A SCHOOL'S Ofsted inspection almost turned into a pig's ear when students smuggled in a live piglet as a prank. The incident involved three teenaged pupils from Old Buckenham High School, near Attleborough, Norfolk who decided to celebrate their 'last day at school' by letting the piglet loose in the playground.

A SCHOOL'S Ofsted inspection almost turned into a pig's ear when students smuggled in a live piglet as a prank.

The incident involved three teenaged pupils from Old Buckenham High School, near Attleborough, Norfolk who decided to celebrate their 'last day at school' by letting the piglet loose in the playground.

But the school took a dim view of the caper, and the young culprits are now the focus of an investigation involving the police and the RSPCA officials.

Patrick Knight, the school's assistant head teacher, said the piglet was looked after by a member of staff who has a stable where the young animal was taken, after it had been rounded up and captured.

He said: “It was in the middle of an Ofsted inspection. In terms of the people who allegedly did the deed, we removed them off the site. We did involve the police, and the community policeman came round.

“They were Year 11 students who have now technically left the school, and I believe the incident is a copy cat of something that was allegedly going to happen, or has happened at Attleborough in the past. I don't know whether this is true, but the rumour was that there was meant to be more than one pig.”

Mr Knight, who said the RSPCA had questioned staff who handled the incident, added: “We believe one student was actually involved in the acquisition of the pig and two others were involved in the plot.”

Mr Knight said he, and other staff, spent two and a half hours on Thursday dealing with the matter during the middle of a school inspection by Ofsted, including finding somewhere suitable for the animal to be safely housed.

“The RSPCA are perfectly satisfied that this did happen and with the arrangements we now have in place,” he added.

An RSPCA spokesman said they were investigating allegations that the piglet was ill treated.

“At the moment our inspector is waiting for the owner of the pig to get back to him as there is some confusion as to where the pig has ended up. Obviously, we would strongly discourage anybody from taking an animal. Even if it hasn't been mistreated it is still a police matter,” she said.