INVERCARGILL - Police are investigating the alleged fraudulent sale of "Petal" the Pig on Trademe.co.nz, after an anonymous source claimed the real pig was eaten by The World's Fastest Indian stars Sir Anthony Hopkins and Tim Shadbolt in a debauched post-shooting party when the film was completed in Invercargill earlier this year.

Invercargill CIB head Detective-Sergeant Paul Swein said that police had been viewing evidence for the past week and now believe the “Petal” on sale is not the same Saddleback/Landrace maiden sow that features as a fund-raising raffle prize in the blockbuster film.

“We’ve watched that scene – you know that one that was shot in the Tisbury Hall? I had my twenty-first in that hall. Did a yardie, spewed my ring out and joed out before the strippers arrived. Anyway, the pig in that scene is a lot smaller. And, she’s white with black spots, for God’s sake. They look nothing alike.”

The owners of the alleged “Petal” claim that Petal and her three brothers, who haven’t yet appeared in any films (though one is rumoured to soon be featuring in a Telecom commercial), started out as white with spots, but their coats darkened to take on their father’s appearance in the past year.

“One source has told us the piglet was eaten by Hopkins and Shadbolt immediately following the shooting of The World’s Fastest Indian in Invercargill earlier this year,” said Swein. “Cannabis and binge-drinking were involved. We’re looking into it. The manner in which the pig was allegedly spit-roasted is also being investigated by the SPCA.”

The incident follows a spate of fraudulent activities cashing in on rural animal superstars. Six months ago, twelve thousand Japanese were each sold a bale of Shrek’s wool at JPY810,000 (NZ$10,000) apiece. Shrek, who was shorn under the adjudication of TV personality and pop-star Paul Holmes, only yielded 0.2 bales of wool. Last year over eighty alleged puppies of the dead and neutered ‘bugger’ dog from the Toyota ad were auctioned on the Trademe site, some fetching up to $870.