Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live

Highways England says it wants to make the stretch between Porthill and Wolstanton three lanes instead of two, but take the speed limit from 70 down to 50. 

The existing footpaths alongside the road will also be closed and moved back.

Highways England says it aims to start the work in spring 2020 - and finish it the following Autumn - to reduce congestion and improve safety.

Image source, Google

The announcement coincides with the city council's plan to build a new link road from Wolstanton on the A500 and through Etruria Valley. 

The plans for the widening scheme go on public display next week  

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Almost a quarter of the jobs at H&R Johnson Tiles in Stoke-on-Trent are set to go. 

The Tunstall firm's parent company says it's started a major restructuring programme today, which will see about ninety jobs lost as it looks to stay competitive.

Around 400 people work for the tile maker and the Unity union - which represents ceramics workers - says it's in discussions with the company.

Image source, Google

Former football coach Barry Bennell has been charged with eight counts of historical child sexual abuse .

The 63-year-old ex-youth coach at Crewe Alexandra faces allegations relating to two boys between 1980 and 1987.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges followed an investigation by Cheshire Police.

Mr Bennell, who also worked at Manchester City and Stoke City, will appear at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court on 13 March.

He is accused of two counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14, indecent assault on a boy aged under 16, and five other offences.

Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live

Cheshire East Council has launched its new mobile children’s centre.

It's  looking for your views on the new service, external .

The project, launched today, will tour the south of the borough in a series of roadshows, visiting Crewe, Nantwich, Middlewich, Sandbach and Alsager.

Image source, Cheshire East Council

John Acres
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

It's hoped a new link road will reduce congestion on one of the main routes into Stoke-on-Trent city centre.

The council wants to build a road between the A500 at Wolstanton and the city centre through the Etruria Valley site. 

Councillor Jack Brereton, who's responsible for regeneration and transport, told BBC Radio Stoke the £40m road would be good for the area.

Image source, Google

Tamworth Herald

A Tamworth landlady has been left angered after two bungling thieves broke into her pub, external – and came away with nothing.

Image source, Tamworth Herald

Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live

Street chaplains have started patrolling Stoke-on-Trent during the day at the request of the city council.

They normally help at night but have been asked to assist with an increase in homelessness and anti-social behaviour.

Around half a dozen chaplains are out between 11:00 and 17:00 weekdays in the main shopping areas.

Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A man injured at Alton Towers said he had been run over by a dumper truck, according to West Midlands Ambulance Service.

A spokesman said the man, 21, was hurt yesterday at a building site at the park, with a crew called shortly before 17:30.  

Ambulance staff treated him for leg and hip injuries "not believed to be serious", before being airlifted to hospital. 

Confirming "an incident occurred at our construction site at Alton Towers," his employer Kettle and Talbot said he was back at work having been discharged from hospital with "bruising". It added it had "launched a full investigation into the matter".

Image source, PA

The Health & Safety Executive is also investigating, police say.

Liz Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

It's a phone call many of us have received. The offer to speed up your internet connection.

This morning I heard from a Stoke-on-Trent businessman who said he was shocked when he was nearly duped by a phone scam while trying to fix his slow broadband. 

Image source, Getty Images

Barry Elks, who works in Fenton, thought he was talking to BT when he realised he was being asked to log in to a website that could have accessed private information on his computer. 

He says if it wasn't for his IT knowledge, he would have fallen for it.

Here are a few tips from the county's Trading Standards team, external on what to look out for.

A 47-year-old man has been stabbed at a property in the Dawley area of Telford.

He received hospital treatment for serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The stabbing happened at 22:00 yesterday and police have arrested a 24-year-old man from Tamworth in connection, saying they believed it was an "isolated incident" and there was "no wider threat to the local community".

Police say a knife has been recovered and detectives are studying CCTV footage.

Khia Lewis-Todd
BBC Local Live

Peaty leaves America having broken the US Open Swimming record...

Jodie Looker
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

About 100 parents and residents attended a meeting last night to discuss parking problems outside a Stoke-on-Trent primary school.

Rosina Lee, the headteacher of Sneyd Green Primary, says many people are having to walk in the street because of cars parked on the pavement.

No solution was reached at last night's meeting.

Image source, Google

Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live

A man has been injured at Alton Towers.

Staffordshire Police says officers were called to the park shortly before 18:00 yesterday. 

A workman, the force said, had been hurt on site and taken to hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. He has since been discharged.

Image source, Getty Images

Police say the incident is now in the hands of the Health and Safety Executive. 

David Lumb
BBC News Online

Calls have been made for harsher penalties to protect ambulance control room workers from abusive callers.

West Midlands Ambulance recorded 1,924 instances in three years, from 2013 to 2016 when a caller was abusive.

In six cases the abuse was judged to cause a "significant threat or concern".  

The union Unison has urged the government to bring in tougher punishments to deter abusive callers.

The Home Office said sufficient laws were already in place.

BBC Radio Stoke

Ten people are reported missing across Staffordshire every day according to new figures obtained by BBC Radio Stoke.

Seven in every ten are children.   

Staffordshire Police received almost 4,000 missing person reports last year.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

The newly appointed MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central has accused the Government of "dithering" over funding for local hospitals. 

The Trust which runs Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford's main hospitals says it needs to save £34m over the next year. 

Managers say they'll do it through service changes and making savings on staffing costs. 

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Weather Watchers

Thank you so much for your glorious photos.

If you love taking pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire why not join our merry band of Weather Watchers?

Clockwise, these have been taken by Thornhill Watch (Hednesford), Videoman (Leek), JR (Gnosall) and Dawn Treader (Congleton). 

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers

The Sentinel

Two masked raiders tied their victims up and gagged them during a 'terrifying' hour-long ordeal , external – before stealing a car and leading police on a high-speed chase.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

After a chilly start, it should be a dry day with some bright and sunny weather with highs of 9C (48F).

You can find a detailed forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site.

Welcome to the Local Live service for Stoke, Staffordshire and Cheshire on Tuesday morning.   

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather as it happens.