Summary

  • New 24-hour emergency mental health team for Staffordshire

  • Colleges complete merger with 11,000 students

  • Football: Burton's Ben Turner banned for racial abuse

  • Saido Berahino: Former manager Tony Pulis says 'life is too short' to dwell on the past

  • Updates from Friday 31 March 2017

  1. Made in England, adopted by Romaniapublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 30 March 2017

    How ex-England junior international Jack Cobden made his Romania debut on the day former team-mates won the Six Nations.

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  2. Plans for 140-room hotel in city centrepublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 30 March 2017

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A new 140-room hotel is going to be built in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent. , external

    The city council says the Hilton Garden Inn will be built outside the Smithfield buildings in Hanley and should open in 2019. 

    Artist's impression of new hotelImage source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

    The authority has put £4.55m towards it and hopes it will create 50 jobs.

    It will be built and owned by developer Genr8 which says it expects to start work on the site later this year.

  3. Double cream spillage shuts M6 after tanker crashpublished at 08:26 British Summer Time 30 March 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Part of the M6 in Staffordshire had to be completely shut after a spillage of double cream in a tanker crash. 

    Scene of the crashImage source, Highways England

    Highways England says it was called just after 07:00 to the southbound side between junctions 10A and 10, near Featherstone.  , external

    Staff say a tanker and a lorry collided and double cream was spilt over the carriageway, leading to them shutting it to treat the spillage.

    Three lanes of the M6 were reopened at 07:30, external and Highways England say no-one was hurt in the crash.

  4. Watch: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 30 March 2017

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    After a cloudy start to the day, any early rain should clear leaving a dry, bright and warm afternoon with highs of 18C (64F).

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

    Media caption,

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  5. Good morning and welcome to Thursday's live coveragepublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 30 March 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    Hello everyone, the day's starting off dry in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent at the BBC Stoke HQ.

    This picture's from Ranton and was taken by BBC Weather Watcher Z70.

    Ranton, StaffordshireImage source, Z70

    Of course we'll have a look shortly at your weather for Staffordshire and Cheshire and there'll be updates on today's news, sport, travel and more through the day.

    I'll also have another pick of the pictures that you send in of this area so keep those coming on email or put them on Instagram, with the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.

  6. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    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. 

  7. Man 'extremely shocked' after Crewe assaultpublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A man's been hit in the face several times in an attack in Crewe. 

    Earle Street, CreweImage source, Google

    Cheshire Police say the 21-year-old victim, from Sheffield, was walking over Earle Street on Tuesday morning when an unknown man came up behind him. 

    After he grabbed and assaulted him, officers say the attacker fled towards Grand Junction Retail Park, leaving the victim without serious injuries but "extremely shocked".

  8. Football: Crewe youngster told 'to work your socks off' to get back in team published at 17:47 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Graham McGarry
    Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Crewe Alexandra's Charlie Kirk has been told he needs to work harder if he wants his place back in the first team. 

    Charlie KirkImage source, crewealex.net

    The teenager is highly rated by the manager David Artell, but he's told the player he has to raise his standards. 

    Quote Message

    He's got work to do to get in the team. I'm not saying this is Charlie by a long stretch but sometimes there's the perception that there's a given right to progress at this football club. It's an automatic assumption that you'll end up in the first team. You have to work your socks off to get there."

    David Artell, Crewe Alexandra manager

  9. On Midlands Today from 18:30: Wreath tribute to London attack officer published at 17:40 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Liz Copper
    Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

    On Midlands Today this evening - another tribute was paid to the victims of the Westminster terror attack today, at the National Memorial Aboretum in Staffordshire.  

    
          Prince William walks with Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, after laying the wreath.
        Image source, AFP/Getty Images

    Prince William laid a wreath in memory of PC Keith Palmer and, at the same visit, opened a new Remembrance Centre. 

    I'll have more from 18:30 on BBC One.

  10. Watch: Tonight and tomorrow's weather for the West Midlandspublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Shefali Oza
    BBC Midlands Today

    After a cloudy, grey day for much of the region, here's how it's looking tonight and for you for tomorrow.

    You can also get the latest forecast at any time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

    Media caption,

    Shefali Oza

  11. Drugs gang jailed after 'flooding the streets of Crewe with cocaine' published at 17:16 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A Staffordshire man who police say ran an organised drugs gang and had been "flooding the streets of Crewe with cocaine" has been jailed today. 

    Cheshire Police say Martin Day from Draycott Drive, Newcastle-under-Lyme was the ringleader and used the money from drugs to fund a "luxurious lifestyle" of holidays and expensive cars. , external

    Martin DayImage source, Cheshire Police

    The force says the gang involved a total of 13 men supplying cocaine across Crewe, using a pub in the town as their base.

    Today 34-year-old Day was given the biggest sentence of the group with a prison term of 10 years and six months after being convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

  12. Chimney fire 'caused by bird's nest'published at 17:08 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Lucy King
    News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke

    A birds nest caused a chimney fire in Crewe. , external

    Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service say they were called last night to Bradfield Road.

    They say when they got there the blaze was out but they found it had been caused by a bird's nest stuck behind a gas fire.

  13. Football: Port Vale 'need another away win' to stay uppublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    The former Port Vale captain Phil Sproson says he thinks the team need to win away from home between now and the end of the season, if they're to avoid relegation.

    Port Vale groundImage source, Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

    Vale have won just once away from home this season , with a total of eight games still to play. 

    Quote Message

    If we want to stay in the division then we've got to win a game somewhere [away from home] it's as simple as that. If we're good enough, we'll survive and if we're not good enough, we'll go down."

    Phil Sproson, Former Port Vale captain

  14. 'Suspected loan shark' arrested in Stoke-on-Trentpublished at 16:42 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A woman has been arrested in Stoke-on-Trent on suspicion of being a loan shark.

    The England Illegal Money Lending Team says the 42-year-old was arrested at a house in Longton this morning.

    They say they worked with local tradings standards and police to raid the home and say the woman is being questioned on suspicion of illegal money lending and money laundering.

  15. Firm pulls out of HS2 railway line dealpublished at 16:38 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    CH2M's £170m contract was to develop Phase 2b from Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds.

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  16. BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Lichfield and Barlastonpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    BBC Weather Watchers

    There have been grey skies today after the brighter ones earlier in the week and our BBC Weather Watchers have, at times, been reflecting the change.

    Here are two photos from Staffordshire users Digitalalan in Barlaston and Mpstonnall in Lichfield.

    Barlaston, StaffordshireImage source, Digitalalan
    LichfieldImage source, Mpstonnall
  17. Man dragged from car in city robberypublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    A man's been pulled from his car in a carjacking in Stoke-on-Trent., external

    Officers with Staffordshire Police say two men then stole the Saab on Wellington Road, Hanley and drove off, pursued by police.

    Wellington Road, HanleyImage source, Google

    The force says the duo made off from the vehicle after stopping it in the Keelings Road area of Birches Head.

    A 25-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and theft.

  18. Firm pulls out of HS2 dealpublished at 15:42 British Summer Time 29 March 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    An engineering firm which was given a £170m contract to develop the high speed rail HS2 route that will go through Staffordshire and Cheshire has withdrawn from the agreement.

    CH2M was picked by HS2 Ltd last month to build two parts of the line, from Crewe to Manchester and from Birmingham to Leeds.

    HS2 artist impressionImage source, PA

    However concerns have been raised over possible conflicts of interest, delaying the contract signing as the concerns are investigated. 

    HS2 Ltd's new chief executive is a former CH2M worker, as was his temporary predecessor. 

    The firm said it had "demonstrated all appropriate measures taken throughout to ensure the integrity of the procurement process".