BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire on Thursday 16 June 2016

Summary

Updates on Thursday 16 June 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Football: Stoke's Arnautovic hasn't agreed new deal yetpublished at 17:27 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
BBC Sport
Stoke City forward Marko Arnautovic is yet to agree to a new contract, but boss Mark Hughes is hopeful they can keep the 27-year-old.
Image source, AP
The Austria international has 12 months left of his deal and has been linked to Paris St-Germain.
"We are where we were with Marko, but we remain very hopeful of being able to keep him here.
"He isn't going to rush into any decision - clearly he has had an offer on the table from ourselves for a period of time now but his advisors want to take a look at the options for him."
MP leads calls to turn children's centres into 'family hubs'published at 17:19 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
Children's centres shouldn't just be for children and their parents - according to a new report led by Congleton's MP, which says they should instead become "family hubs".
Over the last few years children's centres have closed or faced cutbacks across the country including recently in MP Fiona Bruce's constituency in Sandbach, external.
Image source, Dominic Lipinski/PA
But now a committee she chairs says the centres should expand to offer help to find jobs, external, relationship support and more health services.
The report says the government and councils should make the changes a priority.
Diver retrieves £10k heirloom ring in Majorcapublished at 17:13 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Stephen Stafford
BBC News Online
A veteran diver who retrieved a Staffordshire student's lost ring - worth £10,000 - from the Mediterranean seabed said it was "fairly easy" to find.
George Edmunds, 75, from Weymouth, Dorset was flown to Majorca by Katie Patterson, 24, a student living in Newcastle-under-Lyme, after she had lost the heirloom while swimming in the sea.
Image source, BNPS
The expert in underwater metal detecting found it within an hour.
Describing Ms Patterson's reaction when reunited with the ring, he said: "You should have seen her face".
Swan killed in reported shootingpublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
A swan's been shot in what animal welfare charity the RSPCA, external describe as a "shocking incident".
Image source, Google
The charity says a member of the public saw a man aiming and shooting the bird on a lake at Croxall Lakes nature reserve in Croxall Road, in Alrewas on 7 July.
The body of a swan was later found nearby.
Quote Message
It is very distressing to think that people take pleasure in causing harm to these beautiful and defenceless birds. These are deliberate acts of cruelty and we would appeal to people's consciences not to commit these offences."
Kate Levesley, RSPCA inspector
Horror as toddler burned on skate ramp in scorching sunshinepublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Tamworth Herald
A toddler needed burns treatment after touching a skate ramp that had reached a sizzling 51C, external in the sunshine.
Image source, Tamworth Herald/Jim Jarvis
Premier League pre-season: How far is your club travelling?published at 16:12 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
BBC Sport
Premier League teams will clock up an estimated 172,413 miles in total during pre-season for friendlies and tours.
Image source, Getty Images
Clubs will visit 14 countries, with 17 matches in the United States making it the most-visited place. Austria is second with 11.
Stoke City are set to rack up a total distance of 9,624 miles with matches ranging from Orlando City and Hamburg to Preston and Burton.
BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Madeley and Tamworthpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
BBC Weather Watchers
As Staffordshire and Cheshire's been basking in sunshine, our BBC Weather Watchers have been busy taking photos across the area.
These two are from users Graham's Vista in Tamworth and Young Ted in Madeley.
Image source, Graham's vista
Image source, Young ted
Football: Defender Smith targeting starting place at Port Valepublished at 15:34 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale defender Nathan Smith says he's ready to become a regular in the starting 11 this season.
Image source, Port Vale FC
The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at conference side Torquay, external and he told BBC Radio Stoke that his time there was beneficial.
Quote Message
It's a tough league, very physical, good sides in there. I think it was a good move for me to go there and play 40+ games and come back. I think I'm in a better position now to push for a start."
Nathan Smith, Port Vale defender
Travel: Breakdown closes M6 lane near Cannockpublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
BBC Travel
A lane's shut on the M6 northbound between junctions 12 and 13 near Cannock because of a broken down vehicle.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Urgent help called for after schools funding scheme delayedpublished at 14:33 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
BBC News Education
A Staffordshire MP is calling for urgent help for the county's schools after the government delayed plans for a "fairer" funding formula.
The new Education Secretary Justine Greening has pushed back changes to the way schools cash is allocated, saying she needs an extra year to get it right.
The Conservative MP for Stafford, Jeremy Lefroy, says schools in the area have some of the lowest funding in the country and headteachers need extra money this coming year.
Ms Greening said the new timescale would allow local authorities to plan ahead and no school would lose funding.
Trio of names for shopping centre plan in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 14:14 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Developers wanting to build a new shopping area in Stoke-on-Trent have released a shortlist of three possible names for the project. , external
They are Unity Walk, Eastwood or Rectory Quarter - Realis Estates say they all have local relevance.
Image source, Realis Estates
The developer plans to build on the old bus station and East West centre in Hanley, external and had wanted to call the original scheme City Sentral but it was mocked for the way the title was spelt.
Realis Estates says they've launched an online poll for people to decide which of the three names will be used.
Man questioned after woman found unconscious in streetpublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live
A 20-year-old man continues to be questioned after a woman was found unconscious outside a church in High Street, Chasetown last night.
Staffordshire Police say they arrested the man, external on suspicion of assault after the 53-year-old woman was found lying on the pavement.
The road remains closed while police carry out inquiries.
Lowe relishes partnership with Dagnallpublished at 13:45 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Crewe striker Ryan Lowe says his partnership up front with Chris Dagnall is working well ahead of the new season.
Read More
JCB factory fire: Fire service leaves scenepublished at 13:35 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says crews have left the site of a fire at JCB's factory on Leek Road in Cheadle.
The site had been evacuated while they tackled the blaze on some piping - the service says it started accidentally.
Park awarded a prestigious Green Flagpublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
A Little Bit Of Stone
Stonefield Park in Stone has picked up a prestigious Green Flag, external, the award given to the best open spaces in the country, for the first time.
Image source, A Little Bit of Stone
Council backs rail devolutionpublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
James Bovill
Staffordshire Political Reporter, BBC News
Staffordshire County Council has signed an agreement which could pave the way for control over local rail services to be devolved from the government, external to the West Midlands.
West Midlands Rail Limited was formed from local councils to give them more of say over how regional services are run.
Its biggest responsibility will be helping to decide who gets the London Midland franchise when it expires next year.
Yesterday the county council agreed to sign a collaboration agreement , externalbetween West Midlands Rail and the Department for Transport to allow that devolution of power to happen.
The stated aim of course is to create better quality and more reliable train services.
Your pictures: Kingsley lavender and 'custard fields'published at 12:17 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
This stunning picture of lavender was shared on Instagram by Erin Smallbone who says it was taken in her garden in Kingsley, Staffordshire.
Image source, Erin Smallbone
While these fields - "custard fields" as she called them - were snapped by Ann Ferrington who emailed them in from Bridgemere, Cheshire.
If you've got a picture of the area to share you can also send them in on email or share on Instagram (add the tag #bbcstoke), external.
Image source, Ann Ferrington
JCB factory fire: Accidentally startedpublished at 12:03 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
We've heard in the last few minutes from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service that the fire at JCB's factory on Leek Road in Cheadle was started accidentally.
The service say at the moment though the factory is still evacuated.
Police name man who died after jumping into river to 'cool off'published at 11:53 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
Raj Kaur Bilkhu
Broadcast Journalist
A man who died after reportedly jumping into a river in Staffordshire "to cool off" in hot weather has been named by police.
Image source, Google
Sylwester Ficon, 46, was pulled from the water by emergency services at Waterside Road, Burton-upon-Trent, on Monday night.
He was treated by paramedics but later died in hospital, said Staffordshire Police - they add that the cause of death hasn't yet been confirmed.
Travel: Debris on road shuts two M6 lanes in Staffordshirepublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 21 July 2016
BBC Travel
Two lanes are shut on the M6 southbound between junctions 13 and 12 near Stafford because of debris on the road.