EMERGENCY services flocked to Shrub Hill train station as they simulated a major train crash for the fire service's biggest training event of the year.

A helicopter hovered over the city centre station and crews from across the county rushed to the site, acting as they would in the case of a real emergency.

The exercise, on Sunday morning, was organised by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service but also attended by the ambulance, police, British Transport Police and other emergency units.

It centred on a train crash and derailment involving two trains and a car.

Dan Quinn, group commander and incident commander during the exercise from the fire service said it was a good chance for all the services to come together.

"It started off as a fire incident," he said. "But it very quickly became a multi agency incident. Everyone came to play and it was a great success."

Throughout the morning more than 110 people assisted with making the incident realistic acting as travellers on the train or bystanders, some having to be cut free of obstructions as part of the exercise.

Many of the volunteers came from the University of Worcester, which also did make up for victims to make the incident even more realistic.

Mr Quinn said: "It was two passenger trains and a car that had been involved in a collision and then a derailment. We had in excess of 110 casualties.

"This is testing it from start to finish. This is our main test of the service response."