Summary

  • Staffordshire hospital under 'unacceptable strain', MP says

  • Drugs worth £7,000 seized in raids, police say

  • Four in court charged with robbing jewellers

  • Voice of Postman Pat Ken Barrie dies

  • Updates from Friday 29 July 2016

  1. Water park death: Police seek video footagepublished at 09:55 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    BBC News England

    Two people arrested after a five-year-old boy died in a suspected drowning at a water park have been released on police bail.  

    The boy, named locally as Charlie Dunn, from Tamworth, was pulled from the Blue Lagoon at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire on Saturday afternoon.

    He died later in hospital and a man and woman were arrested.

    Bosworth Water Park Blue Lagoon

    Police said the pair had been bailed "pending further inquires", adding an investigation was "ongoing".  

    Officers are urging witnesses and anyone with video footage taken at the park to come forward.  

  2. Football match raises money for mill explosion communitypublished at 09:39 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A football match has taken place in Macclesfield to raise money for charities that helped a community following the Bosley wood mill tragedy. Bosley United played a team of celebrities, including some Coronation Street stars, yesterday afternoon. Cheshire Police says it is continuing to investigate the explosion and fire a year on. Four people were killed, including Matthew Bailey's (featured in video) mother Dorothy Bailey.

  3. Latest: Man dies after police pursuit; two bailed over water park death; mother fears for son over racist abusepublished at 09:12 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Jodie Looker
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    This morning's headlines for Staffordshire and Cheshire include:

    - A man's died following a police pursuit in Staffordshire  

    - Two people arrested after a five-year-old boy from Tamworth died in a suspected drowning at a water park have been released on police bail

    - A woman from Staffordshire has told BBC Radio Stoke she fears for her five-year-old son's safety after she says he was subjected to racist abuse

  4. Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather for todaypublished at 08:57 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Sara Blizzard
    BBC Weather

    You can also get the latest weather forecast for your area at any time from the BBC Weather website.

    Media caption,

    The weather for the West Midlands

  5. Man dies in crash after police pursuitpublished at 08:38 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Jodie Looker
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A man's died following a police pursuit in Staffordshire. 

    Staffordshire Police says it happened on the A53 last night when officers from West Mercia Police were pursuing a car - it collided with another vehicle on the A53 in Baldwin's Gate, external.  

    Picture of crash scene in Baldwin's GateImage source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

    The force says there were two other passengers in the car - one is in a critical condition and the other is described as "walking wounded".

    The driver of the second vehicle was also injured and is in a stable condition. 

    The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed and the road was closed for about eight hours while investigators were at the scene. 

  6. UKIP MEP calls for prison reformpublished at 08:27 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Rob Mayor
    Black Country Political Reporter, BBC WM

    A UKIP leadership hopeful and West Midlands MEP is calling for hardline prison reform - and wants inmates to pay £40,000 a year for their stay.

    Bill Etheridge is calling for a string of changes, although he admitted to BBC WM his proposal would only work if convicts had assets.

    He has also admitted he has never been inside a jail.

    Jails "would probably work for people like him," he said, despite comments last week that prisons should be about "punishment rather than rehabilitation".    

    Bill Etheridge MEP
  7. Water park death manslaughter arrestspublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    A man and woman arrested after a five-year-old boy died at a water park were held on suspicion of manslaughter, police say.

    Read More
  8. Welcome to Stoke and Staffordshire's Live coverage for Mondaypublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 25 July 2016

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Good morning. It's looking like a bright, cloudy start to the morning and this was the scene over Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, at about 07:30.

    Hanley today

    We'll have a full weather forecast for you shortly along with plenty of news, sport, travel and other updates through the day for Staffordshire and Cheshire.

    I'll also try to feature as many of your pictures from around the counties as possible - send them in on email, Twitter, external or Instagram, external.