Summary

  • Detective thought he'd never see rapist behind bars

  • Pair face no charge over Amazon depot fire

  • Firm look for public help to rebuild burnt down rabbit sculpture

  • Saido Berahino: Striker served eight-week FA suspension - Mark Hughes

  • Updates from Friday 3 February 2017

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

  1. Three hurt after car overturns near cemetery

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    Three people are in hospital after a car overturned outside a cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent.

    Overturned vehicle on A53WMAS

    Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says all three had to be cut free by firefighters this afternoon on the A53 Leek New Road by Burslem cemetery. 

    West Midlands Ambulance Service has confirmed all three have been taken to hospital - they haven't released details of injuries that have been suffered. 

  3. Travel: Signalling problem delays Lichfield trains

    BBC Travel

    There are delays on London Midland and Virgin Trains West Coast services this afternoon at Lichfield Trent Valley, due to a signalling problem.

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  4. Man needed hospital treatment after attack

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A man's needed hospital treatment after being attacked in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent.

    He was in the area of Stafford Street and Trinity Street on Saturday evening says Staffordshire Police, when he was assaulted by three men.

    Officers say he suffered injuries to his face and was taken to hospital.

  5. Port Vale sign winger Shodipo on loan

    League One side Port Vale sign Queens Park Rangers winger Olamide Shodipo on loan until the end of the season.

    Read More

  6. BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Brewood and Hednesford

    BBC Weather Watchers

    If you like taking pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire, why not become one of the volunteers contributing as BBC Weather Watchers.

    As well as updates on local forecasts, we get photos such as these two from Staffordshire users Thornhill Watch, in Hednesford, and Snappy Eileen, in Brewood.

    HednesfordThornhill Watch
    Brewood, StaffordshireSnappy Eileen

  7. Alton Towers rollercoaster victim 'considered suicide'

    BBC Newsbeat

    One of the victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash has said she would "be lying if I said I didn't consider suicide" after the accident.

    "In the beginning especially, there were days when I didn't want to be here any more," Vicky Balch said.

    Vicky Balch with her mother on the Victoria Derbyshire programme

    Two carriages on the Smiler ride crashed into each other in June 2015 at the Staffordshire theme park.

    Sixteen passengers were trapped for several hours before they were released.

    Vicky Balch was one of four people in the front row of the carriage who were seriously injured in the crash.  

    She had to have part of her right leg amputated as a result.

    She says that after the crash, at her "lowest points", she considered suicide.

  8. Headlines: Rollercoaster victim 'considered suicide'; man attacked in city centre; cigarettes stashed in 'secret' unit

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    The headlines this afternoon include:

    - One of the victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash has said she would "be lying if I said I didn't consider suicide" after the accident

    - A man's needed hospital treatment after being attacked in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent  

    - A manhole and a storage unit with a false back have both been used as places to recently hide illegal cigarettes in Stoke-on-Trent, according to HM Revenue and Customs  

  9. Brook body find: Not suspicious, say police

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A 91-year-old man whose body was found in a brook in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday afternoon has been identified by police. 

    Staffordshire Police says the death of Geoffrey Johnson Heaton, of Brook Road, Trentham, isn't now being treated as suspicious and a report's being prepared for the coroner.

  10. Cheshire Police 'sniff out' drug drivers

    BBC Inside Out

    Figures released by Cheshire Police show there is a growing number of people driving under the influence of drugs.

    BBC Inside Out North West's Jacey Normand has been out with officers from the force as they try to combat offenders.

    Cheshire Police target drug drivers

    According to figures from the force's annual Christmas crackdown, there were 111 people arrested in December on suspicion of driving under the influence of illegal drugs - in 2015 there were 91.

    You can see more on this story on BBC One's Inside Out North West at 19:30 GMT.  

  11. Mood swings: The man mapping Britain's emotions

    David Sillito
    Media correspondent

    A National Geographic explorer who has been creating a a "mood map" of urban Britain says he "thoroughly enjoyed crossing" Stoke-on-Trent on his 69 cities journey.

    Daniel Raven-Ellison has just completed the 2.5-million step walk, wearing an EEG monitor strapped to his head to get millions of snapshots of the activity in his brain.

    Daniel Raven-EllisonDaniel Raven-Ellison

    Its software provided metrics on how stressed, relaxed, excited, focused, interested and engaged he was during his walks. 

    It has taken him seven months and, when he passed through Stoke-on-Trent, he praised investment in culture, saying it had "gorgeous green and blue spaces" and an "epic skate park".

  12. No news on Clough Forest switch

    BBC Derby Sport

    We've heard nothing so far today on whether Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough will be leaving to join Nottingham Forest. We'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.

    Nigel CloughGetty Images

  13. Football: Port Vale boss books in takeaways ahead of 'busy end' to transfer window

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    The Port Vale caretaker manager Michael Brown has told BBC Radio Stoke he expects a busy end to the January transfer window.

    A general view of Vale ParkNathan Stirk/Getty Images

    Brown has already made four signings this window by bringing in Chris Eagles, Tyler Walker, Callum Guy and Scott Tanser. 

    Managers have until 23:00 GMT on Tuesday to make do deals.

    We'll be looking to bring good players in and, up until Tuesday night now, in every position, we'll be trying to improve the team. We've booked in the takeaways and away we go, we'll be camping out at the office and trying to do as many deals as we can

    Michael Brown, Port Vale caretaker manager

  14. Illegal cigarettes found in false cupboard and underground manhole

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A manhole and a storage unit with a false back have both been used as places to hide illegal cigarettes in Stoke-on-Trent. 

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Trading Standards say they searched eight shops in the city on Wednesday.

    Illegal cigarettes hidden behind storage cupboard and in manholeHMRC

    They say in five of them they seized suspected illegal tobacco products with an estimated value of almost £14,000.

    In one shop they found them hidden in a manhole under the hallway carpet and in another shop, a specially built storage unit had a false back.

  16. On Midlands Today from 13:30: The man with no memory

    Joanne Writtle
    BBC Midlands Today

    On Midlands Today this lunchtime, we'll have more on an exclusive BBC Panorama investigation into a mystery American man who'd been found in the region. 

    Press reports about Roger Curry

    He said the name Roger Curry and an international search got under way to try to find out who he was, with the story travelling far on our social media pages. 

    We'll be revealing more from 13:30 on BBC One.

  17. Latest: Body found in brook; 'frustration' over hospital parking; Olympic star gets New Zealand silver

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    Our headlines this lunchtime include:

    - A man's body has been discovered in a brook in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent and police say it is too early to confirm if the death is suspicious

    - People living near the Royal Stoke University Hospital have told BBC Radio Stoke they're frustrated doctors and nurses are parking on their streets instead of at the site

    - Stone's Olympic champion kayaker Joe Clarke has won silver in the Oceania championships in New Zealand

  18. Watch: Residents 'frustrated' by hospital staff 'blocking' their streets

    Russell Truran
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    People living near the Royal Stoke University Hospital have told BBC Radio Stoke they're frustrated doctors and nurses are parking on their streets instead of at the site, blocking their houses.

    One local resident, Jane Fayre (featured in video), who lives on nearby Slaney Street says they've petitioned the NHS trust over the issue.  

    Jane Fayre is one of a number of residents complaining about the parking issues

    Staff at the hospital say it "wouldn't be worth going to work" if they had to pay the price of parking there, claiming it's too expensive and there aren't enough spaces to park. 

    The hospital currently has 3,737 spaces and it costs £8.60 to park for eight hours. 

    The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs the site, says it has taken steps to ensure that parking arrangements are fair to all staff.

    It adds it works to make sure patients have the best access to the hospital and there is ample on-site parking for staff.  

  19. New Zealand silver for Olympic star Joe Clarke

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Stone's Olympic champion kayaker Joe Clarke has won silver in the Oceania championships in New Zealand.

    Joe Clarke training in kayakLaurence Griffiths/Getty Images

    The 24-year-old, a member of Stafford and Stone Canoe Club, has called it a "good start to 2017".

  20. Your pictures: A Civil War re-enactment and a dusting of snow

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Here are a couple more of the pictures you've shared with me of Staffordshire and Cheshire over the weekend.

    Firstly, this one's from Jonathan White and shows part of the Battle of Nantwich re-enactment, when the Sealed Knot recreated the Civil War battle.

    Battle of NantwichJonathan White

    While Paul Middlaton said there was a "dusting of snow" on The Roaches in the Staffordshire Moorlands on Sunday and took this photo.

    If you've taken a photo of the area recently and want to share it, you can send it in on email or put on Instagram (adding the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share it).

    A dusting of snow on The RoachesPaul Middlaton