Stuck pigs saved from a roasting

18-month-old Jane gave birth to nine piglets five days ago

Firefighters rescued a pig and eight of her babies from a fire that broke out in the hut where they were kept.

The animals were saved when the housekeeper spotted the fire at the farm in Alresford, Hampshire, and raised the alarm.

Their owner had turned on an electric heater to keep the small herd warm but it caused some dry hay to catch fire.

Firefighters controlled the blaze, which destroyed the hut, before it spread to a nearby tree.

Rural safety officer Anton Phillips who accompanied crews from Alresford and Winchester fire stations, moved the animals to the safety of another pig pen.

"We were called to reports of a fire incident, with a British Saddle Back pig "Jane" and her nine piglets trapped in their home," Mr Phillips said.

"Unfortunately one piglet died before our crews arrived on the scene.

"It was important for us to get the animals out as quickly as possible, as they were notably stressed by the experience."