BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire Friday 4 November 2016

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

Football: Player fitness targeted by Port Vale manager to end winless streakpublished at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale's players are working on improving their fitness levels this week as they try to end a run of four games without a win.
Image source, Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Manager Bruno Ribeiro has told BBC Radio Stoke he wants his team to start games at a better tempo having conceded seven goals in their last two away matches.
Quote Message
The manager's making us get a little bit fitter so we are doing a lot of running work this week because the (defensive) press isn't working for us at the minute so we're trying to work on that to get fitter."
Sam Hart, Port Vale defender
Jaw and wrist broken in Wombourne baseball bat violencepublished at 17:12 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Six men have been arrested after a string of incidents that saw windows smashed and baseball bats used to hurt people, external in Wombourne.
Staffordshire Police say the three cases, which are being linked, started on Monday evening when two men had an argument at a chip shop on Common Road.
Image source, Google
Officers say about 20 minutes later three men turned up to a house in Giggetty Lane and started smashing the windows.
Then they say a short time later several men got into a fight on Bridgnorth Avenue and they believe they were wielding weapons like baseball bats.
One man suffered a broken jaw and another a fractured wrist - the six men have been arrested on suspicion of affray and released on bail.
News: Special needs school suffers three break-ins; fly-tipping 'misery' for city residents; Christmas tree blamed for house firepublished at 17:03 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Another look at the day's headlines now:
- A school for children with special educational needs has been broken into for the third time in three weeks, external
- Fly-tippers are making people's lives a misery in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, residents say, and could be a fire hazard, particularly approaching Bonfire Night
- A house has been badly damaged after a Christmas tree and decorations were set on fire by an overheating spotlight, external
MP tells men not to be 'shy about their bits' to avoid prostate cancerpublished at 16:54 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
The Huffington Post
The Conservative MP Michael Fabricant has told men to not be “shy” about their “bits and pieces” as that can lead to prostate cancer and death.
Image source, PA
In a personal blog for The Huffington Post, external today, the Lichfield MP describes the medical procedures he underwent.
Blood tests revealed he needed treatment including a biopsy.
Quote Message
Everything might seem alright, but, as the old song goes, that ain’t necessarily so. So here’s the thing: It is no use men being shy about their bits and pieces. That can lead to death."
Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield
Severn Trent looks for pumpkin powerpublished at 16:46 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Andy Giddings
BBC Shropshire
Used Halloween pumpkins are being used to create electricity by Severn Trent, which is throwing them into its anaerobic digestion plant located in Coleshill.
The company has been asking its staff to bring them in and says one 600g (1.3lb) pumpkin could power a light bulb for 24 hours.
The Coleshill plant produces 2.4MW of energy a year – the equivalent of powering 4,000 homes.
Quote Message
Pumpkins, like all food waste, are packed with energy which with a bit of ingenuity can be unlocked and turned into power."
Chris Jellett, Severn Trent
Football: Stoke's Joe Allen enjoying attacking rolepublished at 16:37 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen says he's enjoying playing in a more attacking role in the team.
Image source, Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
The Welsh international has scored four goals for the club so far this season.
Quote Message
In the past I've always prided myself on being able to play defensive or attacking roles and I don't really want to nail myself down to one position."
Joe Allen, Stoke City midfielder
BBC Weather Watcher picturespublished at 16:24 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
BBC Weather Watchers
Image source, Bucko
You can't escape great pictures of autumn from our BBC Weather Watchers and these two are from Bucko in Uttoxeter and Flying Ant in Stafford.
You can become one too and keep us updated with the local forecast from where you live by signing up on the BBC website here.
Image source, Flying Ant
Poppy Appeal and Great Ormond Street charity boxes stolenpublished at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
It's been revealed charity boxes stolen in a burglary in Burton, external overnight were for the Poppy Appeal and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.
Staffordshire Police says the break-in happened at a business on Waterloo Street.
Image source, Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Watch: Fly-tipping 'misery' for city residentspublished at 16:01 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
John Acres
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Fly-tippers are making people's lives a misery in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, residents say, and could be a fire hazard, particularly approaching Bonfire Night.
They've told BBC Radio Stoke that it's taking too long for the council to tidy up after cases are reported.
Media caption,
Fly-tipping in Fenton
In one instance I've seen, rubbish was stacked up on an alley off Watkin Street which people say could be a danger to nearby houses if it caught fire.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council says there are more than 600 ongoing investigations into environmental crime offences, external across the city.
House fire caused by overheated Christmas tree and decorationspublished at 15:45 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A house has been badly damaged after a Christmas tree and decorations were set on fire by an overheating spotlight. , external
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue say the light was in the hall ceiling and the decorations were directly overhead in the loft of the home on Boucher Road, Cheddleton.
They say when they arrived the blaze was "well-established" in the roof and had spread to a neighbouring house.
Photo: Guinea Pig monument unveiled in Staffordshirepublished at 15:32 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
We told you earlier that the Duke of Edinburgh was going to be at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire this afternoon.
He's been there to unveil a commemorative monument to the Guinea Pig Club, a group made up of air crew who suffered severe burns in World War Two and underwent pioneering treatment.
A group of them are pictured below, following the unveiling, alongside the monument.
Image source, PA
News: Hospital child services review to begin; special needs school suffers trio of burglaries; Guinea Pig monument unveiledpublished at 15:15 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our top stories include:
- Child health experts are set to visit Stafford's County Hospital as part of an independent review into children's emergency services
- A school for children with special educational needs has been broken into for the third time in three weeks, external
- The Duke of Edinburgh has unveiled a monument today in Staffordshire to honour the hundreds of badly injured Allied servicemen who were members of the Guinea Pig Club
Angry community to host public meeting over A453 road layoutpublished at 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Tamworth Herald
A concerned community is set to host a public meeting over fears that the new road layout near Bassetts Pole will cause, external "fatalities".
Image source, Tamworth Herald
Stoke-on-Trent's 'Angel of the North' to be lit up for first timepublished at 14:44 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A 69ft-tall (21m) sculpture is going to be lit up for the first time this week in north Staffordshire. , external
The work - called Golden - is taller than the Angel of the North and stands on the former Goldendale ironworks site in the Chatterley Valley.
Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
It is made of corten steel and 1,500 hand-blown glass prisms and has LED lights that will shine at night.
They'll be switched on for the first time on Friday with the city council saying there'll be a lantern parade from 18:30 with the official lighting happening at 19:30.
It is flame-shaped, to symbolise the amber glow from the ironworks, which the community called "the flame that never dies".
Table tennis: Stoke-on-Trent hosts England fight back at Eurospublished at 14:30 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Saj Chowdhury
BBC Sport
Stoke-on-Trent hosted a humdinger of an international table tennis match this week, in case you weren't aware.
England fought from 2-0 down to defeat Greece 3-2 in their opening European Championships qualifier at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex.
Image source, Getty Images
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Paul Drinkhall beat Konstantinos Papageorgiou 3-2 in the deciding match to seal the victory.
Public meeting over closure-threatened addiction rehab centrepublished at 14:14 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Laura Mcmullan
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today
Campaigners hoping to save a north Staffordshire rehabilitation centre from closure are holding a public meeting tonight.
The BAC O'Connor Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, which treats people with alcohol and drug addictions, could be forced to shut in December if it can't find another source of money.
Managers at the centre say it's lost half of its funding from Staffordshire County Council's Better Care Fund.
The authority says it was left with £15m less in its own budget and had no choice but to review the funding.
The public meeting is being held from 18:00 at the Knutton Community Centre. , external
Free parking and new prices at Shugborough amid National Trust takeoverpublished at 13:59 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Express and Star
Changes are already afoot at the historic 900-acre grounds in Stafford after the National Trust officially took back ownership from Staffordshire County Council, external yesterday.
Image source, Express and Star
Special needs school burgled three times in three weekspublished at 13:45 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A school for children with special educational needs has been broken into for the third time in three weeks. , external
Staffordshire Police say laptops and tablets were taken in the most recent burglary this morning at Chasetown Community School on Church Street.
Officers say two similar break-ins happened on 12 and 22 October.
Quote Message
This is particularly distressing for them (the pupils) as they have Special Educational Needs. The fact the school has been subject to three burglaries in quick succession is callous and cynical."
Insp Rob Neeson, Local Policing Team Commander for Staffordshire Police
Experts to examine children's A&E service in Stafford after suspensionpublished at 13:29 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Emma Thomas
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Experts in child health will visit Stafford's County Hospital this week , externalas part of a review into children's emergency services after A&E for under 18s was suspended in August.
The team from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health are visiting the site for the first time tomorrow and will follow up with more visits throughout the month.
Accident and emergency services at the hospital remain suspended for under 16s due to concerns about safety.
There have been more than 240 responses to a public survey by the RCPCH regarding children's emergency services at the hospital, which were halted for under 18s in August.
Services were reinstated on 10 October for people aged 16 and 17. A minor injuries unit for children at the hospital was "operating well", clinical director Dr Anne Marie Morris, said.
'I cheated death and joined the Guinea Pig Club'published at 13:13 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2016
Sarah Bloch-Budzier
BBC News
"I had new chins - three times they operated because they didn't go quite right. I had new eyelids, new ear tips, and my legs were grafted too."
Former Flying Officer Desmond O'Connell has been speaking to the BBC ahead of a monument being unveiled today at the National Memorial Arboretum to the Guinea Pig Club.
The Guinea Pig name derives from the experimental treatment and pioneering surgery that the men underwent during World War Two under the care of plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe.
Des O'Connell underwent more than two years of painful experimental surgery and you can read more of his story on the BBC website here.