Firefighters who rescued piglets from a blazing barn were rewarded with an unusual treat - they were served up the pigs they saved as sizzling sausages.

The 18 piglets and two sows had survived the fire in Wiltshire in South West England in February, which saw 60 tonnes of hay catch fire.

However, they did not survive the butcher's knife, and were turned into meat products this summer.

Some of these bangers were given to the firefighters who saved them.

Expand Close They posted a picture of the sausages on Facebook Credit: Peswey Firefighters / Facebook

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Whatsapp They posted a picture of the sausages on Facebook Credit: Peswey Firefighters

Farmer Rachel Rivers, responsible for the idea, said "I'm sure vegetarians will hate this."

The firefighters thought the sausages were "fantastic".

Pewsey Fire Station wrote on Facebook: "Exactly 6 months and 1 day since FFF's Olsen and Richardson rescued 18 piglets from a farm in Milton we got to sample the fruits of our labour from that February night.

"Huge thank you to Rachel Rivers who gave them to us to sample.

"Highly recommended by Pewsey Fire Stations crew and if anyone is having a bank holiday weekend BBQ then check out these sausages, they are fantastic."

"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.

"We farm and this is what we do. You can't keep them as pets."

A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service told the BBC; "Our thanks to the farmer for her generosity. We can tell no porkies, the sausages were fantastic."

Mimi Bekhechi from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) stold the BBC that the piglets were no better off for escaping the fire only to be put back into it six months later after being subjected to the horrifying experience of the abattoir.

"What if these firefighters had 'saved' a human child or a dog? Pigs feel fear and pain in just the same way as they do.

"When the emergency services rescue animals, PETA thanks them with vegan chocolates, not the animals' barbecued flesh."

Telegraph.co.uk