BBC Travel

There's stop-start traffic on the M6 southbound, starting in Staffordshire, between junctions 10a and 8.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Good morning everyone, it's a great start to the day with blue skies over Stoke-on-Trent - this was Shelton just before 07:30.

To find out if it will continue we'll have a weather forecast for the day shortly and there'll be plenty of news, sport, travel and other updates through today.

We'll also feature as many of your pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire as we can - send them in on email, tweet @BBCRadioStoke, external or use Instagram, external.

A hospital which cares for children with mental health issues is placed under special measures by watchdogs.

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.

Holidaymakers are again being urged to help as the 11-year anniversary of the disappearance , externalof a young man in Crete approaches.

Steven Cook, from Sandbach, who was 20 at the time of his disappearance, went missing on 1 September 2005 during a holiday to Malia.

Mr Cook had travelled to the Greek island with friends and was last seen outside a pub in the resort asking for directions to his hotel. 

He was en-route back to his hotel, the Hotel Frixos, when he went missing.

Image source, Cheshire Police

Anyone with information relevant to Steven's disappearance which could help Greek police is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101. 

A reward of 7,000 euros is being offered by Mr Cook's family for any information that leads to finding him.

Stone's MP Sir Bill Cash has joined many others offering best wishes to the town's Olympic champion Joe Clarke.

He said: “I was absolutely delighted to meet with Joe Clarke and his parents at the homecoming celebration in Westbridge Park.

"We met and I paid tribute to him and his marvellous achievement of an Olympic victory, which is superb for Stone, Staffordshire and the country."

The mother of a man fatally injured in Australia while trying to save a fellow backpacker's life says she will be "forever grateful" to have had her son in her life.

The statement is read by family friend Heather Kemball.

Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

The headlines this afternoon:

- Relatives of a backpacker from Cheshire who's died in Australia have paid tribute to a "wonderful big brother" and darling son

- Plans for new hourly service between Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, external to Wolverhampton and Birmingham

- Stone MP sends praise to town's Olympic champion Joe Clarke

Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local LIve

Relatives of a backpacker from Cheshire who died in Australia have paid tribute to a "wonderful big brother and darling son". 

Tom Jackson, from Congleton, was fatally injured as he tried to help Mia Ayliffe Chung, who was stabbed to death at a hostel in Queensland. 

His mother Sandra released a statement, which is read by family friend Heather Kemball. 

Hundreds of motorists were caught speeding over the bank holiday weekend. 

Staffordshire Police targeted speeding motorists along the A500 and A50.

More than 10% of those detected exceeded speeds of 100mph in a 70mph zone. One motorist was caught speeding at 111mph., external

Another motorist, stopped along the A50, was recorded at 92mph and when he subsequently failed a drug test was arrested. A 28-year-old man was later bailed.

Most drivers caught speeding face a fine, penalty points or a speed awareness course.

The Sentinel

A mother of two has been left distraught after burglars stole her pet budgies and thousands of pounds of property – just five days after she moved into her new home, external.

Amie Simms returned to her house in Lord Street, Smallthorne, after visiting her mum for a couple of hours to discover every room had been ransacked.

What better way to announce the impending birth of a girl but to buy something in pink?

Digger company boss Scott Hardwick, from Barnsley, is already a dad to three boys and before adding to his family, he's added to his fleet with a new digger from Staffordshire-based JCB.

According to the firm, external, scans show the baby is a girl and Scott and his partner and mum-to-be Cheryl Woollands, 25, wanted to celebrate her arrival in style. She is due on 20 October and will be called Rosie.

Image source, JCB

Scott approached his local dealer in Sheffield, who then put in the unusual request for the pink digger. 

The JCB 8018 excavator – which is valued at £22,700 – was then manufactured at the JCB Compact Products factory in Cheadle, Staffordshire.

Express and Star

Travellers were prevented from invading a leisure centre car park, external again thanks to new protocol aimed at saving thousands of pounds in court action and clean-up costs.

Image source, Express & Star

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

Here's the forecast for this afternoon:

Most of us will see some sunshine over the next few days, although there is some rain later in the week.

This afternoon's high: 23C (73F).

Rebecca Woods
BBC News Online, Journalist

The father of a British traveller has paid tribute to his 'darling son' after he died from injuries suffered while trying to defend a fellow backpacker in a knife attack at an Australian hostel. 

Tom Jackson, 30, of Congleton, died in a north Queensland hospital on Tuesday and his father, Les, was quoted on a Youcaring fundraising page set up to help the family. 

He wrote: "We are bereft. Our darling Tom has left us and the world is a poorer place. 

"Thanks again to everyone for the love and support you have given us over the last few days, we will be forever grateful. 

"There is dark and evil in this world perpetrated by a few, but so much more love and light emanates from so many more. That thought will sustain us over the coming days."

A "selfless" backpacker who was injured trying to save another traveller as she was stabbed to death in Australia has died, police say.

An Olympic champion was carried aloft in his canoe as his home town celebrated his Rio 2016 success.

The Sentinel

One of Stoke-on-Trent's business enterprise centres is set to expand following £65,000 investment from the city council., external

Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

This lunchtime's headlines:

- College principal pays tribute to Congleton backpacker, external killed in attack, saying "our hearts go out to Thomas' family and friends following this tragic incident"

- New hourly service from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Crewe via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent in new rail franchise plan, external

- "Unique, amazing and fantastic" - that's how Stone's Olympic champion, Joe Clarke has summed up his homecoming parade through the town yesterday

Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Companies bidding for new rail franchises will be expected to offer hundreds of extra services, new ticketing options and increased capacity, external.

Under the plans announced by rail minister Paul Maynard, passengers here will get a new hourly service from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Crewe via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

The minister has also promised free wifi on all main-line services by the end of 2019.

The shortlisted bidders for the new franchises are London and West Midlands Railway Limited and West Midlands Trains Limited.

Bidders for the West Midlands franchise have until 29 November 2016 to submit their bids, with the new operator planned to take over the franchise in October 2017.