Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

This butterfly photo was taken in the past few weeks by Jane Stanway who says she took it in her neighbour's garden in Sandbach, Cheshire.

Image source, Jane Stanway

Then this next photo of a young rabbit was taken in the Peak District by Villager Jim who emailed the picture in.

If you've taken a photo in Staffordshire or Cheshire and fancy having it featured here, you can get it to me on email or post on Instagram (adding the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share it), external.

Image source, Villager Jim

Express and Star

Shoppers at a Sainsbury’s superstore were reportedly shot at with an air rifle, external as they walked through its car park.

Image source, Express and Star

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Port Vale's first team coach Andy Smith has told BBC Radio Stoke he thinks the loss of midfielder Sam Foley to injury will be a huge blow to the team.

Image source, Pete Norton/Getty Images

Foley is expected to be out for at least a month while he has surgery to repair damage to one of his ankles. 

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A motorcyclist has died after suffering severe injuries in a collision , externalwith a car near Burton. 

West Midlands Ambulance Service say the crash happened at the junction of Claymills Road and the A5121 at Stretton. 

Image source, Google

Paramedics say when they arrived they found people giving resuscitation to the biker and a car with severe damage on the driver's side. 

The service say their staff took over with the motorcyclist but they couldn't save his life and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Our headlines this morning include the following stories:

- A motorcyclist has died after suffering severe injuries in a collision , externalwith a car near Burton  

- One of the eight candidates to become UKIP's leader, the West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge, has pulled out of the contest

BBC Weather Watchers

Our BBC Weather Watcher volunteers not only update us on the local weather forecast from where they are but also upload great pictures.

These two are from users Dodger in Tamworth and Bucko in Uttoxeter

Image source, Dodger

Image source, Bucko

The Sentinel

Drunken Omar Farooq has been jailed after two female students found him in their lounge in the early hours, external of the morning.  

Image source, The Sentinel

BBC Travel

The A5127 is blocked at Lichfield because of a multi-vehicle accident.

Congestion is back to the Fosseway junction.

Justin Parkinson
BBC News

One of the eight candidates to become UKIP's leader, the West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge, has pulled out of the contest.

He stated that one of his rivals is "the only person who can effectively unite our party" adding that the other contenders should follow his example and stand down in favour of current deputy leader Paul Nuttall.

Image source, Getty Images

He urged UKIP to stick to its "patriotic, libertarian" principles.

Mr Nuttall announced on Sunday that he would run for leader.

Whoever wins the race will replace Nigel Farage, who is filling the role on a temporary basis. 

One of the other confirmed contenders is Suzanne Evans, the party's former deputy-chairman, who has a house in Shrewsbury and previously competed for the local seat.

Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Our headlines this morning include:

- One of the eight candidates to become UKIP's leader, the West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge, has pulled out of the contest

- A fire in an empty restaurant in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent is believed to be arson, the fire service says

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

It's looking like a cloudy start, but here's a fuller look at this morning's weather.

Get the latest forecasts at any time from the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Morning everyone, it's looking like turning into a pretty bright start, once the sun does its thing and rises fully over Stoke-on-Trent, but this was Hanley Town Hall just before 07:30.

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

I'm also as keen as ever to get your pictures of the area so, if you want to share them, send them in on email, Twitter, external and Instagram, external.

Three people have a lucky escape when a car careers into a petrol station kiosk, shattering a window and knocking over shelves.

That's it for our live coverage today.

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

Have a great evening whatever you have planned.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A chilly night ahead with the weather set to improve through the week.  

North Staffordshire's missing out on the benefits of the so-called Midlands Engine, according to a local MP.

Ministers say the scheme, designed to boost the economies of the Midlands, could create up to 3,000 jobs over the next 15 years.

However, the Labour MP for Stoke Central Tristram Hunt said the city was not part of the combined West Midlands authority and was losing out.

Image source, PA

Business Secretary Sajid Javid insisted that north Staffordshire was not being overlooked.

Sarah Robertson
Producer, BBC Radio Stoke

A girl dressed as Paddington Bear presented a letter to Staffordshire County Council asking it to home refugee children. 

Ten-year-old Ruby dressed up as part of a campaign by Stafford Welcomes Refugees.

Image source, Stafford Welcomes Refugees

Staffordshire County Council says it's proactively contacted the Home Office to offer to accept children arriving from the Calais camps and its children's services are on stand-by to accept these at short notice.

Attacks on ambulance staff in the region have almost doubled in the last five years. 

West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust said the number of assaults rose from 175 in 2012-13 to 298 in 2015-16. 

The situation nationally shows the vast majority of attacks occur on a Saturday night just before midnight, and almost three quarters of assaults involved alcohol. Just less than a quarter involved drugs.

Mike Duggan, a paramedic with the trust, wants to see mandatory sentencing introduced for anyone who assaults a member of the emergency services.

Plans to close wards at a community hospital in Newcastle have been suspended until December. 

More than 60 community beds at Bradwell Hospital were due to shut on Friday as part of plans to care for more people in their own homes. 

Image source, Google

But concerns have been raised about whether there's enough time to find somewhere for patients to go. So they're now going to close on 18 December.

Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Here are a few of the stories we're looking at this afternoon:

- More than 100 children and babies in north Staffordshire haven't got a bed or cot to sleep in, a local charity says 

-  A Hanley man is fined nearly £1,500 for selling cars in the street 

- Princess Anne's officially opened the new confectionery plant at Wrights Pies in Crewe