Baton rides steam train as West Midlands relay leg continues

The baton travelled along the Severn Valley Railway between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth

The Queen's Baton Relay has continued its journey through the West Midlands - this time by steam train.

On Saturday, the baton was carried through Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and into the West Midlands.

There are now just five days until the opening ceremony in Birmingham on Thursday.

Baton bearers who took part in the relay said it was an "honour" to be involved.

The baton began in Redditch in Worcestershire before moving through Bromsgrove and Kidderminster.

At Kidderminster, it boarded the heritage Severn Valley Railway and was passed through the carriages of a locomotive, Elizabeth the Second, which was painted purple in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Crowds turned out to see the baton at Arrow Valley Country Park in Redditch

Former Olympic rower Nicholas Birkmyre, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Perth 1962, was among those to carry it.

He was nominated by his daughter who said she was "very proud" and said he was an "inspiration not just as a sportsman but as a dad and a member of the community".

The baton was also taken for a ride on Redditch's BMX track

Lesley Carr, from Severn Valley Railway, said it was a "great honour" to be involved.

The train carried the baton to Bridgnorth, Shropshire, where it was taken through the town to Severn Park, where a community sports day was being held.

The baton was passed along the train carriage

Neil Taylor, who raises money for Birmingham Children's Hospital, is one of the Bridgnorth baton bearers.

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and such an honour," he said.

Aimee Plimmer, from Bridgnorth Town Council, said: "Not much happens in Bridgnorth, we don't usually get things like this so it is an absolute honour for us and it is a great way to showcase the sport we do have here."

During its journey through Bridgnorth, the baton also went on the town's cliff railway

From there, the baton was then carried through Codsall, Rugeley, Hednesford and Cannock in Staffordshire, and before it was due to be taken to Walsall Arboretum, where there will be a celebration until 19:15 BST.

Thomas Hynes-Oughton, 14, from Brownhills Ormiston Academy was nominated to carry the baton in Walsall on Saturday for being a role model to his school friends.

He said: "I feel really excited for doing this, it is going to be really good, it is going to be really fun."