Pink Pig Farm hit by huge blaze as police investigate suspected arson

OWNER PRAISES FIREFIGHTERS AND COMMUNITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS

- By DEBORAH HALL [e-mail] @DeborahHall15

A FARM park popular with families from miles around has been hit by a "devastating" fire.

Pink Pig Farm, at Holme Lane, Scunthorpe, confirmed all animals - and people - were okay but the large amount of smoke after Thursday night's (July 3) blaze meant the team had decided to close the park and play spaces.

The café remains open, however, and, said owner Sally Jackson, a booked wedding would still be able to go ahead.

An emotional Sally said: "We've had this twice before but this fire is the biggest.

"We managed to move all the animals and were able to keep them out of the way we were shut so there were no people, fortunately.

"We live onsite and I saw smoke drifting in front of the kitchen window at about 7pm. I thought, that's a big fire, and I ran to undo the gate for the fire engines.

"We do get kids coming in quite a bit [when Pink Pig is shut and they should not be there] and we watch them on CCTV and chase them off. But this is the first time a serious amount of damage has been done."

Sally said the blaze had destroyed an undercover play area with a bale pool in it filled with straw bales, tunnels and swings that young visitors play on.

"It's a natural play environment for the kids with ride-on tractors, it always comes top in the polls that we do, which is why this is such a shame.