WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE: Don't give birds this or they could die, says Mansfield Wildlife Rescue after bird loses leg

Cheryl Martins from Mansfield Wildlife Rescue UK, released shocking images of a sparrow which had lost its leg, after man made material wrapped around its leg and cut off circulation.

She is now asking residents to not offer yarn, string, human or pet hair for wildlife to build nests.

She said: "The bird in the picture lost its leg due to being severed by the tourniquet of unsuitable crap wrapped around it's leg.

"Every year we see young and adult songbirds and small mammals come in to rehabilitation because of this “help” by humans and often it is fatal.

"Also do not offer laundry dryer lint. The lint collected in your dryer filter may seem like ideal nesting material, but it isn’t. It will soak up water and may be filled with chemicals that are unhealthy for animals that are growing in it.

"Yes, we know that they obtain some of these things on their own and use them in their dens and nests, but that doesn’t mean it is healthy or good for them. They use what they find and sometimes what they find is deadly.

"Birds, bunnies, squirrels and many others lose feet, legs, wings and at times are even decapitated from these things slowly tightening and becoming a ligature, slowly cutting off circulation.

"Please, do not try to “help” nature in this way, the results can be deadly."

She added that fiber sold in most wild bird stores is "typically fine" because it will break apart into fine strands.

And said that long individual strands can cause the problem.

Cheryl has also asked people to be aware of hedgehogs when they are strimming their hedges as it can cause their limbs to be cut off.