PM's by-election Brexit letter criticised
Noel Edmonds super-fan's tattoo tribute
Council spends £75k tackling pigeons and gulls
Plans to rebuild giant Peter Rabbit sculpture welcomed
Updates from Friday 17 February 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Roads in Stoke-on-Trent and east Cheshire are going to be gritted this evening and tonight.
The councils for both areas say that, despite temperatures set to rise this week, the forecast for this evening is for a chance of frost into tomorrow morning., external
Image source, Cheshire East CouncilA month of roadworks will see a major route into Lichfield closed off to traffic., external
Joanne Malin
BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime, we'll have more on the BBC investigation which has found Tesco customers are being short-changed by promotions which have expired but are still advertised on the shelves.
Image source, AFPThe supermarket giant's promising to check up on the accuracy of its pricing after BBC Inside Out checked 50 of its stores across England.
We'll have more on what the investigation found on BBC One from 13:30.
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Jerome Thomas's long term Port Vale future could be in doubt as caretaker manager Michael Brown says he's facing a difficult road ahead.
Image source, Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThe midfielder has suffered an injury-ridden season compounded by a calf injury in Saturday's warm up ahead of the 1-1 draw with Gillingham.
Thomas, who has started 18 of Vale's 29 league games, looked to be defending himself yesterday on social media when he posted messages of praise, external that he'd received for his performances this season., external
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
I get a lot of great pictures sent in to me of Staffordshire and Cheshire so here are five I've picked out:
Your pictures
They include:
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The Crewe Alexandra manager says he brought his players in for training yesterday, straight after their 5-0 win over Grimsby, to make them better - not as a punishment.
Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell speaking to Graham McGarry
The Alex won for the first time in 12 games with their League Two demolition on Saturday.
The squad were then brought in for training yesterday and manager David Artell says it shouldn't be seen as a punishment but as a sign that he wants to make them better.
Everyone's favourite 6ft 7in (2.01m) footballer, Peter Crouch, has been in fine form on social media and continued by poking fun at this tweet from Home and Garden Listings:
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Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live
Rocester-based JCB has won a £9m order for 160 diggers from equipment hire firm Nixon Hire.
The company called it "a fantastic order from one of our biggest UK customers".
Image source, JCB
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
The government needs to commission an independent review into how to pay for and run social care, according to the man in charge of finances at Cheshire East Council.
Image source, Science Photo LibraryThe Conservative-led authority has a funding gap of £100m over the next three years and wants to raise its share of council tax by nearly 5%, external from April.
The area has a higher than average proportion of residents who are over 65.
Councillor Peter Groves is responsible for finances at the council and says he believes the government should set up a royal commission to examine at the whole issue of social care.
Quote MessageGoing forward with an ageing population, if you think about what our population is likely to be in the next 20 years, this is not a problem that is going to go away. No matter what your background, how much money you have, the one thing that happens to us all is we get old and we need care."
Councillor Peter Groves, Finance and Assets Portfolio Holder for Cheshire East Council
BBC Radio Stoke
You've been having your say about the news that a BBC investigation's found Tesco customers are being short-changed by promotions which have expired but are still advertised on the shelves.
The supermarket giant said it would double-check the accuracy of pricing at all its stores.
BBC investigation
On the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page, external, Tia Banks said, external: "When I have had this happen to me, Tesco have reduced the item for me to the offer that was advertised."
Patricia Smith posted, external: "This can also happen in other stores. I tend to do smallish shopping trips and remember the prices and watch the price being put up and get it corrected then and there, or check the bill at the end before leaving the store."
And Elaine Fullwood wrote, external: "Always been the same. When you report a wrong price they go and check, bring back the label so they can correct it, then put it back when you have gone. Nothing ever changes."
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Drivers are being warned that, after the wintry showers over the weekend, some higher routes in Cheshire still have some icy conditions on them.
Cheshire Police say this was the Cat and Fiddle road earlier today, external, although they added the main roads were clear.
Image source, Cheshire Police
Image source, TruckerThere were some wintry showers over the weekend and, while it may have pretty much all disappeared now, our BBC Weather Watchers captured some of the dusting we had.
These two are from Staffordshire users Trucker in Hednesford and Dodger in Ingestre.
Image source, DodgerAllen Cook
BBC Local Live
You used Your Questions to ask us: "Why is the Wammy in Knutton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire called the Wammy?"
Firstly, for the uninitiated, The Wammy is a neighbourhood park on the edge of the town and is managed by the borough council., external
Image source, GoogleThey, however, don't know how it got that name and, it turns out, it's a mystery which even local historian Mervyn Edwards says hasn't been pinned down to one answer.
He told us that there are several theories, including being named after a stream or brook although he thinks it may come from the old English word "wamble" which the Oxford English Dictionary meant "to roll about in walking, to go with an unsteady gate."
But Mervyn says there's no definitive answer to where the name came from so, if you can help further, get in touch.
What do you want to know about Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire? Ask us here and your question could be making the news.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has told BBC Radio Stoke he believes Egyptian winger Ramadan Sobhi has a bright future.
Image source, Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesRamadan started his first game since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace.
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Doctors have raised concerns about the effect that cuts to drug and alcohol services in Staffordshire will have on the NHS.
The county council's cutting the budget by 60%, external following a loss in funding.
Image source, PAThe North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which pays for NHS services in the area, told BBC Radio Stoke it expects it'll lead to a rise in alcohol admissions to A & E.
The county council says it's still investing £5m a year into drug and alcohol services, and its priority is to work with partners to continue to support those who need help the most.
Quote MessageAlcohol is our second biggest cause of emergency admission and, while the services will look to deliver the same outcomes, they'll be prioritising treatment and recovery and there'll be a lot less spending on prevention and early intervention."
Marcus Warnes, Accountable Officer at North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group
A family were minutes from death when thick smoke filled their home from a gas leak fire next door., external
Image source, The SentinelPhil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
Plans for government funding and power to be transferred to Cheshire are expected to get a boost later.
A deal was struck last year that would have seen that happen for the two councils in the east and west of the county plus Warrington.
Image source, Getty Images/GeographAn elected mayor was to be responsible for the devolved power and cash, but then Labour councillors in Warrington asked officials to look at joining the Liverpool city region instead.
An official report now says that wouldn't be in the borough's best interests , externaland so the council's executive is expected to press ahead tonight, external with a Cheshire deal.
There'll then be a public consultation and all councillors will vote on the deal later in the year.
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
A cloudy and blustery start to the day across the West Midlands.
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
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
There's a strong, cold wind around and that's made it a chilly start to the week - this was Hanley Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, at around 07:30.
We'll have a weather forecast for the day shortly and there'll be news, sport, travel and other updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire to come.
You can send in your pictures of the area to me and I'll feature as many as I can - do that on email or put them on Instagram with the tag #bbcstoke if you agree to share, external.
