Travel: Two vehicle crash on A513 in Staffordpublished at 09:47 BST 26 October 2016
BBC Travel
The A513 Beaconside in Stafford is partially blocked southbound at the Gladstone Way junction because of an accident involving two vehicles.
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
Travel: Two vehicle crash on A513 in Staffordpublished at 09:47 BST 26 October 2016
Drugs den 'sniffed out' by member of the publicpublished at 09:28 BST 26 October 2016
Police discovered hundreds of cannabis plants in a former pot bank, external - after a keen-nosed passer-by smelt the aroma of the drugs coming from the building.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceNews: Thousands spent on police informants, figures reveal; plea after elderly woman burnt in blaze; BT plans to remove payphonespublished at 09:11 BST 26 October 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeOur headlines this morning include:
- Just short of £670,000 has been spent on police informants by Staffordshire and Cheshire's police forces over the past five years
- Don't try and tackle fires yourself - that's the plea from firefighters in Stoke-on-Trent after an elderly woman was burnt in a severe house blaze, external
- There's doubt over the future of 1,000 payphones in the north west of England as BT says it's consulting with local councils over removing them
Vodafone fined £4.6m by Ofcom for breaking customer rulespublished at 08:55 BST 26 October 2016
BBC Business NewsTelecoms operator Vodafone has been fined £4.6m by Ofcom for "serious and sustained breaches of consumer protection rules".
It follows an earlier investigation that found Vodafone had misled pay-as-you-go customers over top-up payments.
The company has a contact centre in Stoke-on-Trent in Etruria which it says employs 900 people, of which "650 are customer-facing".
Image source, Getty ImagesThe regulator also said Vodafone had broken the rules on handling customer complaints.
Vodafone offered its "profound apologies" for the failures.
£2m spent on police informants in five yearspublished at 08:40 BST 26 October 2016
Nearly £2m has been spent by police forces across the West Midlands over the past five years on police informants.
"Covert human intelligence sources," as informants are officially termed, provide information on criminal activity.
Image source, APIndividual police forces have refused to go into specific detail of how the money was spent, but say it was vital in tackling a whole range of criminal activity.
West Midlands Police spent £1m over five years which is more than double the amount spent by the Staffordshire and West Mercia forces.
Quote MessageInformants are a cost efficent for the police to detect but also prevent crime. These latest figures really don't surprise me because the police have been using informants for some time. I do emphasise this use of informants is highly regulated and it can save the tax payer money in the long run
Nick Howe, Former Ch Supt, Staffordshire Police
Watch: Stoke and Staffordshire's weather this morningpublished at 08:29 BST 26 October 2016
Alexandra Hamilton
BBC WeatherIt's looking like a cloudy start, but let's see if that's going to continue through the morning.
Keep up-to-date with the latest forecasts on the BBC Weather website.
Media caption, Alex Hamilton
Travel: Signalling fault causing train delays in Crewe areapublished at 08:08 BST 26 October 2016
There are delays this morning on trains between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street stations, due to a signalling fault.
Get the latest from the BBC Travel website.
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End of X postGood morning - join us for today's live coverage for Staffordshire and Cheshirepublished at 08:00 BST 26 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveWelcome everyone, the sky was just getting light as I got into Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent this morning and there looks to be some breaks in the cloud.
We'll have a look at the weather forecast for the morning shortly and there'll be plenty of news, sport, travel and other updates through the day.
I'll also feature a few more of your pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire - to share them, send them in on email or put them on Instagram (with the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share), external.
Enoch Powell: a drama out of a crisispublished at 19:01 BST 25 October 2016
Birmingham Repertory Theatre to make a drama out of Enoch Powell crisis
Read MoreOur live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 BST 25 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.
Family say 'huge void' left by fatal crashpublished at 17:54 BST 25 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThe family of a woman who died after being hit by a van on a main road outside Congleton say her death has left a "huge void" and she will be "deeply missed".
Cheshire Police say Marion Fernyhough, 69, from Rushton Spencer died following the collision on 2 October on the A34 near the Davenport Arms in Marton.
Image source, Cheshire PoliceIn a statement her family say she was "full of life" and showed "an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm in everything she did".
On Midlands Today from 18:30: How Birmingham could be needed while Heathrow expandspublished at 17:49 BST 25 October 2016
Patrick Burns
Political editor, MidlandsOn Midlands Today from 18:30 we'll look at the future of Birmingham Airport following the government's decision to back a third runway at Heathrow.
There's been no mention in today's announcement of regional airports but it could turn out that the region's international airport is needed to fill the gap before Heathrow is expanded.
I'll have more as I've been following today's events and will have reaction from our region's MPs and business leaders from 18:30 on BBC One.
Football: Defender welcomes confidence boost from Port Vale's goalkeeperpublished at 17:43 BST 25 October 2016
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio StokePort Vale defender Nathan Smith has told BBC Radio Stoke he thinks goalkeeper Jak Alnwick has played a huge part in Vale's good start to the season.
Image source, Getty ImagesBruno Ribeiro's side are currently seventh in League One after the first 15 matches.
Quote MessageHe's kept us in games, he's been playing well and to have him behind me talking to me throughout the whole game and I trust him, passing him the ball back to him, his distribution has been great. He definitely fills you full of confidence when you can hear him shouting behind you."
Nathan Smith, Port Vale defender
Cat rescued by fire crews after getting 'stuck' in roof cavitypublished at 17:36 BST 25 October 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio StokeHere's today's purrrrfect ending - a cat which got stuck today inside a roof cavity of a home in Cheshire's been rescued by firefighters. , external
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service say the elderly pet was released this morning from the house in Elm Tree Court, Eaton, Tarporley and then reunited with its owners.
Your pictures: Audley autumn leaves and on the trail of Halloweenpublished at 17:30 BST 25 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveThis autumnal view was taken in Audley, Staffordshire by Duncan Richardson.
Image source, Duncan RichardsonWhile Jenny Pritchard shared this on the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page, external of a Halloween trail at Biddulph Grange Garden.
You can share your pictures of Staffordshire or Cheshire by sending them in on email, tweet @BBCRadioStoke, external or put on Instagram (with the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share), external.
Image source, Jenny PritchardCharges to cover the cost of recycling non-household waste are being introducedpublished at 17:24 BST 25 October 2016
Leek Post and Times
Charges to cover the cost of recycling 'non-household' waste are being introduced, external at Staffordshire's public tips.
Football: Coates salutes Stoke's Shawcross and Indi partnershippublished at 17:16 BST 25 October 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio StokeStoke City chairman Peter Coates says he's been impressed with the partnership formed by defenders Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi.
Image source, Nathan Stirk/Getty ImagesThe pair have played a key role in the team's return to form, which has seen them go unbeaten in their last four matches.
Quote MessageWe've had a settled back four for a little while, which we haven't had. Our bad run has coincided with a big injury to Jack Butland, a huge blow to us, and never having a settled back-four and now we've started to get that."
Peter Coates, Stoke City chairman
Mother of prison stabbing victim wants kitchen knife ban for violent inmatespublished at 17:08 BST 25 October 2016
Perry Spiller
Presenter, BBC Radio StokeA Stafford councillor is calling for inmates with a violent past to be banned from using knives in prison kitchens.
It comes after Ann Edgeller's adoptive son Alex Cusworth was killed at Dartmoor Prison last year by a fellow inmate.
Image source, Devon and Cornwall PoliceConvicted killer William Tolcher, 51, stabbed him in the kitchen with a knife he had been given to chop vegetables.
Mrs Edgeller says she is hoping to meet with the new prison minister to discuss the idea.
BBC Radio Stoke has asked the Ministry of Justice for a comment and are waiting for their response.
Quote MessageI don't want Alex to have died in vain. I want Alex's life and what's happened to him out there to help other people, so people don't have to go through what I've been through and his daughter's been through."
Ann Edgeller, Stafford councillor and adoptive mother of Alex Cusworth
Latest: Home suffers 'significant damage' in fire; man sentenced over horse cremation claims; lizard found in Cheshire after thousands of miles tippublished at 16:59 BST 25 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeThis evening's top stories include the following:
- An elderly man and woman are in hospital after a house fire this afternoon in Stoke-on-Trent, external
- A pet crematorium owner has been given a 12-week suspended sentence for claiming to have a cremated a horse when he hadn't,, external the county council says
- An unusual lizard has been discovered in a Cheshire warehouse after travelling thousands of miles inside a shipping container
Derelict social club fire 'caused deliberately'published at 16:44 BST 25 October 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeA fire in Stoke-on-Trent at a derelict social club was started deliberately, external, the fire service says.
Image source, GoogleCrews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called at around 21:15 last night to the Meir Sport and Social Club.
This morning the service said their investigation into the blaze "has established the fire was caused deliberately."
