Pink Floyd's pig flies again over London

LONDON: The giant inflatable pig from Pink Floyd's iconic "Animals" album sleeve flew again on Monday above Battersea Power Station in London almost 35 years after the original cover image was taken.

The 1976 cover shoot was restaged for the launch of "Why Pink Floyd?", a multi-platform collection of the band's back catalogue, including remastered versions of classic hits like "The Wall".

The nine-metre (30-foot) long inflatable is a replica of the original pig, which was nicknamed Algie.

The new pig was commissioned after Algie was found to be leaky.

A spokeswoman for the band said: "Sadly, two weeks prior to the event, the original neoprene glued pig was officially declared not airworthy and a brand new high-frequency welded PVC replica Pink Floyd pig has been made for the occasion."

The reshoot took place in a new part of the disused power station, Europe's largest brick building, due to partial demolition and temporary buildings at the site.

The 1976 shoot also had its share of problems with the porker. On the second day of shooting, the floater came free and took flight before falling in a field in Kent, southeast of London.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011