The Sentinel

Time-lapse footage of the construction of a new bridge across the A50, external has been released

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

Have you been to see The Tempest at Stafford Castle this year?

This year's Shakespeare Festival has had its best ever reviews in 27 years.

The production was staged at the foot of the castle walls (pictured) and went off with mainly fine weather (barr the odd spot of rain we always see in British summer!)

The show won rave reviews, getting five stars from three different publications.

The long-standing pottery business is expected to close on 15 October putting 33 jobs at risk.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

Firefighters are tackling a "large waste fire" in a field in south Staffordshire.

Staffordshire Fire Service says crews are attending to the blaze near Gnosall and Wheaton Aston.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

They say Rome wasn't built in a day, and it's the case in Uttoxeter as well. It took just over two days to life six steel beams over the A50 carriageway to create a new bridge.

Staffordshire County Council took this footage showing the work under way over the weekend.

It won't be ready to drive over just yet. The council say it won't be ready until next year.

A bridge, three roundabouts and realignment work with the A522 is also taking place, as well as new embankments.

Work to remove chicanes in a north Staffordshire village will begin this week.

Staffordshire County Council plans to remove the traffic calming on the road and instead add speed bumps.

Residents in Talke submitted a petition earlier this year, external to have them removed along Swan Bank due an increase in road rage in the area.

The work's scheduled to start today and run until next Friday.

Image source, Google

A number of homes in Nantwich have no water, reports United Utilities.

The water company says its customer in the CW5 area are said to have very little or no water after reported issues on London Road.

You can follow updates on Twitter.

Staffordshire Newsletter

“Don't look down on anyone unless you're helping them back up" – that's the message from a nurse who is referred to by the homeless, external as the Angel of Stafford.

Graham McGarry
BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Stoke City play the opening fixture of the 2017 Uhren Cup tonight in Switzerland when they take on Swiss second-tier side Neuchâtel Xamax FCS.

Potters manager Mark Hughes is expected to field entirely different sides in each half of this evening's game.

Stoke have taken a 34-strong squad to their pre-season training camp and that includes youngsters Tom Edwards, Julien Ngoy and Thibaud Verlinden.

John Acres
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Major construction work that closed the A50 in Staffordshire over the weekend is on track according to Staffordshire County Council.

Six steel beams, each weighing approximately 45 tonnes, were lifted into place by a 750 tonne crane as part of a new bridge over the carriageway at Uttoxeter.

Image source, Dan Morris

The £5m work is due to finish in November next year.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

The top sport stories that we're looking at this morning include:

• The Potters could face Wayne Rooney on the opening day of the Premier League season
• Port Vale's assistant manager Chris Morgan says Rekeil Pyke won't be their last signing this summer
• Crewe manager David Artell says this week will be key as he looks to get his squad fully fit for the start of the new season

Dozens of flowers have been laid for a Staffordshire girl who died after a minibus carrying school pupils on a trip collided with a bin lorry in Birmingham.

The 14-year-old, named locally as Holly Brown, was on a bus carrying 21 students from John Taylor High School, in Barton-under-Needwood to a school trip in the city.

The school tweeted , externala photo of floral tributes and said: "When words are not enough: Hundreds of reasons why Holly was so special, and why our community feels such a loss. We are all heartbroken."

West Midlands Police said the minibus was also carrying four adults - the driver and three teachers.

No arrests have been made. Police said that both drivers were assisting with the "detailed and thorough" investigation.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Mildenhall Fen Tigers, external beat Stoke Potters 50-40 at West Row yesterday to draw their Knock-Out Cup tie 90-90 on aggregate.

Image source, Jeff Higgott

The two teams will now have to meet again, home and away, to decide who progresses to the last four.

Fen Tigers Danny Halsey, Jon Armstong and guest Ben Morley were all paid for double-figure scores.

"For the third meeting in a row we have had speedway that has had supporters on their feet, but make no mistake we should have won this tie and not needed to go through the two legs again," said chairman Kevin Jolly.

"Bin the blade" and hand in any dangerous or illegal knives this week, is the message from Staffordshire Police.

The force is launching its second knife amnesty today and has put special anonymous weapon deposit boxes across the county for people to use.

Knife crime in Staffordshire has increased by 50% in the last two years, with 967 offences recorded in 2016, according to officers.

Mel Coles
BBC Weather presenter

After a bright and clear start it will become cloudier with the chance of some showers this afternoon and highs of 21C (70F).

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

Good morning from the BBC Radio Stoke newsroom.

A lovely bright morning though we've seen a light drizzling of rain already in some places this morning. A full forecast is on the way.

I'll be bringing you the latest news, sport, travel and weather updates for Staffordshire and Cheshire between now and 18:00.

If you'd like to get in touch with the BBC Local Live team - email, tweet @BBCRadioStoke, external or get in touch via Facebook., external