Stoke-on-Trent Live

Here are three of the stories from Stoke-on-Trent Live today:

• Rough sleepers to be stopped from sheltering at council HQ, external
• Investigation after goat stolen from farm, external
• Parents asked to pick new names for these two schools, external

BBC Sport

The Shrewsbury Town manager John Askey says the FA Cup is important, despite the need to get points in League One.

Defeat to Sunderland at the weekend left them in 18th place - one point above the relegation zone - and they're at home to Barnsley in the league tonight.

Askey said their home draw to conference leaders Salford City gives them a great chance of progressing beyond the first round.

Birmingham New Road in Tipton has been closed while police investigate.

Police investigating the death of a teenage motorcyclist in Quinton have released CCTV footage in the hope that a "key witness" may come forward.

A white van was seen on CCTV in the local area on 9 September, before and after 18-year-old Ellis Haarhoff’s motorbike hit a tree in Wolverhampton Road.

He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died the following morning.

Officers are still working to establish the circumstances of the collision that took place at 23.45 on 9 September and want to trace the driver of the white van who they hope may have information.

BBC Sport

Stoke City manager Gary Rowett says he's frustrated at not being able to play his first choice team because of injuries.

But he believes the players they've put out should have performed better, saying: "With the quality of the team, I think we should have had better results."

Image source, Getty Images

Rowett also said that if all his players were fully fit, he probably knew his best 11, but "you very rarely get that luxury in football".

And he accepted "the main responsibility lies on my shoulders".

BBC Radio Stoke

A group of volunteers in Crewe have set up a social supermarket to provide cheap food for families struggling because of debt, illness or low income.

Customers pay £3 a week and can walk away with items worth £15.

The Community Pantry also offers debt advice and support with welfare rights.

Newcastle-under-Lyme claimed a gold in Britain in Bloom's 'Champion of Champions' category, but just missed out on the top prize which went to Truro in Cornwall.

Shrewsbury (pictured below) and Upton-upon-Severn also claimed gold awards in their categories and there was a silver gilt award for Oswestry.

Image source, RHS

Newcastle was praised for the Queen’s Gardens in the town centre, the Italian herb garden and Silverdale Country Park, a former colliery site that is now a wildlife site.

A large property fire near the A5 in Staffordshire was started deliberately, the county's fire and rescue service has said.

More than 30 firefighters were called to deal with the fire at Ivetsey Bank, which broke out at 23:20 yesterday.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

The A5 was closed for a while for safety reasons.

Police say it could be December before they have the results of forensic tests following the deaths of two men in Stoke-on-Trent earlier this month.

The body of a 19-year-old was found at a house on Barnfield Road in Burslem and his death is being treated as murder, while the death of a 57-year-old discovered at allotments nearby remains unexplained.

Image source, Google

Detectives had been searching sewers and land for clues, but now say they're not planning any more searches, and are confident they aren't looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.

Stoke City boss Gary Rowett is given a one-game touchline ban by the FA after their defeat by his former club Birmingham.

A virtual reality exhibition held at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is up for an award.

The project, called Thresholds, was at the museum in the summer of 2017.

By using VR headsets, it took audiences back over 170 years to the dawn of the photographic era.

Image source, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

The headsets allowed visitors to walk around a recreation of 'The Model Room', an exhibition of Manufactures, Inventions, Models and Philosophical Instruments, an exhibition staged at King Edward's School, New Street, in August 1839.

Image source, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

It was part-funded and supported by Colmore BID, the Business Improvement District, which is nominated for the 'Place Marketing' prize, which honours creative exhibitions and events that help attract visitors to towns and cities.

The winner will be announced on 8 November.

We told you earlier about a "serious collision" which emergency services were dealing with.

West Midlands Police has since said a lorry driver has been "seriously injured" after the lorry crashed with a tree.

It happened on the Birmingham New Road in Tipton at about 08:30.

The road is closed in both directions and will be for several hours while specialist reconstruction staff examine the scene to establish what happened.

Police are appealing for witnesses to contact them.

Image source, Google

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said it has "taken immediate action" to address areas of concern raised in a report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Dr Edwin Borman, medical director said the trust takes "the safety of our patients and their care very seriously".

He added: "We have implemented an action plan that focuses on the areas highlighted by the CQC, including the effective monitoring of patients that may be at risk of sepsis.

"We have also introduced daily safety huddles and senior clinically-led two hourly sweeps of the department; as well as spot checks overnight and out of hours."

An NHS trust which is undergoing a review into maternity care must report weekly to the Care Quality Commission following unannounced inspections from the health watchdog.

Inspectors visited The Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals between 21 to 31 August.

They highlighted concerns regarding urgent and emergency care, particularly with regard to the treatment and recognition of sepsis, as well as concerns with it maternity departments. Conditions have now been placed on the trust.

It must report weekly to the CQC, detailing its action to ensure the system in place for management of deteriorating patients and sepsis at The Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals is effective.

It must also ensure its emergency department at The Princess Royal Hospital is safe with equipment stored safely, that risk assessments are carried out and reviewed to ensure the environment remains safe and that all staff are aware of and adhere to protocols.

Dr Edwin Borman, medical director at the trust, said: "We take the safety of our patients and their care very seriously. We are addressing all the areas raised by the CQC."

A 48-year-old man arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a cyclist was killed in Worcestershire has been released while investigations continue.

The cyclist, who was in his 60's and from Brierley Hill, died after he was hit by a lorry on the on the A449 near Hartlebury yesterday morning.

A second cyclist, a man in his 60's from Hagley, was taken to hospital.

BBC Weather Watchers

What a sight to behold this picture is. With its orange leaves brightening up a dreary sky, it really is the epitome of autumn.

Thanks to BBC Weather Watcher Peter Steggles for sending this in from Church Stretton.

Image source, Peter Steggles

Meanwhile, Susanne sent this snap in from Stourbridge, with the water a perfect reflection for the surrounding trees.

Send us your weather pictures here.

Image source, Susanne

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A councillor who wanted a large tree cut down because of mess caused by birds nesting in his garden has been blocked by members of his own local authority.

It was the third attempt Alan Perkins has made to get the 45ft (14m) high sycamore removed. He had presented a letter of support from his GP and his wife’s GP, as well as a petition containing 22 signatures from neighbours backing his application.

The Stafford Borough Council tree officer, Gavin Pearce, told a planning meeting: "There really isn’t anything wrong with sycamore trees. They get a bad press but it is very undeserved."

He suggested there are "mitigating measures that can be looked into".

And while his fellow Stafford Borough councillors sympathised with him, they agreed there was nothing wrong with the healthy tree, which is subject to a tree preservation order.

BBC Sport

Birmingham City are on a nine-match unbeaten run, and they'll look to protect that record when they host Reading at St Andrew's tonight.

Image source, Getty Images

Teenage midfielder Charlie Lakin missed Saturday's win at Stoke but is close to returning for Blues.

Birmingham and Reading have already met once this season, with the Royals winning 2-0 in a Carabao Cup first-round tie in August.

A man has suffered multiple stab wounds in Holders Lane, Moseley, Birmingham at about 06:25 today.

The victim, believed to be in his 20s, has been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

West Midlands Police said inquiries are under way.

Image source, Google

Wolverhampton Wanderers said it was working with West Midlands Police to identify the perpetrators.