The firefighters ate the piglets they rescued after cooking them on a barbecue (SWNS)

A group of firefighters ended up eating the piglets they rescued after they were given them back as sausages.

The baby pigs and two sows were saved from certain death when the barn they were living in went up in flames in February.

But six months later they ended up on the barbecue when they were handed to the firefighters who extinguished the blaze – as organic bangers.

Fire crews had extinguished the fire at Lawn Farm in Milton Lilbourne, Wiltshire, owned by Rachel Rivers.

She said: “This was just a token gesture to the fire service. They were over the moon with them.

“This is just what we do – we are not an animal sanctuary. We give the pigs the best opportunity and the best life they could have for six months.

Fire crews rescued the piglets from a blaze at Lawn Farm six months ago (SWNS)

“They won’t be kept inside, they are outdoors and fed with organic food which is grown on the farm.”

The eighteen piglets – which were just two weeks old when firefighters saved their bacon – were turned into sausages after being fattened up for six months.

Rachel added: “At the time I told them I would give them the sausages.”

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Fire crews from Pewsey and Marlborough dashed to Lawn Farm, which Rachel manages along with husband Andy.

A Facebook post on the Pewsey Fire Station page gave the sausages glowing reviews and recommended them for an August bank holiday barbecue.

It read: “Exactly six months and one day since fire fighters Olsen and Richardson rescued 18 piglets from a fire in Milton, we got to sample the fruits of our labours from that February night.

The 18 animals were slaughtered six months after their rescue (SWNS)

“Huge thank you to Rachel Rivers for dropping them off for us to sample.

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“Highly recommended by Pewsey Fire Station crew and if any one of our followers is having a bank holiday bbq this weekend then check out these sausages, they are fantastic.”

Opinion was split on the fate of the piglets.

Hannah Jones wrote: “LOL. They look lovely sausages. At least they died humanely and not burnt to death. I suppose it is the way of the farming world.”

Firefighters recommended the sausages on a Facebook post (SWNS)

Matthew Thomas Crisafi added: “Horrible. But normal. Pigs die everyday make bacon and sausages. The firefighters were only rescuing stock not lives. I wonder how many of y’all are vegetarian.

“Why is an animal cute and cuddly until it’s on your plate as mince? Odd.”

But Tilly Vacher posted: “What a distorted way of seeing the world. Think about it .. they were farm animals, “saved” from a fire for the farmer’s sake not from their inevitable death as meat-producing animals.

“They only existed in the first place to be turned into sausages!!”

Joshua Belt replied: “Why is it a horrible story? They would have ended up on someone’s plate either way. I think it’s brilliant and a good way to say thanks.”