Sarah Robertson
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent will be up against a Cheshire town as it bids for the title of UK City of Culture in 2021. 

In total, 11 cities have formally registered bids including Warrington, Portsmouth, Swansea and the smallest city in Britain, St Davids.

The chosen place  will succeed Hull , which is the City of Culture for 2017.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has pledged to give £3m to the winning city.

BBC correspondent, Nick Higham, said most of the towns and cities to put themselves forward have been badly hit by the decline of traditional industries and see the bid as a way to attract investment, stimulate development and make local people feel good about their city.  

BBC News England

About nine out of every 10 families in the West Midlands are unable to afford newly built homes in their local area , a report by housing charity Shelter says. 

Its research shows rising house prices are hitting all parts of England, not just London and the South East. 

In the West Midlands, 93% of privately renting working families could not afford to buy a newly built home, even if they used the government's Help to Buy scheme, the charity says.

In the region, the average price of a new home was £206,950.

Image source, PA

The charity wants to see a new style of building, modelled on that of Victorian philanthropists, where short-term profits are replaced by "long-term community gains".

Ministers agree the system is broken and want to make housing affordable.

Jennifer Scott
BBC News

A woman convicted of theft after pocketing a £20 note she found in a shop said police initially told her "not to worry" about speaking to them. 

Nicole Bailey, from Stoke-on-Trent, said she did not think she had done anything wrong when she found the cash on the floor of a corner shop.

Three months later, she voluntarily attended a police station as a witness.

Staffordshire Police said she was offered the same rights as a person being interviewed under caution.

The media storm around the case has brought a mixture of sympathy and condemnation for the 23-year-old, and Ms Bailey said her life has been "turned upside down".

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City have confirmed that midfielder Ibrahim Afellay has signed a new contract at the club. , external

Image source, Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The new deal will keep him at the Potters until the summer of 2019. 

Afellay, who's 30, joined Stoke from Barcelona in July 2015 and has scored three goals for the club so far.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

More snow spells are forecast for this morning in Staffordshire and Cheshire, with drivers warned they are "likely" during rush hour.  

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for both areas , external and says low levels could see up to 2cm (0.75in) of snow, with the chance of more than 5cm (2in) higher up.  

Image source, Cheshire East Council

Cheshire East Council says its gritters have been working through the night on major routes and, at the moment, the A54 and A537 Cat and Fiddle roads are, external "passable".

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

Windy at first with some early morning sunshine likely in the south. 

There will be a little rain perhaps in the north for a time, this will clear to allow plenty of sunshine across the region by the afternoon. 

Winds will ease through the day with highs of 8C (46F).  

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

The rain's been coming down through the night and in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, this was the scene just after 07:30 by the town hall.

We'll have a look at a full weather forecast for today shortly and I'll have updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire on the latest news, sport, travel and more through today.

I'm also keen as ever for more of your photos of the area, so share those via email or put them on Instagram, adding the tag #bbcstoke to show you agree to share them , external .

Nicole Bailey, who was fined for taking the £20 note, said she wishes she could "turn back time".

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. 

Mary Rhodes
Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

On Midlands Today from 18:30, we'll hear concerns that not enough women in the region know the signs of ovarian cancer.

We'll hear one Staffordshire woman's battle with the disease and speak to a specialist about what to look out for.

Plus see a sculpture which has been unveiled today to mark the 25th anniversary of the Midlands Air Ambulance charity. 

Those stories and more from 18:30 on BBC One .

"Finders keepers, losers weepers" is tested by a court case of a woman who trousered £20 she found.

A woman from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire has set up her own taxi service for pets.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

It will turn windy with showers through the evening, giving some heavy bursts at times. The rain will linger through the early hours, mainly in northern parts, turning to snow over higher ground and perhaps settling in a few places - lows of 2C (36F).

Tomorrow, any rain will linger for some at first on Thursday. However, it will clear through the morning.

A Sedgley family has received a six-figure payout after their GP surgery failed to share test results with a patient that showed an abnormal growth on his bowel.

Image source, Family handout

The results were filed away at Ridgeway surgery, and only came to light three years later when they discovered he had an inoperable tumour. 

Wayne Evans, who was a father of two, died in May 2013. The surgery says it has made changes to its system to prevent anything similar happening again.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

More than nine out of 10 parents in east Cheshire got their child into their first-choice secondary school.

The figures come on National Offer Day - the day families in England find out where they have been allocated a place.

Image source, Thinkstock

Cheshire East Council says in its area there were nearly 5,000 applications this year, of which 3,877 came from residents within the borough and more than 93% got their first-choice , external .

In Staffordshire, the county council says out of 7,494 applications, just over 92.5% got their first-choice of secondary school.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City's academy director Gareth Jennings says they can shake off their underdog status and win the FA Youth Cup.

Image source, Stoke City

The Potters are in the last four for the first time since 1984 , external having beaten Preston North End this week. 

They now face Manchester City for a place in the final with Tottenham and Chelsea in the other semi-final.

Lichfield Mercury

Cash-strapped Lichfield District and Tamworth Borough councils are set to consider plans to charge for taking away residents' garden waste. , external

Image source, Lichfield Mercury

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

The final phase of work to repair a major junction on the A500 in Staffordshire's finished four weeks early.

Image source, Google

Highways England has been working on the A34 southbound section of the bridge over the A500 since January. 

They were due to finish at the end of this month but say they're already done and the section will fully reopen to traffic tomorrow morning.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

You've been having your say on the news that a woman who kept a £20 note she found in a shop in Stoke-on-Trent has been convicted of theft . 

Nicole Bailey, 23, pleaded guilty to the charge and must pay compensation, a victim surcharge and court costs.

On BBC Radio Stoke's Facebook page, Mick Burgess wrote, external : "I'm sure most folk would pocket the find too but a police caution would have been sufficient without wasting money on a court case." 

Matt Bennion added, external : "I feel sorry for her as I would have done the same thing, didn't know it would go down as theft." 

While Janet Flavell posted, external : "I must admit, if I found it in a shop I would have handed it in to a member of staff. Finding it on the street is a different matter. Still shouldn't be theft though."

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

A police investigation has been ruled out into  the death of a Stafford woman hit by falling debris  during Storm Doris in Wolverhampton.  

Tahnie Martin, a 29-year-old university worker, was passing Starbucks in Dudley Street in the city when the large piece of wooden roofing hit her.  

Image source, Facebook

Ms Martin suffered "very serious head injuries" and died at the scene.

West Midlands Police said it was "no longer pursuing a criminal investigation" but City of Wolverhampton Council would instead take on the probe "supported by West Midlands Police and the Health & Safety Executive in a bid to establish the full circumstances”.

The council said: “These are extremely early days in the process and it will inevitably take time to establish the facts.”