Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Live updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 Thursday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Large fire at Stafford industrial estate 'contained' by fire crews
Crewe student took fake gun into university library
Smiler crash: Alton Towers to sell ride merchandise
Updates on Wednesday 2 March 2016
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather for tonight and tomorrowpublished at 17:58 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayYou can get the weather at any time for Staffordshire and Cheshire on the BBC website.
Stafford Fire: Pictures from fire service showing huge flamespublished at 17:54 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeThese pictures, which were taken by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, show the kind of conditions their crews were facing at the scene of the blaze.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue ServiceFootball: Whelan expected to be fit for Stoke's game tonightpublished at 17:46 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio StokeStoke City's manager Mark Hughes expects Glenn Whelan to be available for tonight's game at home to Newcastle United, despite him suffering a broken nose on Saturday.
Image source, Getty ImagesMarc Muniesa could return from injury, but Ryan Shawcross and Glen Johnson are out and Phil Bardsley is doubtful.
You can read a full preview of the game on the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio Stoke will have full commentary on the match.
A446 Stourbridge Road: Tree downpublished at 17:36 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
BBC Travel
The A449 Stourbridge Road in Wombourne is closed in both directions between the Beggars Bush Lane junction and the Battlefield Hill junction, because of a fallen tree, BBC Travel News reports.
News: Huge industrial estate blaze; student took fake gun into uni library; Alton Towers to sell Smiler souvenirspublished at 17:33 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
John Collins
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe main headlines this evening for Staffordshire and Cheshire:
- A large fire is being battled by 50 firefighters at an industrial cleaning company in Stafford
- Armed police were called to a university library in Swansea because a student from Crewe was carrying an imitation gun in his bag, a court hears
- Merchandise for the Alton Towers ride which seriously injured five people is set to go back on sale when the rollercoaster reopens
Travel: Roads reopen around fire sitepublished at 17:20 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Some of the roads around Astonfields have been reopened, although police are advising people to stay away unless they live in the area.
Marsden Road and Common Road are now fully open. A cordon remains in place on Astonfields Road, but there is access from Astonfields Road on to Peter James Court, Staffordshire Police say.
More details on BBC Travel.
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End of twitter postStafford Fire: Emergency services set to be on site 'well into the evening'published at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeFire crews are expecting to be at the site of the fire at Global Hygiene "well into the evening", external, the fire service says.
They say as a result, those living in the path of the smoke plume should keep doors and windows closed.
The fire service also says they expect, over the new few hours, the roads will get busy and people should avoid the area as much as possible.
Stafford Fire: Number of fire crews scaled backpublished at 16:40
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says it is scaling back the number of fire crews at the site of the warehouse fire.
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End of twitter postStafford Fire: Evacuated residents facing night in hotelpublished at 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeAs fire crews continue to fight the flames of the blaze here, it looks like people evacuated from their homes after the Stafford fire may be spending the night in a hotel.
There's still a 50m evacuation zone around the Astonfields Industrial Estate site.
Stafford Fire: More of your pictures of the blazepublished at 16:19 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveYou've sent in more pictures of the fire in Stafford as Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service continue to battle the flames.
This one, from Patrick Kilgallen, was taken, he says, "from across Stafford Common, close to the entrance of Graham Balfour High School".
Image source, Patrick KilgallenWhile this one from Neil Beech shows just how big the smoke plume from the fire was this morning.
Image source, Neil BeechWatch: Stafford Fire - water still being pumped onto site of warehouse blazepublished at 16:10 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeThe building at the centre of the blaze has been reduced to a shell by the fire but Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service say their efforts are by no means over at the site.
Stafford Fire: Shell of building left after blazepublished at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeThe fire service has been here since about 09:00 and, following their efforts, here's what the building at the centre of the fire looks looks like now.
Stafford Fire: Witness saw 'barrels of oil' thrown into the airpublished at 15:49 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Liz Copper
Reporter, BBC Midlands TodayI've been speaking to John Bromley, the chairman of Stafford Rangers FC, which is just down the road from where the fire is.
The club ground is now being used as a command post by the emergency services.
Stafford Fire: Gas main causes headaches for fire crewspublished at 15:38 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeAs efforts continue this afternoon to put the blaze out, a gas main is making life difficult for firefighters.
As a result they are having to excavate underneath it as part of their efforts.
Stafford Fire: Scene from the emergency team's lunch queuepublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeTeams from the fire service are continuing to tackle the fire here at the industrial estate.
Because they've been here several hours, I was able to snap this picture of the lunch queue while some were grabbing food.
There's tea, coffee, warm sausage rolls and they have ordered in pizza.
Stafford Fire: MP salutes emergency responsepublished at 15:19 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
The MP for Stafford Jeremy Lefroy has praised the emergency services for their efforts this morning.
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End of twitter postStafford Fire: Public thanked by fire servicepublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Staffordshire Fire Service has thanked the public for "staying away from the Astonfield areas. Your help is appreciated".
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End of twitter postNews: Huge blaze 'contained' in Stafford; Alton Towers to sell Smiler souvenirs; student took fake gun into uni librarypublished at 14:59 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
John Collins
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe main headlines for Staffordshire or Cheshire this afternoon include
- A large fire, which broke out at an industrial cleaning company in Stafford, has been contained, according to the fire service
- Merchandise for the Alton Towers ride which seriously injured five people is set to go back on sale when the rollercoaster reopens
- Armed police were called to a university library in Swansea because a student from Crewe was carrying an imitation gun in his bag, a court heard
Stafford Fire: Hazardous response medics remain on scenepublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local LIveMedics from West Midlands Ambulance Trust's Hazardous Area Response Team are still at the site of the blaze in Stafford.
Image source, Ben RolfeEarlier their paramedics treated a man who had suffered minor burns to his hands in the fire.
The service says he was discharged and did not require hospital treatment.