Summary

  • Saido Berahino could be on the way to Stoke City

  • Stoke Central by-election expected on 23 February

  • Some Cheshire schools say they may drop to a four-day week due to funding cuts

  • Man knocked unconscious as two men steal his car in Cheshire

  • Updates from Friday 20 January 2017

Live Reporting

Andrew Dawkins

  1. Watch: Weather for the West Midlands

    Shefali Oza
    BBC Midlands Today

    The night will stay cloudy for most of us. It'll be mostly dry, apart from the odd spot of drizzle. Lows of 1C (34F).

  2. Coming up on BBC Midlands Today

    Mary Rhodes
    Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

    A group of MPs have been on the road in the West Midlands today, hearing people's views about Brexit.

    Today they were in areas that voted strongly to leave, listening to opinions in Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent.

    You can find out more on BBC Midlands Today at 18:30 on BBC One. 

  3. Vale 'rejected £50,000 offer for Grant'

    BBC Radio Stoke Sport

    Port Vale chairman Norman Smurthwaite has revealed the club has turned down a £50,000 offer for Anthony Grant (pictured below). 

    Anthony GrantGetty Images

    In the meantime, Vale manager Michael Brown says he's spoken to the player and he's in the right frame of mind to play in tomorrow's game at home to Bury. 

    I think it was a bit of frustration with him over the games of Oldham and Huddersfield and I think that's shown in his performance... We had a little chat and he's certainly every day now in training since that day he's accepted he was way below his normal standards and he hopes to have a point to prove tomorrow."

    Michael Brown, Port Vale manager

  4. Council denies overnight parking charge will damage trade

    Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is denying charging people to park overnight is going to damage trade in the town. 

    It's approved plans to introduce a £1 fee at 14 car parks from the beginning of April, citing the need to help balance its budget. 

    The charge will apply from 20:00 to 08:00.  

    If it was... introducing something like sort of a fiver or something like that, I would say that's unreasonable. But a pound for... overnight parking, if four people come into town for a night out, it's 25p each. I mean it's hardly going to sort of break the bank, is it?"

    Terry Turner, Council deputy leader

  6. Peak District National Park in awards nomination

    The Peak District National Park has been nominated as National Park of the Year in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2017. 

    Peak District - Staffordshire Moorlands

    It says it's up against Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, Yorkshire Dales, South Downs and Snowdonia national parks.

    Nominees were chosen by TV presenter John Craven, it added.

    Voting runs to 28 February.

  7. Latest: Council denies overnight parking charge will damage trade; 'suspected norovirus outbreak source not traced'

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    Today's headlines include:

    - Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council denies charging people to park overnight will damage trade in the town

    - Public health officials say they're yet to trace the source of a suspected norovirus outbreak at a Nantwich hotel

    - Two men have been arrested after a car failed to stop for police and hit a tree

  8. Muniesa 'agreed terms with Real Betis'

    BBC Radio Stoke Sport

    It's being reported Stoke City defender Marc Muniesa has agreed personal terms with Real Betis, according to reports in Spain. 

    Marc MuniesaGetty Images

    Stoke are understood to have dropped their asking price to £2.5m, but that is reportedly still too much for Betis to part with.

  9. Men arrested after car hits tree

    A car has hit a tree on Leek Old Road in the Leek area after it twice failed to stop for police. 

    Two men were arrested on Wednesday night - a 24-year-old on suspicion of possession of cannabis and a 28-year-old on suspicion of unfit to drive through drink or drugs.

  10. Crewe defender George Ray 'took chance'

    BBC Radio Stoke Sport

    Crewe defender George Ray says he's happy to be back involved with the team again after being left out by previous manager Steve Davis. 

    George RayEmpics

    Ray started his first league game of the season last weekend and has been handed another opportunity by new boss David Artell.  

    I wanted to play obviously. As a footballer you want to play or give yourself the best chance of playing so maybe getting away from here was in my mind was maybe the right thing to do but obviously... things change, and Dave's come in and he's [spoken] to me and he says he's going to give me a chance so I took that chance on Saturday."

    George Ray, Crewe defender

  11. Stoke-on-Trent flooding hotspots to receive share of £3m to tackle problem

    The Sentinel

    Flooding hotspots are being targeted across Stoke-on-Trent thanks to a £3m investment.

  12. 'Concerns' about £1 night parking decision

    BBC Radio Stoke

    A business owner in Newcastle-under-Lyme has raised concerns about the decision to charge people £1 to park in the borough at night.

    Bert's Eatery and CellarGoogle Maps

    Plans have been approved by the borough council to introduce the fee on 14 car parks from the beginning of April. 

    Kim Burgess, who owns Bert's Eatery and Cellar on High Street, told BBC Radio Stoke there's only one beneficiary.

    You can hear the response of the borough council with Stuart George after 16:00 on BBC Radio Stoke.  

    It's bringing in money for the council. It's not bringing in money towards the traders in the town and again unless I'm mistaken... there's only one car park that's not council-owned in Newcastle."

    Kim Burgess, Bert's Eatery and Cellar owner

  13. Latest: Reports of abuse against 83 young footballers investigated; car hits tree; criticism of £1 night parking decision

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    Today's headlines include:

    - More than 200 reports of historical sex abuse against 83 young footballers are being investigated by Cheshire police

    - A car's hit a tree near Leek as police twice tried to pull it over

    - Newcastle Borough Council's decision to charge people £1 to park on car parks in the area overnight has been criticised by a local business owner 

  14. Football: Crouch wants Stoke to make top seven Premier League finish

    Matt Sandoz
    Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Stoke City striker Peter Crouch says the team is capable of breaking into the top seven this season.

    Peter CrouchMatthew Lewis/Getty Images

    Stoke are currently ninth, six points off seventh spot and Mark Hughes's side take on Manchester United this weekend.

    We want to be a top ten side. I think the top six are probably 'gone away', they're fantastic sides in the top six but anything after that is to play for and that's our aim."

    Peter Crouch, Stoke City striker

  15. Tamworth handyman fined for unsafe asbestos removal in Lichfield

    Lichfield Mercury

    A handyman has been fined over £1,400 after pleading guilty to unsafe asbestos removal in Lichfield, breaching health and safety legislation. 

  16. More than 500 potential victims identified in football abuse investigation

    A national investigation into sexual abuse in football has received more than 1,000 referrals from police forces and a helpline run by the NSPCC.

    In all 526 potential victims have been identified, including 83 in Cheshire.

    The force said officers were "working tirelessly" to gather witness statements and other information.

    Graphicbbc

  18. Saturday's EFL action as it happened

    Relive the action from Saturday's EFL matches as Newcastle return to the top of the Championship and Barnsley beat Leeds.

    Read More

  19. Businesses 'have come close to shutting due to roadworks'

    Lee Blakeman
    BBC Radio Stoke newsreader

    Businesses on a street in Wolstanton say they've come close to shutting down because of overrunning roadworks there. 

    Severn Trent began £1.2m improvements to the sewer network on Watlands View in February 2016 and they were due to finish before the end of the year, but they now won't be completed until at least March. 

    The water company says it's "currently paying out compensation to businesses that have made claims and will continue to work closely with the local community". 

    Watlands ViewGoogle