Expenses probe vanity case, ex-MEP sayspublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
A former UKIP MEP cleared of expenses fraud brands the police investigation against her a "vanity case".
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Updates from Friday 15 July 2016
Expenses probe vanity case, ex-MEP sayspublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Disorder arrests made at Stafford Castle music eventpublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Sarah Robertson
Producer, BBC Radio StokeFive people from Stafford have been arrested following disorder at a Stafford Castle music event.
It happened as Live at the Castle was coming to a close just before 21:00 on Sunday.
A 43-year-old woman is being held on suspicion of assault and being drunk and disorderly and four males aged between 17 and 31 have been arrested on suspicion of public order offences.
Four males arrested after car stolen in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 16:42 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio StokeStaffordshire Police has arrested four men following a car chase through Burslem this morning. It happened at about 09:30.
A black Peugeot had been reported stolen from Sackville Street earlier this morning and was spotted by officers on patrol near Burslem Park.
They tried to stop the car, but it was abandoned by the four men inside.
After a short chase along Moorland Road and Hamil Road, a 14-year-old and two 16-year-olds from Stoke-on-Trent, and a 17-year-old from Newcastle were arrested. They've been taken into custody for questioning.
Port Vale sign Swedish winger Mbambapublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Port Vale boss Bruno Ribeiro makes his ninth summer signing after agreeing a deal for Swedish winger Christopher Mbamba.
Read MoreLack of child mental health services in Staffordshire 'putting lives at risk'published at 16:29 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Sarah Robertson
Producer, BBC Radio StokeA lack of mental health services in Staffordshire is putting children's lives at risk, according to a Stoke-on-Trent mother.
Nettie Bromley's 15-year-old daughter Tegan has anorexia and she has struggled to get the urgent help she needs over the past two years, with treatment taking the family all over the country.
Nettie told Morgan in the Morning she needs more support.
Quote MessageThe last two years have been a constant battle of fighting the system, getting people to listen and battling an eating disorder that doesn't want to be won.
Nettie Bromley, Mother of teenager suffering anorexia
A spokesman for Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group, external said: "It wouldn't be appropriate to comment on a specific case, but local services work together to recognise and support children and young people with existing and emerging mental health issues."
Sightings of herons needed for Staffordshire's canalspublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
John Acres
BBC Radio StokeAn appeal has been launched for people to report sightings of herons on Staffordshire's canals and rivers in an effort to gauge the health of the waterway ecosystems they rely on.
The appeal comes from the Canal & River Trust, external, the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales, as part of the Great Nature Watch, external, a nationwide survey of wildlife.
I went along to the canal in Great Haywood to see if I could spot some herons; and I wasn't disappointed.
Football: Stoke City players settle in at Austrian training camppublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio StokeThe Stoke City players are over in Kitzbühel, Austria, for their pre-season training.
Stoke City have shared a behind the scenes look at the camp.
The Potters kick off the new season with an away trip to newly promoted Middlesbrough on 13 August.
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End of twitter postIt looks like the players are already having a good time. Spanish winger Bojan shared this picture on his Twitter.
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End of twitter post 2Afternoon weather forecast for the West Midlandspublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Afternoon weather forecast for the West Midlands
Mother of Newcastle boy struggling to raise money for treatmentpublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeThe mum of a Newcastle-under-Lyme boy needing private treatment after a life-changing operation says she's still struggling to raise money.
Amy Baddeley's son Ben had a privately paid for operation in 2014 to address his cerebral palsy, external after NHS bosses pulled their funding.
The family have since met with health service officials about funding part of his physiotherapy and she says it's becoming hard to continue paying for it themselves.
Quote MessageI've got to try and find the money for the very last week of this month and the beginning of August. The company we use are very understanding of our situation.
Amy Baddeley, Ben's mother
Closed Crewe swimming pool floodedpublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Lamont Howie
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeA disused former swimming has been flooded - as attempts were made to fill it.
The flood happened yesterday evening at the now closed pool in Flag Lane, Crewe.
Image source, Cheshire East CouncilThe Cheshire pool shut earlier this year as a new purpose-built "lifestyle centre" opened nearby.
Three fire engines were sent, because it was thought there were chemicals present, which turned out not to be the case.
Police are appealing for witnesses.
New record for strongman Eddie Hall is 'huge boost'published at 15:24 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
BBC Radio Stoke SportStrongman Eddie Hall says setting a new deadlift world record has given him a huge boost ahead of the World's Strongest Man competition next month, external.
This weekend Hall, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, became the first man in history to lift 500kg, the equivalent of almost 80 stone.
HS2 build 'will start next year'published at 15:04 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands TodayTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has told a conference in Birmingham that building work on HS2 will definitely begin next year.
He was responding to speculation that the £56bn project could be in trouble economically because of the decision to leave the EU.
The tone of the High Speed Rail conference at Millennium Point, though, is it's very much business as usual and the rail line is more vital than ever to Britain's economy.
Metal theft probe at mill blast sitepublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Police launch an investigation into the suspected theft of scrap metal at a mill where four people died in an explosion last year.
Read MoreKidsgrove man bailed after Bosley break-inpublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio StokeA 32-year old man from Kidsgrove has been released on bail, after being arrested last night on suspicion of stealing scrap metal at the Bosley Wood mill site.
Teenager denies attacking father as he played football with children in parkpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeA teenager has denied attacking a man while he played football with his children in a park in Stoke-on-Trent.
At the city's Crown court, Badr Rayan, 19, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated racial assault, one charge of assaulting a police officer and one of carrying a bladed weapon.
He admitted one count of assault against a police officer and being in possession of Stanley knife.
The alleged victim suffered slash wounds to his face during the incident in Hanley Forest Park on 5 June.
The defendant was remanded in custody until his trial, at a date to be set.
MEP expenses case 'long and complex', say policepublished at 14:23 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
West Midlands Police says the expenses case against ex-UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire has been "long and complex".
Outside Birmingham Crown Court earlier, after being cleared of fiddling travel expenses, the 47-year-old claimed £1.5m of public money had been spent to build a case against her - a figure as yet unsubstantiated.
Superintendent Maria Fox said: "This long, complex inquiry has been investigated in a diligent and professional manner."
Quote MessageIt resulted in extensive evidence being presented to the Crown Prosecution Service which they accepted as significant enough to charge Nikki Sinclaire. Our criminal justice system quite rightly demands a very high standard of proof and we acknowledge the verdict from the jury today."
Maria Fox, Superintendent, West Midlands Police
MEP criticises '£1.5m' spend on case against herpublished at 14:07 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Ex-UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire has criticised what she claims has been a public spend of £1.5m on the case against her.
She was cleared by a jury earlier of fiddling travel expense claims while in office and laundering the cash.
She criticised West Midlands Police's handling of the criminal inquiry, saying that the 10 claims upon which the Crown's case rested - and of which she was cleared - were now nearly "seven years old", dating to October 2009.
The force defended its handling of the investigation and has declined to say how much the inquiry cost.
Moment strongman breaks lifting recordpublished at 14:07 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Strongman Eddie Hall, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, has become the first man ever to deadlift 500kg (80 stone). The 28-year-old father of two had nose bleeds and passed out briefly after breaking the world record. He said: "A lot of people laughed and said it wasn't possible. I love to prove people wrong." But that's not stopping him from his ultimate aim: "Today pulling the 500kg, making history, it's great... but my life ambition is to be the world's strongest man."
Disadvantaged children help out on school farmpublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
A Rocester school has welcomed children benefiting from a charity offering respite, external to disadvantaged youngsters from across the UK.
Image source, Uttoexeter AdvertiserAttempted scrap metal theft at Bosley Wood blast sitepublished at 13:37 British Summer Time 11 July 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio StokeAttempts have been made to steal scrap metal from the site of the Bosley Wood mill blast, just days before the first anniversary of the fatal explosion.
Cheshire Police was called to the site last night after reports four men in dark clothing had been seen entering the site.
Officers say three men escaped via the River Dane and the fire service helped search the river, but to no avail. A 32-year old man from Kidsgrove was arrested on suspicion of theft of scrap metal.
Image source, Cheshire Fire and Rescue ServiceOn 17 July last year, four workers died in a blast at the wood treatment plant near Congleton.
Police called last night's incident a "despicable act" and are appealing for witnesses.
