Health expert expects County Hospital's children's A&E to stay shut
'Lucky escape' for four people in M6 crash
Snake in canal: Expert says it's an 'Albino Burmese Python'
Our updates from Friday 26 August
We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.
Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands Today
I understand having spoken to some staff that they were told by email this morning about the suspension of children's A&E services at Stafford's County Hospital - and there has been a meeting talking to staff about the reasons for this sudden change.
This has happened before in other areas such as Redditch - the worrying thing is why it's happened so suddenly.
There is a national shortage of paediatric consultants and doctors.
We'll have to wait and see if there's any chance of it reopening again.
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale have signed the Liverpool defender Sam Hart on a one-year season, external loan.
Image source, Port Vale FCThe 19-year-old is expected to compete for the left-back position.
His signing brings the total number of transfers into Port Vale to 15 this summer.
Stone Town Council, with the Stafford and Stone Canoe Club, are preparing to welcome our Olympic gold medal winner, Joe Clarke, back, external to Stone in style.
Image source, Joe Clarke
Sian Grzeszczyk
Staffordshire Reporter, BBC Midlands Today
A new £200,000 machine has been bought by Staffordshire County Council, external to fill in and repair potholes.
The authority says it's been paid for by the government after they bid for the cash and means they can do several potholes with fewer staff.
The council says it fixes 350 potholes every week - it's officially called the "Roadmaster" but they've nicknamed it "the zapper".
See just how it measures up in my report on Midlands Today on BBC One from 18:30.
Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A vivid green covering has appeared on parts of a lake in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The green algae is currently just along the edge of Rudyard Lake and is being blamed by staff at the site on the recent wet weather.
Ray Perry
They say it is harmless and is caused by nutrients running off fields and hills into the water courses that feed the water.
Ray Perry, a ranger from the Rudyard Lake Trust, external (featured in video), says it's business as usual and the algae is nothing to worry about - but people shouldn't swim in it.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City won't see their injured goalkeeper Jack Butland return for their match against Everton at the weekend.
He's been out since injuring his ankle in training before the first game of the season.
Image source, Getty ImagesSpeaking at his press conference today, manager Mark Hughes was asked about the injures to his side and Butland in particular:
"It may benefit him to give him the break to overcome it and come back after the two-week break," he said.
"Xherdan Shaqiri is one that we are hopeful of but he still has some tightness, so we will look over the next day or two."
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
This evening's headlines include:
- The medical director at the NHS trust running Stafford's County Hospital says he doesn't know when it will be safe for children to be treated at the site
- A breastfeeding mother said she was asked to "cover up" and feed her nine-week-old son in a pub toilet in Stoke-on-Trent
- A new £200,000 machine has been bought by Staffordshire County Council, external to fill in and repair potholes
BBC Radio Stoke
A hospital campaigner has described the suspension of children's accident and emergency services at Stafford's County Hospital as "a terrible day" for the town.
A shortage of staff with the right specialist training had forced the closure to patients under 18, the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said.
Image source, Getty ImagesCheryl Porter, who co-founded the Support Stafford Hospital group, claimed they warned the service could become "unsafe" two years ago.
"We knew that this could happen because it hasn't got the back-up that that department needed", she said.
A life-size bronze sculpture of the Stoke-on-Trent-born Motorhead frontman Lemmy has been unveiled in West Hollywood, California.
Lemmy was born Ian Fraser Kilmister in Burslem on 24 December 1945 - he died aged 70 in December two days after being diagnosed with cancer.
Image source, Getty ImagesHe spent much of his downtime in later years at the Rainbow Bar and Grill and the statue has been put up at the renowned rock and roll venue.
It's the result of a crowd-funding campaign which raised more than $22,000 (£16,600).
Port Vale sign teenage defender Sam Hart on loan from Liverpool until the end of the season.
Read More
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
The medical director at the NHS trust running Stafford's County Hospital says he doesn't know when it will be safe for children to be treated at the site.
The hospital's Children's Emergency Centre has been deemed unsafe because of a lack of specialist staff.
Quote MessageIf I had an immediate solution we'd have instituted it now and we wouldn't have suspended the hospital. So my honest answer is 'I don't know' but we will be working on this in the next few days and weeks. We will aim to develop and re-institute the service as quickly as we can."
Dr John Oxtoby, Acting medical director at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
This picture's been sent in by Rachel Moore via the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page, external who added that it shows her family: "Doing the barefoot walk at Trentham".
Image source, Rachel MooreWhile Mark Sandbach emailed this in of Congleton Park which he says he took yesterday.
If you want to share pictures you've taken recently of Staffordshire or Cheshire you can send them in on email, Twitter, external and Instagram, external.
Image source, Mark Sandbach
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
Here's the forecast for tonight and tomorrow - get ones at any other time from the BBC Weather website.
Weather forecast for the West Midlands
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The temporary suspension of children's accident and emergency at Stafford's County Hospital is the latest in a string of services to be downgraded or withdrawn from the site.
In 2011, the site had its A&E closed overnight after it struggled to recruit qualified staff while it was in the middle of a public inquiry, centred on failings into what was then called Stafford Hospital.
The hospital was then taken on by the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust in 2014 after the previous trust was declared clinically and financially unviable.
In January 2015, maternity services at the County Hospital were downgraded with all consultant-led care moved to the Royal Stoke University Hospital - they were followed by gynaecology, acute surgery and trauma.
Then in May 2015, paediatric services were ended in the town with youngsters again being treated instead at the Royal Stoke.
A review was started in July this year into whether maternity services could return to the County Hospital.
BBC Travel
There's been an accident on the A521 Froghall Road in Cheadle, Staffordshire at the junction with Ness Grove.
Raj Kaur Bilkhu
Broadcast Journalist
An 11-year-old boy from Staffordshire has "the ability to understand complex ideas far beyond his years".
That's been said about Isaac Cumberlidge, from Castle Primary School in Mow Cop, who has achieved an A* grade in GCSE maths - five years ahead of his peers.
Image source, CASTLE PRIMARY SCHOOLHe's also scored 100% in a Sats maths paper and his mother, Gail Cumberlidge, said the family were "delighted with his achievement".
Isaac's head teacher Jill Mason said he "enjoys the challenge of solving number problems".
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Staffordshire Police says it has already made "positive actions" after a government inspection report said it "requires improvement" over recording crime.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said the force was failing to record, external "over 6,700 reported crimes" a year including violence and sexual offences.
In a statement Deputy Chief Constable, Nick Baker said before the inspection they're recruited seven new Crime Auditors to improve their crime recording capacity.
There are delays this afternoon to London Midland services between Penkridge, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton, the operator says.
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Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
This afternoon's headlines include the following top stories:
- The MP for Stafford says he's "deeply disappointed" by the closure of children's accident and emergency services at Stafford's County Hospital
- A Cheshire man who was critically injured in a stabbing at a backpacking hostel in Australia, tried to save the life of a woman who's died
- A Stoke-on-Trent mum has told BBC Radio Stoke she was left "close to tears" when she was asked to breastfeed her son in a disabled toilet at a pub in Sneyd Green
