Summary

  • Dog-owning ban after pet left in 'excruciating pain' with broken leg

  • Man charged after wedding rings stolen in burglary

  • Boy, 7, seriously hurt in hit-and-run

  • Sculpture switch-on: Hundreds of hand-written messages in artwork

  • Updates from Friday 4 November

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

  1. Sir Lenny goes back to school

    Sir Lenny Henry's been back to school in the West Midlands as he brings Shakespeare to the classroom.

    The number of children going on school trips to the theatre has fallen in recent years - so the National Theatre has begun screening plays in secondary schools instead.

    Lenny Henry with school pupils

    With this you can watch live shows done by the National Theatre - arguably the best theatre group in the world and you can have it at your finger tips. There are work packages, you can dissect the text - it's really exciting and kids deserve access to the arts and this is it in spades

    Lenny Henry, Actor and comedian

  2. Pet ban after dog's leg amputated

    A couple who left their injured dog in 'excruciating pain' for a week after he broke his leg are banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.

    Read More

  3. Our live coverage across the day

    We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening. 

  4. Football: Port Vale's Paterson after "FA Cup run to remember"

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Port Vale's Martin Paterson has told BBC Radio Stoke he is hoping the team can give the club's supporters an FA Cup run to remember this season. 

    Martin PatersonPort Vale FC

    The Vale are at home to Stevenage tomorrow in the first round.

    The fans want to see you do well in the FA Cup, they want to maybe go away to a big 'super power' team on an away day or bring a team back here."

    Martin Paterson, Port Vale forward

  5. Felled park trees could become 'living sculptures'

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Trees which are going to be cut down from a park next week could be turned into "living sculptures". 

    Cannock Chase Council says 16 trees, including 14 poplars, are going to be felled from the tree avenue at Hednesford Park. 

    Cllr Christine Mitchell and Lynn Evans – Community and Education Officer, Cannock Chase CouncilCannock Chase Council

    The authority says they need to be removed to let other trees on the main avenue grow and fill out. 

    Some of the trees they say will be carved into living sculptures and say they've worked with local children to come up with the images that'll be created. 

  6. On Midlands Today from 18:30: One year of BBC Weather Watchers

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    On Midlands Today this evening, we're marking a year since we asked for your help to become our team of BBC Weather Watchers.

    Weather watcher photo

    Loads of you got on board and it's really been stunning to see what you've been snapping. 

    From 18:30 on BBC One I've been to meet one member of the weather watcher team from Staffordshire who's showed me some his favourite spots to watch what the weather is up to.

  7. Football: Stoke boss 'reassured' over extra West Ham security

    BBC Sport

    The Stoke City manager Mark Hughes says he's been reassured after being told there'll be more security at West Ham's stadium for their game with the Potters tomorrow. 

    Police and stewards try to separate supporters in West Ham v Chelsea gameIAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images

    The Hammers boss Slaven Bilic has already said the club are laying on more precautions for the match, following crowd trouble at the London Stadium in recent matches.

    Bottles, seats and coins were thrown as hundreds of fans clashed in the EFL Cup tie with Chelsea last week.  

    You don't want to see those situations developing. We have been reassured there is a different policy this weekend, there will be a greater police presence in the ground. We are comfortable with that."

    Mark Hughes, Stoke City manager

  8. Boy, 7, seriously hurt in hit-and-run

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A seven-year-old boy's suffered serious leg injuries after being knocked off his bike in what police say was a hit-and-run. 

    James Street, BurtonGoogle

    Staffordshire Police say the youngster was on James Street on his bike this afternoon when the collision happened with a grey car. 

    Officers say the vehicle didn't stop and the boy was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg.

  9. Watch: The weekend weather forecast

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    Here's a look ahead to how this weekend's going to look on the weather front in Staffordshire.

    Rebecca Wood

  11. Football: Crewe's striking pair praised for 'raising standards'

    Graham McGarry
    Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Crewe Alexandra's striking partnership of Ryan Lowe and Chris Dagnall have raised standards at the club, according to manager Steve Davis. 

    Ryan Lowe and Chris Dagnall for Crewecrewealex.net

    The experienced duo have played 850 competitive games between them. 

    They give us life every game, every day, they've been brilliant and really raised the standards, raised the expectations of individuals. They've helped the young kids."

    Steve Davis, Crewe Alexandra manager

  12. Your pictures: Autumn scenes in Staffordshire and Cheshire

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    I'm going to round-off our week of autumn pictures with these two that have been sent in.

    Firstly, Cliff Salt took this tree-lined scene in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

    Staffordshire MoorlandsCliff Salt

    While this was taken in Bridgemere gardens near Nantwich by Alison Guest.

    If you want to see a picture you've taken of Staffordshire or Cheshire featured on a future live page, send it in on email.

    BridgemereAlison Guest

  13. News: Ban after dog kept with broken leg; man charged with wedding rings burglary; hand-written messages lit up in Golden sculpture

    Chris King
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A look at our top stories for Friday:

    - A couple from Stoke-on-Trent are banned from keeping dogs for 10 years after leaving a dog in "excruciating pain" with a broken leg for a week  

    - A man's been charged in connection with a break-in in which wedding rings were taken from a 92-year-old woman's fingers

    - A huge sculpture that's going to be lit up for the first time this evening contains hundreds of hand-written messages which have come from the local community

  14. Sculpture switch-on: Hundreds of hand-written messages in artwork

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    The huge sculpture that's going to be lit up for the first time this evening contains hundreds of hand-written messages. 

    Statistics on Golden SculptureStoke-on-Trent City Council

    Golden will be switched on from 19:30 at its site on the former Goldendale East ironworks in Chatterley Valley. 

    As part of the sculpture, designed by artist Wolfgang Buttress, each of the 1,500 glass prisms in the display contains a hand-written wish or message from people in the local community.

  15. One year of BBC Weather Watchers

    BBC Weather Watchers

    It's a year since BBC Weather Watchers was launched, when we asked for volunteers to help build a picture of the weather across the UK.

    This lovely autumnal image comes for Denbozal in Wrenbury, Cheshire.

    Wrenbury, CheshireDenbozal

    You can sign up to be one of the team on the website where you can also update us on the forecast from your part of the country.  

  17. Man charged after wedding rings stolen in burglary

    Chris King
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A man's been charged in connection with a break-in in which wedding rings were taken from a 92-year-old woman's fingers. 

    Staffordshire Police say other jewellery was taken in the burglary on Saturday 29 October. 

    The force say the 40-year-old man's been charged with burglary and is due to appear before magistrates next month.

  18. Hedgehog safety warning for Bonfire Night

    John Acres
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    If you're planning a bonfire this weekend, staff at an RSPCA centre in Cheshire are urging you to check there are no hedgehogs lurking underneath.

    The RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre near Nantwich says they've seen a lot of orphan hedgehogs and currently have four rooms dedicated to looking after them.

    The charity says numbers in the UK have fallen by 30% over the last decade and adds that the animals are known to seek shelter in bonfires that have been assembled.

  19. Watch: Rescued otters released into new home

    Andy Giddings
    BBC Shropshire

    Two otters, rescued from last winter's floods, have been given a new home this afternoon.

    Mary and Joseph have been looked after at a wildlife centre near Nantwich since they were found near the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury at Christmas.

    We'd been expecting them to be released into the river, but we've now been told they'll wait in this outdoor pen for a fortnight first.

    A pair of otters rescued from the floods last Christmas have got a new home