NEARLY 300 pigs died in a massive blaze in a Suffolk piggery early today.

Fire crews were alerted to the blaze at Poplar Hill Farm in Benningham Green, Occold, near Eye, just before 1am.

Appliances from Eye, Debenham, Stradbroke, Woodbridge, Diss, Leiston and Framlingham were sent to the scene where a single-storey piggery measuring 30 metres by 10 metres was alight.

A spokesman for the fire service said that by the time they arrived at the farm, the building was well alight.

Firefighters managed to free some of the animals, but 288 pigs either died as a result of the blaze or had to be killed after being badly burned or suffering from smoke inhalation.

Fire staff were on the scene throughout the night and the last flames were put out at 10am today. Farm staff spent the morning loading the bodies of the dead pigs onto trailers for them to be taken off and disposed of.

A fire investigation determined that the incident was started by an electrical fault in the shed’s wet feeding system.