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
BBC Sport’s David McDaid visits the Stoke City Community Trust where Bojan Krkic helps encourage some young table tennis players.
The Trust’s work is part of the Premier League 4 Sport initiative uses the power of professional clubs to inspire young people to get involved in different sports.
BBC Travel
A lane is blocked on the A500 D Road westbound in Hanford between the Hanford Interchange and the M6 junction due to a broken down vehicle.
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our afternoon top stories include:
- A couple from Stoke-on-Trent have been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years after leaving a dog in "excruciating pain" with a broken leg for a week
- Cases of fly-tipping are being removed within two days on average in Stoke-on-Trent, the city council has told BBC Radio Stoke
- A man's now been charged after "extremely high grade" cannabis plants were found in Stoke-on-Trent, external
BBC Radio Stoke
Drills, pressure washers and saws are among tools which police say have been stolen in a series of van break-ins in the Tamworth area., external
Staffordshire Police say there were a number of thefts from vehicles on Wednesday night.
Officers say they want van owners to increase security as they think thieves are cutting wiring to disable central locking systems or using gadgets to bypass locking mechanisms.
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A couple from Stoke-on-Trent have been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.
It comes after the RSPCA says they left their West Highland Terrier in "excruciating pain" with a broken leg for a week (see x-ray).
Image source, RSPCAMarie Richards, 48, and Steven Richards, 51, from Triner Place, Norton were also ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £510 in costs each.
They were found guilty at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
BBC Travel
There's very slow traffic and a lane blocked on the M6 northbound near Stoke-on-Trent between junctions 15 and 16 after an accident.
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A man's now been charged after "extremely high grade" cannabis plants were found in Stoke-on-Trent., external
Staffordshire Police say they were tipped off by customs officers who said the vegetation had high levels of the active ingredient of the drug, THC.
Image source, Leon Neal/AFP/Getty ImagesAs a result, earlier this year they say officers found the packages at a house in Dresden where they also found £4,700 in cash and cannabis.
The force says a man's now been charged with possession with the intent to supply cannabis and will appear in court next month.
Graham McGarry
BBC Radio Stoke Sport
Some Stoke City team news from Mark Hughes at his Friday press conference and Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is a doubt for tomorrow's game at West Ham with a hamstring injury.
Image source, PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty ImagesHughes says Shaqiri has not trained this week and will need to pass a fitness test today.
Defender Geoff Cameron is also a major doubt with a knee injury and will also not join up with the US for international duty.
Hughes says Charlie Adam is in "good physical condition" after Monday's win against Swansea.
Stuart George
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke
Cases of fly-tipping are being removed within two days on average in Stoke-on-Trent, the city council has told BBC Radio Stoke.
It comes after residents in Fenton said fly-tippers were making their lives a misery, with concerns the waste could become a fire hazard approaching Bonfire Night.
Fly-tipping which the council says was cleared "within a few hours" of being reported
They told BBC Radio Stoke it was taking too long for the council to tidy up after cases are reported.
The authority says its aim is to remove dumped rubbish within five days but currently it is clearing cases in less than one-and-a-half days on average.
The city council says since April it has had 60 successful prosecutions for fly-tipping and there are 600 investigations at the moment, looking into offences that could lead to prosecutions.
James Bovill
Staffordshire Political Reporter, BBC News
NHS trusts in the West Midlands have a deficit of almost £200m between them, a BBC Sunday Politics investigation has found.
Of the three in the BBC Radio Stoke area, two were in deficit as of March this year, to the tune of nearly £27.75m collectively, with the vast majority being the deficit at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust of £26.9m.
Of the three clinical commissioning group covering the same area, only Stoke-on-Trent's recorded a surplus, with an overall deficit of £10.92m.
Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime we'll look at why more than half of all NHS Trusts in the Midlands are in deficit.
There are holes in their budgets totalling £200m and the figures have been revealed by a BBC Sunday Politics investigation.
There'll be more from 13:30 on BBC One including why the stress is building up on health finances.
Police are appealing for witnesses after jewellery and money was stolen during a burglary at a Uttoxeter home. , external
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Here are our top stories this lunchtime:
- Cheshire East Council says it can't rule out job losses as part of its budget proposals, external
- Cases of fly-tipping are being removed within two days on average in Stoke-on-Trent, the city council has told BBC Radio Stoke
- NHS trusts in the West Midlands have a deficit of almost £200m between them, a BBC Sunday Politics investigation finds
Kate Tebby
Journalist, BBC Shropshire
Two baby otters which were flooded out of their home in Shrewsbury last Christmas, are due to be released back into the wild this afternoon.
The RSPCA named them Mary and Joseph and they have been living at its wildlife centre near Nantwich in a specially built otter enclosure.
Image source, RSPCANow about a year old, they're being released at a secret location on the River Severn in Shropshire.
A young cyclist from Stoke-on-Trent is hoping to take a big step towards the Tokyo Olympics when he represents Britain at the World Cup in Glasgow this weekend. , external
Kian Emadi
Kian Emadi is part of a fresh wave of talent, external tipped to ensure the continuation of the sport's Olympic success.
Seven years ago he was training in the front room of his house in the city and now he's hoping this weekend could lead to big things in 2020.
Graham McGarry
BBC Radio Stoke Sport
The Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has been short-listed for the Premier League manager of the month, external for October.
He guided his team to a draw at Manchester United - the club's first point at Old Trafford since 1980 - before securing their first wins of the season, back-to-back over Sunderland, Hull and then Swansea.
Image source, PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty ImagesAlso on the shortlist are Chelsea's Antonio Conte, Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger.
Meanwhile Stoke's Joe Allen is also on the shortlist for Player of the Month, external after his three goals in October.
The winners will be announced on Friday 18 November, after the international break.
Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather
You can also get a latest forecast from the BBC Weather website at any other time.
Sara Blizzard
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
Cheshire East Council says it can't rule out job losses as part of its budget proposals.
The authority needs to save £94m over the next three years, external and says agency staff and outside contractors would be the first to go, but shedding jobs would be a last resort.
Image source, GoogleUnder the proposals, which people can have their say on from today, council tax would be raised by 3.99%.
The plans also include £8m taken from care funding, shutting the Arclid recycling centre and bringing in charges for some building waste.
Quote MessageWe are having to make savings of around £100m over three years and yes, there may have to be some job losses, but we will continue as always to protect front-line services and to put our residents first. We will do our utmost to avoid any compulsory redundancies."
Councillor Peter Groves, Cheshire East Council's Finance and Assets Portfolio Holder
Council tax is set to rise by 3.99% in Cheshire East and some services will be reduced as the authority needs to find £100m to balance the books over the next three years., external
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Great colours coming on autumn photos that you've sent in from Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Paul Burton took this at Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire
Image source, Paul BurtonWhile Steve Higgins was on Cannock Chase when he took this next one.
If you want to send in a photo you've taken of Staffordshire or Cheshire, you can do that on email or put on Instagram (with the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share it)., external
Image source, Steve Higgins