Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Live updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 Wednesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Tuesday 26 April 2016
More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 Wednesday
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Busy road in Nantwich faces five-day closurepublished at 17:56 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Pothole-ridden Park Road in Nantwich is to close for almost a week for major resurfacing, external work.
Image source, Nantwich NewsFunding plans approved for Stoke's Macari homeless centrepublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
James Bovill
Political reporter, BBC Radio StokePlans for more funds for a homeless hostel in Stoke-on-Trent have this afternoon been approved, external by the city council's cabinet.
Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City CouncilThe authority says the £195,000 would be met from savings, external from within existing budgets and would keep The Macari Centre running until the start of July.
The former Stoke City manager Lou Macari, after whom the centre is named, is aiming to set up a charitable foundation to run it permanently from that point.
In its report on the centre, the council says "Mr Macari is known to be a passionate advocate for the homeless, external" and it adds that, given his connections within football, he is "in a position to attract considerable charitable funds in support of this cause".
On BBC Midlands Today this evening: The Midlands victims of Hillsborough disasterpublished at 17:46 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
BBC Midlands TodayToday an inquest into the deaths of the 96 people who lost their lives at Hillsborough returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
The disaster and cover-up which followed touched hundreds of lives, including here in the Midlands.
Tonight on BBC Midlands Today we'll be remembering three of those killed who were from this region, from 18:30 on BBC One.
Council pulling out of running Lichfield leisure centrepublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeLichfield District Council has announced it's pulling out from leasing a leisure centre, external in the city.
Image source, Lichfield District CouncilThe authority's managed the King Edward VI centre since it was built in 1995 but has now given both the county council and King Edward VI School three years' notice that it intends withdrawing from the lease.
The council says it's part of a review into how it manages its leisure services and staff at the centre are aware of the plans.
Football: Burton closing in on successive promotionspublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby SportBurton Albion can take a big step towards Championship football tonight without kicking a ball.
Walsall, in third place in League One, play their game in hand at home to Shrewsbury Town.
Image source, PAIf Walsall lose, Burton will only need a point at home to Gillingham on Saturday to seal back-to-back promotions.
Your pictures: Sunset in Tamworth and a Stoke swanpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveYou really are a talented bunch on the photography front.
Firstly, this sunset's come from Clive Fisher in Tamworth.
Image source, Clive FisherWhile this swan shaking itself in the water at Westport Lake, Stoke-on-Trent, was snapped by Chris Hollingworth.
If you want to see your picture potentially featured on future Stoke & Staffordshire Live pages, you can do that on email, Twitter, external and Instagram, external.
Image source, Chris HollingworthNews: Inquests say Hillsborough fans unlawfully killed; patient safety 'not compromised' in strike; communities benefit from cannabis raidspublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThis evening's headlines:
- Ninety-six football fans who died as a result of a crush in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, including a Stoke-on-Trent teenager, were unlawfully killed, the inquests have concluded
- The clinical director of the Royal Stoke University Hospital says he doesn't think patient safety has been compromised during today's strike by junior doctors
- Plastic plant pots and unused growbags, external found by police when they uncovered cannabis plants worth almost £1m have been used to brighten up communities in Stoke-on-Trent
In photos: Stoke-on-Trent gets a bout of snowpublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveI said it was a bright and sunny start to the day in Stoke-on-Trent - things didn't last, though, as we had a bout of snow arrive briefly this afternoon.
Here's a couple of tweeted pictures, external from Gladstone Pottery Museum and Rich Holmes in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent.
Image source, Gladstone Pottery Museum
Image source, Rich HolmesPlan approved for council to set up its own housing firmpublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
James Bovill
Political reporter, BBC Radio StokePlans to buy up hundreds of new homes in Stoke-on-Trent and rent them out for a profit, external have been approved by the city council's cabinet today.
The authority wants to set up its own housing company to generate income as government funding continues to decline.
Its plan is to spend £250m over ten years.
A development of 155 homes planned for the Bridgewater site in Hanley is first on the list.
Travel: Tree falls on A34 near Stone, Staffordshirepublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
BBC TravelDrivers heading south on the A34 between Stoke-on-Trent and Stone, Staffordshire, are being warned by police that a tree's fallen across part of the carriageway.
Keep up-to-date with the BBC Travel website.
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End of twitter postArriva in talks to sell Burton bus services to Midland Classicpublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Burton's main bus company is in talks to sell the majority of its operation in the town, external – sparking fears that jobs could be under threat.
Image source, Burton MailDrugs bust has unexpected benefit for green-fingered communitiespublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LivePlastic plant pots and unused growbags, external found by police when they uncovered cannabis plants worth almost £1m have been used to brighten up communities in Stoke-on-Trent.
Staffordshire Police revealed last week it found 1,500 plants valued at £715,000 in Fenton. Five days earlier, officers recovered plants valued at about £200,000 in nearby Longton.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe force says that instead of throwing away the plant pots and growbags, it has given them to the local community.
Ch Insp Rob Taylor said: "Britain in Bloom will hopefully be even better this year as a result of our donations."
Football: Crewe make 'gentleman's agreement' over new signingpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio StokeCrewe Alexandra boss Steve Davis says he's reached a "gentleman's agreement" with a new signing.
Image source, crewealex.netBBC Radio Stoke understands that could be the Bury striker Ryan Lowe who is due to become a free agent in the summer.
Davis told BBC Radio Stoke at his press conference today he's in the market to add some experience to his squad for life in League Two next season.
Quote MessageThe old heads would certainly help in terms of situations in games when they need to learn how to win and find a way of winning.
Steve Davis, Crewe Alexandra manager
Hillsborough inquests: The Stoke-on-Trent teenager among the victimspublished at 16:00 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveWe told you earlier that inquests have concluded that 96 football fans who died as a result of a crush in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster were unlawfully killed.
Among their number was Paul Murray who, at the time, was a 14-year-old boy from Stoke-on-Trent.
Image source, Hillsborough InquestsHe had travelled to the match on a Liverpool Supporters' Club coach with his father, Anthony Murray, who survived.
His ticket was a birthday present and the inquest heard how, when it arrived three days before the match, he said: "This is the best day of my life."
Read the full statement to the inquests from his mother, Edna Murray.
Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather for tonight and tomorrowpublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Alexandra Hamilton
BBC WeatherThe BBC Weather website also has your latest forecast at any time.
Needle-in-straw prank teenager released from jail after appealpublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
A teenage waiter who put a needle in a work colleague's drinking straw as a 'wicked prank' has been freed from jail on appeal by top judges, external.
Image source, Tamworth HeraldNews: Hillsborough fans unlawfully killed; operations cancelled by doctors' strike; council to set up housing firmpublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe main headlines this afternoon include
- Ninety-six football fans, including a Stoke-on-Trent teenager, who died as a result of a crush in the Hillsborough disaster were unlawfully killed, the inquests have concluded
- A man from Staffordshire says an operation to amputate his leg has been postponed because of this week's strike by junior doctors
- Plans to buy up hundreds of new homes in Stoke-on-Trent and rent them out for a profit, external have been approved by the city council's cabinet today
Travel: Crash on M6 near Crewepublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
BBC TravelA lane is blocked on the M6 northbound between junctions 16 and 17 in Cheshire because of an accident.
Gritting tonight in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 26 April 2016
Freezing conditions tonight are being forecast by Stoke-on-Trent City Council which says its gritters will be out treating the city's roads, external.
Staffordshire County Council is also preparing.
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