BBC Local Live: Staffordshire & Cheshire on Friday 7 July 2017

Summary

Girl dies in school trip crash
Drugs gang jailed for more than 21 years
Arrest after reports boy, 4, 'grabbed' as sat in car
Updates on Friday 7 July 2017

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Travel: A38 shut northbound near Burtonpublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 7 July 2017
BBC News Travel
Part of the A38 near Burton remains closed northbound after a serious crash and Highways England says Staffordshire Police are still investigating, external.
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Welcome to the start of Friday's live coveragepublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 7 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
We're in for a good start to the day in Stoke-on-Trent, bright blue skies with wispy cloud overhead - this was Shelton at 07:30.
We'll have a full look at your weather forecast for the end of the week shortly and then there'll be news, sport, travel and other updates through the day.
I'll also have more of your photos of Staffordshire and Cheshire - send yours in on email or put them on Instagram, adding the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.
Car price increase for M6 Toll driverspublished at 07:13 British Summer Time 7 July 2017
Operator Midland Expressway Limited says the increase is a "partial catch‐up with inflation".
Read More
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
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.
Football: Port Vale urged not to sign players 'willy-nilly'published at 17:54 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The former Port Vale captain Phil Sproson says manager Michael Brown is right to be patient when signing new players this summer.
Image source, Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Vale have made seven additions to their squad since the end of last season but Sproson told BBC Radio Stoke they must go with quality over quantity.
Quote Message
You can go out and sign willy-nilly as we saw last year, you can sign 15, 18 players and maybe one will stick, we saw that so that clearly didn't work, you've got to be circumspect and go and get players that you think or know have got a pedigree in this country."
Phil Sproson, Former Port Vale captain
Four men jailed after viciously attacking passengers on trainpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
The Sentinel
Four men have been sent to prison after they viciously attacked fellow passengers on a train, external – leaving three victims in hospital.
Image source, The Sentinel
Faulty pylon cause of grass firepublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
A grass fire in Congleton this afternoon was started by a faulty electricity pylon, according to firefighters.
It happened on Cross Lane before 13:00 - and crews had to use a powder fire extinguisher.
Image source, Cheshire Fire and Rescue
Weather: Some thundery showers this eveningpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today
It's been a hot day, with temperatures up to 27C (81F) in places, but there could be some thundery showers in easterly parts of the West Midlands this evening.
Media caption,
The weather forecast for the West Midlands
£3m fee agreed for Stoke City's Jon Walterspublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City returned for pre-season training this week. But one man who wasn't at Clayton Wood today was striker Jon Walters. Burnley have reportedly agreed a £3m fee for the 33-year-old Ireland international.
Media caption,
Stoke City at pre-season training
Quote Message
Maybe at this point in his career, Jon feels he needs more security in terms of the length of his contract. If he does go, we'll look back on his time with fond memories, because he's been a huge part of the club's success in the Premier League. His contribution should never be underestimated."
Mark Hughes, Stoke manager
16-year-old 'shot with BB gun'published at 17:05 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC Radio Stoke
Two people have been arrested after police suspect a 16-year-old was shot with a BB gun in Longton.
It's alleged to have happened on Landon Street on Tuesday night - the teenager needed hospital treatment for injuries to his back and head.
A 17 and 18-year-old were arrested on suspicion of assault, and have been released under investigation.
Image source, Google
'Double voting in general election illegal'published at 16:45 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
A Cheshire council has responded to claims by a local MP that voting fraud took place in her constituency at the general election.
Eddisbury's Antoinette Sandbach was speaking in the House of Commons where other MPs also claimed students had voted both at home and at university.
The Conservative MP has called for voter registration to be centralised - something the government says would be very costly.
Cheshire West and Chester Council says voting more than once in the same election is illegal, but being registered in two places isn't, and it removed duplications where it was possible to do so.
Acting Returning Officer Gerald Meehan said it was important no electors were prevented from voting, but anyone intentionally voting twice could face a fine or jail.
On TV: Question Time heads to Burton todaypublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC One
Tonight's edition of BBC One's Question Time comes from Burton upon Trent.
Broadcast from 22:45, the panel will include Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, Labour's shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon and Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas.
There'll also be Mirror columnist Susie Boniface and David Cameron's former director of communications, Craig Oliver.
Buzzing around the roundabouts in Newcastlepublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
John Acres
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A 12-foot honey bee is to be installed in the middle of a roundabout in Newcastle-under-Lyme today.
It's been created by Blurton-born sculptor Andy Edwards with the help of apprentices from PM Training, external in Hanley.
The piece is part of the borough's Britain in Bloom entry.
Media caption,
Bee buzzing into Newcastle
Police looking for man accused of grabbing boypublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Police are investigating reports a man grabbed a young boy as he was sitting in a car in Burslem.
Officers say they were called just before 18:00 last night by a woman saying her four-year-old son's arm was grabbed by the man - who is thought to be in his 60s and described as short and white, with grey hair.
The car had broken down outside May Street Chippy - the man is said to have walked off. Police are calling for witnesses to come forward.
Celebrating Staffordshire's great innovatorspublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Lamont Howie
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
The BBC's looking at stories of inventions that became reality and changed the world.
BBC Radio Stoke is shining the light on its local heroes who made a difference in the world.
Today they take to the skies with the iconic Spitfire.
Media caption,
Celebrating Staffordshire inventors
The fighter that helped win the Battle of Britain was invented and designed by Reginald Mitchell from Butt Lane.
He went to school in Hanley and you can see one of his iconic aircraft at the Potteries Museum.
Work expected to start on widening in second half of 2018published at 14:42 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Crewe Chronicle
Work is expected to start on widening the Sydney Road Bridge in the second half of next year , external- but it will definitely not begin until the Crewe Green Roundabout scheme has been completed.
'Accident in the water' closes pool for cleaningpublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The swimming pools at Dimensions Leisure Centre in Burslem have been closed until tomorrow.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council confirmed someone had an "accident in the water", and the pools needed cleaning.
Image source, Google
The council has confirmed to BBC Radio Stoke no-one has been physically injured as a result of the incident.
Blind D-Day veteran Alfred Barlow gets medals from fellow servicemanpublished at 13:41 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
A blind D-Day veteran who lost his medals at a motorway service station in Staffordshire has received replacements from a fellow visually impaired former serviceman.
Image source, PA
Alfred Barlow, 96, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was returning from a trip to Normandy, France, on 8 June when he noticed they were missing.
Hearing that they could not be found, Alan Walker, from Hassocks, Sussex, bought replacements from a dealer.
He presented Mr Barlow with the medals at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
Football: Stoke chairman promises more youth in team this seasonpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
The Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says it's important that they get the balance right between youth and experience, as they continue to strengthen their squad.
Image source, Stoke City
It comes as Stoke yesterday announced the signing of 18-year-old left-back Josh Tymon (pictured) from Hull on a five-year deal.
Coates told BBC Radio Stoke that more young players will feature in the team in the coming season.
Quote Message
We don't want an old team, we don't want a team that's too young, it's getting the right balance and we're aware of that. We'll have more young players in our squad come through the system this season so that's another plus."
Peter Coates, Stoke City's chairman
Pair arrested on M6 for suspected drugs offencespublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of drugs offences in south Cheshire.
The pair, who are aged 53 and 34, were stopped while driving on the M6 near Holmes Chapel yesterday.
They were both arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
Image source, Google
The 53-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving.