BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire on Friday 14 October 2016

Summary

Missing Kidsgrove cat put down after poisoning
New charges for taking DIY waste to recycling centres
Shut school air quality 'still not safe'
Chief Constable announces retirement
Updates from Friday 14 October

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Watch: £50k to be spent on Cheshire market improvementspublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
Council officials say Crewe's markets could fail to be viable unless major changes are made.
Media caption,
Tim Wedgwood report from Crewe markets
A report by Cheshire East Council , externalsays the Victorian market building does have the potential to be an important link between the town centre and Grand Junction retail park.
A £50,000 vision's going to be developed by Cheshire East to make the markets more "vibrant".
News: No charges over filmed schoolgirl attack; HS2-affected communities to get £40m; 'regular' A&E patients costing NHS £1.2mpublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our top stories this afternoon include:
- Three teenagers will not be charged after a video of a schoolgirl being attacked in Tamworth was shared thousands of times on Facebook, police confirm
- Funding totalling £40m is going to be spent by the government to support communities affected by the HS2 high speed rail line to the Midlands, external, including Staffordshire
- A group of 66 people are thought to have cost the NHS in north Staffordshire £1.2m because of their regular attendances at A&E, the NHS says
A new map of politicspublished at 14:45 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
Image source, Thinkstock
Suddenly, we are told it's all change thanks to the EU Referendum. Brexit Britain needs a new political map.
The old assumptions about Left and Right look increasingly out-of-date.
We now have a Conservative prime minister talking about "burning injustice", calling for workers on boards and railing against company bosses not paying enough tax and amassing personal fortunes while their employees' pension schemes teeter on the brink.
So, if it's not Worcester Woman or Middle England, which places are the Westminster-watchers talking about now? I've been finding out which ones in my latest blog.
Residents caught out by new fraud say policepublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
People in Staffordshire are being warned by police about a new type of fraud, external which has seen victims lose over £10,000.
Staffordshire Police say Binary Options fraud sees offenders, external set up fake profiles on social media to make out they are successful investment traders.
The force says they offer people the chance to "invest" by sending them money for a , external "cut of the profits".
Officers say several residents in Staffordshire have "suffered" at the hand of such fraudsters with some losing thousands of pounds
BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Alton and Madeleypublished at 14:15 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
BBC Weather Watchers
Our BBC Weather Watchers in Staffordshire and Cheshire keep us up-to-date with the latest forecasts from where they live.
They also upload great pictures such as these which have come from users Young ted in Madeley and Altonbirdwatch in Alton
Image source, Young ted
Image source, Altonbirdwatch
Police make three arrests after suspicious vehicle reportpublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The number of men arrested after a police search near the A500 near Crewe this morning, external, which involved dogs and a helicopter, has increased to three.
Cheshire Police were called out at 06:45 after reports of a suspicious vehicle - when the car they were following pulled over in a layby, four men ran off.
The force says three men, all from London, aged 19,20 and 25, have all been arrested on suspicion of theft of a vehicle. The fourth man's still not been found.
Officer pushed stranded pensioner’s scooter a mile homepublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Nantwich News
A big-hearted Nantwich police officer showed true community spirit – by pushing a broken down mobility scooter a mile home, external in the rain.
Image source, Nantwich News/Cheshire Police
Arrests after cannabis plants discoveredpublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Two teenagers have been arrested in Sedgley after a "professional cannabis cultivation set up" was discovered.
Staffordshire Police said more than 300 plants were found, external at a property on Gospel End Road, worth around £200,000.
The two people at the premises, two males aged 18 and 15 were arrested. They were later released on police bail pending further investigation.
Image source, Staffordshire Police
On Midlands Today: New football manager and drive for more police ethnic diversitypublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime, we'll have the latest on the football management saga at one of our clubs.
Image source, Getty Images
We'll also hear how one police force in the region is launching a new drive to recruit more front-line officers from ethnic minority backgrounds.
There'll also be your lunchtime weather forecast, all on BBC One from 13:30.
'Regular' A&E patients costing NHS £1.2mpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
A group of 66 people are thought to have cost the NHS in north Staffordshire £1.2m because of their regular attendances at A&E, the NHS says.
The service says a "high volume user" service is now being run from Harplands Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent to encourage vulnerable patients to find appropriate treatment elsewhere.
Image source, Google
Health bosses say the scheme, which started in April and is operated between the NHS and British Red Cross, has already saved more than £100,000.
Those behind the service say their work includes helping someone with "unsuitable housing" which was affecting their health and working with charities to arrange food parcels.
Latest: No charges over filmed schoolgirl attack; arrests after dogs and helicopter hunt; council vote of no confidence meeting calledpublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our headlines this lunchtime include:
- Three teenagers will not be charged after a video of a schoolgirl being attacked in Tamworth was shared thousands of times on Facebook, police have confirmed
- Two men have been arrested after reports of a suspicious vehicle led to police dogs and a helicopter searching the area, external around the A500 near Crewe this morning
- The leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is calling for a vote of no confidence in its chairman, external
Laundry service for the sick forced to close due to tumber dryer fire concernspublished at 12:01 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Uttoxeter Advertiser
A vital community laundry service in Swadlincote which helps people who have been discharged from hospital has been forced to close after its tumble dryer , externalwas recalled over fire concerns.
Image source, Uttoxeter Advertiser
Football: International break 'at wrong time' for Stoke says defenderpublished at 11:45 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City defender Erik Pieters says the international break came at the wrong time for the side.
Image source, Getty Images
After drawing 1-1 at Manchester United they've had to wait two weeks before their next fixture.
Quote Message
If the results are not that good then it's good that people go away, get a different climate and environment around you. But after the results at Manchester United, you want to continue straight away. "
Erik Pieters, Stoke City defender
No charges over filmed schoolgirl attackpublished at 11:31 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
No teenagers will be charged after a video of a schoolgirl being attacked was shared thousands of times on Facebook, police say.
Read More
Watch: This afternoon's weatherpublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
You can also keep up-to-date on the latest forecast for your part of Staffordshire or Cheshire on the BBC Weather website.
Media caption,
Charlie Slater
20 patients treated on minor injuries unit's first daypublished at 11:10 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Express and Star
A total of 20 patients used the recently opened minor injuries unit at Stafford County Hospital on the service's first day, external.
Image source, Express and Star
Two arrests after suspicious vehicle report leads to dog and helicopter searchpublished at 10:54 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Two men have been arrested after reports of a suspicious vehicle led to police dogs and a helicopter searching the area, external around the A500 near Crewe this morning.
Cheshire Police say they were called today at 06:45 by motorway police colleagues and followed the car which stopped in a layby on the A500 and four men ran away.
The force says they haven't yet found the other two men.
Teens arrested over pupil attack 'will not face criminal charges'published at 10:39 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A 15-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, who were arrested after footage of a schoolgirl being assaulted in Tamworth was shared on social media, will not face any criminal charges or appear in court, police say.
The attack on Monday 26 September left a 13-year-old girl needing hospital treatment, officers said at the time.
Image source, Facebook
Footage posted on Facebook showed the victim being punched and kicked while other children encouraged her attacker.
Staffordshire Police say the two arrested teenagers have been referred to their youth offending team who have "a range of sanctions available to them".
The force say another 15-year-old boy who was voluntarily interviewed as part of their investigation has also been referred to the youth offending team.
News: Calls to turn Crewe into regional rail hub; fears over Cheshire market's future; more children to get free flu jabpublished at 10:23 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Our headlines this morning include:
- There are calls from a Cheshire MP to develop the high speed HS2 rail plans for Crewe to better benefit more of the north west
- Council officials say Crewe's markets could fail to be viable unless major changes, external are made
- Nearly half a million children in the West Midlands are to be offered free flu vaccinations this winter
Thousands of West Midlands children to get free flu jabpublished at 10:06 British Summer Time 12 October 2016
BBC Midlands Today
Nearly half a million children in the West Midlands are to be offered free flu vaccinations this winter.
The Stay Well This Winter, external campaign is the biggest-ever flu programme seen in the region.
This winter the programme will be extended to children in school year three (seven and eight-year-olds).
It means in total, across the country, there are four million children eligible this year for the vaccination, which is given to them via a nasal spray rather than an injection.
Chief medical officer Prof Dame Sally Davies said: "Flu can be much more dangerous for children than many patients realise and when children get flu they tend to spread it around the whole family."