloween, this is not good for the animals.

The pumpkins are not natural to the woodlands and could make some animals, such as hedgehogs, very poorly.

The decomposing pumpkins can also attract pests and spread diseases.

Sam Pegler, a senior ecologist at Forestry England, said: "While it’s wonderful that people want to do their bit for nature, leaving rotting pumpkins in the countryside isn’t good for wildlife.

"Some animal centres may accept a small number of pumpkins for their residents, but these are carefully given to appropriate species and removed before they rot down.

"This isn’t possible in a forest setting, so is best avoided completely."

Instead, people are encouraged to make use of their leftover pumpkins in the kitchen or recycle them at home.

Mr Pegler said: "My favourite way to use pumpkin is to explore the countless free and tasty recipes online.

"It isn’t all about soup, pumpkin is brilliant for stews, curries, pies, and even pasta and risotto dishes.

"If pumpkin really isn’t your thing, it can be disposed of in your food recycling container or composted at home.

"The high water content of pumpkin makes it a great composting material to add nitrogen and moisture to your compost bin."

Forestry England manages more than 1,500 forests, covering more than 250,000 hectares, across the country.