Police dismiss claims parts of Stoke-on-Trent like "a war zone"
Burton and Crewe get slice of £100m A&E cash
Blocked driveway note met with anger
Hidden 19th Century washroom set to open to public
Updates from Friday 21 April 2017
Tamworth FC have welcomed their most "successful" manager to date to watch the team in action - after he took the Lambs to the heights of the Champions League in a computer game., external
Image source, Tamworth Herald
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Three foxes which have been found dead in the same field in Staffordshire may have been poisoned, the RSPCA says. , external
The organisation says the bodies were discovered in Darnford Lane, Lichfield over a fortnight with the most recent one found on 6 April.
Image source, GoogleThe RSPCA says there are no visible injuries but they're concerned they may have been poisoned.
They say that fear is due to it being unusual to find three in the same area in such a short space of time with no obvious cause of death.
BBC Politics
As MPs debated plans this afternoon for the forthcoming general election, one Staffordshire MP said he was taking the prime minister's announcement personally.
Gareth Snell was only elected as Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central in a by-election in February.
Quote MessageI try not to take it personally that, having arrived so early, the prime minister is that desperate to get rid of me, she's calling an election."
Gareth Snell, Stoke-on-Trent Central MP
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale are now two points from safety at the bottom of League One after rivals Bury drew 0-0 at Bolton last night.
Image source, Pete Norton/Getty ImagesVale have just three more games to play, at home to Bolton and then away at Walsall and Fleetwood.
Caretaker manager Michael Brown told BBC Radio Stoke his players need to keep believing.
Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke
Plans for a rabbit farm in Staffordshire have been dismissed. , external
The application was for a field at Radmore Lane in Gnosall and would have been used to breed the animals for "meat, skins and as pets".
Image source, GoogleA government planning inspector has now rejected the plans, saying it would "not be sustainable development".
The report says the evidence provided by POE Limited to support their application is at times "limited and contradictory".
The coffin of a former Bishop of Lichfield is among the remains of five Archbishops of Canterbury that have been found in a crypt beneath a medieval church , externalbeside Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Image source, Lichfield Mercury
BBC News UK
So far 252 potential suspects and 560 victims have been identified by officers investigating child sex abuse within football in the UK, police say.
Some 311 football clubs, spanning all tiers of the game, are involved in the inquiry, called Operation Hydrant.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe inquiry began after being sparked off by ex-Crewe Alexandra player Andy Woodward revealing last year that he had been a victim of sexual abuse as a young footballer.
The ages of the victims - 96% of whom are male - span from four to 20.
The investigation is being co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says his players are under huge pressure to perform when they host struggling Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Image source, crewealex.netIt's after they lost 3-0 at Yeovil on Monday, a game which Artell described as their worst performance since he's been in charge.
Quote MessageThey get well paid, they're here to do a job; they need to roll their sleeves up, they've put big pressure on themselves for Saturday. Forget who it is against, forget whether we're at home or away - you serve up something like that, then in your next game you had better be on it."
David Artell, Crewe Alexandra manager
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The pictures have kept on coming of Staffordshire and Cheshire and here are five I've picked out today.
To send your photo in, simply attach it to an email or, if you use Instagram, put it there with the tag #bbcstoke to show you agree to share it, external.
Your photos
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Uttoxeter swimmer Adam Peaty says it's important to him to inspire future generations after giving away his British gold medal to a 10-year-old fan in the crowd.
It was after the Olympic champion secured a place at swimming's World Championships, posting a qualifying time for the 100m breaststroke as he took the British title.
Adam Peaty wins 100m breaststroke final
Afterwards he gave his medal away to young fan Harry Brancham, a keen club breaststroke swimmer himself.
Peaty told BBC Sport that "inspiring others is so important to me, external" while his mother Caroline told BBC Radio Stoke that such a gesture was "typical" of him.
Quote MessageHe's probably thinking we've had enough now, so he'll give a few away."
Caroline Peaty, Mother of Olympic champion swimmer
Designs for a £135,000 play park have been released., external
Stuart George
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke
Bus operator First Potteries says it's struggling to cope with increasing levels of congestion on the roads of north Staffordshire.
Bosses say, as a result, they're having to change timetables to ensure that services run on time.
Around a third of routes will be affected by the changes from 23 April., external
Quote MessageThere's one service that comes to mind which, when I came to the Potteries, three-and-a-half years ago, we got there and back in 47 minutes and now we need an hour and five minutes. Those are the challenges we have to deal with."
Nigel Eggleton, Managing Director of First Potteries
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The launch of a campaign to raise money for a police memorial in Staffordshire, external has been postponed.
The appeal is to raise £2m for a landmark at the National Memorial Arboretum, external (NMA) in Alrewas.
It had been scheduled to start today but will instead be launched in mid-May, on a date to be fixed.
Image source, GoogleIt comes as the new commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, says she and her force is backing the campaign in the wake of PC Keith Palmer's death, external.
He died in last month's Westminster attack and Ms Dick says a UK Police Memorial at the NMA would be a place honour all police officers "who have made the ultimate sacrifice".
Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty books his place at the 2017 World Championships with victory at the British Championships.
Read More
Russell Truran
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Three weeks of road closures in Newcastle-under-Lyme begin this morning while work takes place to extend a pedestrian area in the town., external
Staffordshire County Council says they're shutting the junction between Church Street, High Street and Merrial Street.
Image source, GoogleThey say it's to let them relocate a zebra crossing, expand paved pedestrian areas and install new trees and signs.
It'll be followed by a second three-week closure from 3 July for resurfacing work and replacing a gas main.
BBC Sport
Stoke City defender Glen Johnson has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2018.
Image source, Ross Kinnaird/Getty ImagesThe 32-year-old former England right-back joined the Potters from Liverpool in 2015 and has made 50 appearances in all competitions.
Johnson, whose existing contract was due to expire this summer, said the new deal was a "no-brainer".
Emma Thomas
Political reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
MPs are expected to vote today to back Theresa May's call for a snap general election in June.
The prime minister said she wanted to be able to go into the Brexit negotiations with the backing of the British people.
Theresa May calls for a general election
The Conservative MP for Eddisbury, Antoinette Sandbach, told BBC Radio Stoke it's a chance for all the parties to lay out their policies and visions for Britain's future in the light of Brexit.
The Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central says he'll be supporting Theresa May's call for the snap election.
But Gareth Snell added that he believes it's a "distraction" by the Conservatives and is about the prime minister "shoring up her own position".
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A discarded cigarette in a smoking shelter caused a fire, external that tore through a care home in Tamworth, the fire service says.
The blaze on Saturday forced 25 residents to be evacuated from Standon House Care Home with seven needing hospital treatment after breathing in smoke.
Scenes from the fire
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says it started accidentally after the cigarette, which was not fully out, caused nearby plants and woodwork to catch fire and that then spread into the roof.
They praised staff at the care home, saying their swift actions meant no one was seriously hurt.
More than 70 residents have signed a petition to stop homes being built on disused council-owned tennis courts., external
Image source, Google/The Sentinel
Nick Hope
BBC Sport
Olympic champion Adam Peaty booked his place at the 2017 World Championships with victory at the British Championships in Sheffield.
Image source, Getty ImagesPeaty, 22, who became Britain's first male Olympic swimming champion for 28 years in Rio, took the British 100m breaststroke title in 57.79 seconds.
The City of Derby swimmer gave away his British gold medal to a young fan in the crowd.
Quote MessageHopefully that lad will look at the medal and it will make him think, 'If I train harder, I can be out there too' and then he'll be here competing one day."
Adam Peaty, Olympic champion
