Elliott Webb

Veterinary nurse Abbie Harvey helped rescue eight horses from a rapidly spreading fire on Norton Road in Stourbridge after 19 homes were destroyed and 18 more damaged. She and colleagues at The Sugarloaf Equestrian Centre moved the animals to safety as flames approached, but Harvey later experienced shortness of breath and bruising and was treated at A&E. Yard manager Helen Walker praised the rescuers and the wider Stourbridge community for supporting the evacuation.

Veterinary nurse Abbie Harvey helped rescue eight horses from a fast-moving fire on Norton Road in Stourbridge, West Midlands, after flames threatened the nearby field. Harvey and other workers moved the animals to safety moments before the field was scorched. She later experienced shortness of breath and bruising and was assessed in hospital, but was cleared after tests. The fire destroyed 19 homes and damaged 18 others, while local residents supported the rescue effort and emergency response.

A man walking near the River Wye in Hereford was startled when a dead eel fell beside him, likely dropped by a bird such as a cormorant. Stan Hedley described hearing a commotion in the trees followed by a "wet thud" before noticing the eel, which appeared badly damaged. He suggested it had been carried from the river and dropped and remarked on eel-related folklore.

A four-person British rowing team attempting to traverse the Indian Ocean has been delayed after a £17,000 UK food shipment was damaged and seized by Australian customs due to biosecurity rules. The incident occurred hours before their planned departure from Carnarvon, Australia. The team, led by Lara Vafiadis, aims to become the first mixed crew and the first containing female rowers to complete the Australia‑to‑Kenya crossing. A public plea has raised over £12,000 toward replacing the £15,000 required for new supplies, allowing preparations to resume once food stocks are replenished.