Stoke-on-Trent Live

From the Stoke-on-Trent Live website:

• Coronavirus hits another Staffordshire school as children told to self-isolate, external
• Police probe after postman accused of 'sexually assaulting' woman on his round, external
• More than 140 arrests made in two weeks as Staffordshire Police crackdown on criminals, external

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had some brighter spells mixed in with the cloud this morning, as far as we can tell from photos sent in by BBC Weather Watchers.

Here are three of them from users Videoman in Leek, Staffordshire, Willow 54 in Hereford and David 007 in Kinver, Staffordshire:

Image source, Videoman

Image source, Willow 54

Image source, David 007

BBC Radio Stoke

A road remains cordoned off after a man's death in Stoke-on-Trent.

Staffordshire Police said officers were called to Lightwood Road in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent shortly after midnight on Monday.

A 23-year-old man had reportedly been stabbed and was taken to hospital by paramedics but died en-route, the force said.

A 16-year-old boy, from Stoke-on-Trent, has been arrested on suspicion of murder, it added.

Richard Street, 30, will be sentenced with another man who earlier admitted murdering Anas Chergat.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

These stories are being covered by the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today:

• Man found with serious injuries in Stoke-on-Trent street dies on way to hospital, external
• Hanley traders demand action as trouble-plagued city centre goes 'mental', external
• Former footballer reveals 'living hell' of losing beloved wife to cancer, external

A 16-year-old remains in police custody after the incident on Lightwood Road, police say.

BBC Radio Stoke

A new walk-through Covid-19 test centre is due to open today in Crewe amid rising infection rates in Cheshire.

Image source, PA Media

Cheshire East Council said, external people would have to book appointments in advance for the site on the car park on Chester Street.

On Thursday, the area was put on the coronavirus watchlist as an "area of concern".

The infection rate for Cheshire East rose from 41.1 people per 100,000 in the week to 22 September to 56.0 for the following week.

Nick Powell rescues a point for Stoke City with a late equaliser in a drab home game with Birmingham City.

A nurse is learning British Sign Language (BSL) for deaf patients at County Hospital in Stafford.

A hat-trick from ex-Burton midfielder Marcus Harness sees Portsmouth to their first league win of the campaign.

Oxford United's League One match at home to Crewe Alexandra is postponed after a visiting player tests positive for Covid-19.

Peregrine falcons and a buzzard have been found to be illegally poisoned by the same pesticide.

Adam Phillips scores the only goal of the game, his third of the season, as Morecambe beat Port Vale in League Two.

A section of the A50 in Stoke-on-Trent has been closed for several hours today, after the death of a man.

The westbound carriageway has reopened but it remains closed eastbound between Longton and Normacott.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Staffordshire Police said officers were called out to an area near Longton at 09:00 and officers are still at the scene.

People are being reminded not to bring potentially explosive devices in to police stations after someone brought a military shell to Leek police station yesterday afternoon.

Army bomb disposal experts were called to the office on Fountain Street when the object was found in a garage during a house clearance and dropped off in the yard.

Image source, Google

A cordon was set up as a precaution, but the shell was found to be safe.

BBC Radio Stoke

Investigations are continuing into a unknown substance found at a flat in Burslem where a man was found dead on Tuesday.

An Army bomb disposal unit was sent to the property on Federation Road when the body was found, but Staffordshire Police said the death of the 31-year-old was not being treated as suspicious.

Image source, Google

BBC Radio Stoke

Three men are in custody in connection with a police investigation into serious and organised crime in Crewe and Nantwich.

Cheshire Police said they're aged 16 to 32, and were arrested following raids in Stockport.

All are being questioned on suspicion of supplying heroin and crack cocaine.

Hannah Cheetham was upset and embarrassed at being removed from a ride at Alton Towers.

Crewe, Nantwich and parts of east Cheshire have been added to the government's list of "areas of concern", because of coronavirus.

It means local authorities there are expected to take extra action to stop the spread of the virus, which may include the targeting of high-risk groups or extra effort to get the social distancing message across.

Image source, Cheshire East Council

If the situation in the Cheshire East council area worsens, the next step would be to declare it an area of "enhanced support", and then an "area of intervention".

BBC Radio Shropshire

A fast-tracking service to test pupils for covid symptoms at the Haberdashers' Adams grammar school in Newport has been stopped, because it can't cope with the demand.

Children have been told they'll no longer get tested through the school and the scheme will be for staff only.

Image source, Google