Chat show host Jonathan Ross stepped in to defend a Cheddar Valley animal shelter on-air after his "uncanny knack for causing trouble" sparked what he called "a police raid".

During Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, the comic – who landed in hot water over his telephone call with Russell Brand to Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs – set out to clear a misunderstanding involving animal rescue charity Secret World, based in East Huntspill.

Ross's intervention related to a Valentine's Day photograph supplied by the charity. He showed the picture on Friday night's show and said: "Let me start by clearing this thing up... back on the programme we showed this lovely picture of a dormouse asleep in a rose. Of course, with my uncanny knack for causing trouble it's all gone wrong.

"The animal charity who provided that picture have been raided by the police for allegedly disturbing the dormouse during its hibernation, which is illegal."

The chat show host explained that the dormouse, pictured, nicknamed Dreamy, had not been disturbed and, to make it up to Secret World, aired a photograph of one of its baby badgers.

Dreamy's snooze made the national news when it was reported he had been dug up from his slumber spot in a Taunton garden by a dog. Its owner took the dormouse to Secret World where it was fattened up before returning to hibernation.

For the photo shoot, the rose's central petals were pinched off and a slumbering Dreamy carefully placed inside and photographed without waking up.

Charity spokesman Jamie Baker said it had a handful of complaints and said the "raid" was more of a friendly chat with a police officer.

A police spokesman confirmed no investigation was taking place.

Secret World has released a new photograph of Dreamy blissfully unaware of his headline-making nap. He will be released back into the wild in October.