BBC Local Live: Staffordshire & Cheshire on Friday 21 July 2017

Summary

Barry Bennell sex abuse trial set for January
Cheshire CCG given 'inadequate' rating
Election candidate charged over blogs
Kurt Zouma: Chelsea defender joins Stoke on season-long loan
Updates on Friday 21 July

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Man hopes bottom-baring gnome can stay at new homepublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
A man who was told to remove a gnome which is baring its bottom at a road junction says he hopes it can stay at its new home.
Media caption,
The relocation of a gnome
Laurence Perry, 76, of Wistaston, said Cheshire East Council told him to remove the ornament within seven days.
The council said "such objects could easily cause a distraction to motorists and other road users, leading to an accident".
Mr Perry has now moved the gnome to a nearby flowerbed.
Barry Bennell sex abuse trial set for Januarypublished at 16:26 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
BBC News UK
The former Crewe Alexandra coach coach Barry Bennell will stand trial over alleged child sex offences in January next year.
The 63-year-old is charged with 42 counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of serious sexual assault and two attempted serious sexual assaults.
The charges relate to 12 complainants - who were all aged 8-15 - and allegedly happened between 1979 and 1991.
Mr Bennell denies the charges he faces and the trial is set to last eight weeks, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Clement Goldstone said a pre-trial hearing would be held in October.
How do you avoid holiday traffic jams?published at 16:10 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
BBC News England
For those of you already in or preparing for your summer getaway, we've been told today places like the M6 between junctions 11 and 20 will be a lot busier on days like today.
But the BBC's trying to help, with these tips which might help you reach your destination more quickly.
Media caption,
How do you avoid holiday traffic jams?
Football: New Stoke loan signing Zouma hailed as 'talented' defenderpublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City's latest loan signing Kurt Zouma has been described by his new manager as , external"one of the most talented young defenders in the game".
Image source, Stoke City
The 22-year-old's joining the Potters for the 2016-17 campaign.
Stoke says he completed a medical at their Clayton Wood training ground earlier this week and the move was finalised today.
Quote Message
Kurt is undoubtedly one of the most talented young defenders in the game, so naturally his arrival will enhance our playing squad for the forthcoming campaign."
Mark Hughes, Stoke City manager
Election candidate charged with sending abusive materialpublished at 15:29 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A woman who stood in the Stoke-on-Trent Central election earlier this year has been charged with sending offensive material., external
Independent candidate Barbara Fielding from Draycott polled 210 votes in the seat in June.
Staffordshire Police says the 78-year-old has been charged with one count of sending by public communication network an offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing message/matter.
They say it relates to online blogs from between September and February and she's due to appear before magistrates in September.
Ducklings rescued by fire crews from chimney potpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue
Seven ducklings and an egg have been rescued by firefighters from a chimney pot on a house in Tamworth. , external
Staffordshire Fire Service says they were called this morning to the three-storey house on Two Trees Close where the animals had been found.
They say it took two fire crews several hours to safely rescue the ducklings and handed them to the RSPCA to be reunited with their mother.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service
Zouma joins Stoke on season-long loanpublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Stoke sign Kurt Zouma on a season-long loan from Chelsea, as the French defender signs a new six-year contract with the Blues.
Read More
Samurai swords and machete among 700 knives handed to policepublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
BBC Radio Stoke
A knife amnesty has seen more than 700 handed into Staffordshire Police in a week-long campaign. , external
Media caption,
Amnesty sees 700 knives handed in
Officers say among the blades handed in are samurai swords and a machete and they are considering another amnesty.
Knife crime in Staffordshire has increased by 50% in the last two years, with 967 offences recorded in 2016, according to officers.
Councillors refuse to back key police appointmentpublished at 14:10 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
An official panel of councillors has refused to endorse the man that Cheshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) wants to be his most senior member of staff, on £75,000 a year.
Concerns were raised that PCC David Keane, external (pictured) previously knew his new chief executive Peter Astley, who, it is claimed by some councillors on the cross-party Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, external, doesn't have enough experience for the role.
Mr Astley has been appointed to the role anyway, with Mr Keane saying the appointment follows a "rigorous recruitment process".
Football: Joe Davis says he's 'changed massively' on his return to Port Valepublished at 13:50 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Defender Joe Davis says he's come back to Port Vale a different player to the one who left to join Leicester City in 2014.
Image source, Port Vale FC
The 23-year-old returned to Vale Park last month after an agreement was reached to end his contract at Fleetwood.
Quote Message
I think I've changed massively. Looking back now as a young lad when I was playing, I got into the side young and I was quite immature in ways, I didn't know the game as much as I do now. I think I've matured as a person as well off the pitch. "
Joe Davis, Port Vale defender
Six weekend closures for A449 work in Staffordshirepublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
A main road in Staffordshire will be shut for six weekends over the coming months as work's carried out at a junction to a new industrial estate.
Image source, Google
The county council is working on the 52-acre Four Ashes site near Gailey and says the work will improve the entrance from the A449 along Gravelly Way.
By the end of the work, traffic lights will have been installed at the junction along with toucan crossings.
The authority says the work will see six full weekend closures of the A449 at the junction, starting on 28 July but not including the V Festival weekend next month.
West Midlands Ambulance changes ‘putting lives at risk’published at 12:59 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Express and Star
Lives are being put at risk after an ambulance response point was removed, external, a council boss has warned.
Image source, Express and Star
Football: Belgium star signs five-year Stoke dealpublished at 12:39 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City have announced that forward Thibaud Verlinden has signed a five-year-professional contract with the club., external
Image source, Stoke City
The 18-year-old initially moved to the Potters in 2015 and has since gone on to represent Belgium at youth level.
He's made such an impression at Academy level over the past two years that Mark Hughes has promoted him into his first-team plans for next season.
On Midlands Today from 13:30: Summer getaway and Adam Peatypublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime, we'll be looking at how our roads are coping as the big summer getaway's expected to drive traffic up on many of our regions motorways.
Image source, Getty Images
Plus we'll hear from Adam Peaty as the Uttoxeter swimmer prepares to defend his 100m breaststroke title at the World Championships in Hungary.
Those stories and more from 13:30 on BBC One.
Residents demand action on 'intense' heat conditionspublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Tamworth Herald
"'Intense" temperatures as high as 35 degrees in a sheltered housing block have forced residents to make a desperate plea to the council., external
Image source, Tamworth Herald
Cat shot three times in a yearpublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Dante was shot with six air rifle pellets in the third attack on him in 12 months.
Read More
Cat 'shot six times' in third shooting in a yearpublished at 11:15 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A cat from Stoke-on-Trent has survived after being shot six times, external and the RSPCA says it's the third time he's been shot in a year.
Image source, RSPCA
The charity says two-year-old Dante was found with air pellet wounds earlier this month and vets have had to leave three in his body as they say they are too close to his spinal cord.
The RSPCA is warning cat owners near Trent Valley Road in Penkhull to be extra vigilant.
Quote Message
This is the third time Dante has been shot in the last year. He has already been shot in his foot and the back of his head. We just can’t believe that he has been targeted again. He is such a lovely cat and we just don’t understand why someone would do this.”
Zeke Ares, Dante's owner
Adam Peaty aiming for swimming first in World Championship defencepublished at 10:52 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
BBC Midlands Today
Staffordshire swimmer Adam Peaty will begin the defence of his 100m breaststroke title at the World Championships in Hungary this weekend, external.
Image source, Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
Peaty, who is the 100m breaststroke world record holder, won three golds in Russia two years ago before going on to claim Olympic gold in Rio.
The 22-year-old from Uttoxeter is also hoping to become the first swimmer to go under 57 seconds in his distance.
Alton Towers staff catch out drug dealer staying in resort's Enchanted Villagepublished at 10:27 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
The Sentinel
Staff at Alton Towers rumbled a drug dealer who was staying in the resort's Enchanted Village., external
Image source, The Sentinel
'Police numbers are a factor' says top cop in tackling violent crime risepublished at 10:00 British Summer Time 21 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
The Chief Constable of Staffordshire says "police numbers are a factor" in tackling the rise in crime in the county.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, released yesterday, showed the largest annual rise in crime in a decade in England and Wales.
Violent crime was up across the country, including in Staffordshire - which saw it increase by 17% between April 2016 and March 2017 to 26,516 offences
On Twitter, the county's top policeman Gareth Morgan tweeted he was "concerned at overall trends" and that he "can't separate reductions in budgets from crime debate, external".
He added that he'll be meeting with his fellow Staffordshire officers, external to discuss how they can deal with the rise but said "capability to respond & investigate police numbers are a factor, external".
Responding yesterday, Nick Hurd, minister for policing and the fire service, said the government is listening to police concerns over funding.