BBC Sport

The Stoke City manager Mark Hughes hasn't denied reports that the Potters are ready to sell £18m record signing Gianelli Imbula this summer.

Image source, Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

The French midfielder has failed to make an impact since signing for the Potters in January 2016. 

Staffordshire Newsletter

A Stone councillor who fought back when a thief attempted to snatch cash from her purse has warned fellow town centre visitors to be on their guard. , external

Liz Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City is to hold a one-minute applause during their game against Liverpool tomorrow in tribute to a nine-month-old boy who died from a rare childhood disease. 

Connor McCue was born with Biliary Atresia, which affects the liver, and was then also diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Image source, Jessica McDonagh

He underwent a liver transplant in January,  but died last month. , external

His mother Jessica McDonagh says she hopes many fans will join her and clap in the ninth minute of the Stoke game.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Officials at Port Vale say they're looking forward to hosting the England women team who play Italy tonight at Vale Park.

Image source, Getty Images

The match is one of two games England will play at home before this summer's European Championship in the Netherlands. 

Port Vale say in a statement that it's a "privilege and an honour" for them to host the game., external

Emma Thomas
Political reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

The Stoke-on-Trent Labour MP Ruth Smeeth has told BBC Radio Stoke that it's a disgrace that Ken Livingstone hasn't been kicked out of the Labour Party.

It comes as the party's leader, Jeremy Corbyn, says the ex-London mayor faces a new investigation into his comments about Hitler.

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Corbyn said that since being suspended on Tuesday night, Mr Livingstone had "continued to make offensive remarks which could open him to further disciplinary action". 

Mr Livingstone has continued to defend his comments about Hitler and Zionism and vowed to fight his suspension.

Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

About 175 tonnes of commercial rubbish dumped in Staffordshire countryside has now been cleared from the site after several days of removals. 

The waste, including shredded paper and bandages, was left in Gladings Wood, Madeley Heath, in January and blocked a car park and a right of way into the wood. 

The county council has spent all week clearing up the rubbish and says it has now been removed.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The Stoke City manager says playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri could play for the Potters having been out injured since January.

Image source, Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Stoke host Liverpool tomorrow having failed to win in four games and Mark Hughes has been speaking to reporters today about his injury concerns.

The Sentinel

Cyclist Paul Mooney died after losing control of his bicycle and smashing into a tree on a country lane. , external

Image source, The Sentinel

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A woman's been bitten by dogs that attacked her as she tried to stop them attacking her own dog. , external

Staffordshire Police say the 60-year-old was walking her pet on Bluestone Lane, Burton on 16 March. 

Image source, Google

The force say three dogs, which could have been young Staffordshire Bull Terriers, attacked her dog. 

Officers say when she tried to stop them, she was bitten on the hand and needed hospital treatment for a "severe injury" while her pet needed treatment by a vet.

Rebecca Morelle
Science correspondent, BBC News

Scientists led by Keele University say they have detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet for the first time.

They have studied a world known as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4-times the size of our planet and lies 39 light years away. 

Image source, Dana Berry

Their observations suggest that the "super-Earth" is cloaked in a thick layer of gasses that are either water or methane or a mixture of both.

The study  is published in the Astronomical Journal, external .

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

Plenty of sunshine around with some cloud at times. Staying dry with highs of 14C (57F).

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

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Morning everyone, we've heard the rumours of a warm weekend to come and it seems the weather's already started off well this morning in Staffordshire and Cheshire.

BBC Weather Watcher Thornhill Watch took this in Hednesford today:

Image source, Thornhill Watch

We'll have a fuller look at what's ahead in today's weather shortly and there'll be news, sport, travel and other updates through the day.

You can also send in your pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire - do that via email or put on Instagram, adding the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.

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.

Kevin Reide
Midlands Today

On Midlands Today this evening from 18:30 we'll have news of a new law which means, from today, taxi drivers face a fine of a £1,000 if they overcharge or refuse to pick up passengers using wheelchairs. 

It comes after years of campaigning by people who say, because of their disability, they've been humiliated or even abandoned by taxi drivers over their wheelchairs.

In 2015 the BBC in the Midlands went undercover with a student who'd been overcharged - two years on, she says it's still happening. 

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

BBC News UK

The Supreme Court has  ruled against  a father who took his daughter on an unauthorised term-time break.

But between travel companies' elevated school holiday prices and the need to juggle work commitments, some parents say they cannot always go away during the school holidays and that it should be their decision to make.

Image source, Hayley

Hayley, 39, says she is "fuming" at the ruling.

Together with her husband Martin, the couple, from Cheshire, took their children Archie, aged five, and Ruby, six, out of school in January to attend a family wedding in India.

As Archie was under five at the time, his absence did not cause problems. But Ruby's did.

Not long after they returned, letters arrived from the local council to inform them that they were being fined a total of £120.

Read more of their story here on the BBC website.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Image source, Chris Hollingworth

Get off my land!

Here's something you don't get to see every day - a pair of pheasants having a fight on a country lane in Staffordshire.

Chris Hollingworth shared these pictures with me, saying he saw it happened in Whitmore, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, earlier this week.

Image source, Chris Hollingworth

Rebecca Wood
BBC Weather

That warm spell we're being promised is edging ever closer. It should stay dry overnight but temperatures could drop as low as 1C (34F).

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

BBC News Travel

A broken down train's causing disruption to services between Derby and Burton this evening.

Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Crewe Alexandra's assistant manager says they will offer midfielder Danny Hollands a new contract for next season, if he can prove his fitness. 

Image source, Crewealex.net

Hollands joined the club back in August but has missed a number of games because of a serious hamstring injury. 

BBC Weather Watchers

It's been a cloudier day for Staffordshire and Cheshire, but there have been breaks in the cloud for sunshine and our BBC Weather Watchers have been photographing them.

Here are two from Staffordshire users Jazz in Fazeley and Peter l in Longport.

Image source, Jazz

Image source, Peter l