Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:01 British Summer Time 30 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
Updates on Wednesday 30 March 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Thursday
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:01 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Watch: Tonight's weather for the West Midlandspublished at 17:58 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Sara Thornton
BBC WeatherA cold and frosty night, with patchy fog developing.
Lows of 0C (32F).
Tonight on BBC Midlands Today: The girl scared to leave home after Staffordshire attackpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Sarah Falkland
BBC Midlands TodayThis evening on Midlands Today, I've been speaking to Bethany Gallimore, aged 14, who was filmed being beaten and stamped on by a girl gang in Staffordshire.
Image source, OtherThat footage was posted on Facebook and shared more than 5,000 times.
Tonight on Midlands Today you'll hear from Bethany and her mother Denise, on BBC One from 18:30.
Football: Bardsley says Stoke City have sights on Europepublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio StokeStoke City's Phil Bardsley says the squad are determined to qualify for the Europa League this season.
Image source, Getty ImagesThey return to action on Saturday after a two-week international break with a home game against Swansea.
Bardsley says playing in Europe next season is their main target.
Quote MessageIt's still on, we've had a good campaign, we don't want that to dwindle out. We want to make sure we finish as high as possible. The last couple of seasons we have finished ninth and we want to look beyond that this year.
Phil Bardsley, Stoke City player
Nantwich Jazz, Blues and Music Festival draws in the crowdspublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Nantwich welcomed thousands of music-lovers over the Easter weekend, external as the town played host to its 20th Jazz, Blues and Music Festival.
Laptop scam catches third victimpublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio StokeA third person from Stoke-on-Trent has been duped in the past few days by a conman pretending to sell computers and phones, external, according to police.
Image source, GoogleStaffordshire Police say the latest case happened yesterday and started with a man being offered a laptop and phone for sale on Marsh Street car park, Hanley
He arranged to hand over cash for the rucksack today but, when he opened it, it turned out to contain a bottle of cola and some cardboard.
The force says two students have already fallen victim to a similar scam this month.
Travel: Two car crash blocks A53 in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
BBC TravelThe A53 Leek New Road in Cobridge is blocked in both directions at the Sandbach Road junction, because of an accident involving two cars.
Dog owner finds corned beef 'stuffed with a tablet'published at 17:08 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Sarah Robertson
Producer, BBC Radio StokePieces of corned beef stuffed with tablets have been found by a dog owner at their house in Penkridge, police say.
Image source, GoogleStaffordshire Police, external say the resident saw their pet come in from the garden on Cherrybrook Drive with something in her mouth.
Writing on Facebook, Claire Smith warned other dog owners in Penkridge to watch out for mysterious food appearing in their gardens.
News: Attack on girl posted on Facebook; laptop scam gets third victim; dog owner warns over mystery foodpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe main headlines this afternoon for Staffordshire and Cheshire include:
- A teenager was filmed being beaten and stamped on by a girl gang in Staffordshire - before the footage was posted on Facebook and shared more than 5,000 times
- A third person from Stoke-on-Trent has been duped in the past few days by a conman pretending to sell computers and phones, external, according to police
- Pieces of corned beef stuffed with tablets have been found by a dog owner at their house in Penkridge, police say
Your pictures: A moody Cheshire morning and a Sutton landscapepublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveHere are some more of the pictures you've been kind enough to send in of Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Charles Taylor tweeted this to @BBCRadioStoke, external saying it was a "moody winter morning fishing" from near Jodrell, Cheshire.
Image source, Charles TaylorWhile this landscape from Sutton in Staffordshire was shared with me on Instagram , externalby Ed De Quincey.
If you want to share a picture from across the area of any subject, you can get it to me by email as well as Twitter, external and Instagram, external.
Image source, Ed De QuinceyKidsgrove bullies film girl attack and post on Facebookpublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Rebecca Woods
BBC News Online, JournalistA teenager was filmed being beaten and stamped on by a girl gang in Staffordshire - before the footage was posted on Facebook and shared more than 5,000 times.
Bethany Gallimore, aged 14, said she was scared to leave home after the attack in Kidsgrove.
Her mother Denise said she was left "physically sick" after seeing her daughter covered in blood - and then watching the brutal video hours later.
Staffordshire Police said three teenagers had been arrested.
Travel: Two vehicle crash on M6 near Crewepublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
BBC TravelA lane is blocked on the M6 northbound between junctions 16 and 17 in Cheshire because of an accident involving two vehicles.
Watch: Tonight and tomorrow's weather for Stoke and Staffordshirepublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Sara Thornton
BBC WeatherYou can also get the latest weather forecast for Staffordshire or Cheshire at any time on the BBC website.
Teenagers arrested after attack on girlpublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThree teenagers have been arrested, external after a girl was attacked in Kidsgrove on Sunday night.
Image source, GoogleIt happened in the Bourne Road and Whitehall Avenue area, Staffordshire Police say.
The teenagers, two aged 16 and one 13-year-old, have all been arrested on suspicion of assault.
Officers name man found dead on Barton Marina narrowboatpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Police have revealed the identity of a man who was found dead , externalon a narrowboat in Barton on Tuesday.
Image source, Burton MailRepair work carried out on Stafford park aviarypublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeWork to repair the timbers of a 1950s aviary, external in a Stafford park has started today.
The borough council say the site in Victoria Park is home to more than 100 birds including golden pheasants, cockatiels and finches.
The authority says the birds will remain on the site while the work is carried out.
Mum 'surprised' by mural tribute to junior Leek Town footballerpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeThe mother of a Leek footballer, who died from cardiac arrest aged 17, says she was pleasantly surprised when a secretive graffiti artist created a mural of her son.
Image source, Nicola EverillJordan Burndred, from Biddulph, suffered multiple cardiac arrests on holiday in Turkey in September and died 10 days later in hospital.
A football stand was named in Jordan's honour at Knypersley Victoria FC.
His mother, Nicolla Everill approached Professor Pigment asking for his portrait to be painted at the stand. The mural suddenly appeared (just before Christmas) and she says it is generous gestures from the community such as this that keep her going.
People urged to back £3m Staffordshire environmental bidpublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
People in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to get behind a major environmental funding bid , externalwhich could see millions of pounds ploughed into transforming Staffordshire's Trent Valley.
Image source, Lichfield MercuryNews: Student death 'not suspicious'; one GP visit carried out by health firm given £165,000; horse rescued after stuck 'upside down'published at 15:11 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe main headlines this afternoon include:
- The death of a 20-year-old man, found dead at his Stoke-on-Trent home last week, is not being treated as suspicious by police
- NHS England says it's going to try to reduce costs after it gave more than £165,000 to a healthcare company in the West Midlands that, over five months, ended up carrying out just one GP visit and 18 phone consultations
- A horse had to be rescued today by the fire service in Handforth, Cheshire,, external after getting stuck in a stable and ending up "upside down"
BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Blossom in Gnosall and blue skies over cathedralpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 30 March 2016
Our BBC Weather Watchers are a great team of volunteers who take pictures of the weather where they are.
In Staffordshire, JR has shared this photo from Gnosall.
Image source, JRThen in Lichfield, user Officialmaggot took this picture showing blue skies over the cathedral.
If you want to be a BBC Weather Watcher you can head to the website and sign up.
Image source, Officialmaggot
