Journalism students were given the chance to report on a real breaking news story when a burning tree fell on top of a passenger train outside their college.

Students on the NCTJ pre-entry course at Sutton Coldfield College were just about to start class when they spotted emergency service workers on the railway line by their campus - and immediately leapt into action.

As the first media on the scene, the roving reporters were able to capture the drama on camera, interview evacuated passengers and 999 crews - and had it written and published on their online college newspaper in just over an hour.

NCTJ course tutor Tracy Money-Clarke said it was a "fantastic effort" by the team and gave the students a taste of what real reporting is all about.

She said: "It was a real opportunity to gain reporting experience which is so hard to simulate in the classroom.

"They co-ordinated the whole thing themselves and then came back to class to write it up.

"I think they were about to have a mock exam so they got off lightly!"

The students' quick-thinking also meant they beat the BBC to the scene - who were then temporarily held up by security as there was already media in attendance - and they also fed the story to the Birmingham Evening Mail.

No-one was hurt in the incident, but passengers had to wait for fire crews to arrive before being led to safety.

High winds had blown the tree down, causing it to roll down an embankment and burst into flames after striking overhead cables.

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