It has now emerged that the fire which swept through a Dorset farm on Friday has devastated a business specialising in breeding rare Large White pigs.
The fire happened at Seaborough Manor, Beaminster, which has been breeding Large Whites for nearly 40 years. Large Whites are listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as a minority species, although not in danger of extinction.
A total of 975 pigs died in the fire. Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said no other properties were affected. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
About 180 piglets and 18 sows died in a fire at Corton Farm in Friar Waddon, Weymouth in Dorset in May last year.
The large farrowing unit suffered severe fire damage and none of the pigs survived.
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