Crewe's university campus to close
No arrests yet over giant bunny sculpture arson
Driver 'stopped by police 17 times in 12 months'
Repeat of Stafford Hospital scandal across the NHS 'inevitable'
Snow warning for Staffordshire and Cheshire
Updates from Friday 10 February 2017
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
Another chilly start.
Here's how the rest of this morning is looking - and remember, you can also get latest forecasts for your area from the BBC Weather website.
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Calum McKenzie
BBC Local Live
Talulah (pictured) has said her participation in the TV show is a step forward for society.
Image source, Shell Coe"It is television history," the 22-year-old told BBC Radio Derby.
"A transgender person has never been on a show like this before and it shows that the world and industry is moving forward."
"I'm proud to be the mark of that change."
Sally Swinfen
BBC Radio Derby newsreader
A 22-year-old woman from Burton has said she is making TV history by being the first transgender contestant on Britain's Next Top Model.
Image source, Lifetime/PA WireTalulah Eve Brown will be competing in the next series along with 11 other girls, who are all fighting for the chance to win a modelling contract.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The cold starts have continued this morning but it's been mainly dry in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
We'll have your day's weather forecast shortly and there'll be updates on this area's news, sport, travel and more.
I'm also planning to show off more of your photos of the area so keep those coming on email or, for Instagram users, put them there with the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share, external.
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.
Rebecca Wood
BBC Weather
It's going to be a cold night, with the chance of some flurries of snow in parts of the region and frost by morning.
Rebecca Wood with the afternoon forecast for the West Midlands
Matt Jackson
Producer, BBC Radio Stoke
The hot topic today on the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page has been the planned closure by supermarket giant Waitrose of its Leek branch.
Image source, Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesHayley Louise Cannon wasn't surprised, external, posting: "Waitrose is shockingly expensive. Nice though but i couldn't afford to do my weekly shop there."
But Danille Spencer wrote, external: " Gutted! It's always busy when we go in. Such a shame. Too much competition in Leek though, we've already got Aldi, Morrisons and a massive Sainsbury's."
While Marion Bowcock was already thinking of what could replace it, external: "Put a cinema there something for all ages to appreciate."
Mary Rhodes
Presenter, BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this evening we'll have news of the end of a trial covering one of the biggest cold-calling scams in British history.
We'll also have reaction to an entire lorry load of old fridges and freezers which have been dumped in part of the region.
Image source, Walsall CouncilAnd how archaeologists have been racing against time at a dig next to a church in the West Midlands.
Those stories, your latest regional sports news and weather update, from 18:30 on BBC One.
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
Hospital bosses in Staffordshire say they are confident waiting times at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and the County Hospital, Stafford will fall in the next couple of months.
Today the latest figures from NHS England , externalhave shown the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), which runs both sites, handled 73.4% of patients within four hours in December.
The government target is 95% and, when the Royal Stoke's A&E is considered on its own, the percentage falls to 64.2%.
Responding to the figures, the UHNM said it expected a drop in waiting times into spring through improvements within the NHS trust and with an increase in more home care.
The great pictures keep on coming from our BBC Weather Watchers from across Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Check the website out for more but these two are from users Z70 in Ranton, Staffordshire and Grandad Alec in Congleton, Cheshire.
Image source, Z70
Image source, Grandad Alec
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Crewe Alexandra's manager David Artell says the spirit within the club is still strong despite the team being 21st in League Two.
Image source, crewealex.netThe Alex have yet to register a win under Artell who's just completed his first month in charge of the team.
Quote MessageYou're either with us or you're not with us, that's it, that's football. If you are not up for the fight, if you don't want to be here, just let me know, because we're all in it together."
David Artell, Crewe Alexandra manager
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Masked men have carried out a late-night armed robbery at a restaurant in Stoke-on-Trent. , external
Staffordshire Police say the pair entered the Harvester at Trentham Lakes near Stoke City's stadium just after midnight on Saturday as a staff member was cashing up.
Image source, GoogleThe worker barricaded himself in on the first floor but the duo kicked the door in and knocked him to the ground.
Officers say they then threatened him with a knife and got away with cash.
Khia Lewis-Todd
BBC Local Live
The Environment Agency and Wild Trout Trust have been out in Staffordshire today.
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Almost 400 metres of hedgerow will be removed as part of the ongoing work to build a secondary school in Tatenhill. , external
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
We reported earlier about how the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) had continued to miss the government's A&E targets in the latest figures, external.
The statistics from NHS England for the trust showed just 73.4% of patients in December were dealt with in four hours, putting it among the worst performing trusts in England - the target from ministers is 95%.
The figure for the UHNM covers the two A&E units it runs, in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, and the minor injury units.
But, given the issues at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, with patients urged over winter to use alternatives to A&E, external, we dug into the figures for its accident and emergency unit alone.
They show that in December 2016, 14,278 people attended the Royal Stoke's A&E with 5,110 taking longer than four hours to be dealt with - meaning just 64.2% were seen within the target.
Compare that with December 2015 when 11,190 went to the same A&E - 3,132 took longer than four hours to be admitted, discharged or transferred, giving a 72.0% figure.
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent has been closed by magistrates , externalafter failing to comply with safety regulations.
Ronnie Chigaduro held the licence for the Crystal Lounge on Brunswick Street, Hanley.
The 41-year-old from Solihull was found guilty at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre this week on two counts of carrying on unauthorised licensable activity.
They were for not retaining CCTV footage for 28 days and not keeping adequate door staff records.
A third count was dismissed - Chigaduro was fined a total of £500 and the city council says the nightclub has been shut.
Crewe manager David Artell believes his "wobbly" side are good enough to stand up and fight to stay in the EFL.
Read MoreLee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Heroin and crack cocaine are thought to have been found during a raid in Crewe this afternoon.
Image source, GoogleCheshire Police say they targeted a property on Brookhouse Drive at around midday.
Officers say a 30-year-old woman from Crewe and a 42-year-old man from Nantwich were detained at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
John Acres
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
I've been to the Bentilee estate in Stoke-on-Trent this morning after reports of taxi drivers refusing to go to the area due to bricks being thrown at their cars, external.
Speaking to people in the Bentilee Community Centre, they said they felt it was an issue and understood how some had labelled the area a "no-go".
One man told me he felt the area needed more police on patrol to take on the problem and said buses had had bricks thrown at them last week.
Another man added that it had been "going on for a while" with vehicles having windows smashed and said he had also experienced the issue on the nearby Meir estate.
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
A charity café in Nantwich which backs a Cheshire hospice is closing next month because it's not making enough money for the charity., external
Swirly Whirly's has been open for five years but the management have told BBC Radio Stoke that, with the number of coffee shops in the town, it's impossible to compete.
It had sold donated goods in its vintage tea room and coffee shop to support St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice.
