<b>Exclusive
By Ivor Traktor
Farming Correspondent (intern)

A herd of haggis has colonised part of north Suffolk after being accidentally released into the countryside.

The small furry rodents are normally kept in battery farming conditions in Scotland, bred for the dinner plate of Scotsmen celebrating Burns night every January 25.

But five of the animals escaped from their pen during a rare breeds show at Fressignfield village hall last Autumn, scurrying off into the fields before they could be caught.

With each female haggis capable of giving birth to 200 cubs each year, experts fear the herd now totals over 600 animals.

The haggis are not a danger to humans, although they could give a nasty nip if cornered, but farmers are fearful for their crops is the population is not checked.

Haggis' favourite food is carrot and turnip - and the Suffolk Gazette agriculture bureau has already had calls from two farmers affected.

Jack Jarvis, who farms just outside Stradbroke, told us he lost an entire field of carrots to the hungry haggis.

"At first I thought I must have had a load of rabbits, but when we sent off some carrot remains to the labs at the National Farmers' Union, they confirmed we had a haggis problem."

The NFU is now calling for urgent action to trap the haggis and return them to Scotland before entire areas of Suffolk become infestated and vegetable crops are wiped out.



