Why an air raid siren could be heard in Kidderminster

Over the weekend, residents in Kidderminster reported hearing an air raid siren, with some taking to social media to ask what was going on.

However, the mystery of the air raid siren has now been solved thanks to Severn Valley Railway (SVR).

According to SVR, the air raid siren was sounded as part of the heritage railway's 'Step back to the 1940s' event that took place on Saturday (June 27) and Sunday (June 28).

The siren formed part of the event's 'Big Band Show' and is something that has been taking place for 'many years'.

Despite the scale of the event being reduced due to the heatwave, visitors enjoyed taking a step back into history and were able to witness a flypast from a Spitfire.

Gus Dunster, SVR's chief executive officer, said: "Our first Step Back to the1940s weekend went brilliantly, with thousands of people attending across the two days. Luckily, the heatwave of the previous week had lessened, and the temperatures were kinder to our visitors.

"Because we were operating under a red fire alert status, we replaced some, but not all, of the steam locomotives with heritage diesels to lessen the risk of lineside fires.

"The measures proved successful, with no fires at all, and all our services running pretty much to time.

“Towards the end of Sunday morning, we looked to the skies to enjoy a flypast by a Spitfire.

"We’re looking forward to doing it all again next weekend and seeing lots more happy faces at our second 1940s event on July 4 and 5."

The 1940s-themed event will return for a second weekend of historical fun next weekend (Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, July 5)

You can find out more about the event, its timetable, and get tickets at svr.co.uk