A TRIO of pigs have moved in to a Leyton beauty spot as part of a literally ground-breaking project to clear the land.

Tammy, Miller and Kaz, all aged eight months, have been recruited by staff at the WaterWorks Nature Reserve as an environmentally-friendly and cheap alternative of removing reeds and roots instead of using cutting machines.

Using their snouts to dig up the soil in the hunt for worms and other food, the pigs have proved a great help in cultivating the land to allow plants to grow and bringing seeds to the surface.

The idea is the brainchild of ranger David Farthing, who used to herd pigs in his former job.

He said the strategy had many benefits other than just cutting costs and eradicating the need to burn large piles of reeds.

He said: “The pigs are not only part of the overall conservation of the site - they also attract the public and add an additional interest to the Water Works Nature Reserve which is already a fascinating site.”

The pigs, a cross between Large Whites, Saddlebacks and Tamworths, have been brought down from Hayes Farm in Waltham Abbey, Essex, which is also run by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

Ranger Andy Vaughan said: “They have settled in really well. It's a nice big area for them to run around in and they seem to be enjoying themselves.”

However the pigs will soon be popping back to Essex as winter draws in. The filter bed patch of land they live in will also be flooded to further help encourage wildlife.

But the park authority says the idea has been so successful they are working on plans to bring more pigs back next year, and may extend the scheme to other areas as well.

Visit www.leevalleypark.org.uk/waterworks for more information about the nature reserve, which is in Lammas Road off Lea Bridge Road and is free to enter.

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