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
A huge temporary rail terminus and construction yard for HS2 near Stone will be turned into a permanent maintenance depot once the track is built. , external
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
We range from the famous Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank to an owl in Endon and much in between in today's selection of pictures of the area, sent in by you, our audience.
You can share your photos of Staffordshire and Cheshire on an email or, if you use Instagram, pop them there with the tag #bbcstoke, external to show you agree to share them.
Audience photos of Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Violent crime in Cheshire's risen by more than a third in percentage terms, external, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Image source, Getty ImagesThe number of offences in the county went up by 34% between April 2016 and March 2017 to 18,289 offences.
Staffordshire saw an increase in violent crime too across the same period, up by 17% to 26,516 offences.
Across England and Wales the ONS recorded a rise of 18% for violent crime.
John Flatley from the organisation said some of the big increases in its figures could be explained by changes in how the police recorded crime, but this was only in some categories.
BBC News Scotland
A team of divers, including ones from Cheshire and Cannock, have recovered a historic Highball bouncing bomb from a loch in Scotland.
More than 200 of the spherical bombs were tested at Loch Striven in Argyll during World War Two but were never used.
Image source, British Sub Aqua ClubMembers of the British Sub-Aqua Club and the Royal Navy have successfully lifted one of them, and hope to recover at least one more of the devices.
The prototype bombs, which were never used operationally, do not contain any explosives.
Gardening fans across the UK have launched a campaign to save Wistaston’s mooning gnomes after the village rumpus hit national headlines. , external
Image source, Nantwich News
Victoria Derbyshire
One of the victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash says it has completely changed her life, more than two years after it happened.
Victoria Balch told the Victoria Derbyshire programme the trauma she suffered has affected her whole life.
Victoria Balch
Two carriages on the Smiler ride crashed into each other in June 2015 at the Staffordshire theme park.
Sixteen passengers were trapped for several hours before they were released.
Today she said she was backing a campaign by the Barts Charity to raise £1m for more research into how trauma, external affects people's lives.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Glenn Whelan has been praised for his leadership and passion at Stoke City after the midfielder today completed a move to Aston Villa.
The 33-year-old, capped 81 times by the Republic of Ireland, made the switch for £1m on a two-year contract.
Image source, EmpicsStoke City tweeted that, external he "contributed so much to our club in nearly a decade" and added "thank you for the memories".
While on the BBC Radio Stoke Facebook page, Daniel Johnson was among many posting, with him writing, external: "Thanks Glenn. Backbone of SCFC's decade of success. All the best at Villa to our legend."
Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent
The proportion of top degree grades being awarded by UK universities has soared - with some universities giving first-class degrees to more than a third of their students.
Image source, PAThe University of Surrey awarded a first-class degree to 41% of students last year, more than doubling the proportion five years ago.
While the Press Association survey found firsts awarded at Staffordshire University have more than doubled from 12.2% to 27%.
Professor of education Alan Smithers called it "chronic grade inflation".
Universities are their own degree-awarding bodies, so can decide their own levels of degree grades.
Staffordshire University says they put the rise down to its efforts to improve achievement by its students.
BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime we'll be reflecting on it being 10 years since devastating floods hit the Midlands.
Those affected have been talking to us about the impact and what's been done to try and stop such events happening again.
We'll have more from 13:30 on BBC One.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Hundreds of thousands of pounds will be saved in Stafford, it's claimed, when a charitable trust takes over the running of key leisure and cultural facilities and schemes in the town.
The borough council has picked Freedom Leisure as its preferred choice to run them, external, claiming the move will save it around £900,000 as costs would be cut.
They also say the move will secure the future of events like the popular Shakespeare at the Castle and the Stafford Half Marathon.
Stafford Leisure Centre, Stafford Castle and the Gatehouse Theatre would also be taken over with the council saying they expect the contract to be signed in September and Freedom Leisure to then take charge in December.
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Three men have been arrested after armed police, external were called to reports of a man with a gun in Burton.
Staffordshire Police says it happened last night on Anglesey Road and they found two imitation firearms.
Image source, GoogleThe force says a 32-year-old man from the town was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm.
Officers add the other two, also from Burton and aged 65 and 67, were arrested for public order offences.
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Keele University is joining forces with Harper Adams University in Shropshire in plans to open a new veterinary school.
Image source, GoogleThe pair say they've reached an agreement to offer five-year degrees and training would be delivered on both campuses.
In a statement, they say there'll be more discussions over the next few months with a view to announcing later in the year when the first students would be expected.
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Investigations are under way after five people escaped, external from a severe house fire in Staffordshire this morning.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire ServiceThe county's fire service says they were called to the semi-detached property on The Avenue, Blythe Bridge at around 04:00 and say they found the ground floor was well alight.
They say it looks like the fire started outside the front door of the house and add that no-one is believed to have been injured.
Here are some of the startling figures around the flooding that hit the West Midlands 10 years ago.
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
People in Stafford have been praised for taking a military unit "to their hearts".
Soldiers from 22nd Signal Regiment are marching through the county town today to mark a decade based in the area.
Major Richie Bell
Bank customers fear their branch could close after a cut in opening hours was announced., external
Image source, The Sentinel
Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
A coachload of campaigners will be travelling from Leek to Stafford today, external, to oppose plans they say could see the closure of their community hospital.
The Save Leek Hospital group says bed closures are just the start of a decline at the Leek Moorlands Hospital and people will, in the future, have to travel to Stoke-on-Trent or Macclesfield for minor injuries and consultant appointments.
Image source, GoogleThey'll hand a petition with more than 50,000 signatures, external to county councillors today, along with written accounts of how local people have used the hospital over the years.
The North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which runs the Moorlands Hospital, says no decision on the future of the hospital has yet been made.
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Image source, Nantwich NewsA main road out of Nantwich will be closed for the next few days after a water main burst yesterday. , external
United Utilities says it fixed the leak on Middlewich Road last night, but now damage to the carrigeway needs to be repaired by the council.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
BBC Radio Stoke understands that the Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan is on the verge of completing a move to Aston Villa.
Image source, Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThe Championship club have reportedly agreed a deal worth £1.5m after an initial £500,000 bid was rejected this summer.
Whelan played a big part in helping Stoke win promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and has made over 330 appearances for the club.
Tim Wedgwood
BBC Local Live
About 150 soldiers will march through Stafford town centre today, marking a decade since a military unit moved to the town. , external
The barracks on the Beaconside Road used to house the RAF but after 2007 it became home to the reformed 22nd Signal Regiment.
The ceremony should begin at midday in the Market Square.
