Emmerdale raised eyebrows (and a fair few laughs) among viewers last night, after managing to sneak a David Cameron “pig” joke into their most recent episode.

Thursday’s instalment of the ITV soap centred around Lisa Dingle’s funeral, a predictably poignant scene, but what fans might not have seen coming was that the ceremony would be preceded by a pig race.

And it did not go unnoticed by viewers that one of the pigs involved appeared to have been named after the former prime minister…

The joke appeared to allude to certain allegations about the ex-PM during his university days, made in the unauthorised biography, Call Me Dave.

Other pigs in the race were named Kevin Bacon and Spamela Hamderson.

Lisa Dingle’s send-off came after actress Jane Cox announced she was bowing out of Emmerdale after more than 20 years, with her character being diagnosed with a terminal heart condition.

She said back in March: “Lisa is so close to my heart as she’s been such a huge part of my life for the past more than 23 years.

“So I know I will shed more than a few tears when it comes to filming her final scenes.

“But I’m really looking forward to my return to the show to tell this story and to give the character of Lisa a deserving farewell. I will miss her.”

Jane began playing the Dingle family matriarch in 1996, and took part in a special all-women episode in support of International Women’s Day earlier this year, in which her character revealed her health condition to her niece.