Esmerelda, the pot-bellied pig, found abandoned in a car park, has been put down.

Government vets ended the miniature Vietnamese pig's life because of fears she might have carried viruses such as foot-and-mouth.

Esmerelda was found by a member of the public on Sunday evening in a cage at Langney Shopping Centre, Eastbourne.

The animal was taken to Grove Road police station in Eastbourne where she was held in kennels in the custody centre.

Esmerelda was well fed with treats such as apples, with one special constable ensuring his family cooked up extra portions of vegetables to feed her.

Officials from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) decided to destroy her at the police station, fearing she may bring foot-and-mouth to disease-free East Sussex.

Miniature pot-bellied pigs originated in the jungles of Vietnam and China before being introduced as pets in the United States in the mid-Eighties.

The first ones to arrive in the US sold for $25,000.

A police spokesman said: "Defra decided that maintaining East Sussex disease-free was of paramount importance."

A 25-year-old man from Westham, near Pevensey, was arrested on suspicion of transporting livestock without applying for a licence from trading standards.

He was released on police bail until October.