'By-election petition' and 'Victorian pier saved'

East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger has defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK

Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.

Our pick of local website stories

The restoration of Birnbeck Pier was saved from being cancelled after surprise funding was announced on Tuesday. The story has been popular with readers of Somerset and Bristol Live, as well as being reported by the BBC.

A petition calling for a by-election in East Wiltshire has been set up following the defection of MP Danny Kruger from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, reports Wiltshire Live. Kruger has ruled out a by-election.

Plans for a new 500-home suburb on the site of a former waste tip in south Bristol have been published, Bristol Live reports. If approved, Longmoor Village would extend Bristol's residential boundary out towards Long Ashton, in North Somerset.

And fans of Thomas the Tank Engine will be converging in Rodborough, Gloucestershire, this weekend to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the children's story. Writer Reverend Wilbert Awdry lived in Rodborough for 30 years.

Our top three from yesterday

What to watch on social media

North Somerset Council has confirmed a proposed bus lane at Backwell crossroads will not go ahead, according to Nailsea People.

The team at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge has posted an update on two otters, Sam and Tilly, who fell out with each other and both ended up with some war wounds in the process.

And Salisbury Cathedral has shared photos of a visit by The Princess Royal to the building on Tuesday.