Tale of pigs who saved their own bacon

The story of two pigs who evaded certain death at an abattoir is to be retold on Easter Monday in a BBC family film.

The Tamworth pigs, dubbed “The Tamworth Two” caught the public’s imagination and world headlines when they escaped en route to a slaughter house.

The sleepy Wiltshire market town of Malmesbury found itself besieged by the world’s media in 1998 when the two pigs swam a river and dodged capture for five days before being saved to live out their lives in freedom.

Now the BBC has made a 60-minute movie about the exploits of the pigs, named Butch and Sundance in the mould of the successful ‘Babe’ films.

Emma Pierson who appeared in the sitcom Animal, stars as Jenny West the local newspaper reporter who breaks the story.

But those involved in the production of ‘The Legend of the Tamworth Two’ have admitted more than a few liberties have been taken with the original story, including animals being able to talk.

Real-life journalist Wendy Best, upon whom the character is loosely-based, said as the story snowballed the town became swamped with reporters, satellite trucks and TV crews from across Britain, the US and Japan.

Butch was the first to be found, while Sundance had to be brought down with a tranquilliser dart by vets.

Their owner received many offers above their market price to save their bacon, and eventually the Daily Mail newspaper bought them and paid for them to stay at the Rare Breeds Centre, near Ashford, Kent, where they live in “Tamworth Towers.”

Mum-of-two Wendy, 35, of the Western Daily Press who broke the story said: “It is very strange after spending 17 years as a journalist that what was basically a ridiculous little story should gain such notoriety.

“The film bares little resemblance to the real story, it has been very much dramatised and as the programme progresses it becomes obvious just how fictional it is. Obviously the pigs didn’t talk. My children really enjoyed the film.”

Actress Lucy Davies, star of The Office sitcom and daughter of Jasper Carrott, provides the voice for Sundance, while Ryan Cartwright of The Grimleys voices Butch.

Frances Barber plays the pigs’ mother, and Brian Blessed is a wild boar who inspires Butch to make a break for it and to avoid capture.

Inspector Morse and Auf Wiedersehn Pet star Kevin Whately plays a villain called Wolf and John Sessions and Alexei Sayle also feature.

Executive producer Sally Woodward said: “The film tells how the story of Butch and Sundance became a legend, of how Britain once again took the underdog to their hearts – or in this instance, the under-pig – and in the process briefly made them the most famous fugitives in the world.

“It also shows how contrary human beings are in their relationship with animals – how we are only too happy to tuck in to a pork chop, but are outraged when we want to capture a pig that has stolen our heart.”

A total of eight real Tamworth pigs were used in the making of the film and the special effects to make them talk were by the same team as behind award-winning ‘Walking with Dinosaurs.’

The Legend of the Tamworth Two is on BBC One on Easter Monday, April 12, at 6.30pm.