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.

Crewe Chronicle

HS2 and a proposed superhub station could catalyse massive inward investment in Crewe , externaland Cheshire East, says new council leader Rachel Bailey.  

Tom Turrell
BBC Midlands Today

Police officers from across Europe are in the Midlands this week, as part of a major crackdown on foreign criminals, external.

Operation Trivium involves teams from Holland, Romania and Lithuania, helping to track people with criminal records.

I'll have more on Midlands Today on BBC One from 18:30.

Nigel Dolman
Reporter, BBC Shropshire

Two former soldiers, one from Staffordshire, have backed a campaign to recognise veterans in the next census, due in 2021.

Jeff Foxall, from Bridgnorth, and Les Bill from Stafford, who has just been awarded the Ambassador for Peace Medal 63 years after serving in the Korean War, said it was important to remember the role veterans have played.

The Royal British Legion says there are believed to be between 6.5 and 6.7 million members of the Armed Forces community living in the UK.

Despite that, the legion says the group has been ignored in past versions of the census, external, which means we know more about those who claim their Jedi as their religion.

Laura Mcmullan
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

In the last year the Royal Stoke University Hospital has recruited almost 4,000 people to take part in clinical trials.  

Now the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, external, along with many others, is taking part in an international day to encourage more patients to get involved.  

Lamont Howie
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Car maker Bentley, external says having its plans for a new research and development centre in Crewe approved means it can produce a new generation of luxury cars. 

It took under 10 minutes for the Pyms Lane proposals, external to be passed by Cheshire East councillors yesterday. 

The firm says driving more investment into its Crewe headquarters and attracting talent is key to its continued success.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Fourteen men have been jailed for their parts in a series of robberies and burglaries, external across Staffordshire and beyond, police say. 

Staffordshire Police say nine were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court today with five given prison terms at previous hearings. 

The force says they'd played roles in several conspiracies which led to more than £1m in cash, property and vehicles being stolen.

Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

Cheshire Police has been granted an extra 12 months to investigate claims of fraud over candidates' expenses in last year's general election.

The force revealed earlier this month that it was looking into whether illegal returns were filed in the Weaver Vale constituency after questions over whether some of the campaigns in 2015 spent more than they're allowed to. 

The force has also confirmed it is now focusing on the Chester constituency, as well as Weaver Vale.

Burton Mail

A woman says that she feared her husband was dead after a herd of cattle chased , externaland attacked them while they were walking their dogs.

Image source, Burton Mail

Lamont Howie
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Around 1,000 runners are expected to run the Mow Cop Killer Mile, external tonight.

Image source, Google

Billed as one of the toughest road races in the world, external, they'll climb 550ft (168m) to the summit in one mile (1.6km).

The first of six staggered races starts at 17:50.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

This evening's headlines include

- Northampton Town have appointed Port Vale manager Rob Page as their new boss on a three-year contract

- Cheshire Police says it is going to swap its police officers' traditional helmets for hard caps, external

- A suspected unexploded bomb in Newcastle-under-Lyme has turned out to be an old water tank, external, police say  

Tamworth Herald

A car with a woman inside has this evening been left hanging precariously , externalover a canal in Tamworth.

Image source, WMAS/Tamworth Herald

Lamont Howie
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Cheshire Police says it is going to swap its police officers' traditional helmets for hard caps. , external

Image source, Cheshire Police

The force says the change follows successful trials and that most frontline staff are happy because they're more practical to wear day-to-day.

It says the materials they're made out of include a special plastic layer, foam pads and cotton.

Cheshire Police say they believe they're the only police force in the UK to have equipped officers with hard caps.  

Monica Rimmer
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

The pictures from our team of BBC Weather Watchers are often fantastic and here are two of them from Paulus in Rugeley and Harriseahead_meteo in Kidsgrove.

You can become one of the Weather Watchers by heading to the website to sign up.

Image source, Paulus

Image source, Harriseahead_meteo

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

You can also get a latest weather forecast for your part of Staffordshire or Cheshire at any time from the BBC website.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Junior doctors' leaders fear they could face an "uphill struggle" to convince the profession to accept the new contract agreed with ministers.

It was announced on Wednesday that the two sides had reached a deal after talks at conciliation service Acas.

The England-wide deal will now be put to a vote of more than 40,000 BMA members in June.

Image source, PA

There are fears at the union that the profession could reject the deal despite it believing it is the "best and final" way out of the row.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called it a "historic agreement" and a "win-win" for the government and junior doctors.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A man's been left with a serious stomach wound after an attack in Hanley,, external Stoke-on-Trent. 

Image source, Google

Staffordshire Police say it happened last night on Stafford Street.

The 39-year-old from Newcastle-under-Lyme is said to be in a "satisfactory condition" in hospital.  

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Port Vale's chairman Norman Smurthwaite has been quick to praise his former manager Rob Page, external as he's departed to take up the role at Northampton Town. 

Image source, Port Vale FC

In a statement, Mr Smurthwaite says he is disappointed at him leaving but "would like to thank him for his hard work over the last 20 months".

He adds that they are already searching for a new manager and "will do our utmost to ensure the best candidate for the job is appointed".

The club says Performance Coach John Harbin has also left to join up with Rob Page while midfielder Michael Brown's been added to the Vale's coaching staff and will "assist the chairman in the process of appointing a new manager".

BBC Travel

There's a vehicle fire blocking Ilam-Moor Lane in Ilam, Staffordshire at the Lodge Lane junction.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

This afternoon's main headlines include:

- Northampton Town have appointed Port Vale manager Rob Page as their new boss on a three-year contract  

- A man's been left with a serious stomach wound after an attack in Hanley,, external Stoke-on-Trent

 - A suspected unexploded bomb in Newcastle-under-Lyme has turned out to be an old water tank, external, police say