RESIDENTS of a York suburb were "surprised and disturbed" by the shock discovery of half a decomposing pig stuck to the top of a telegraph pole.

The head and torso of what appeared to locals to be a cooked pig was believed to have been stuck to a telegraph pole on the corner of Anthea Drive and Maythorn Road in Huntington on Saturday night.

Richard Gowland, who lives nearby, said he was "surprised and disturbed" by the bizarre find which is said to have attracted a swarm of flies by yesterday morning.

He said: "It's not the sort of thing you see in Huntington - it's a bit bizarre to say the least.

"If it was kids they would have had to be quite organised and needed a ladder because the poll is about four or five metres high."

Huntington Parish Council chairman Peter Vaughan said he had contacted City of York Council to have it removed.

Mr Vaughan said: "I have lived in Huntington since 1985 and nothing like this has ever happened in all that time to my knowledge - it's utterly extraordinary."

A spokesman for City of York Council said: "We were aware that there was a pig's head in Huntington, but it has now gone.

"The street environment team are looking into what has happened and we are obviously keen to get to the bottom of this."

Updated: 10:18 Monday, July 19, 2004