THE legendary tale of Butch and Sundance, the two pigs who escaped from an abattoir and ran for the hills, is to be made into a Christmas TV special by the BBC.

The hour-long tale of the Tamworth Two, which is still in pre-production, will tell the story of the pigs' escape from Newman's slaughterhouse in Malmesbury in January 1998.

The pigs were catapulted to stardom after their escape made national headlines .

The two five-month-old ginger boars were on the run for eight days, eluding police, vets and bounty hunters before they were finally captured.

Mass media hysteria followed the boars on their journey and after their bid for freedom captured the world's imagination, the Mail bought the £50 pigs from Italian-born smallholder Arnaldo Dijulio for a reputed £15,000.

The piggy pair were named Butch and Sundance in recognition of their daring adventure and life on the run.

The BBC has now adapted the tasty tale into a children's film and hopes to air it on Boxing Day.

The script is finished and filming will begin on the Isle of Man on September 5, to be followed by further filming in London.

"We have stuck to the story and there is a baddie called Wolf who is the one who tries to get them," said Leah Black from the Art Department of Tamworth Two Productions.

No actors have been cast for the production yet. The BBC could not confirm rumours that Kevin Bacon and Victoria Beck-ham have been contacted.

Ms Black did reveal that the ending has been changed and the pigs did not end up property of the Mail in the movie. "It wouldn't really work. But the media frenzy will be a big part of the production," she said.

The real life drama of the tearaway trotters began on January 8 as the pigs approached Newman's doors on Park Road. While they were being unloaded from the back of a lorry they bolted and headed straight across the Ingleburn River. After swimming 15ft they made off in the direction of Tetbury Hill.

For the next week they successfully dodged their pursuers in the Tetbury Hill and Reeds Farm areas.

They were frequent visitors to the Chubb Close garden of retired computer manager Harry Clarke.

Butch was captured eight days later when a Tamworth sow was used to distract him but Sundance remained at liberty until the next day.

Vet Fran Baird from Malmesbury's George Veterinary Group was brought in with a large tranquiliser gun and with the help of a lurcher and springer spaniel, Sundance was flushed out and captured, thus ending the great pig hunt. The pigs were taken to Kevin Stinchcombe's animal sanctuary in Kington Langley.

When it was forced to close, the boars were transferred to Badsell Park Farm near Tunbridge Wells, Kent. But the farm also closed a few years later and no one has heard of the pigs since. It is believed that they were re-homed at another sanctuary in the area.

While at Kington Langley, the pair had four piglets.

Their story captivated the world and film crews and reporters from America travelled to Malmesbury to capture the live events.

The tale even inspired local poet Angela Clapp from Chippenham to write an ode celebrating their adventure.

Malmesbury was still squealing with excitement months after the drama had ended and shops and societies all jumped on the piggy sausage wagon.

The Rotary Club of the South Cotswolds organised a Spot the Pig contest for charity and windows of That New Shop were filled with pig cards, pictures, piggy banks and boxer shorts.