Man dies in house fire
Getaway car photo released after security guard robbery
Lab tests carried out to solve cracked paving problem
Self-mutilating dog costs charity £10k in vet bills
Updates from Friday 7 April 2017
Khia Lewis-Todd
BBC Local Live
Two men have been charged in connection with a robbery at a shop in Burton.
Both men, who are from the Burton area, have been charged with robbery and threatening a man with a knife after the Hadfields Store in Rolleston Road was robbed on Tuesday.
Image source, Google
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The former Stoke City captain Andy Griffin says he thinks Mark Hughes's side will beat Liverpool when the two teams meet on Saturday.
Image source, PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty ImagesStoke go into the game having failed to win any of their previous four Premier League matches.
Liverpool meanwhile are unbeaten since February and beat Stoke 4-1 when they hosted them in December.
Quote MessageIf we look at Mark Hughes as a player and as a manager, I think he's very particular, he has a lot of attention to detail so I can honestly see Stoke City causing a little bit of an upset."
Andy Griffin, Former Stoke City captain
A special garden has been created in memory of an eight-year-old boy who died in a house fire., external
Image source, The Sentinel
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) says it is doing its "utmost" to minimise the impact of redundancies at its Crewe campus with the site set to close.
It comes as members of the University and College Union (UCU) are voting today on whether to take strike action over potential compulsory redundancies., external
Image source, GoogleIn February, staff at the Crewe campus were told it would close due to falling student numbers but were also told 80% of them would stay in place until summer 2019.
The union says the university's refusing to rule compulsory redundancies out and it's "frustrated" by discussions over the future of the 160 academic staff.
MMU says some jobs will be at risk but adds that it is working closely with UCU to support affected staff.
BBC News England
A gang blew up cash machines at banks and supermarkets across England and Scotland, including in Cheshire, stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds, a court has heard.
Some machines were blown up using "powerful explosives", while others were dragged outside and attacked with high-powered saws to access the cash.
CCTV of the gang in action
The seven men were convicted of conspiracy to cause an explosion and burglary at Liverpool Crown Court.
The attacks included in Alsager in March 2015 and the gang, mostly from Merseyside, was caught after a covert police operation.
David Gregory-Kumar
Science correspondent, BBC Midlands Today
It's a prickly subject but the number of hedgehogs in the West Midlands is down by 70% on last year.
Numbers have been in decline for decades but there was some hope last year with an unexpected boom.
Image source, Getty ImagesStuart Edmunds, from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, says: "Last year was looking like a really good year for hedgehogs - the numbers were quite high but this year for some reason they have plummeted, with about 70% less recorded than last year."
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
A Stoke-on-Trent woman who uses a wheelchair has told BBC Radio Stoke that she feels fines may not be enough for her to get an affordable taxi ride.
From today it's illegal for taxi drivers to refuse to take passengers using a wheelchair and it's also an offence for cabbies to charge a higher fare for wheelchair users or fail to help them.
Image source, Getty ImagesDrivers could be fined £1,000 and have their licence suspended or revoked.
Baljeevan Deol has generalised dystonia and was part of a BBC investigation in 2015 which found some taxi drivers in the city at the time were charging wheelchair users more than able-bodied passengers.
Quote MessageI hope that it (the new legislation) does change things but I'm not sure it will. I think it might do in the future but it'll take a while."
Baljeevan Deol , Wheelchair user in Stoke-on-Trent
BBC Sport
Burton Albion couldn't manage an upset last night away at high-flying Newcastle United, as the current table-toppers won 1-0.
The Magpies' victory came in a game which was largely overshadowed by a controversial refereeing decision by Keith Stroud.
Image source, Rex FeaturesMatt Ritchie's curling shot from 20 yards settled the game, but not before his first-half penalty was disallowed.
There seemed little wrong with the ruled-out "goal", which to Newcastle's anger resulted in a Burton free-kick.
Quote MessageI didn't think it was a penalty first of all, but I've no idea what happened. The referee makes a decision and we carry on."
Nigel Clough, Burton Albion manager
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter
After a chilly start, with some sunny spells, it should be a dry day with highs of 12C (54F).
You can find a detailed forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site.
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Morning everyone, it's an overcast start to the day in Stoke-on-Trent but that doesn't seem to be the case for everyone.
BBC Weather Watcher Dragonlady uploaded this photo from Nantwich:
Image source, DragonladyWe'll have a good look at the day's weather forecast in a moment and there'll be updates on the day's news, sport, travel and more for Staffordshire and Cheshire through the day.
Keep getting involved by sending in your photos of the area - do that on email or, if you use Instagram, put them there, external , adding the tag #bbcstoke.
Some cash machines were blown up, while others were dragged outside and attacked with high-powered saws to access the cash.
Read MoreWe'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.
Work is well under way to create a new reservoir the size of four Olympic swimming pools, to provide drinking water to thousands of homes. , external
Image source, Burton MailBBC Sport
Liverpool have been fined £100,000 by the Premier League and handed a two-year ban on signing academy players from other clubs for a rule breach.
It relates to the club's approach to a 12-year-old academy player at Stoke City in September last year.
Image source, Michael Regan/Getty ImagesLiverpool will be banned from signing any academy players who have been registered with a Premier League or EFL club in the previous 18 months.
This second year of the ban will be suspended for a three-year period.
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
Here's a look at what's ahead on the weather front for the West Midlands for tonight and tomorrow.
You can also get latest forecasts from the BBC Weather website .
Shefali Oza
BBC News Travel
Trains are being delayed between Crewe and Shrewsbury because of a broken-down train on the line.
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Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A cannabis factory with a street value put at £150,000 has been found in Stoke-on-Trent., external
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceStaffordshire Police say they raided a building on Waterloo Road this morning and found £85,000 worth of cannabis and 300 cannabis plants ready to be processed into £65,000 of the drug.
The force arrested two men, a 24-year-old of no fixed abode and a 20-year-old from London, both on suspicion of production of cannabis.
BBC Sport
Burton Albion have injury doubts ahead of their game this evening away at high-flying Newcastle United.
Image source, Clint Hughes/Getty ImagesThe Brewers have concerns over Lewis Akins, John Brayford, Kyle McFadzean (pictured) and Tom Flanagan.
Akins's knock was picked up in training while the other three carry concerns from Saturday's win at Huddersfield.
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Staff at Manchester Metropolitan University's (MMU) campus in Crewe will be asked tomorrow if they want to go on strike over potential compulsory redundancies , external .
Hundreds of staff at MMU were told in February the campus will close but were also told 80% of them would stay in place until summer 2019, for students to complete their courses.
Image source, GoogleThe University and College Union (UCU) says it is frustrated by discussions over the future of 160 academic staff based there and claims the university won't rule out compulsory redundancies.
UCU says it'll ballot members at both the Crewe and Manchester campuses from tomorrow for industrial action.
MMU says it's doing it's "utmost" to minimise the impact of redundancies and working closely with the unions.
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale defender Kjell Knops is expected to miss the rest of the season after picking up a serious knee injury in last night's 3-0 defeat at Rochdale .
Port Vale's Michael Brown
Knops had to be stretchered off after suffering the injury in the build-up to Rochdale's first goal in the 34th minute.
Vale's caretaker manager Michael Brown says they'll have to rely on the strength of their squad for their remaining League One games.
