BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire on Friday 28 October 2016

Summary

Father found in fire-damaged car after fatal house fire
Man jailed after fatal Stoke-on-Trent crash
Missing Stone man: Canals and waterways being searched
Man still in hospital a fortnight after being attacked by burglars
Updates from Friday 28 October

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Funerals to be streamed online and available on catchup for familiespublished at 09:24 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Funerals at two crematoria in Cheshire are going to be webcast for people who can't make it to the service.
Image source, Google
Cheshire East Council says they'll be streamed live and then available to view for seven days at the Crewe and Macclesfield sites.
The authority say the service will only be available for family and friends on request who'll be given a password to access the website.
News: Sister of missing man asks for more help in search; woman, 98, 'terrified' burglar will return; first staff leave factorypublished at 09:04 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our top stories this morning include:
- The sister of a man who's been reported missing from Stone since Tuesday, external morning is asking volunteers to help search for him today, external
- A 98-year-old bed-bound woman from Trentham who was robbed in her own home , externalsays she's terrified that the burglar is going to come back
- The first of more than 230 workers to lose their jobs at the General Electric factory in Kidsgrove will leave today
Travel: Heavy traffic on A5 in Cannock after crashpublished at 08:59 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
BBC Travel
The A5 in Cannock is partially blocked at the A5 Walsall Road junction because of an accident.
Sister of missing man calls for search of sheds and outbuildingspublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The sister of a man who's been reported missing from Stone since Tuesday morning is asking volunteers to help search for him today.
Staffordshire Police say they're "increasingly concerned" about Joshua Smith, 27, and have been searching woodlands and fields with officers , externaland the force's helicopter.
Image source, Staffordshire Police
Officers have also urged people not to touch him over fears he's taken a "harmful substance".
His sister Hannah Buckley today told BBC Radio Stoke that his family are organising a search this morning and want people to check outbuildings and sheds., external
Three brothers jailed after violent attack on woman inside shoppublished at 08:35 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
The Sentinel
Three brothers have been jailed after they punched and kicked their other brother's ex-partner in a shop. , external
Image source, The Sentinel
Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather this morningpublished at 08:21 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
You can also get the latest forecasts on the BBC Weather website for your part of Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Good morning - join us for today's live coverage for Staffordshire and Cheshirepublished at 08:02 British Summer Time 28 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Hello everyone, there was a hint of rain in the air as I headed into BBC Stoke headquarters this morning in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
To find out if it will rain, we'll have a weather forecast for you shortly and plenty of updates to come on today's news, sport, travel and other subjects.
I've also got some of your photos of Staffordshire or Cheshire to feature but I'm always up for more being sent in on email, Twitter, external or Instagram, external.
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
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.
Football: Crewe boss looking to shake things up to end winless streakpublished at 17:58 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis says he's considering changing his team's system as he looks for his side's first win in eight games this weekend.
Image source, Chris Brunskill/Getty Images
The Alex have so far stuck with a 4-4-2 formation all season.
Quote Message
We are looking at another way of playing, another plan. We have to find another way of getting around defences once they go 1-0 up, that's something that we've looked at, how we can then break them down. Teams are making it difficult for us."
Steve Davis, Crewe Alexandra manager
Tams factory site: Fire service want arson-hit building demolishedpublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
There's more news this afternoon about an arson-hit factory in Longton - Staffordshire Fire and Rescue is calling for it to be knocked down.
It comes as the service has been called to three fires at the derelict Tams site on the Strand since June with the latest one yesterday.
Image source, Google
The service says, if it was demolished, it would reduce the risks to their crews and demand on resources.
However as we told you earlier, Stoke-on-Trent City Council doesn't want the privately owned building knocked down as it's in a conservation area.
BBC Radio Stoke has spoken to the owner of the Tams factory site who says he would like to see the building demolished but he's working closely with the council to resolve the issue.
Britton - Allen a 'bargain' for Stokepublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Leon Britton believes former Swansea team-mate Joe Allen is improving all the time and Stoke have got a bargain in the Wales international.
Read More
Man 'seriously attacked' in Crewepublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A man's been seriously attacked by four men in Crewe, external.
Image source, Google
Cheshire Police say the 57-year-old suffered facial and arm injuries during the attack on Middlewich Street, near to Cooperative Funeral Care.
Officers say it happened last Thursday evening and say one of the attackers is believed to be 14 years old.
'Harmful substance' warning over missing manpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
People are being urged by police not to touch a missing man from Stone over fears, external he's taken a "harmful substance".
Staffordshire Police have been searching woodland and fields because Joshua Smith hasn't been seen since Tuesday morning
Image source, Staffordshire Police
Officers say searches for him remain focused on Stone after they say he was seen on CCTV camera footage at the crossroads of Lichfield Road and Uttoxeter Road.
They're urging people if they find him to seek urgent medical attention and say, due to the risk of "substance transfer" no-one should touch him.
Road complaints 'will go down' after £7.2m investment says councilpublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Stoke-on-Trent City Council says it expects investing £7.2m in maintaining roads in the city will cut the number of complaints over the state of them.
A report by the authority says there's been a "significant increase" with complaints about highways maintenance rising to 69 in 2015-16 compared with 33, external in the prior 12 months.
In June, the council announced the investment into the roads network, external, saying nearly 400 roads and pavements will be repaired and improved.
Quote Message
The number of complaints about the roads is the reason why we decided to make this investment. It's a major issue that is always raised by residents on the doorstep."
Councillor Jack Brereton, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's cabinet member for transport
On Midlands Today from 18:30: Cancer patients get hair salon at hospitalpublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Nick Owen
Presenter, BBC Midlands Today
A woman who had cancer and lost her hair after chemotherapy's now opened a hair salon at Stafford's County Hospital after raising money to fund it.
It's aimed at people who've lost their hair through illness, such as cancer, or, like her, their sometimes gruelling treatment.
We'll have more from 18:30 on BBC One in Midlands Today.
Police warn over tax fraudster callspublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Rumeana Jahangir
Reporter, BBC News Online
Cheshire Police are warning people to be vigilant after a spate of scams where people are contacted by fraudsters pretending to be from HM Revenue & Customs.
Image source, Getty Images
Officers are investigating 10 reports from residents in the east of the county who received calls from people, claiming to be from HMRC, who said the householder, external was being investigated.
One was told to purchase vouchers to pay off a supposed debt.
Cheshire Police are also warning about an email scam promising rebates from HMRC.
Watch: Tonight and tomorrow's weatherpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
Here's a look at what to expect from the weather tomorrow morning.
You can also keep up-to-date with the BBC Weather website.
Media caption,
Shefali Oza
More than 1,615 cannabis plants seized in raidpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A "huge cannabis farm" with 1,615 plants has been found in a Staffordshire village. , external
Image source, Google
Officers raided a property on Willoughbridge Lane, Willoughbridge off the A51 this morning and found the plants along with other drug production equipment, Staffordshire Police says.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the find.
News: Rings stolen from bed bound woman's fingers; serious attack on man in Crewe; police find 1,615 cannabis plants in raidpublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The top stories this afternoon include:
- A 98-year-old woman, who is bed-bound, has been robbed during a burglary at her Stoke-on-Trent home, external
- A man's been seriously attacked by four men in Crewe, external
- A "huge cannabis farm" with 1,615 plants has been found in a Staffordshire village, external
Campaign victory three years after tragic deaths at notorious Tamworth blackspotpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 27 October 2016
Tamworth Herald
A grieving mum who championed a three-year campaign for safety measures at a notorious accident blackspot has been told that action will be taken., external
Image source, Tamworth Herald