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Updates from Friday 9 June 2017
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
Some bright and some cloudy times today, with the potential for sunny spells at times and top temperatures of 22C (72F).
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Hey everyone, the sunshine's been peeping out through the clouds in parts of Staffordshire and Cheshire although it's a little cooler to start the day then earlier this week.
BBC Weather Watcher Z70 took this photo this morning in Ranton:
Image source, Z70A full look at this morning's weather will be along shortly and there'll be news, sport, travel and more through today about Staffordshire and Cheshire.
I'll have more of your photos of the area too, so send those in on email or put them on Instagram, adding the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A campaign to try and stop a rare Wedgwood vase being taken overseas, external has passed its halfway mark - it is trying to raise £482,500.
That's the amount the piece of pottery made at auction when it was sold last year after being on loan at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.
The government put an export ban on the vase going to its overseas buyer and gave the museum until 14 July to raise the money.
The Friends of the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery says a latest donation of £20,000, from the Denise Coates Foundation, takes them to £255,000.
A Burntwood football club has taken over the running of a playing fields in Hammerwich, external.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A lap-dancing club in Stoke-on-Trent has been shut down by the city council after breaching its licence.
The authority's licensing and general purposes committee heard allegations of fraud, drink spiking, drug dealing, violence and prostitution surrounding ST1 on Trinity Street.
Staffordshire Police says it took that intelligence to the council's committee, external.
The authority's confirmed they cancelled the venue's sexual entertainment venue licence and revoked its premises licence.
Both organisations say ST1 is now understood to have closed - BBC Radio Stoke's tried to contact the club and are awaiting replies to our requests for a response.
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
After some evening sunshine it will stay dry tonight, with clear spells developing.
The winds will ease but it will feel cooler than recent nights - lows of 14C ( 57F).
Weather for the West Midlands.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City chief executive Tony Scholes says Jack Butland is on a different level to that of Jordan Pickford, who has become the most expensive British keeper in history.
Image source, Michael Steele/Getty ImagesEverton paid £25m - rising to what would be a club record £30m - to sign Pickford from Sunderland.
But, despite both players being talked about as potential future England goalkeepers, Mr Scholes says they're not selling their man.
Quote MessageI think most people objectively would argue he's some way beyond Jordan Pickford I think but what we are thinking about is what Jack can do for our football team and he's a key part of what we want to be next year."
Tony Scholes, Stoke City chief executive
Mike Perkins
BBC Radio Stoke
Peregrine falcon chicks which were nesting in Stoke-on-Trent's city centre have flown the nest, it's been confirmed this week.
Falcon chicks being ringed
For several years, they have been making a home on top of the BT building in Hanley.
They were ringed, to track them, by a Staffordshire group earlier this year, but news of their existence was kept secret by BT until they were able to fly.
Vandals who daubed graffiti onto the ancient walls and doors of Tamworth's oldest church have been branded a disgrace., external
Image source, Tamworth HeraldAllen Cook
BBC Local Live
The pictures keep on coming in - here are five more of Staffordshire you've shared with me.
To send your own photos, put them on an email or, if you use Instagram, put them there and add the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.
Your pictures
The Black Sabbath guitarist, Tony Iommi, says he's honoured to be unveiling a blue plaque in Stoke-on-Trent this evening to commemorate the Motorhead founder Lemmy, who was born in the city.
You can hear the unveiling during a special programme with Liz Ellis from 18:00 on BBC Radio Stoke.
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The loss-making M6 Toll has been sold to an Australian firm - which also owns several airports and a water company.
IFM will hope to turn around the financial losses made by the road in recent years.
The M6 Toll opened in 2003 - looking to ease congestion on the M6 through the Birmingham area.
BBC Midlands Today asked one Toll road user what she thought of the change.
She told our reporter: "I don't see that it would have a major impact on the day-to-day business whether it was owned by Australians, Americans, Chinese, as long as the standards are maintained."
Liz Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke
A woman organising donations in Stoke-on-Trent to help people affected by the fire which engulfed a west London block of flats says lots of people in the city want to help.
Several people died in the blaze at Grenfell Tower and dozens have been left homeless.
Image source, Deb BuxtonDeb Buxton, the manager of Carphone Warehouse at Festival Park, says she felt compelled to help and says they've been flooded with donations which will start being taken to London from tomorrow.
She told BBC Radio Stoke they've filled one room and opened their warehouse, with people giving nappies, clothes, toiletries and more.
Quote MessageBeing a long way away doesn't take away the fact that you want to help out and I think a lot of people feel very similar. We spoke to BBC Radio Stoke and within minutes, people were coming through the door. "
Deb Buxton, Organising Stoke-on-Trent donations
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A man has been taken to hospital after a crash on the A500 near Crewe this morning left a van on its side.
Cheshire Police says a truck and van collided before 07:30 at the Weston Gate roundabout.
They say the man in the van suffered arm and back injuries.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Fake golf equipment that could have sold for thousands of pounds has been seized in Kidsgrove.
Trading standards teams from Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, along with Staffordshire Police, external, raided a house in the town yesterday.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe county council says it seized fake goods included over 600 golf club head covers and around 150 polo shirts which, if they'd been legitimate, could have sold for £35,000.
No arrests have been made, but the authority says it is investigating those involved, following the raid.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City's managing director, Richard Smith, says their stadium is going through its biggest changes since it was built 20 years ago.
Stoke City's stadium this week
This summer the club will spend £7m on improvements, including the development of a new south east corner and multiple viewing platforms for people with disabilities.
They say the work will add 1,800 seats,, external boosting the capacity to over 30,000.
BBC Radio Stoke
Market stalls in the middle of Stoke-on-Trent are struggling to attract customers, according to the manager of Hanley Market.
The market has seen a drop of 10,000 visitors a week over the past few years, with market stall owners telling BBC Radio Stoke that business is suffering as a result.
The city council says it hopes a planned return of buses to the market via Town Road will help to increase footfall.
Quote MessageWe're still getting 20,000 people a week in this market. That isn't insignificant, that's a large number of people. The fact that we used to have 30,000 is a concern and a worry and we've got to do whatever we can to make it increase again."
Rob Nixon, Markets manager, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A fire at an abandoned warehouse in Lichfield had less of an impact on the surrounding area because the fire service says it had already visited and risk assessed the site., external
Staffordshire Fire Service say the blaze at the former GKN site at the Crossfield Industrial Estate, which involved around 500 tonnes of waste, was arson.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire ServiceThey say it's the fourth such large fire involving illegal waste in the county in the last year.
But they say they were able to minimise its impact because, having previously checked the site, they had a plan in place they used to tackle it.
Quote MessageThanks to our planning work with partner agencies we were able to put our robust multi-agency plans into action and limiting the scale and impact the fire had on the surrounding community and transport network."
Bob Preston, Station Manager, Staffordshire Fire Service
Chris Doidge
BBC Radio Derby, political reporter
Government reshuffle news...
South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler (pictured) has been promoted to government whip - from assistant government whip - and Burton's Andrew Griffiths has retained his government whip role.
It means both will have the title Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury.
