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Rescued piglets served up as sausages to firefighters Rescued piglets served up as sausages to firefighters
(35 minutes later)
A litter of piglets whose bacon was saved from a barn fire has been served up as dinner to the firefighters who rescued them.A litter of piglets whose bacon was saved from a barn fire has been served up as dinner to the firefighters who rescued them.
The 18 piglets and two sows survived the fire in Wiltshire in February, which saw 60 tonnes of hay catch fire.The 18 piglets and two sows survived the fire in Wiltshire in February, which saw 60 tonnes of hay catch fire.
In a potentially controversial move, farmer Rachel Rivers thanked the Pewsey fire team by giving them sausages. In a controversial move, farm manager Rachel Rivers thanked the Pewsey fire team by giving them sausages.
She said: "I'm sure vegetarians will hate this." The firefighters however said the bangers were "fantastic".She said: "I'm sure vegetarians will hate this." The firefighters however said the bangers were "fantastic".
The pictures of their impromptu barbecue have since been removed from the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service's Facebook page. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said the piglets were "no better off" for escaping the fire.
More reaction to this story and other news from across the West of England "We'll be sending Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service packs of vegan sausages so that they can see how easy it is to truly be heroes for pigs - by sparing them all suffering," said spokesman Mimi Bekhechi.
More on this story and other news from the West of England
The animals were given a six-month stay of execution when they were rescued from the farm at Milton Lilbourne.The animals were given a six-month stay of execution when they were rescued from the farm at Milton Lilbourne.
But, having been reared for meat, they have since been slaughtered and the sausages were delivered to the fire station team, which barbecued them. But, having been reared for meat, they were then slaughtered and delivered as sausages to the fire station team, which barbecued them.
"I wanted to thank them. I promised them at the time I'd bring down some sausages for them, which they were all pleased about," Ms Rivers said. Ms Rivers defended the gift, saying farming is her livelihood and way of life.
Asked if she though it was a "strange or unusual" way of saying thanks, she said farming is her livelihood and way of life. 'Inevitable'
"I gave those animals the best quality of life I could ever give until the time they go to slaughter and they go into the food chain. "I gave those animals the best quality of life I could ever give until the time they go to slaughter and they go into the food chain," she said.
"You do feel sad at the end of it... but to bring them down for [the firefighters] Monday night practice was a good way of saying 'thank you'." "You do feel sad at the end of it... but to bring them down for [the firefighters] was a good way of saying 'thank you'."
The delighted firefighters said the sausages were "highly recommended". The farm's owner, Canon Gerald Osbourne, added: "An inevitable part of farming is the death of an animal which gives us the food to eat."
A spokesman for the fire service said: "Our thanks to the farmer for her generosity. We can tell no porkies, the sausages were fantastic." The delighted firefighters said the sausages were "highly recommended" and thanked the farmer "for her generosity".
"We can tell no porkies, the sausages were fantastic," a spokesman said on Tuesday.
However, the fire service has since removed the pictures of the impromptu barbecue from its Facebook page and a spokesman said it would not comment further.