BBC News England

Journeys on the M6 through Staffordshire and Cheshire could take more than three times as long as usual today as families head off on their summer holidays.

Traffic information company Inrix said it usually takes around 50 minutes to go from junction 11 north to 20 but today it could be as long as 150 minutes.

Image source, Google

They add that going southbound over the same stretch could also take longer, from 50 minutes to around 90 minutes.

The company said the busiest period is likely to be between 11:00 and 18:30.

Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live

Cheshire's most infamous garden gnome has been moved.

Laurence Perry, 76, of Wistaston, had placed the ornament, which shows its bottom to passing drivers and "lights up" at night, at a road junction in the area.

But Cheshire East Council ordered that it be removed from a verge within seven days as they said it could be distracting to drivers.

Mr Perry says he's taken it from the junction by Westfield Drive and has now placed the gnome in a nearby flower bed.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City winger Marko Arnautovic is set to complete the formalities later today of his move to West Ham.

Image source, Getty Images

The Austrian international has agreed a five-year deal with the fee being in the region of up of £25m.

The outgoing transfer is a club record for the Potters, who signed Arnautovic from Werder Bremen in 2013.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Repair work on a collapsed road in Nantwich could take as long as eight weeks, after damage caused by a burst water main. , external

Image source, Cheshire East Council

Middlewich Road has been closed since Wednesday and Cheshire East Council says they're faced with no alternative but to keep the the road completely shut in the interests of public safety.

A United Utilities water main burst in the week and the authority says that caused the road to flood and damaged the edges of the carriageway.

The council says their timescale for full repairs is between six and eight weeks and admit it could even take longer, depending on what they find.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

Some bright spells around today but a band of rain will move in later which could be heavy at times, with top temperatures of 20C (68F).

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Morning everybody, the rain has returned this morning, varying from light to heavy showers.

This was Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent just before 07:30.

We'll have a full look at today's weather shortly and there'll be plenty of updates on Friday's news, sport, travel and more for Staffordshire and Cheshire.

I'll also showcase more of your photos of the area so keep sending those in on email or post them on Instagram with the tag #bbcstoke,, external to show you agree to share them.

Aston Villa sign Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan for £1m and bring in free-agent defender Chris Samba

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.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Hundreds of homes in Staffordshire have been been protected from flooding with new schemes, it's claimed, since heavy rain devastated parts of the Midlands in 2007.

The Environment Agency says it's made improvements across several parts of south Staffordshire which were particularly hardest hit 10 years ago.

They include in Lower Tame, protecting 463 homes and around the Lower Dove, covering 1604 houses.

Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says there's going to be a big hole in their scouting network from next month.

Image source, crewealex.net

After more then 20 years' service, head of recruitment Neil Baker (pictured) is leaving to take charge as manager of non-league side Leek Town for the third time., external

Crewe Chronicle

Police have stepped up patrols near rail lines in Cheshire , externalas the summer holidays begin, following a rise in the number of children "dicing with death" by trespassing on the tracks.

Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Work on a new 140-bed hotel in the middle of Stoke-on-Trent is due to start before the end of this year., external

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

The city council says plans have been approved for the Hilton Garden Inn to be built on the Smithfield site in Hanley.

The authority has put £4.55m towards it and hopes it will create 50 jobs.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

We might have some showers tonight and over the next three days we are forecast some heavy rain.

It will remain warm though, with temperatures as high as 15C (59F) overnight.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A swan has been released back into the wild in Cheshire , externaldespite suffering so many injuries that vets thought the "odds were against her" surviving.

Image source, RSPCA

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

Staff at their Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich said it turned out she'd been shot as well as being attacked by a dog.

But, after six weeks care, they say she's now recovered enough to be released back on to the river where she was reunited with her mate and cygnets.

Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A fire at a house in Stoke-on-Trent this morning is being treated as arson., external

Image source, Google

Staffordshire Fire Service says six people were inside at the time and had to escape.

Firefighters think the blaze on the ground floor of the semi-detached home on The Avenue, Blythe Bridge started at the front door.

The service says there could have been "tragic results" if those inside hadn't been warned at around 04:00 by their smoke alarms.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Port Vale's Adam Yates has travelled with the squad to Spain for a five-day training camp.

Image source, Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Yates missed the whole of last season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The 34-year-old has featured in the last two pre-season games but manager Michael Brown says he's still way off being ready for first team selection.

Amy Cole
BBC Midlands Today

Stafford has honoured soldiers from the local army regiment who marked 10 years based in the county town.

Crowds turned out in the centre of the town as around 150 servicemen and women marched through the streets. , external

The 22nd Signal Regiment moved to Stafford's Beacon Barracks in 2007.

You can see more from the parade on BBC Midlands Today this evening from 18:30.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's not just landscapes and sky shots that our BBC Weather Watchers photograph for us in Staffordshire and Cheshire.

Here's one from user Meadow of birds taking flight in Stafford:

Image source, Meadow

BBC Sport

The Austria forward Marko Arnautovic is due to have a medical in the next 48 hours after West Ham agreed a deal with Stoke City.

The Hammers had two bids rejected but it is understood Stoke have accepted a fee in the region of £24m.

Image source, Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Arnautovic, 28, joined Stoke from Werder Bremen four years ago and is just 12 months into a four-year contract with the Potters.

He scored seven times in 35 games in all competitions last season.

Nick Southall
Journalist, BBC Shropshire

Harper Adams University and Keele University are planning to set up a new school for vets, as a joint venture.

The Vice Chancellor at Harper Adams, Dr David Llewellyn, said there was still a lot of work to do, but hopes to be accepting the first students in 2019.