A127 pigs saved from being shot after Essex community rallies

Pigs who escaped onto a busy dual carriageway have been saved from slaughter after the community rallied together.

The animals caused mayhem on the A127 at Dunton, near Basildon, when they darted between cars last week, leading to the road’s closure.

Essex police said five pigs had to be shot at the scene for safety reasons, but one ended up at Tower Hill Stables, in Asheldham, after seeking refuge in a resident’s garden.

Eight of the pigs were due to be slaughtered on Tuesday, but an online fundraiser has saved their bacon after almost £6,000 was raised towards their upkeep.

Martin Morgan from Tower Hill Stables said: “We are hopefully taking eight; we’ve already got one that managed to get into somebody’s garden…and it was also due to be shot, but the people whose garden it got into weren’t too keen on that.”