A CAMPAIGNING pig from a farm near Wallingford went to Downing Street today aiming to highlight problems in the pork industry.

Winnie the Pig, a veteran of a similar campaign in 200, joined the Pigs are Worth It! rally outside number 10.

The campaigners, who have the backing of Gordon Ramsay and other celebrity chefs, have said farmers lose about £26 for every pig sold for slaughter in the UK.

The British Pig Executive (Bpex) blames soaring wholesale grain costs, which have doubled in the past year, pushing up the cost of feeding livestock.

A 10,000-signature petition organised by the National Pig Association was delivered to Number 10 calling for help for the industry.

The campaigners claim higher retail prices on pork and pork products have not yet filtered down to farmers.

BPEX chairman Stewart Houston said: "The first phase of the BPEX campaign succeeded in persuading supermarkets to begin to raise prices on a range of pork and pork products.

"But very little of that has found its way down the supply chain to the producer. The biggest challenge over the next three months will be to make sure those rises reach the producer."

Mr Houston said pig farmers are already being forced to leave the industry as a result of the crisis and warned retailers not to underestimate the seriousness of the situation.

He said: "The move out of pigs has already started and if it gathers pace, it will be too late to do anything about it.

"We could soon be in the situation that British consumers may not be able to buy Quality Standard pork for much longer."

In a separate move, a group of about 30 pig farmers have recorded their own rendition of the Tammy Wynette classic Stand By Your Man - changed to Stand By Your Ham.

The recording can be heard online via the group's pigsareworthit.com website.