Summary

  • Developer set to buy former police HQ for £15m

  • Council rules out referendum on hospital services

  • Rescued lamb 'not facing dinner plate'

  • Updates from Friday 4 August 2017

  1. Champions League of Darts results & highlightspublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 16 September 2017

    Full results and video highlights of the final for the 2017 Champions League of Darts.

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  2. Premier League Preview: Part 3published at 12:51 British Summer Time 6 August 2017

    The Sportsworld Premier League Preview panel weighs up the chances of every Premier League team and puts reputations on the line by telling you who will win the league, who is destined for European football and who will be relegated!

    Mike Williams is joined by The New York Times football correspondent Rory Smith, Former Manchester United striker Danny Webber and Sportsworld's football reporter John Bennett to look ahead to the 2017/18 Premier League season.

    We've divided the Premier League into four groups of five teams based on where they are in the table right now... In other words in alphabetical order!

    Group three: M - S

    (Photo: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, Credit: Getty Images)

  3. Crawley Town 1-3 Port Valepublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 5 August 2017

    Michael Brown starts his first full season as Port Vale boss with a comfortable victory at Harry Kewell's Crawley.

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  4. Crewe Alexandra 2-2 Mansfield Townpublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 5 August 2017

    League Two title favourites Mansfield come from behind to earn a draw at Crewe.

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  5. Burton Albion 0-1 Cardiff Citypublished at 17:07 British Summer Time 5 August 2017

    Kenneth Zohore scores a late goal to earn Cardiff an opening day win at Burton Albion.

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  6. Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening.

  7. Guide dog gets blind customer 'banned from Welsh shop'published at 17:55 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Jennifer Harby
    BBC News Online

    A blind customer is considering a discrimination claim against a shop in Wales he says asked him to leave because he had his guide dog with him.

    Andy Terry, 61, from Stoke-on-Trent, was visiting Fairbourne, Gwynedd, on Friday with his guide dog Flame.

    Andy Terry and FlameImage source, Andy Terry

    Mr Terry said he was asked to leave the village mini mart by the owner who told him dogs were banned.

    Charity Guide Dogs Cymru said the owner had offered no apology. The shop has been contacted by the BBC for comment.

    Mr Terry, who is registered blind because of a rare genetic disorder, said he had visited the shop while on holiday.

    Quote Message

    He told me there was a clear notice on the door saying 'no dogs under any circumstances'. I explained Flame was a guide dog and showed him a card I carry to prove that, but he told me it was private property and we would have to leave."

    Andy Terry, Blind customer

  8. French bulldogs stolen from house's porchpublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Chris King
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    Two French bulldogs have been stolen from a house in Stoke-on-Trent., external

    Taffy and Honey, the stolen bulldogsImage source, Staffordshire Police

    Staffordshire Police says the dogs, Taffy and Honey, were taken from the property's porch in Shelton New Road last night.

    The force says both animals are female and seven months old.

  9. Weather: A fine night but stormy showers tomorrowpublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Rebecca Wood
    BBC Midlands Today

    It's going to be a fine night with some sunshine this evening, but there will be rain tomorrow and maybe some thunder and lightning.

    Media caption,

    Friday's weather forecast for the West Midlands

  10. Blind man and guide dog 'banned from shop'published at 17:28 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Andy Terry, from Stoke-on-Trent, says he was kicked out of a mini mart in Fairbourne, Gwynedd.

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  11. Port Vale sign Tonge and Whitfieldpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Port Vale sign Michael Tonge and Ben Whitfield on loan, while defender Adam Yates pens new one-year deal.

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  12. Robert Hardy thanked for 'special connection' to Staffordpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Lee Thomas
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    Managers of the Stafford Festival Shakespeare event have paid tribute to the actor Robert Hardy, who's died age 91, saying he had a "special connection" with them, after appearing in their first ever production.

    The event's been held since 1991 when the star of TV series All Creatures Great and Small played Chorus in Henry V at Stafford Castle that year.

    The producer of Stafford Festival Shakespeare, Derrick Gask, said few great actors who've appeared in the event are, external "remembered as fondly" as Mr Hardy.

  13. Developer set to buy former police HQ for £15mpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Chris King
    Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

    It's been confirmed Staffordshire Police's former headquarters in Stafford looks set to be sold for £15m.

    The now cleared site at Baswich ParkImage source, Google

    The county's police and crime commissioner, Matthew Ellis, external, said the Baswich Park site will be bought by Bellway Homes as long as they can get planning permission.

    The developer wants to put 109 luxury homes and 18 high-end apartment on the area.

    The PCC has been trying to sell the former HQ since 2012 after two previous deals fell through and says, if the sale happened, £10m will go to the "benefit of policing" in the county.

  14. Football: Crewe manager set for 'ideal test' of Mansfield visitpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Graham McGarry
    Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says a visit from League Two promotion favourites Mansfield Town tomorrow will give his team an ideal test.

    Crewe Alexandra groundImage source, Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

    Crewe won 2-1 at Stevenage on the opening day of last season and Artell admitted he would love a similar result against the Stags as he starts his first full season in charge.

    Quote Message

    On the one hand they're a good barometer in terms of where you're at just generally, whether that's fitness, ability, but at the same time they're a bit false. There's a lot of emphasis placed on the first game because the build-up is far longer. It's important but it's not the be all and end all

    David Artell, Crewe Alexandra manager

  15. University outpost and cafes set for town centre developmentpublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Phil Bowers
    Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

    Three units at the Staffordshire Place development, in Stafford, have been filled.

    Staffordshire Place development

    The county council says one of them's been taken by the University of Wolverhampton, which last year said it was moving an outpost to the Shire Hall in the town.

    The authority says two cafes have also signed contracts at commercial rates, filling the three units on the ground floor of the development which opened in 2011.

    The council occupies most of the site with the town centre library taking the rest of the space, it moved in in 2015.

  16. Football: Port Vale confirm Whitfield and Tonge dealspublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Port Vale have confirmed the loan signing of Bournemouth midfielder Ben Whitfield.

    The 21-year-old has signed a deal until January and will be available for tomorrow’s game at Crawley.

    Michael TongeImage source, Port Vale FC

    The club's also confirmed the signing of 34-year-old midfielder Michael Tonge, external (pictured), who's been training with Vale for all of pre-season and who has signed a one-year deal.

  17. Council rules out referendum on hospital servicespublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    James Bovill
    Staffordshire Political Reporter, BBC News

    Stafford Borough Council says it won't be holding a referendum on bringing back services to County Hospital, after a local resident started a petition calling for a vote on the issue.

    County Hospital, Stafford

    This is the second time Geoff Small has campaigned unsuccessfully for a referendum, calling for the return of 24-hour A&E to the site and full maternity, paediatrics and acute surgery services, lost since 2011.

    Mr Small addressed the borough council's cabinet last nigh, externalt but leader Patrick Farrington told him holding a referendum wouldn't have the power to bring services back.

    He said if it could, he'd happily spend double the £170,000 it would cost to hold the vote. The petition will now be referred to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

  18. Football: Port Vale without two new signings for opening gamepublished at 16:00 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Lee Blakeman
    Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Port Vale will be able to cope without two of their new signings for tomorrow's opening game of the season at Crawley, according to manager Michael Brown.

    Tyrone BarnettImage source, Port Vale FC

    Tyrone Barnett and Cristiano Montano will both miss the game because of injuries.

    Quote Message

    We're not blessed with a huge squad but we can cover certain positions. We're a couple light in a few areas but if Monty's not there and Tyrone's not, we'll play the rest of the boys and everyone's looking forward to their chance

    Michael Brown, Port Vale FC

  19. Five great photos of Staffordshire for Fridaypublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    You've kept sending in great photos of the area and here are five I've picked out today.

    You can share your pictures of Staffordshire or Cheshire by popping them over in an email or, if you use Instagram, put them there with the tag #bbcstoke , externalin the description to show you agree to share them.

    Media caption,

    Audience photos

  20. Cash machine ram-raids 'linked'published at 15:24 British Summer Time 4 August 2017

    Back-to-back raids at cash machines in Hatton and Kings Bromley are being investigated.

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