A pet pig had to be rescued from a flat by firefighters after growing to a whopping 30 stone on a diet of takeaways.
Twiglet was a Christmas present bought for Elaine Edwards by her grandchildren, who had spotted an ad for a £60 'micro pig' on Facebook.
She might have started out as a tiny piglet - but Twiglet soon piled on the pounds after being fed a diet of Chinese takeaways, chocolate and porridge.
Two-year-old Twiglet slept on a mattress in Elaine's bedroom, was house-trained to use a cat litter tray and preferred the indoors with central heating.
When her owner Elaine, 57, died his year, the RSPCA and the fire service were called in to remove her from the first-floor flat in Dinnington, South Yorkshire, using a stretcher.
The 5ft-long porker was sedated before being strapped to a bariatric stretcher and then lowered down a set of stairs by six firemen on September 27 this year.
Elaine’s granddaughter Calli Edwards, 20, who lives in Rotherham, said: “My nan had always wanted a pig ever since she was a little girl so we bought one for her for £60 off Facebook.
“She was absolutely besotted with Twiglet and loved her to death. She was a member of the family.
“Twiglet had her own single bed in my nan’s room with her own teddies - that was life for Twiglet. She got everything she wanted.
“No one was allowed to bad-mouthed Twiglet or make jokes about bacon sandwiches around her. She was my nan’s world.
“If you had nothing nice to say about Twiglet, you had to say nothing at all. She got too big to get down the steps and go out.”
During the rescue, it was quickly realised that Twiglet was too "large and grumpy" to bring down the set of stairs awake.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were called by RSPCA officers before a vet was drafted in to sedate the enormous animal.
RSPCA inspector Kristy Ludlam said: "This was a first for me - a couple of hundred pound pig is not a common animal to be kept in a first floor flat, for very good reasons!
"We are really happy that we were able to bring everyone together to help Twiglet and her owner’s family and grateful to everyone involved, and so pleased that she's doing well in her new home."
Twiglet has now been living at Peppers Field Equine & Poultry Rehabilitation Centre in Letwell for the last five weeks.
The pounds are now dropping off — the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig has now lost around one-and-a-half stone after being introduced to fruit and veg, with grapes being her new favourite.
But old habits die hard and staff are having to slowly wean Twiglet off her junk food diet as she struggled to adapt to animal food.
Centre trustee Chloe Watson, 33, who lives in Worksop, said: “When she first came she was really quiet. I think she was quite depressed after her owner died.
“She was quiet and reserved but she has now come out of her shell. She has lost around 10 kilograms.
“Our plan was to re-home her but I’m not sure now. We are toying with the idea of her going to someone perfect but it looks like she is staying put and we might have to get another pig friend.
“From what a can gather, she had a fantastic life and ruled the roost.
“She definitely lived a life of luxury in the flat, but it wasn’t really the right environment for her.”
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said that one fire engine was despatched to the flat following a request by the RSPCA.
Crews were on the scene for almost three hours while safely lowering Twiglet out of the flat on a stretcher.
