A MOTHER pig really did spring a surprise when she gave birth to a litter of quads.

Workers at Smithills Open Farm were astounded when they went to feed 18-month-old Porky on Christmas Eve morning only to discover the four newborn piglets. The Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs have not been named by staff yet. They are waiting until the farm re-opens to the public in February before christening them.

Farm worker Louise Blundell, aged 19, said: "We really want the kids who come to visit the farm to choose what they're going to be called. We didn't even know Porky was pregnant and didn't know anything had happened until Christmas Eve.

" It was such a lovely Christmas surprise. These are the first babies she's had because we don't normally like our pigs to breed in winter."

The four piglets, two male, two female are all doing extremely well and adapting to life on the farm.

Louise said: "These pigs can be very tame, they can even be house trained, but this is a working farm so these little ones will live outside in their pen."