Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A swan, which had been shot and appears to have been attacked by another animal, is being cared for, external at a Nantwich RSPCA centre.

The charity says the bird, nickname Mabel, is well known to people on the River Weaver, but they were called earlier this month after concerns about her behaviour.

Image source, RSPCA

When they examined her, staff at the Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre found she'd been shot at some time and had high lead levels in her blood, which could have come from littered fishing tackle.

The RSPCA says it's also urging owners to keep dogs on their leads as they think Mabel could have been attacked by one.

Express and Star

Archaeologists are to begin digging at a Penkridge church after a ground survey detected possible traces of a much earlier building at the site., external

Image source, Express and Star

Stuart Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

A Stoke-on-Trent music promoter says a music festival starring Motorhead went ahead after unhappy local residents were offered a day trip to Blackpool.

The story's emerged as the band's frontman Lemmy, who was born in the city and died in 2015, is going to be honoured with a blue plaque at Port Vale FC.

In 1981, over 20,000 fans turned up at the Vale's ground to watch Motorhead and Ozzy Osborne play the Heavy Metal Holocaust Festival., external

But local promoter Mike Lloyd told BBC Radio Stoke this week that local residents had complained ahead of the event and threatened to have it cancelled.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A hedgehog that had "blown up like a beach ball" is expected to make a full recovery and return to the wild.

The male hedgehog, which had inflated to twice its normal size, was found wandering around in circles in Doncaster by a member of the public.

The unnamed animal was diagnosed with the rare "balloon syndrome", caused by gas collecting under the skin.

He was taken to the RSPCA's Stapeley Grange centre near Nantwich where a needle was inserted to vent the trapped air - effectively, "popping" him, a vet said.

Staff at the centre say the hedgehog is doing well and they're hoping for a full recovery.

More than 500 homes and buildings in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent , externalare without power this morning, including the Intu Potteries shopping centre.

Western Power Distribution says it has engineers working to get electricity reconnected.

The Sentinel

Highways bosses say they "understand the frustration of motorists and traders" as part of a busy road is expected to be closed for around eight months, external.

Image source, The Sentinel

The loss-making road was put up for sale for nearly £2bn last year.

BBC Sport

Stoke City could be poised to make a surprise move for the Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, according to some newspapers.

The rumour is among our round-up of the best of the transfer gossip in the newspapers.

Image source, SOREN ANDERSSON/AFP/Getty Images

Apparently betting on Rooney joining Stoke City was suspended by one bookmaker on Tuesday, but the Potters have distanced themselves from a move for the 31-year-old England forward, external, according to the Stoke Sentinel.

If that changes or becomes more official, we'll let you know as soon as we know.

Peter Plisner
BBC Midlands Today

The M6 Toll has been sold to a company called IFM. It already owns Manchester Airports Group, Anglian Water and Arqiva - which run the transmitters used for BBC broadcasts.

Ownership of the M6 Toll has passed from one Australian company to another.

Now it’s a group of pension funds that sees the road as a good investment.

Despite the losses of previous year, IFM sees it not only as a viable asset, but a profitable one too.

Losses of the past happened mainly because of a huge mortgage needed to pay for the construction of the road.

Following restructuring, in recent years, and the latest sale of the road, that mortgage has effectively been wiped away, clearing the way for the M6 Toll to finally make a profit.

Growth in traffic and more roadworks on the Midlands motorways can only add to the profit potential.

Matt Lee
BBC Radio Stoke

We told you yesterday that, for BBC Music Day, BBC Radio Stoke's blue plaque will commemorate the Motörhead founder and frontman Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister who was born in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.

Well today we can tell you that the Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi will unveil the plaque at Vale Park today.

You can hear the unveiling during a special programme with Liz Ellis from 18:00 on BBC Radio Stoke.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

After a bright start there's the possibility of some light showers around lunchtime, before a warm and sunny afternoon.

The pollen count is expected to be very high and top temperatures expected of 20C (68F).

Peter Plisner
BBC Midlands Today

The BBC has learned that the M6 Toll has been sold.

The road, which bypasses the most congested parts of the M6, was put up for sale by its Australian owners last year.

The new owner is an investment group called IFM, which is owned by several pension funds.

IFM already runs a number of toll roads around the world and has some other big investments in the UK.

The Kent, Cheshire and Cambridgeshire forces have been criticised by police watchdog the HMIC.

Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands Today

Children at a dance class near Wolverhampton have become television stars after being featured in an eight-part documentary series.

Baby Ballroom on Channel 5 Star follows the children as they train and take part in junior dancing competitions.

The group, based in Wombourne, have impressed the show's producers so much there may even be a second series.

BBC Radio Stoke

Our political editor Patrick Burns has been analysing just what impact our regional marginal seats had in last week's election.

If Theresa May had managed to get just a few hundred more people to back her party, eight seats could have swung from being holds for other parties.

They include Newcastle-under-Lyme where Labour MP Paul Farrelly clung on by just 30 votes.

Read more from Patrick here and there'll also be more analysis this weekend in the Sunday Politics usual 11:00 slot, on BBC One on Sunday 18 June 2017.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A man's been arrested in Staffordshire after reports of him waving what was thought to be a sword in the street.

Staffordshire Police were called to the Wesley Street area of Blythe Bridge just before 08:30 and they say they found it wasn't a sword but the cover for a martial arts one.

Officers say the 31-year-old remains in custody on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and common assault.

Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A mother says she wants to keep the memory of her son alive after he died from an undiagnosed heart condition earlier this year at Newcastle-under-Lyme College.

Jake Dean, 20, collapsed in a stairwell at the site in February, was taken to hospital but died there.

This week, after fundraising events, the college donated more than £1,600 to the Cardiac Risk in the Young charity., external

The cheque was given to his mother Janine, who told BBC Radio Stoke it would go towards screening as many hearts of young people as possible.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A man's needed hospital treatment for a neck injury after being attacked in a Staffordshire pub.

Staffordshire Police were called to the Bulls Head Inn on the High Street, Alton on Friday night.

Image source, Google

West Midlands Ambulance Service says its staff were also called and found a GP who was in the pub was already helping the victim - his injuries aren't life-threatening.

A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm and released under investigation.

Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today

We're expecting another muggy night, but it should be a bit cooler tomorrow, with more cloud around.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Here are six photos showing off Staffordshire's gorgeous countryside as sent in by you the audience.

If you've taken a recent photos of the area and want to share it, send it in on email or put it on Instagram, adding the tag #bbcstoke to show you agree to share it, external.