HUNDREDS of people turned out to welcome the county’s favourite pigs back home to Calne on Friday.

Phelps Parade was filled with people young and old waiting to catch a glimpse of the bronze pigs’ statue finally back where it belongs.

The pigs were stolen in October and, to the delight of residents, were found a only few days later.

To celebrate the bringing home of the bacon, Calne Town Council invited members of the community to see the unveiling of the statue.

Schoolchildren and adults gathered closely to catch a first glimpse of the pigs as Mayor Tony Trotman lifted off the white sheet.

“There were so many people there,” he said. “It was absolutely amazing, we thought there would be perhaps 50 or 60 people there. I think we estimated towards 200 or 300. “We are genuinely pleased to have them back in place and this history has been brought back out.”

He was thrilled to see so many children attending, and asking about the history of the Harris Bacon Factory.

He said: “I was just amazed at what people thought about it.

“We managed to alter the timing to allow the children to come down and it made quite a bit of difference.

“When the pigs were unveiled the children had great fun clambering all over them.

“Obviously people still recognise the Harris Bacon Industry was such a good thing for Calne,

“And the economy was really held up by a company like Harris’ who employed 1,500 people, mostly locals.

“The generation has changed obviously since my day, and I think to have the children ask about the pigs is lovely.”

Special thanks were given to ground staff from Calne Town Council, Calne Lions, who paid for the reinstallation of the statue, and Andrew Blackford, who fixed the pigs free of charge.