Six local news stories you may have missed this week

A bizarre discovery by firefighters expecting to find a snake is one of our best local news stories of the week.

The Northern Echo reported how fire crews were called out to a property in County Durham by a woman claiming there was a snake in her bathroom - but that wasn't what they found.

Elsewhere, a council announced plans to open a pet cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent and a baby in Cheshire was born exactly one year after her sister.

You can read the full version of each of our selected articles through the links under each story – or read more top headlines from around the UK's regions on the Yahoo UK local news page.

The 'snake' found at a home was actually a hair braid. (County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service)
The 'snake' found at a home was actually a lock of hair. (County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service)

Firefighters in County Durham were called to reports of a 'snake' in the bathroom of a house - but made a different discovery when they arrived.

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Fire crews were alerted to the 'discovery' at around 8.40am on Wednesday (29 January) after the control room at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue received the call.

Despite the resident saying that the 'snake' did not belong to her, firefighters entered the property expecting to find the creature slithering around the bathroom.

But, instead, they were greeted by a plaited lock of hair belonging to the homeowner's daughter.

Carmountside cemetery in Stoke on Trent Staffordshire UK
Carmountside cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. (PA)

Council chiefs are planning to create a new 'pet cemetery' following requests from the public.

There is currently no designated area in Stoke-on-Trent for the scattering or placement of pet ashes.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is now proposing to turn an area of Carmountside Cemetery into a garden of remembrance for pets.

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Vibrant view of Hayle Beach and Hayle Sands on a sunny day in Cornwall, England, UK
Hayle Beach in Cornwall. (PA)

There are again concerns that sand is being 'stolen' from a Cornish beach and no one is doing anything about it.

Residents and visitors to Hayle have once again raised the issue that diggers and lorries are scooping the sand from the beach along the estuary and taking it away.

Meet the siblings who were born on the same day - exactly a year apart. Little Sophia Searson Smith shot into the world on her sister Sienna's first birthday.

Mum Ellie Searson Smith, 25, couldn't believe it when she went into labour on the evening of her eldest daughter's birthday after hoping to be induced the following week.

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But Sophia was determined to come out - arriving weighing 6lbs 13oz with just 22 minutes to spare, at 11.38pm on 28 September 2024.

A video captured the "surreal" moment a car overtook a Merseyrail train on the motorway.

The 1978 Merseyrail Class 507 001 unit was seen on the back of a lorry on the M4 last Friday (24 January) as it was being transported from Newport to Derby.

The train, which is part of the old Merseyrail fleet which was replaced by the new Class 777 trains, has been removed from service. It was captured as it was being moved to Derby for this summer's Railway 200 celebrations, marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

A teenage girl who won trainee fisherman of the year hopes to inspire more young women to work in the Scottish fishing industry.

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Isla Gale quit school at 15 to work as an apprentice on a scallop fishing boat. Now 19, she has completed deck officer qualifications in the hopes of following her dreams to work on larger fishing vessels at sea.

The plucky teen is currently based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, while studying at the Scottish Marine Academy (SMA). She hopes to see more women making waves in a male-dominated industry.