A BT engineer from Worcester has been awarded £250 to contribute towards a new station for the Downs Light Railway in Colwall.

Peter Smith received the grant from the BT Community Champions Scheme which awards money to employees to use within community and voluntary organisations they are involved with.

The Downs Light Railway was established in 1925 to provide a hobby for students at Downs School in Colwall and is the oldest miniature light railway in England.

The train runs every Saturday morning and is maintained by students aged five to 12 years as part of their school curriculum.

Peter, a train enthusiast, became involved as a volunteer for the railway over two-and-a-half years ago through his wife Teresa, who is assistant matron at Downs School.

He now supervises students as they use tools to complete maintenance work and learn how to run the train safely for school events.

Peter said the money will go towards building a new wooden station to house the train.

"This is essential to keep the train in good condition so students can continue to develop their engineering skills by practising on it and to maintain the train for the enjoyment of others in the community," he added.

This round of the award scheme has seen a total £47,235 awarded to 148 groups throughout the UK, with £3,805 of this distributed to 11 groups across the west Midlands.