Micro-pig called Frances Bacon gets pub booze ban after stealing pints

A pig which lives in a London pub has been banned from the bar and given an alcohol ban after it started stealing pints and butting drinkers.

The micro-pig, called Frances Bacon, lives at the Conquering Hero in West Norwood but started "minesweeping".

Customers also started letting her drink beer and cider.

Landlords Ian and Vicky Taylor-Ross said they only realised the Vietnamese Pot-Belly was drinking alcohol when she started butting into customer's legs.

Regulars have now been warned not to give her any beer and her owners are making sure she doesn't drink from glasses left by drinkers.

They say they've also had to move their pork scratchings, crisps and peanuts to a higher shelf behind the bar in case Frances tries to eat them.

The couple say the pig ate a big bag of nuts once and was thirsty for days afterwards.

Ian, 43, and Vicky, 39, have owned the four-year-old pig since she was six weeks old.

Now she's fully grown, they say Frances is becoming a bit of a "loveable menace".

Ian said: "She's lovely - definitely our favourite regular. We've had to bar her from having any beer though.

"She managed to nick a pint or two and then started butting into people. But we're keeping a closer eye on her now and that won't happen again."

They're warning their customers to keep their beers away from Frances and to let her nowhere near their snacks.

Frances will eat anything but has to be kept on a vegetarian diet at the pub and has her own space in the beer garden.

Vicky said: "We have had to put locks on the bar to stop her coming in and stealing crisps and scratchings. She has an incredible sense of smell.

"She eats a special dry feed for micro-pigs and eats all our vegetable peelings - as long as she's not eating her relatives it's OK.

"She doesn't have a clue that between pork scratchings are her relatives. We used to keep them on the lower shelves but we had to move everything a couple of weeks ago.

"She broke in and ate a bag of dry roasted peanuts. She didn't eat for two days after that, but she was incredibly thirsty.

"She is also up for drinking beer - she will try and get hold of anything that's there, especially cider."

The parents believe the six-stone pig is a fantastic pet for children Tavis, nine, Ruby, six, and three-year-old Mary, and the family regularly walk her on a lead.

She is also popular with their customers and has so far got on well with the regulars.

Vicky said: "Most of our punters really like her but it can be a bit weird for people especially as we are in London. She's just like a dog really, only craftier."

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