Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Live updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 Friday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Thursday 3 December 2015
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Watch: Latest weather forecast for Stoke and Staffordshirepublished at 17:58
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayRain clearing through the evening to leave a largely dry night.
Unsafe hoverboards found in Staffordshirepublished at 17:54
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeUnsafe hoverboards - otherwise known as self-balancing scooters - have been found in the last few weeks in Staffordshire, a council says.
Image source, Getty ImagesStaffordshire County Council, external said they had electrical defaults and posed a "serious fire risk".
It comes as,Trading Standards officers said more than 15,000 hoverboards were seized at ports and airports around the UK.
Lichfield substation fire: 999 call made over food in fridgepublished at 17:47
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveA 999 emergency call was made during a power cut in Lichfield last night to ask police to "sort out the food going off in the fridge", external.
Image source, Simon JohnsonStaffordshire Police say at the time they and other services were tackling a fire at an electrical substation which had caused a power loss to up to 25,000 homes.
In a statement they said: "Sorry but this is not a police emergency."
Some Staffordshire homes still without powerpublished at 17:39
People still being affected in Lichfield by loss of power after last night's fire.
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End of twitter postWatch: Staffordshire art in support of charitypublished at 17:35
John Acres
BBC Radio StokeA gallery in Eccleshall, external is putting on a display of artwork by Staffordshire artists, raising money for Shape Arts, external, a disability-led arts charity.
Media caption, Staffordshire art displayed in support of charity.
Ronnie Cruwys is a Newcastle-under-Lyme based artist who is taking part and she showed me some of her work.
Watch: Midlands Today features Stoke City flag's trip to spacepublished at 17:30
Mary Rhodes
Presenter, BBC Midlands TodayAhead of Midlands Today's 18:30 bulletin on BBC One, here's a look ahead to what's in store, including a Stoke City flag's trip into space.
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End of twitter postBosley mill blast: Final inquest opened and adjournedpublished at 17:27
Alice Bentley
BBC Local LiveThe final inquest into the death of the fourth victim of the Bosley Mill explosion has been opened and adjourned today.
Image source, PAThe remains of 38-year-old Jason Shingler still haven't been found following the explosion in July.
Picture: The Stoke City flag that's blasting into spacepublished at 17:20
Stuart George
Presenter, BBC Radio StokeWith the news that a Stoke City flag is due to head into space later, I thought we'd show you what it'll look like.
It's destined for the International Space Station after a campaign by Potters fan Andy Rushton persuaded British astronaut Tim Peake to pack it for the trip.
Shock over KFC letter which assumed cancer patient was deadpublished at 17:15
A cancer patient from Tamworth has spoken of her horror , externalafter her former employers contacted her partner, asking for her death certificate.
Image source, Tamworth HeraldOld bath and cement among rubbish fly-tipped in villagepublished at 17:09
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveA "massive mound" of builders' rubble has been dumped in a Staffordshire village.
Image source, Lichfield District CouncilLichfield District Council says an old bath, strips of wood, a bucket of cement and insulation material is among what's been left on Pipe Lane in Chorley.
The authority says it comes just a day after a large amount of rubbish was fly-tipped on Forge Lane, external, Lichfield.
Travel: Traffic slow on M6 in south Staffordshirepublished at 17:04
BBC TravelThere's very slow traffic on the M6 southbound in Staffordshire between junctions 10a and 10, because of an earlier broken down vehicle.
All lanes have been re-opened - congestion is back to junction 11.
Latest headlines: Speeding Man City star escapes ban, baseball bat attack in Stoke and chief fire officer stepping downpublished at 17:01
Mike Perkins
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeStaffordshire and Cheshire's top stories this evening include:
- Manchester City footballer Yaya Toure has escaped a driving ban despite admitting speeding up to 101mph on a motorway in Staffordshire
- A man's been attacked by a group of men armed with baseball bats, external in Stoke-on-Trent
- Staffordshire's Chief Fire Officer has announced he will retire next April, external
Watch: The song backing Stoke City flag's trip into spacepublished at 16:54
Matt Lee
Breakfast Producer, BBC Radio StokeAs we've heard today, a rocket, taking a Stoke City Football Club flag to the International Space Station, is due to launch.
.
Fan Andy Rushton convinced UK astronaut Tim Peake to take it with him.
Andy and his friend Ben Owen came in to BBC Radio Stoke and Ben performed the song he'd written for the event.
Travel: Crash on A34 in Staffordpublished at 16:43
BBC TravelThe A34 Lichfield Road in Stafford is partially blocked at the Riverway junction, because of an accident.
Major £65m overhaul for M6 J10published at 16:41
Alex Homer
BBC Local LiveOne of the busiest junctions of the M6 is to get a major overhaul. A total of £65m will be spent on widening J10, external.
Work will begin on site in 2018 and will take around two years to complete.
Image source, Walsall CouncilBetween 125,000 and 150,000 vehicles pass through J9 at Wednesbury and J10 daily, according to Walsall Council.
Your pictures: Cheshire park shows off its colourspublished at 16:30
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveThis is Queens Park in Crewe looking rather lovely and has been sent to me by Jonathan White.
Image source, Jonathan WhiteDo please keep sending in your pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire as it's great featuring so many.
You can do that on an email, tweet @BBCRadioStoke, external or use Instagram, external.
Cycle route planned for A5 roadpublished at 16:21
Cannock Chase Council has welcomed plans by Highways England to provide a cycle route, external along the A5 trunk road between the A5, A34, A460, M6T Churchbridge Junction, near Cannock, and Brownhills.
Image source, Cannock MercuryChief of Staffordshire's fire service to stand downpublished at 16:12
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeStaffordshire's Chief Fire Officer has announced he will retire next April, external.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue ServicePeter Dartford has been in the fire service for 34 years, 17 of them in Staffordshire.
Quote MessageI am hugely proud of what the Service has achieved in recent years and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Staffordshire.
Peter Dartford, Staffordshire's Chief Fire Officer
Watch: Touring Crewe's new £15m leisure centrepublished at 16:01
John Acres
BBC Radio StokeI've been for a look around Crewe's new £15m leisure centre, external to see how work on this huge project is going.
Cheshire East Council say it should open in April next year and say it's the "first of its kind anywhere" in the borough.
I had a tour of the inside including seeing where the eight-lane 25m pool will go and you can see it all in this video.
