News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A mysterious wild boar which has been roaming an island in Guernsey could have swum there from France, it emerged today.

The boar has been named "ghost pig" by the residents on Alderney because it has only been seen at night- time.

Farm owner Tess Woodnutt first became aware of the boar on September 27 when she received a call saying one of her 40 pigs had escaped.

However she soon established none of her animals were missing.

Islanders have now been left confused as to how the boar could have reached Alderney. It comes after a major search was launched yesterday for three pigs which went missing from a wildlife's trust's woodland.

Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Woodnutt said she has spoken to an expert in the UK who said that wild boar can swim extremely long distances in water.

The animals are widespread in Normandy, which lies seven miles off Alderney.

The boar was last spotted on a pig farm on Friday but escaped by jumping over a fence when it was startled.

A former Alderney harbour master said he did not think a wild boar could reach the island by boat without the crew noticing.