GAZETTE & HERALD: ANDY Warhol once said we are all famous for at least 15 minutes, but when Arnoldo Diiulio moved to Wiltshire in 1950 to work on a farm, he never dreamed he would hit the headlines because of two runaway pigs.

Mr Diiulio, of Pretty Chimneys, Kington Langley, near Chippenham, came to Wiltshire at the age of 27 and began work on a farm in Pewsey.

Now aged 71, he will shortly retire to Italy, the land of his birth.

But he will always be famous in Wiltshire and even the world, as the man who owned Butch and Sundance.

They are the two Tamworth Ginger pigs which escaped from an abattoir and captured the hearts of the world's media.

In January 1998, Mr Diiulio took his two Tamworth Ginger pigs from his smallholding to Newman's abattoir, in Malmesbury, for slaughter.

But as he was handing them over, they escaped, dug under a fence and swam across the River Avon to freedom.

On the loose in the woods around Malmesbury for a week, their story was featured in a local newspaper and then caught the attention of the world's press.

And soon Mr Diiulio found himself in the middle of a media frenzy.

Television crews from as far away as America and Japan camped out in Malmesbury and news helicopters circled over the town, looking for the outlaw pigs, which were soon nicknamed Butch and Sundance.

"The newspapers picked it up and they came from all over," said Mr Diiulio. "They were just two little pigs, but they darted out and escaped and everyone went crazy for them.

"I was interviewed on the news and then the Daily Mail launched a campaign to save them. I couldn't believe how much interest there was.

"They were eventually tranquilised by a vet and captured and the Daily Mail took them to an animal sanctuary and they have been there ever since."

This Easter, the story of the Tamworth Two was immortalised for television when they became the inspiration of the BBC fantasy The Legend Of The Tamworth Two.

The programme, which was screened on Easter Monday, was loosely based on real-life events and starred Kevin Whately.

Mr Diiulio still smiles when he recalls the events of 1998.

"Even people from the village where I grew up in Italy told me that they had bought their papers and seen me in there," he laughed.

"Looking back it was a crazy time.

"I haven't kept pigs for a long time," he added.

"But although I am now retired, I still do some farming work and will be taking a new tractor back to Italy with me, so I can continue doing a little bit here and there.

"I have many fond memories of being here in Wiltshire," he added.

"I met my Italian wife Marie here and we went on to have three children.

"I have also made many friends the people have always been very kind and friendly towards me.

"Now my wife and I are looking forward to going back to the Adriatic coast where we have a home and to taking things easy."

He added: "We will always remember the pigs and our many happy times in Wiltshire."