Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.
Summary
Rare Chinese cup sells for £3m at auction
Stoke council criticised for rejecting refugee resettlement plan
Tamworth has only one public toilet, BBC figures show
Updates on Tuesday 31 May 2016
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Street party will have royal buzz for Polesworth residentspublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Hard-working members of a Polesworth community have teamed up to recreate 'the buzz' of the 50s with a street party in honour of Her Royal Majesty., external
Image source, Tamworth HeraldTree to be cut down due to fungus, decay and vandalismpublished at 17:53 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeFive trees in part of Stafford are going to be cut down as the council says, external they've been found to be "unsafe".
Image source, Stafford Borough CouncilStafford Borough Council says three cherry trees in St Peter's Gardens, Rickerscote, are suffering from decay and fungal infection.
It says an infection is also affecting a maple and a smaller sorbus tree has been vandalised.
This evening on BBC Midlands Today: University sells rare cup and the aphid mysterypublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Nick Owen
Presenter, BBC Midlands TodayOn Midlands Today this evening we'll be looking at what the sale of a rare Chinese cup means for Staffordshire University.
Plus how you could help solve a wildlife mystery for scientists - all involving an aphid.
See both these stories and all the region's latest news, sport and weather from 18:30 on BBC One.
Football: Leitch-Smith leaves Port Valepublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio StokePort Vale's chairman Norman Smurthwaite has told BBC Radio Stoke that top scorer AJ Leitch-Smith is leaving the club.
Image source, Port Vale FCThe striker was one of 13 players offered a new contract earlier this month, but Smurthwaite says he won't be staying.
Quote MessageHis agent emailed today to say that they are rejecting the offer and he wishes to terminate his contract and be paid up which is what we're going to be doing.
Norman Smurthwaite, Port Vale's chairman
Crewe road staying shut overnight due to collapsed sewerpublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
A road in Crewe remains shut, the local council says, because of a collapsed sewer.
Cheshire East Council says repairs will start tomorrow with both Ruskin Road and Yates Street affected. , external
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End of twitter postWatch: 'Delight' at university after Ming cup makes £3m at auctionpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineA professor at Staffordshire University says she's delighted that a "dusty old cup" found in a university cabinet has sold for £3m, external.
The cup, thought to have been made for an emperor in 1425, was among a collection of antiques discovered by chance at the university.
Valued at £2m, an unknown buyer paid £3.17m at auction in Hong Kong.
Professor Flavia Swann said it was a "fantastic sale" and would fund a national ceramics centre.
Cannock Chase’s hidden history to be uncovered without digging up beauty spotpublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Thousands of years of history could be uncovered in a new project at one of Staffordshire's natural treasures , external– without a piece of heathland or tree being unearthed.
Image source, Cannock MercuryTravel: Accident on M6 in Staffordshirepublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
BBC TravelThere are two lanes blocked on the M6 southbound in Staffordshire between junctions 10a and 10 because of an accident.
Derelict golf club on fire in Staffordshirepublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Fire crews are tackling a fire in a derelict golf club in Stretton, Staffordshire.
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End of twitter postNews: Rare Chinese cup sold for £3m; criticism over rejection of Syrian resettlement plan; public toilets' declinepublished at 17:06 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThis evening's main headlines include:
- A rare Chinese cup, which was donated to Staffordshire University, has been sold today at auction for just over £3m, external
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council , externalis being criticised for not working with a charity to resettle a Syrian family of refugees in the city
- Tamworth is among a number of councils to now only have one public toilet, the BBC learns
Average-speed camera coverage in UK 'doubles' in three yearspublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Lauren Turner
BBC NewsThey'll be familiar to anyone travelling through the M6 roadworks recently in Staffordshire and Cheshire - average-speed cameras.
Now, new figures have revealed that the length of the UK road network covered by permanent average-speed cameras has more than doubled since 2013.
Image source, PAResearch obtained by the BBC's The One Show found 51 stretches of road are permanently managed by the cameras, covering 263 miles in total.
In March, the House of Commons Transport Committee recommended further use of average-speed cameras on British roads, as they "are generally better received by motorists than traditional fixed-speed cameras".
Your pictures: Crewe carnival and horses in the countrysidepublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveA couple of bank holiday weekend pictures that I've been sent now, from across Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Jonathan White took this at "The Lost Carnival" which took place at Queens Park in Crewe and included musicians, aerial performers and a trampoline acrobat.
Image source, Jonathan WhiteWhile BBC Radio Stoke's Perry Spiller took this at the weekend of some horse in Denford, Staffordshire.
Image source, Perry SpillerWatch: Football - new Crewe signing Ryan Lowe 'still got a lot to give'published at 16:22 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio StokeThe Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis says new signing Ryan Lowe still has ''a lot to give".
The 37-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Alex last week.
Decades-old tree given council protection despite complaintspublished at 16:08 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeA protection order has been put on an 80-year-old ash tree , externalin Stoke-on-Trent despite some residents saying they want it chopped down.
A number of them living on John Wallace Close, Fegg Hayes, have told BBC Radio Stoke that falling branches, muck from pigeons and blocked satellite signals are all due to the tree.
But the city council says the common ash is "unique" in the area and "makes an important contribution to the local street scene" - and has put a tree preservation order on it.
Amputee physio calls time on 38-year Burton careerpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
A physiotherapist from Hatton who has supported amputees at Burton's Queen's Hospital for 38 years is retiring, external.
Image source, Burton MailWatch: Tonight and tomorrow's weather forecast for Stoke and Staffordshirepublished at 15:42 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenterIf you want a weather forecast at any other time for your part of Staffordshire or Cheshire, you can get one from the BBC website.
Diabetes: Children 'not getting recommended checks'published at 15:28 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
BBC News HealthAlmost 75% of older children in England and Wales with diabetes are not getting key health checks, a study suggests.
Image source, Science Photo LibraryData from 27,682 children and young people showed 25.4% of those aged 12 and older had all seven recommended annual checks, such as eye screenings.
However, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which carried out the audit, says the overall picture is one of improving care.
Diabetes UK said missed health checks for children was "very worrying".
BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Wynbunbury and Hanburypublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Monica Rimmer
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeSome cracking pictures have been uploaded today and over the weekend from our BBC Weather Watchers in Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Here's a couple from user Sky Watcher in Wynbunbury, Cheshire, and Ianhrp in Hanbury, Staffordshire.
Image source, Sky Watcher
Image source, IanhrpNews: Ming Dynasty cup makes £3m at auction; call to help power station clubs; Stoke look for youth loanspublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 31 May 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe top stories for Staffordshire and Cheshire include:
- A rare Chinese cup, which was donated to Staffordshire University, has been sold today at auction for just over £3m, external
- There are calls for help to re-home sports clubs and community groups who are currently based at Rugeley B Power Station
- Stoke City's chief executive Tony Scholes says they will consider loaning out some of their young players next season
