FIREFIGHTERS were praised today after they managed to stop a stack blaze spreading on to land occupied by hundreds of pigs.Arsonists set fire to 60 tonnes of baled straw at The Drift, Levington - the second stack fire the farm has suffered this summer.

FIRE-fighters were praised today after they managed to stop a stack blaze spreading on to land occupied by hundreds of pigs.

Arsonists set fire to 60 tonnes of baled straw at The Drift, Levington - the second stack fire the farm has suffered this summer.

Firefighters from Felixstowe were called at 1am and expect to stay at the site all day, with the straw - worth thousands of pounds - still burning.

Unit manager of the pig farm, John Theobald said the straw had been stored on the land as a temporary measure for the next few months to avoid carting it long distances from other parts of the holding.

He said: “It's a real pain. I was hoping this would keep us going until Christmas but I'm not sure we will have enough now and we may have to buy some in.

“The fire crew has done a brilliant job. They stopped the fire spreading to the pig kennels and sheds nearby and kept it away from the pigs on the land at the back.

“We have checked the pigs and fed them this morning and they are fine, which is a great relief.

“I was really worried about how they would react with this great beacon of flame only 20 yards away but they don't seem to have panicked.”

He said had the fire happened a couple of weeks ago there would have been 900 weaning pigs in the sheds next to the stack.

He added: “That's what's so irresponsible about this - these people set light to these stacks and don't think about the damage they cause. It's ridiculous. I just don't understand why they do it.”

Police appealed for anyone with any information about the incident to call them on 01473 613500.

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