Summary

  • Updates on Thursday 16 June 2016

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday

  1. Brexit one month on: Have your saypublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    BBC Midlands Today

    If you’re still feeling a little lost and confused about what Britain’s decision to Brexit means for you, you aren’t alone. 

    A month on from the EU Referendum we’re calling in an expert to sort the facts from fiction, looking at what people said would happen and what actually happened and then make a best guess at what is likely to happen as we prepare to leave. 

    We’ve also been interested in hearing from a range of voices from across the West Midlands to find out how Brexit has affected their daily lives – if at all. 

    Today on the programme we meet the Sorge family - a French mum and German dad who weren't allowed to vote but were shocked by Brexit - and Sutton Coldfield window cleaner Roger Needle who wants to leave the EU.

    Sorge family and Roger Needle

    We’d love to hear your thoughts too, so share them with us here on Facebook, external or Twitter, external and we’ll try to read as many as we can on the programme tonight.  

  2. Football: Johnson hoping to see old Liverpool team-mate at Stoke Citypublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Dan Wheeler
    BBC Sport

    Full-back Glen Johnson says he would "love" Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen to sign for Stoke City.

    The Potters had a £13m bid for Wales midfielder Allen, 26, accepted on Thursday by the Anfield club.

    Glen Johnson (left) and Joe Allen (right)Image source, Getty Images

    And Johnson is excited about the prospect of his former team-mate coming to the Britannia Stadium.  

    Quote Message

    He's a fantastic player. He'd be brilliant for the squad - he's one of those players who gets the game going."

    Glen Johnson, Stoke City defender

  3. Watch: Local Meals on Wheels marks 70th birthdaypublished at 17:27 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Chris King
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    A special event's being held to mark the 70th anniversary of Stoke-on-Trent's Meals on Wheels service.   , external

    Media caption,

    Stoke-on-Trent's Meals on Wheels service marks 70th birthday.

    Every day its volunteers - such as Ken and Pat Clewlow (featured in video) - deliver food to around a 120 people across the city. 

    Tonight they're getting together in Burslem to celebrate the "birthday".  

  4. Pokemon Go players warned over five Stoke-on-Trent locationspublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Pokemon Go fans are being warned to take precautions if searching for the game's digital creatures in five areas of Stoke-on-Trent. 

    Staffordshire Police says it is currently aware of five locations in the city where they can be found and wants players to be aware of traffic safety issues and the potential of phone theft. , external

    Pokemon Go appImage source, EPA

    The areas are Burslem Park, Central Forest Park, James Brindley Way traffic island, the John Baskeyfield statue roundabout on Festival Park and Royal Stoke University Hospital's A&E.

    Health bosses have already warned players of the smartphone app not to enter the accident and emergency unit while they hunt 

  5. Look ahead at weekend weatherpublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    BBC Weather

    What's the weather going to be like this weekend?

    It'll be much like that we've experienced over the past few days - sunshine and showers.

    Weekend weather forecast
  6. Watch: German children help tend war gravespublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Emma Thomas
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    School children from Germany have been in Staffordshire to visit the graves of German soldiers killed in World War Two.   , external

    Media caption,

    German children help tend Staffordshire war graves.

    There are 5,000 men buried at the military cemetery on Cannock Chase.

    Pupils from local schools helped the visitors to clean, paint and weed the site as part of a peace project dating back to the 1960s.  

  7. Four month road closure starts on Monday in Crewepublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    People planning to drive in Crewe on Monday are being warned by Cheshire East Council of a four-month road closure that'll start from Monday.

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  8. Crewe BHS closure date confirmedpublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Lamont Howie
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    British Home Stores has confirmed it will close its Crewe store on Saturday 30 July. 

    BHS in Crewe

    It's understood the 19 staff will be offered roles at other stores to support the wind down.

  9. Football: Swansea could rival Stoke for Allenpublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    BBC Sport

    Swansea City are considering a bid for Liverpool's Wales midfielder Joe Allen.

    Stoke have had a £13m bid accepted by the Reds for the 26-year-old, who played for the Swans until his 2012 switch to Anfield.

    Joe AllenImage source, Getty Images

    Swansea's American takeover has been completed this week.

    "Joe is one of our own players and if at all possible we would probably make that signing," Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins told BBC Sport.

  10. Travel: Rail lines blocked between Tamworth and Birminghampublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    Trains are being delayed between Tamworth and Birmingham because the lines are blocked both ways due to a points failure.

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  11. Cathedral gets £690,000 grant for 'urgent repairs'published at 16:04 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Alice Bentley
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    Work to repair part of Lichfield Cathedral's been given a grant of £690,000, external.

    Lichfield Cathedral Chapter House (External)Image source, Will Fuller Photography

    Lichfield Cathedral says the money's come from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

    They say it'll go towards their efforts to repair its Chapter House which has been damaged by "serious water penetration and stone erosion".

  12. Travel: Overturned lorry on A51 in Nantwichpublished at 15:54 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    A lorry's overturned and is partially blocking the A51 Barony Road in Nantwich westbound, between the junctions of Reaseheath Roundabout and Bluestone Traffic Lights.

    Congestion on the A530 Nantwich Road is back to Wistaston Green Road and on the A500 back to the A534 Crewe Road junction.

  13. Football: Port Vale summer signings 'will adjust' says Brownpublished at 15:47 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Port Vale's assistant manager Michael Brown says the club's new summer signings will adjust to English football. 

    Vale ParkImage source, Port Vale FC

    The majority of the Vale's pre-season signings have experience of playing in Europe but not in England. 

    Quote Message

    The pre-season games are going to bring out what to expect. I think they'll be a bit more realistic as to what's about to come [in League One]."

    Michael Brown, Port Vale's assistant manager

  14. Pets at Home fire out in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Staffordshire Fire Service say it's not thought anyone was injured in a fire at the Pets at Home centre on Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent this morning.

    They say the fire which started in an animal waste hopper is now out and they've left the scene - it's not yet been revealed what caused the blaze.

  15. Man jailed after huge cocaine haulpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A man has been jailed for six years, external after officers discovered what they described as a £4.9m haul of cocaine when he was stopped on the M6 near Crewe.  

    Voicu Razvan FloreaImage source, Cheshire Police

    Voicu Razvan Florea, 31, from Harrow, London, admitted one count of possession with intent to supply a class A drug at Chester Crown Court today. 

    Cheshire Police say he was stopped on the motorway in April and officers found 16 blocks of cocaine in a suitcase in the car.

  16. Crewe fans jailed for FA Cup violencepublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Lamont Howie
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    Three Crewe Alexandra fans have been sent to prison for six months and given six-year football banning orders after violence at the end of an FA Cup game at Gresty Road last year.

    Chester Crown CourtImage source, Geograph

    A fourth supporter has been handed a suspended prison sentence by Chester Crown Court and two others given community orders - they've also been banned from games for four years.

    The men are in their late teens and 20s and from Crewe and Kidsgrove - they were arrested after fighting following the Alex's 1-0 defeat to Eastleigh last November., external

  17. Football: Stoke City's Johnson backs Allardyce as England managerpublished at 14:21 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    Matt Sandoz
    Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    The Stoke City defender Glen Johnson says Sam Allardyce deserves a shot at managing England. 

    Sam AllardyceImage source, PA

    Johnson who has 54 England caps told BBC Radio Stoke that the former Sunderland boss can be a success.

    Quote Message

    He deserves his chance, I'm sure he'll get the squad firing and pick the players that he wants to pick. I'm sure we'll know if it was the right decision in a couple of years time."

    Glen Johnson, Stoke City defender

  18. Woman seriously hurt in crashpublished at 14:06 British Summer Time 22 July 2016

    BBC Radio Stoke

    A woman's been seriously hurt in a crash in Staffordshire, external early this morning. 

    Ambulance crews were called to junction of the A515 and B5234 in Newborough just before 01:30. 

    Junction of A515 and B5234Image source, Google

    They say a car had been involved in a crash and a passenger, a woman believed to be 17 years old, had suffered a serious chest injury. 

    Paramedics say the driver suffered less serious injuries.