Queen's Baton parachutes into Wolverhampton park amid relay

Steven Kingdom landed with the baton into Wolverhampton's East Park

The Queen's baton was parachuted into a park as it continued its relay journey across the West Midlands.

After landing in Wolverhampton, the baton was heading into Halesowen, Stourbridge, Dudley and Brierley Hill.

It is beginning the final leg of its journey across the West Midlands before the Commonwealth Games begin in Birmingham on Thursday.

Steven Kingdom, the parachutist who began Sunday's relay, said he felt "energised" following the jump.

"[I feel] just ecstatic to jump into East Park today and Wolverhampton and deliver the baton ready for its relay," he said.

Baton bearer Lisa Potts was working as a nursery nurse at St Luke's Primary School in Wolverhampton in July 1996 when she saved children from a machete attack.

Commonwealth gold medalist Hugh Porter took the baton on a bike at Aldersley Leisure Village

"It was a real delight and it was a real honour to be asked," she said.

"It was quite a shock really."

A number of local sports people were also involved, including former Wolverhampton Wanderers player Steve Bull and cyclist Hugh Porter, a four-time individual pursuit world champion and Commonwealth gold medallist.

Anita Lonsbrough said she was glad to be involved alongside her husband

He passed the baton to his wife, swimmer Anita Lonsbrough, who won gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics and was voted Sports Personality of the Year in 1962.

Mr Porter said he was "proud" Wolverhampton would be hosting the cycling time trials.

Mrs Lonsbrough said: "It is great to be involved with sport again and it brings back a lot of happy memories."

Wolverhampton Wanderers legend Steve Bull MBE was also among the baton bearers

Councillor Steve Evans, from City of Wolverhampton Council, said it was a "fantastic event".

"The Queen's Baton Relay itself is there to recognise the lives and achievements of remarkable people and I know we have some wonderful stories from our city baton bearers," he said.

Ranjit Singh was another of Wolverhampton's baton bearers

In Halesowen, the baton visited the Black Country Run and organiser Steve Jones from the local Rotary Club said they were happy to take part, rearranging the date of the run from early July to be part of the event.

In Stourbridge, the baton was due to visit Queen's Drive, the lake and the Frank Foley statue before heading to Audnam, Wordsley and the Red House Glass Cone where there will be a short ceremony.

Huge crowds turned out to watch Clive Allen carry the baton through Halesowen

While in Dudley, it was taken through the Black Country Living Museum, Lemur World at Dudley Zoo and the town's castle.

The day's relay will finish in Brierley Hill where there will be celebrations on the Waterfront.

Sukha Singh took the baton to the Wren's Nest in Dudley