Summary

  • Two minutes' silence marks day of national remembrance

  • Men jailed after M6 'heroin cloud'

  • Police apologise for tweeting during two-minute silence

  • War memorials given listed status to mark WW1 centenary

  • Ex footballer Alan Hudson taken ill in hospital

  • Port Vale must 'kick on and have a good month'

  • Updates on Friday 11 November

Live Reporting

Stephanie Barnard

  1. Our live coverage across the day

    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.

  2. Overnight weather forecast

    Shefali Oza
    BBC Midlands Today

    Showers will ease this evening, leaving most places dry with clear spells developing. 

    Temperatures will drop quickly, with frost for some, and also some mist or fog patches by morning - lows of -1C (30F).

    Shefali Oza with the afternoon weather forecast

  3. Staffordshire hospital second worst in the country for bed-blocking

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    University Hospitals of North Midlands which runs the Royal Stoke and County in Stafford had the second highest rate of bed-blocking in England in September. 

    The figures from NHS England show there were more than 3,700 "delayed days" when patients couldn't be discharged for a variety of reasons.

    Stafford County Hospital

    Our hospitals remain extremely busy and like many other trusts in the country we are experiencing increasing levels of attendances and admissions. However, in North Staffordshire we have particularly high numbers of patients who no longer need to be treated by us but cannot be discharged in a timely way due to a lack of suitable alternative care within the community or at home. This is something that all local health and care organisations are seeking to address."

    Mr Robert Courteney-Harris, Medical Director, Royal Stoke University Hospital

  4. Repair works on 'chemical school leak' speed up

    A Stafford primary school closed after a chemical leak is now safe for maintenance crews to enter, according to Staffordshire County Council.

    About 20 pupils fell ill at Flash Ley Community Primary School and Nursery in Stafford in October 2015 amid reports of a mystery smell.

    Some areas of the school have been worked on since last year, however other areas had to be avoided previously due to poor air quality.

    Flash Ley Community Primary School and NurseryGoogle

    An investigation concluded that work to floor ducts last summer led to high levels of formaldehyde.

    The council says repair work can now be accelerated, and is working on a plan to get pupils and teachers back as soon as possible.

  5. In numbers: Bed blocking in the West Midlands

    More than 26,000 days of bed blocking were recorded in the West Midlands in September.

    Graphic
    Graphic

  6. Bed blocking on the increase

    BBC Midlands Today

    The number of cases of bed blocking in Midlands hospitals has risen dramatically in the last year.

    That's when patients are ready to leave hospital but can't because the follow-up care they need is unavailable.

    Stoke hospital

    More than 26,300 days of delays were recorded by NHS trusts in the region in September - a 44% rise on the same month in 2015. 

    The highest increases were in the Dudley Group and University Hospitals of North Midlands.

  7. Threats of disruption at Poppy service

    There's warnings of a disruption to Sunday's Remembrance Day service in Leek if it's attended by a suspended poppy appeal organiser.  

    Gail Lockett received an anonymous letter, seen by the BBC, asking her not to attend Nicholson Monument on Sunday because of a "distinct and very real possibility" of an interruption to the two minutes silence. 

    But she's refusing to miss the service - and has forwarded the letter to the police. 

    PoppiesPA

    Ms Lockett, who denies wrongdoing, is suspended until April following an investigation into complaints she acted unreasonably during a poppy appeal three years ago.

    A Royal British Legion spokesman said the organisation was in the process of appointing a replacement committee member and that fundraising in the area was unaffected. 

    He said the two-minute silence was important and a "rare moment when the nation can stand together and reflect upon the human cost of conflict".

  9. A&E waiting times remain among worst in England

    Emergency waiting times at the Royal Stoke University Hospital remain among the worst in the country, according to the latest figures from NHS England.

    Data released this morning shows just 79.4% of A&E patients were treated inside four hours, compared with a government target of 95%.

    Just five hospital trusts across England recorded poorer performances.

  11. Injuries take three seniors out of Crewe squad

    With injuries mounting up at Crewe, manager Steve Davis has challenged his fringe players to step up. 

    Crewe are likely to be without three senior players this weekend as strikers Ryan Lowe and Chris Dagnall as well as defender Ollie Turton are injured.

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  12. Blooming marvellous - firefighters win floral award

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Firefighters in Cheshire aren't just good at putting out fires and rescuing people but it turns out they've also got green fingers.

    Nantwich fire station has been awarded gold in the Britain in Bloom award.

    Nantwich firefighters outside celebrating their Britain in Bloom awardCheshire fire and rescue

    On-call firefighter Desmond Evans took part in the competition to "achieve something beautiful and like to share and enjoy that beauty with my community".

  14. £1k fine for takeaway waste

    The owner of a takeaway in Stoke-on-Trent has been fined and ordered to pay £1,300 for failing to dispose of his shop's waste properly.

    Faiq Asif Mir, director of Tiger Bite in Tunstall, was found guilty of three offences under the environmental protection act. 

    It's after bin bags containing flyers and kebab meat were found dumped in an alleyway.

  15. 'Concentrating on the game' - defender blanks out transfer rumours

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    One man making a name for himself at Port Vale is defender Nathan Smith. 

    A host of bigger clubs have been watching the 20-year-old and Chairman Norman Smurthwaite has suggested he could be sold in January. 

    But Smith told BBC Radio Stoke he's not "concentrating on other stuff people are saying" and his aim was "to just play as many games as possible".

    Port Vale's Nathan Smith and Coventry City's Marcus TudgayEmpics

  16. Husband left out of pocket after buying his dying wife a bespoke chair

    BBC Radio Stoke

    A man from Staffordshire who never received a special chair he bought for his dying wife says he has no idea if he'll get his money back. 

    Geoff Perry from Cellarhead paid a £1,000 deposit to UK Mobility direct to try and make his wife Sandra's last days more comfortable.

    Geoff Perry and his wife

    BBC One's Watchdog tracked down the company's owner who said they're stopping trading.

    Matt Allbright speaking to owner of UK Mobility

    We have tried to contact UK Mobility Direct but have not got an answer about Geoff's money.

  19. Weather: A mixture of sunny spells and showers

    BBC Weather

    It'll be much brighter than yesterday. We'll see a mixture of sunny spells and the odd scattered shower - feeling chilly with highs of 11C.

    Thursday forecast