MHAIRI Black has had a few spiky encounters since becoming Britain's youngest MP but a meeting with a hedgehog called Mhairi could well have topped the lot.

The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South got up close and personal with the cute little critter during a visit to St Vincent's Hospice.

Ms Black was given anything but a prickly reception when she visited staff and patients at the Howwood hospice.

She gave two hedgehogs a friendly send-off as they were released in the garden during a tour of the facility.

But there was a more serious note to the visit as Mhairi was able to see the hard work that staff and volunteers put into running the hospice.

She said: "Renfrewshire as a whole continually shows that it's got a heart of gold and I think especially when you come to a place like this.

"It's when you take the time to engage with the staff that work here and the volunteers - the fact that there are volunteers for a start is a great thing.

"Once you engage with them you see that everyone has got their heart in it and it makes all the difference when it comes to working with people if you genuinely have an interest and really care about it and this place is filled with that."

Mhairi was given the opportunity to speak with patients at the hospice including Christine Gow from Houston who was delighted to meet Britain's youngest MP.

During the visit Mhairi also signed up to zip slide across the Clyde in support of the hospice.

Chief executive Kate Lennon said: "We are going through our development five year strategy and there is some new services within that and one of them is our children's bereavement service.

"Elaine who leads that service is going to speak to Mhairi about some of the work that she can do to help us raise awareness of it.

"This is where we provide bereavement support before death and after death to children from the age of two to 18.

"We've been doing it for a number of years as part of the big Lottery fund but now we are on our own and it costs about £50,000 a year to run the service so we are hoping Mhairi will be able to lend her support.

"It's a service that's well needed."