Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A police officer, who was hit by a car while being threatened by a man with a tree branch, may never be able to return to work, external. 

Staffordshire Police said the officer was attacked in November after stopping a "suspicious" lorry on the A5 near Lichfield.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

He had stepped into the road when attacked with the fallen branch by the lorry driver, who had tried to run off. 

The force say their officer is still at home recovering from the serious leg and chest injuries he suffered and they "don't yet know if he'll be able to return to work as a frontline officer".

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Detectives have released two new images including of the lorry and say the other suspect got out of the passenger side of the skip lorry and ran across fields.

Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live

These pictures of the fire yesterday at the Hanbury Plastics Recycling (Stoke) Ltd plant in Milton, Stoke-on-Trent were sent to us by Gregory Beresford and Peter Andrews.

Image source, Gregory Beresford & Peter Andrews

Image source, Gregory Beresford & Peter Andrews

Image source, Gregory Beresford & Peter Andrews

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross has admitted to BBC Radio Stoke that his side didn't "turn up" in the opening 30 minutes on Saturday.

Image source, Dave Thompson/Getty Images

The Potters lost 1-0 to West Brom with the goal conceded in the sixth minute.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

The headlines this afternoon include:

- A recycling plant destroyed by a fire in Stoke-on-Trent was storing illegal waste, the Environment Agency (EA) has said

- Confidential reports, released today,, external into two police operations in Staffordshire concluded there was no evidence to supports concerns raised by a former police inspector that there may have been miscarriages of justice

- A student who collapsed in a stairwell at a college and died has today been named by police  

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A large amount of plastics has gone up in flames in Biddulph last night., external

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says the baled plastics were on Tunstall Road and burned through the night. 

They covered an area measuring 25 x 7m (82 x 23 feet) and it took until 09:30 today before it was out. 

The service says it's now investigating what caused it.

The Environment Agency says it's unable to confirm if the plastics are fly-tipped waste but are "looking into" the incident.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Ray Brian used Your Questions to ask: "Why do people in Stoke-on-Trent call vegetable stew Lobby?"

For those not aware, Lobby is a Staffordshire dish that traditionally uses left over meat, boiled in a pot with some animal bones and vegetables - because potters were paid very little and so they couldn't afford to waste food.

Now, in terms of a name, it looks like the exact origin has been lost in the mists of time - certainly I've not so far found a historian with an exact answer.

But we have two theories, partly suggested by people on the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page -, external the first one is that the name comes from people having to "'lob' whatever they had in the pantry" into the dish.

The second theory, suggested by local historian Mervyn Edwards, is that Lobby comes from the same source as Liverpool's Scouse in that they both derive from lobscouse, a stew commonly eaten by sailors throughout Northern Europe.

What do you want to know about Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire? Ask us here and your question could be making the news.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The Port Vale defender Ben Purkiss says player fitness was an issue before caretaker manager Michael Brown took charge.

Image source, Pete Norton/Getty Images

The Valiants haven't won in their past four league games but Purkiss believes that, now the players are fitter, the performances are improving.

John Acres
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

I've been down this morning to the Stoke-on-Trent recycling plant which has been destroyed by a fire.

There's still, a day after the blaze started, a strong smell of burning plastic at the scene and nearby residents are being advised to keep their windows and doors shut.  

Two of the peaks of the roof of the now-charred large warehouse at Hanbury Plastics Recycling (Stoke) Ltd have collapsed in on themselves.

The building is also surrounded by burnt out bales of plastics and flames can still be seen inside.  

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A student who collapsed in a stairwell at Newcastle-under-Lyme College and died has today been named by police. 

Police say Jake Levi Dean, 20, of Goms Mill Road, Stoke-on-Trent, was taken to hospital on Friday afternoon but died. 

The force say his death isn't being treated as suspicious and they're drawing up a report for the coroner.  

Joanne Malin
BBC Midlands Today

This lunchtime on Midlands Today we'll have the latest on the huge fire in Stoke-on-Trent at a recycling plant. 

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says it expects to be at the scene all week. 

We'll have the latest from 13:30 on BBC One.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Confidential reports, released today,, external into two police operations in Staffordshire concluded there was no evidence to supports concerns raised by a former police inspector that there may have been miscarriages of justice. 

One of the cases was the killing of Floyd Dodson whose body was found inside a barrel in south Staffordshire in 1999 - a man was convicted of his manslaughter in 2003.

The other operation happened in 2006 when a cash handling centre was ram-raided in Tamworth - in 2007 four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and three others were acquitted after a trial.

In March 2012, after concerns were raised by a former Staffordshire Police inspector, centred on claims of "improper reward payments" made to witnesses, Cheshire Police were called in to carry out an independent review of both operations. 

Supt John Armstrong, who carried the review out, says in both cases payments were made but were recorded, disclosed to the prosecution team and the trial judge and there's no evidence of miscarriages of justice. 

In his report, which have been released in redacted form today, external, he admits he didn't interview any serving Staffordshire Police officers or members of staff to reach his conclusions.

The Environment Agency says Hanbury Plastics Recycling "never held an environmental permit".

Police say Redhills Road in Stoke-on-Trent remains shut this morning after the huge fire at the recycling plant.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

This lunchtime, our top stories include:

- The Environment Agency says a Stoke-on-Trent recycling plant, at the centre of a huge fire, didn't hold a current environmental permit and was operating illegally

- Five men are due to appear before magistrates this week charged with violent disorder after fighting in a Burton pub last summer following a pre-season friendly, external

- A large amount of plastics has gone up in flames in Biddulph last night, external

BBC Midlands Today

Six army reservists from the Midlands including one from Crewe, who completed an 1,100 mile (1,770km) journey across Antarctica last month, have arrived back at Heathrow to a heroes' welcome.

Image source, AWOL TV

Chris Brookes, who's also a paramedic, is part of the group called Spear 17 who say they are the first military group to complete the crossing on skis. 

Henry Worsley, a former British Army officer, died in January 2016 attempting to become the first person to carry out the expedition unsupported. 

The team reached the centre of the south pole in 68 days, raising cash for a military charity.

BBC WM Sport

The controversy surrounding Saido Berahino shows no sign of stopping after the player's return to West Bromwich Albion with new club Stoke on Saturday.

Image source, Reuters

Albion won the game 1-0 - two days after newspaper reports claimed Berahino had served a suspension while at the Baggies in connection with an out-of-competition drugs test.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes said he was disappointed with the timing of the information coming to light, with club captain Ryan Shawcross claiming Albion was the source.

He said: "Someone from West Brom's side must have been speaking to the papers and I was very disappointed with that. I didn't think it was needed."

Baggies boss Tony Pulis was asked about the controversy but preferred to focus on his team.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A dry start today but that looks likely to change this afternoon, here's my look ahead.

The BBC Weather website also has updated forecasts for you through the day.

John Acres
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

The fire service say they think they'll be at the site of a major fire at a recycling plant in Stoke-on-Trent for the rest of this week.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service say there are still flames inside the building at Hanbury Plastics on Redhills Road, Milton which has been burning since yesterday.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is continuing. 

Dale Harrison from the brigade (featured in video)says what people may think is smoke coming from the site is mainly steam. 

However he added that if residents taste or smell the smoke, they should stay indoors with their windows and doors shut.  

Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke

The Environment Agency says a Stoke-on-Trent recycling plant, at the centre of a huge fire, didn't hold a current environmental permit and was operating illegally.  

It says it had issued legal notices to Hanbury Plastics Recycling (Stoke) Ltd, which went into liquidation last year, to clear the waste in Milton.

A large fire started there yesterday morning and a joint police and fire investigation into its cause is continuing today. 

BBC Radio Stoke has this morning contacted the owners of Hanbury Plastics and are waiting to hear from them.  

BBC Derby Sport

Burton Albion kept themselves three points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday but midfielder John Mousinho says it's important the players don't become too preoccupied with their league position.

He said: "If you just focus on your own performance and games, you're probably better off thinking you can just nick a point here or three points there.

"It's hard not to look at the table but I don't think we should plan too far ahead in terms of where we're going to pick points up."