Summary

  • M6 closed in Staffordshire due to 'unsafe' bridge

  • Man took wedding ring off the fingers of 98-year-old bedridden woman

  • Former Bishop of Lichfield, Keith Sutton, dies

  • D-Day veteran awarded French honour

  • Updates on Friday 24 March

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

  1. London attack: Tributes in Staffordshire and Cheshire

    Places around Staffordshire and Cheshire are reflecting on yesterday's terror attack in London.

    In Crewe, a minute's silence will be held at 09:33 while the flag on Stafford Borough Council's Civic Centre's flying at half-mast.

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  2. MPs return to work after terror attack

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Staffordshire and Cheshire MPs are returning to work in London, following yesterday's terrorist attack at the Palace of Westminster.

    Four people died and 40 were injured by what police think was a lone attacker yesterday afternoon.

    MPs including Stoke North's Ruth Smeeth, Lichfield's Michael Fabricant, Crewe and Nantwich's Edward Timpson and Newcastle-under-Lyme's Paul Farrelly were inside while Parliament entered a state of lockdown.

    This morning Mr Timpson tweeted that there would be a minute's silence this morning:

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    While the Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy posted his thanks to PC Keith Palmer, who died in the attack:

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  3. London attack: People in Cheshire 'urged to remain vigilant'

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    The chief constable of Cheshire says the force is looking at what they need to do, following the Westminster attack, to keep communities in the county safe.

    London attack: Where Westminster attacker struck

    Four people died and 40 people were injured in the terror attack near the Houses of Parliament.

    It is important to stress that there is no current intelligence to suggest that an incident will take place locally, however, people are urged to remain vigilant and to report any concerns immediately."

    Simon Byrne, Chief Constable for Cheshire

  4. Video: Is it going to rain all day?

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    After a damp and cloudy start, any showers should clear with bright and sunny spells developing this afternoon and highs of 12C (54F).

    You can find a detailed forecast for your area here .

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  5. Good morning - here's Thursday's live coverage for Staffordshire and Cheshire

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Hi everyone, it's a drier start to the day compared to yesterday and some bright spots among the clouds over Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

    Potteries Museum this morning

    A full weather forecast for today will be winging it's way along shortly and we'll have the day's news, sport, travel and other updates too.

    You can also be a part of this by sending in your pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire on email or Instagram (adding the tag #bbcstoke to show you agree to share them).

  6. Hospital transfer delays 'unacceptable'

    Social care pressures blamed for delays in releasing people from hospital.

    Read More

  7. Our live coverage across the day

    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.

    You can follow the latest developments on the events in London and the Westminster attack here on the BBC website.

  8. London attack: 'Stunned silence' in House of Commons at news

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    The Burton MP says there was "stunned silence" in the House of Commons when they were told of this afternoon's events at the Houses of Parliament. 

    Police officer at WestminsterEPA

    At least one woman has died and there are "a number of other casualties  after a car hit people on Westminster Bridge. 

    The alleged assailant was shot by armed police after stabbing an officer outside the Houses of Parliament.

    It's a horrific incident and one that's difficult to comprehend. There was a deep sense of shock and a stunned silence that went round the chamber when we learnt of what had happened."

    Andrew Griffiths, Burton MP

  9. Seven more men charged after brawl following football friendly match

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Seven more men have been charged with violent disorder after a brawl last summer inside a pub after a Stoke City friendly at Burton Albion. 

    Staffordshire Police say they were called to The Locomotive pub on Station Street, Burton on 16 July to reports of a "large-scale disturbance".

    The LocomotiveGoogle

    They say they found a group of men fighting and the fixtures and fittings inside were damaged. 

    Five men have already been charged with violent disorder and now officers say they've charged seven more with the same offence, who are from Stoke-on-Trent and Stone.

  10. Petition signed by 35,000 calls for hospital's future to be secured

    Ros Chimes
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    People living in Leek are calling on health bosses to secure the future of the town's hospital. 

    A petition has been started, signed by 35,000, amid concerns it could close .

    Leek HospitalGoogle

    Earlier this month, health bosses denied reports it was set to close in September. 

    Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups say no final decision had yet been made on its future, but a consultation is due to take place in May.

    We've started this action group, everybody in Leek is behind it and we want to be ahead of the game so that, when the consultation does start after the elections, we are ready to fight."

    Pam Wood, Organiser of petition

  12. MP welcomes 'no plans' to shut Stafford's A&E

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    The MP for Stafford says he welcomes assurances he's had about the future of Stafford's A&E unit at the County Hospital. 

    In December, local health and care providers in Staffordshire revealed plans to save £542m, which included potentially downgrading one of the county's three A&E units.

    County HospitalGetty Images

    Jeremy Lefroy says he's had assurances from the chief executive of the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) that they have no plans to close the County Hospital's A&E. 

    Mr Lefroy says he's also been told UHNM has invested in a revamp of the unit in this financial year, calling it "excellent news".

  13. London attack: PM 'rushed by the police' out of Commons

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    The Conservative MP for Lichfield, Michael Fabricant, says he understands the Prime Minister was in the Houses of Parliament at the time of what police are treating as a terrorist incident. 

    Police said there were "a number of casualties... including police officers" and a "full counter-terrorism inquiry" was under way. 

    Prime Minister Theresa May is to chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later.

    She was immediately rushed by the police via a route straight back to Downing Street under armed escort, as she normally has anyway, but not out of the usual exit because that was where the incident was taking place."

    Michael Fabricant , Conservative MP for Lichfield

  14. Overnight forecast: A chilly night ahead

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    The rain and showers will ease overnight to leave most places dry. It will be a chilly night with patchy frost and fog possible. 

    Further rain will be arriving from the east during the early hours of the morning - lows of -1C (30F).

    Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands

    Tomorrow, any wind and rain will die out through the afternoon, becoming brighter and drier.

  15. Watch: Ice Rinklies skating for the over 60s

    BBC Radio Derby

    Over 60 and thinking about ice skating? It's never too late.

    The Ice Rinklies ice skating group has been launched for people aged over 60.

    They hope to encourage more elderly people to take up the sport.

    Lynn Emmett a member of the Ice Rinklies meets twice a week in Uttoxeter to practice and learn new skills.

    She returned to the ice after retirement and hopes to still be skating at the age of 90.

  16. BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Alsager and Hednesford

    BBC Weather Watchers

    Our BBC Weather Watchers have been busy uploading more pictures of how the local area's been looking today.

    These two have come from users CRG in Alsager, Cheshire and Thornhill Watch in Hednesford.

    HednesfordThornhill Watch
    AlsagerCRG

  17. London attack: 'He was stabbing the police officer'

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A young Burton boxer has told of his shock after witnessing the attack outside the Palace of Westminster this afternoon. 

    Police surrounding person on ground after attackPA

    Frazer Clarke was part of a group from Great British Boxers who were leaving a press conference ahead of a World Series Boxing event against Italy on Thursday.  

    The 25-year-old told the Press Association he was walking to the coach with his teammates when he witnessed what happened.

    We heard a loud bang and screaming and then I noticed some smoke. I thought it was a car crash. I looked towards the front gate and people were running, a police officer and a fellow coming to the gate with two knives. He was stabbing the police officer with the knives."

    Frazer Clarke, Burton-on-Trent boxer

  18. London attack: 'Police sweeping the corridors' of the House of Commons

    Stuart George
    Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

    The Newcastle-under-Lyme MP, Paul Farelly, says he's being kept with other MPs in the House of Commons chamber during what police are treating as a terrorist incident. 

    Police cordon off Houses of ParliamentAP

    A woman has died on Westminster Bridge in central London and a police officer was also stabbed in the nearby Houses of Parliament by an attacker, who was shot by police. 

    MPs said they had heard three or four gunshots and staff inside Parliament were told to stay inside their offices.

    We're in the House of Commons chamber, I'm just actually in the voting lobby to the side, they shut the doors to the chamber, then there are the lobbies outside, they shut the doors to there. They asked people not to leave offices or committee rooms here and the police have swept the corridors."

    Paul Farelly, Newcastle-under-Lyme MP

  19. Latest: Westminster security incident

    West Midlands MPs are continuing to tweet about the incident near parliament , in which at least one person has been killed, with several others reportedly hit by a vehicle on Westminster bridge.

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