Summary

  • Man jailed after huge cocaine haul

  • Inquiry after hospital power failure caused major incident

  • Health commissioning body rated inadequate

  • Updates from Friday 22 July 2016

  1. Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather this morningpublished at 08:35 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    You can also get latest weather forecasts from the BBC Weather website for your part of Staffordshire or Cheshire.

    Media caption,

    Weather for the West Midlands.

  2. Travel: Signalling problem hits train services through Staffordpublished at 08:26 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    There are delays on train services between Wolverhampton and Liverpool Lime Street, through Stafford this morning because of a signalling problem.

    It's affecting London Midland, CrossCountry and Virgin Trains services.

    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
  3. Travel: Break down on M6 shuts lane near Staffordpublished at 08:09 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    A lane is closed on the M6 northbound between junctions 13 and 14 near Stafford because of a broken down vehicle.

  4. Welcome to Stoke and Staffordshire's Live coverage for Wednesdaypublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 20 July 2016

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Well I was probably not the only one to struggle with sleeping last night - today should be a little bit cooler we are hearing.

    Hanley today

    We'll have a full look at the weather forecast for today shortly and there'll be news, sport, travel and other updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire through the day.

    I'll also be featuring photos sent in by you, the audience - send them in on email, tweet @BBCRadioStoke, external or use Instagram (with the tag #bbcstoke), external.

  5. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Live updates have finished for the day but stories could still appear through the night and into tomorrow.

    We'll be back from 08:00 on Wednesday with more live news, sport, travel and weather.

  6. Coming up on Midlands Todaypublished at 17:58 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Mary Rhodes
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    Our reporter Sarah Falkland visits a fruit and veg farm near Stourport on Severn to see how work continues in the heat.

    A couple from Stoke-on-Trent urge the NHS to fund a treatment which saved the life of their daughter and a Telford lorry driver has his £10,000 fine, for having five illegal immigrants in his trailer, waived.

    Find our more on Midlands Today, BBC1 at 18:30.

  7. Berahino bid from Stokepublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Matt Sandoz
    Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Stoke City have made a bid for West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino, believed to be £17m.

    Saido Berahino looking out of shot on the benchImage source, Michael Regan / Getty

    If the deal does go through, it could break the club's transfer record as add-ons would bring the total to over £20m.

    Berahino, 22, scored 36 goals in 71 starts for West Brom.

  8. Peregrine watchers have kit stolenpublished at 17:43 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Ros Chimes
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    Equipment worth more than £1,000 has been stolen from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's peregrine watch base near Leek. 

    Scopes used to view birds infront of van

    The kit - which includes binoculars and telescopes - had been locked in the trust's van overnight. 

    An appeal's been launched to raise funds to replace it.

    Quote Message

    We're all quite disappointed, but it's lovely to see the volunteers really band together, bringing in their own scopes and their own binoculars. Without their dedication this could have really set us back.

    Ian Kynaston, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

  9. Level crossing failure blocks roadpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    The A521 Uttoxeter Road in Blythe Bridge is blocked in both directions at the Caverswall Road junction, because of a level crossing failure, BBC Travel reports.

  10. Latest: Three arrested on suspicion of dealing drugs; peregrine watchers have kit stolen; man charged with attempted rapepublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    Here are some of the stories we've been covering today:

    - Three men have been arrested on suspicion of dealing drugs in Crewe

    - Equipment worth more than £1,000 has been stolen from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's peregrine watch base near Leek

    - Police have charged a 34-year-old man with attempted rape and theft in connection with an incident in Sandbach

  11. Blue skies in Biddulphpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

  12. Warning that hot weather could bring thunderstormspublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    A weather warning for thunderstorms across the West Midlands, external is in force from 17:00.

    The Met Office says while most places will miss the worst, it's warning of localised flash flooding, lightning, hail and strong winds.

    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
  13. Three arrested on suspicion of dealing drugspublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Jack Dowling
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    Three men have been arrested on suspicion of dealing drugs.

    Officers stopped a vehicle on Macon Way, Crewe, seizing cash from inside, and searched a house in Broady Court where a number of items were taken away.

    Two men. aged 20 and 19 were arrested at the scene, a third, aged 19, was arrested later on.

  14. Midfielder Grant asks to leave Valepublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Port Vale midfielder Anthony Grant will not be allowed to leave the club on the cheap, says chairman Norman Smurthwaite.

    Read More
  15. A hot night ahead but what about tomorrow?published at 16:28 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Media caption,

    Charlie Slater has your weather forecast

    More on BBC Weather.

  16. Man dies after jumping into riverpublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    A man dies after reportedly jumping into a river "to cool off" in hot weather.

    Read More
  17. Lane blocked on M6 northboundpublished at 16:21 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    BBC Travel

    There's a lane blocked and slow traffic on the M6 northbound between Keele Services and J16, A500 (Crewe), because of a broken down vehicle, BBC Travel reports. 

  18. Port Vale's Grant hands in transfer requestpublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Port Vale have confirmed that midfielder Anthony Grant has handed in a transfer request.

    Anthony Grant walking off a football pitchImage source, Harry Trump / Stringer

    Grant, who was last year's player of the season, joined the club after leaving Crewe last summer. 

    Chairman Norman Smurthwaite says no approach has been made for any Port Vale player at this time.

  19. Eight sentenced after fraud scam in Warwickshire and Staffordshirepublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Eight people have been sentenced, external after victims were conned out of more than £31,000 in a fraud scam say police.

    The men were sentenced at Warwick Crown Court after committing 64 offences in  Warwickshire and 17 in Staffordshire between October 2014 and January 2015.

    Victims receive phone calls informing them their bank card has been used fraudulently and they are tricked into handing over their details.  

    Police say the seven men and one 16-year-old boy targeted the elderly and vulnerable and the fraud had a "devastating" impact on the victims.

  20. Former soldiers living in hardship, charity sayspublished at 15:37 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Alice Bentley
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    An armed forces charity is warning that former soldiers and their families in Staffordshire and Cheshire are living in financial hardship.

    Coins on a tableImage source, Matt Cardy / Stringer

    The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Families Association, external found that working age veterans survive on an average household income of less than £14,000 a year. 

    It says financial disadvantage after military services is leading to long-term depression.