BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire on Tuesday 29 March 2016

Summary

Updates on Tuesday 29 March 2016
More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Wednesday

Live Reporting

Ayeeshia Jane Smith murder trial: Accused says 'I would never hurt her'published at 14:53 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Peter Wilson
BBC Midlands Today Special Correspondent
A man accused of the murder of a 21-month-old child in Burton has told a court today: "I've done nothing but love that child, I would never hurt her".
Matthew Rigby, the ex-partner of Ayeeshia's mother Kathryn Smith, who is also accused, was asked at Birmingham Crown Court if he killed the child. He said: "No never".
Mr Rigby, 22, of Sloan Drive, Nottingham and Ms Smith, 23, of Sandfield Road, Nottingham, both deny murder, allowing or causing a child's death and child cruelty.
The trial continues.
Drink driver blows three times the limit as car careers off Cannock roadpublished at 14:38 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Cannock Mercury
The driver of a car which ended up marooned on top of a grass bank, external in Cannock was arrested after blowing over three times the drink drive limit.
Image source, Cannock Mercury/Staffordshire Specials
Travel: Lines shut after person hit by train near Staffordpublished at 14:23 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
BBC Travel
Trains are delayed between Stafford and Wolverhampton after the incident in the Penkridge area.
The BBC Travel website has the latest information.
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Your pictures: A Staffordshire kingfisher and the sun rising on Audleypublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Lots of great pictures of the area are being shared with me on the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page , external- Jon Kelso took this photo of a kingfisher at Wolsley Bridge nature reserve.
Image source, Jon Kelso
While Duncan Richardson tweeted this photo of Audley to @BBCRadioStoke, external.
Image source, Duncan Richardson
Watch: Passengers could get faster Staffordshire train journeyspublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Train journeys through part of Staffordshire could be faster in the future, external and there could be more of them, according to Network Rail.
Media caption,
A train going under the new Norton Bridge flyover after £250m works.
The first services have run over a new flyover at Norton Bridge after £250m rail improvements finished today.
Network Rail says the work means, in the future, there's the capacity for more frequent services and faster journey times.
Your say: The future of libraries in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 13:42 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
You've been having your say on the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook, external about the news that more than half of Stoke-on-Trent's libraries have closed in the last six years.
Image source, deyangeorgiev
Paul Picard wrote, external: "What an utterly stupid thing to do. Libraries are repositories of a great wealth of knowledge and to lose them would be a crime."
Carole Blundred added, external: "Definitely needed in today's society. Not everyone has access to the internet."
And Jill Flitcroft put, external: "Libraries are not just for reading and knowledge they are are there to bring communities together."
Woman hurt in Nantwich street robberypublished at 13:16 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Lamont Howie
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A woman's been robbed by two men on a Nantwich street, external shortly after leaving a town centre pub.
Image source, Google
Cheshire Police say it happened as the 29-year-old turned into Meanee Drive on Sunday night.
The two men took jewellery and cash and officers say the victim's been left with minor injuries after one assaulted her.
This lunchtime on BBC Midlands Today: Latest from toddler murder trialpublished at 12:59 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
BBC Midlands Today
On BBC Midlands Today this lunchtime we'll be featuring several Staffordshire stories.
Image source, Network Rail
We'll have the latest from the trial of the man and his partner accused of the murder - which they deny - of Ayeeshia Jane Smith in Burton.
You'll also see the first trains using the new Norton Bridge railway flyover and we'll look at the impact on Stoke City of goalkeeper Jack Butland's fractured ankle.
Tune in from 13:30 on BBC One.
Tamworth's honour for D-Day veteran after French bravery awardpublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Tamworth Herald
A Tamworth war veteran who was presented with France's highest decoration for his part in the D-Day landings, has also been honoured by the Mayor of Tamworth, external.
Image source, Tamworth Herald
News: Scale of Stoke library cuts revealed; woman hurt in robbery; £250m railway works finishpublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The main headlines for Staffordshire and Cheshire this lunchtime include:
- BBC research has shown that more than half of Stoke-on-Trent's libraries have closed in the last six years
- A woman's been robbed by two men on a Nantwich street, external shortly after leaving a town centre pub
- The first trains have used a new rail flyover near Stafford after £250m rail improvements finished today
Scale of Stoke-on-Trent's library cuts revealedpublished at 12:15 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Peter Sherlock
Data unit
BBC research has shown that more than half of Stoke-on-Trent's libraries have closed in the last six years.
Image source, Thinkstock
In 2010 there were 119 paid staff in the city's libraries, compared with 72 now.
The government said it funded the roll-out of wi-fi to help libraries adapt.
Travel: Delays on M6 in Cheshire after lorry sheds loadpublished at 12:01 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
BBC Travel
A lorry has shed its load on the M6 between junctions 20 and 19 in Cheshire, causing long delays say police.
Get the latest information from BBC Travel.
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Football: Hodgson says Butland loss 'devastating'published at 11:52 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The England manager Roy Hodgson says it's a devastating blow to lose the Stoke keeper Jack Butland.
Image source, Getty Images
Butland fractured his ankle in Saturday's 3-2 win over Germany in Berlin and is out of Euro 2016.
Quote Message
It's a great disappointment that after such a good season, where he has established himself as Stoke's number one goalkeeper and certainly one of the very best goalkeepers in the Premier League, he's not going to have the chance to take that form and that ability with us into the Euro's.
Roy Hodgson, England
Watch: First train uses new Staffordshire rail flyoverpublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Here's the moment, taken by Network Rail, when the first service used the new Norton Bridge flyover near Stafford.
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Watch: The afternoon weather forecast for Stoke and Staffordshirepublished at 11:22 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
The BBC website also has the latest weather forecast at any time for Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Ayeeshia Jane Smith murder trial: Mother's ex-partner giving evidencepublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Peter Wilson
BBC Midlands Today Special Correspondent
I'm at the trial today of a woman and her ex-partner who are accused of the murder of 21-month-old Ayeeshia Jane Smith in Burton in 2014.
Kathryn Smith, 23, of Sandfield Road, Nottingham and Matthew Rigby, 22, of Sloan Drive, Nottingham both deny murder, allowing or causing a child's death and child cruelty.
Today at Birmingham Crown Court Mr Rigby is in the witness box for the first time and I'll bring you updates later today as the trial continues.
Official county flag for Staffordshire revealedpublished at 10:50 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Express and Star
The votes are in - Staffordshire now officially has a county flag, external.
Image source, Express and Star
Picture: Wide load heading through Staffordshire todaypublished at 10:33 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Drivers in Staffordshire are being warned of a wide load heading from Stafford this morning.
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Watch: BBC Midlands Today goes "Out & About" on tour todaypublished at 10:19 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
John Bray
BBC Midlands Today
BBC Midlands Today's "Out & About" tour starts today when the BBC Bus arrives at the Trentham Estate, Staffordshire.
Over the next two weeks we're offering you the chance to have a go at reading the news and presenting the weather and, today, you can interview one of Midlands Today's weather presenters - Rebecca Wood.
News: Pharmacies 'face closure'; child arrests over alleged gun crimes; £250m rail works finishpublished at 10:05 British Summer Time 29 March 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The main headlines this morning for Staffordshire and Cheshire include:
- Pharmacists in Staffordshire say older people will be hardest hit by government proposals which they claim put a third, external of pharmacies at risk of closure
- Thirteen children were arrested for suspected firearm offences in Staffordshire and Cheshire last year, new figures have revealed
- The first trains have used a new rail flyover near Stafford after £250m rail improvements finished today