A pig who was thought to have been hit by a car died after she was found at the side of a road with a broken jaw and concussion.

The animal was discovered laying on the B2068 Stone Street, Lyminge, near the Six Mile Garage, at 8am yesterday.

Margaret Todd, the founder of the Lord Whiskey Sanctuary Fund in nearby Stelling Minnis, stopped and with the help of a motorist managed to get the pig into the boot of her car.

Mrs Todd, who rescues homeless animals, said the female pig weighed about 50 kilos and only just about fitted into the small vehicle.

She said: "A man did come and help us and I'd like to say thank you to him.

"I don't think she (the pig) was that old and I imagine she was hit, and whoever did hit her did not bother to stop.

"Whoever hit her must have known as it would have been quite a blow.

"When she was further examined by our vet she was found to have a broken jaw, and unfortunately she had to be put down as she had concussion and many wounds."

Despite a wide social media appeal to trace the owner, no one has come forward.

Mrs Todd said that a lot of time has been spent trying to trace the owner and she feels that it had been abandoned in a nearby forest.

She added: "Our vets have looked through records and I can only think someone abandoned her.

"She didn't have an ear tag so there is no way of tracing who she belonged to.

"I imagine she was driven into the forest and that she had ventured down into the road.

"Now we are left with the vet bill and we had to pay for her to be taken away."

The pig, which did not have a name, was put down yesterday afternoon.

Drivers are required by law to stop and report it to police if they hit a pig.

Do you know the owner of the pig? Anyone with information is asked to contact the sanctuary on 01303 862622.