'Hero' farmer saves two-day-old piglets from fire

A farmer is being hailed as a local hero for rescuing his two-day-old piglets from a fire.

Roger Apsey ran into a barn at his farm near Wincanton to rescue the animals after it caught fire on Sunday.

He said his friends and customers are now calling him a hero and asking for his autograph.

"I hope I never have to witness that again. It was just the right thing to do at the right time," Mr Apsey said.

The pigs are only a small part of the family's collection of pets.

"We've got about 20 sheep, they all have names, we have pet lambs, chickens," he said. "They're like part of the family."

He said he was woken up by his partner Emily around 00:00 GMT when she realised the barn was on fire.

"I quickly ran outside," Mr Apsey said.

"I could hear the piglets squealing. We've got a lot of collectors cars in the shed as well, they all got burnt. The glass was smashing.

"I ran in and out four times carrying piglets, three at a time. I passed them to Emily so she would put them in the barn safe on the other side of the farm."

He said the piglet's mother was "very stressed" but "glad to get out of there".

Speaking about the damage, Mr Aspey said: "I'm gutted. My father Patrick brought my son a collectors tractor for his third birthday and that got burnt. It's very sad."

He said the fire service "told him off" for running into the burning barn.

"You don't think of that at the time, the mission was to get the piglets out regardless," he added.

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