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

Football: Total season fitness the aim for Crewe bosspublished at 12:27 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Crewe Alexandra's manager David Artell says pre-season training has involved a lot of physical work this year.
Image source, crewealex.net
It's now a week since the Alex returned from their summer break and Artell told BBC Radio Stoke they're trying to improve the players' fitness.
Quote Message
You've got to remember that, although we want them to be extremely fit for the first game, they also need to be extremely fit for the last game. Last thing you want is to be there or thereabouts come Easter and then fall off."
David Artell, Crewe Alexandra's manager
100 new jobs promised with shopping village expansionpublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
One hundred new jobs are expected to be created when new shops open at the Trentham Estate at the end of the month.
The first of 18 new tenants have been announced, external, many of which are local independent businesses.
Media caption,
100 new jobs to be created with shopping village extension
Owner St Modwen says all of the new retail units have been filled and the first of them will be open at the end of the month.
Lanes open on M6published at 11:50 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC News Travel
Highways England says northbound traffic held on the M6 near Gailey has now been released, external, although an ambulance remains at the scene after the earlier crash.
M6 at standstillpublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC News Travel
The M6 northbound is currently at a standstill as debris is cleared from the carriageway.
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Port Vale bring in Dons striker Barnettpublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Striker Tyrone Barnett leaves AFC Wimbledon and signs a two-year deal with Port Vale, the 14th club of his career.
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Burnley sign Taylor & agree Walters feepublished at 10:38 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Burnley sign full-back Charlie Taylor from Leeds, after agreeing a deal with Stoke City for Jon Walters.
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Schools issue Snapchat Map warningpublished at 10:21 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC News Technology
Schools are warning parents that a new location-sharing feature in Snapchat could put children at risk.
Snap Map lets users share their exact location with people on their "friends" list in real time.
One school in Staffordshire has already raised safety concerns over the map because children could be tracked on the map.
A message to parents posted by St Peter's Academy in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent warned that the location-sharing feature lets people, external "locate exactly where you are, which building you are in and exact whereabouts within the building".
But Snap, the company behind Snapchat, says the feature is opt-in and can be switched off at any time.
Residents fight plans to build up to 93 homes on fieldpublished at 10:02 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
The Sentinel
More than 300 residents have signed a petition against plans for a housing development., external
Image source, The Sentinel
Walters keen to link up with Dychepublished at 09:37 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC Sport
Striker Jon Walters has spent the last seven years at Stoke, scoring 43 goals in 226 Premier League appearances.
The 33-year-old is understood to be keen to link up with Burnley manager Sean Dyche.
Image source, Getty Images
Weather warning for rain issuedpublished at 09:10 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
BBC Weather
The Met Office say isolated thunderstorms today could bring intense downpours, bringing the threat of sudden flooding of roads and homes.
Heavy rainfall is likely to be isolated though, with many places staying dry.
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Stafford's £500m plans set for scrutiny tonightpublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Emma Thomas
Political reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Plans for a £500m development in Stafford will be considered by councillors this evening, external.
Image source, Stafford Borough Council
A hotel, office space, 650 apartments and 150 houses may be added near to the railway station, the council said.
The town is a hub station for HS2 and the council said the Stafford Gateway Masterplan had been planned on the back of the high-speed rail project.
A council report says about 6,500 new jobs could be created in leisure, office, commercial and warehousing, not including people working on the construction.
Water problems for part of Crewepublished at 08:38 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
People living in Crewe may be without water this morning or have poor pressure from the tap because of an issue in the town, United Utilities says.
It's affecting the CW3 area and they say they have inspectors investigating., external
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Watch: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 08:23 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
After a warm and bright start to the day there's the chance of thunderstorms which could bring heavy downpours.
In between any rain will feel very warm in the sunshine with highs of 28C (82F).
Media caption,
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Welcome to the start of Thursday's live coveragepublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 6 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
It's a cool start to the morning with fluffy white clouds over the blue skies - this was Newcastle-under-Lyme earlier, as taken by BBC Weather Watcher Snow Crystals:
Image source, Snow Crystals
We've had a warning though of thunderstorms later so we'll round up today's weather forecast shortly, followed by plenty of updates through the day for Staffordshire and Cheshire.
You can send in your comments and photos on email or, for pictures of the area, put them on Instagram and add the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 5 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.
On Midlands Today from 18:30: The mum saving the NHS millionspublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 5 July 2017
Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this evening, we'll hear about the Staffordshire mum who's changed attitudes in the NHS.
Image source, Sharon Doorbar
It's believed if everywhere were to adopt the system that she inspired in north Staffordshire, it could save the health service £22m.
I'll have the full story of what's she done from 18:30 on BBC One.
Tests 'inconclusive' into cause of woman's deathpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 5 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
More police patrols are being put on in Cannock as police say they still don't know how a woman died in the town. , external
When the body of Kerry Cast, 40, was found at her home in Herondale on Saturday afternoon, Staffordshire Police said they were treating it as unexplained., external
Image source, Staffordshire Police
Today, the force says a post-mortem examination has been carried out, but proved inconclusive, and they're going to carry out more tests to work out the cause of death.
In the meantime, officers say they're still collecting evidence at the scene and putting on more patrols.
Weather: The West Midlands forecast for tonight and tomorrowpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 5 July 2017
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
After a sunny day for most of us, here's how your night is looking along with tomorrow morning.
You can also get the latest forecasts for your part of the West Midlands via the BBC Weather website.
Media caption,
Shefali Oza
Wider bridge set to tackle congestionpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 5 July 2017
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
Plans to demolish a road bridge over a railway in Crewe and replace it with a wider one, external have been approved by Cheshire East Council.
Image source, Google
The authority's planners said in their report that the aim is to ease congestion around Sydney Road bridge by allowing traffic to flow in both directions at the same time.
The council says the main stage of the work will take six months and some properties on nearby Rochester Crescent will lose some of their back gardens.
BBC Weather Watcher photos: Staffordshire's blue skiespublished at 17:11 British Summer Time 5 July 2017
BBC Weather Watchers
It's been a day of blue skies across much of Staffordshire and our BBC Weather Watchers have been out snapping away.
These two are from users Maria and her days out in Lichfield and Jeff in Stafford.
Image source, Maria and her days out
Image source, Jeff