Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A Staffordshire butcher says he's made a friend for life after rescuing a stray lamb with a broken leg.

Sean Landy found Lily the lamb last week, shivering in a hedge near his farm in Audley.

A week old, she's now moved in with the sheepdogs in the kitchen as she recovers.

Mr Landy's confirmed that, although he's a butcher, Lily "definitely isn't going to end up on a plate".

Lichfield Mercury

Police have issued a warning over bogus HS2 officials targeting farms in the Lichfield area., external

BBC News England

A £15m cash fund to boost culture and creativity across the North of England has been announced by the government.

Under the scheme, towns and cities across the north can apply for grants of up to £4m per project via the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund.

Image source, Getty Images

The first round of bids will be co-ordinated by Local Enterprise Partnerships, including in Cheshire.

Projects such as opening a new tech start-up centre or renovating live music venues would be considered.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said the money would be given "to develop inspirational projects that could have a transformative local effect".

Burton Mail

Two ram-raids at village supermarkets using agricultural machines to steal cash machines are being linked by police, it has been confirmed. , external

Image source, Burton Mail

BBC Sport

Bristol Rovers have signed defender Ryan Sweeney and striker Dominic Telford on season-long loan deals from Premier League side Stoke City.

Image source, Bristol Rovers FC

Sweeney, 20, made 16 appearances for Rovers during a loan spell last season, while 20-year-old Telford moved to Stoke from Blackpool in July 2015.

Manager Darrell Clarke said:, external "I am looking forward to working with both of them as the season progresses and would like to thank Mark Cartwright and Mark Hughes at Stoke for allowing Ryan and Dominic to join us."

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Two ram-raids at supermarkets in Staffordshire and Derbyshire which saw diggers used are believed to be linked, police say.

On Wednesday, masked men used a JCB to try to steal the cash machine from the Co-op on Lichfield Road, Kings Bromley, but escaped without it.

Then yesterday, a digger stolen in Tutbury, Staffordshire, was successfully used to rip a machine from the wall of a Nisa supermarket in Hatton.

Detectives in Staffordshire say they believe they cases are linked and they're working with Derbyshire Police as they investigate.

Crewe Chronicle

The streets of Crewe town centre will become the canvas for an international pavement art festival later this month. , external

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Staffordshire Fire Service says it's "very concerning" that the number of arson attacks in the county rose last month., external

According to its figures, July saw 170 deliberate fires compared to 101 for July 2016, an increase of almost 70%.

The service says it's launched a campaign this week to try to bring the number down, urging parents to make sure children know the risks of starting fires.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Staffordshire's police and crime commissioner (PCC) says contracts have been exchanged over the sale of the force's former Stafford headquarters.

Deals to try to sell the 16-acre (six-hectare) site on Cannock Road, Baswich, have previously fallen through.

Image source, Google

The force relocated to its current £16m headquarters on Weston Road in 2010, having been in Baswich since the 1950s.

Today, PCC Matthew Ellis tweeted that contracts had been exchanged, external, but didn't reveal who'd bought the site or for how much.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

The chief executives of the Royal Derby Hospital and Burton's Queen's Hospital say a proposed merger will not lead to a poorer service or job cuts.

The plan - which would see Burton retain its A&E but stroke services moved to Derby - has caused concern among patient groups.

But Gavin Boyle and Helen Scott-South said joining forces would help to improve and secure local services - as well as saving £35m over five years.

Mrs Scott-South said: "We can secure our A&E - that's really important to local people.

"We can secure services. If people have had a heart condition, they'll actually be able to have the interventional part of that treatment here [in the Derby/Burton area] rather than having to travel across to Leicester or up to Stoke."

On jobs, she said: "We've got a lot of vacancies. We're not looking to lose staff. They're precious jewels we're looking to keep.

"This is a really important part of the next year - keeping our staff with us, not losing them."

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

England women's performance in Euro 2017 was a "turning" point for the sport, according to two Stoke City Ladies players.

The national side went out of the tournament last night in the semi-finals after losing 3-0 to hosts the Netherlands.

But despite the loss, Laura Garside and Tash Tezgell, from Stoke City Ladies, say the media coverage of England's performances has made a massive difference.

The Stoke team start their season on 20 August at home to Derby County. , external

Express and Star

Plans to build dozens of homes on training pitches at Stafford Rugby Club have been referred back to the developer by councillors amid concerns over a lack of green space., external

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City fly to Germany today as they prepare to face Red Bull Leipzig in their final pre-season friendly tomorrow.

Image source, Stoke City

The Potters are taking a strong squad, including new signings Darren Fletcher and Kurt Zouma (pictured).

Stoke midfielder Joe Allen says Zouma, who signed on a season-long loan from Chelsea two weeks ago, has all the credentials to be a success at the club.

The Sentinel

Neighbours have spoken of their shock after a car crashed through a fence, hit a house and ended up in a garden., external

Image source, The Sentinel

BBC News England

A digger stolen in Staffordshire's been used to steal a cash machine from a Derbyshire supermarket.

The machine was ripped from a wall at a Nisa supermarket, in Hatton, in the early hours of yesterday.

The digger, which was stolen from Tutbury, was abandoned at the site as raiders put the machine on a trailer and towed it away.

Police said they believe four men were involved but no-one has been arrested.

They say a car that made off with the trailer was later spotted in Alrewas by Staffordshire Police, but it escaped from them.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

The former head of a counter-terrorism organisation says the security services and public faced huge danger from two Stoke-on-Trent men who were planning an attack on a police or military target.

Mohibur Rahman, 33, from Tunstall, and Tahir Aziz, 38, from Cobridge, were part of a group which had planned a "mass casualty attack".

Image source, West Midlands Police

All four men were yesterday jailed for life.

When police arrested them in August last year, they found weapons including a partially constructed pipe bomb.

Chris Phillips, former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, says the danger faced from the group shouldn't be taken lightly.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

A fine day with sunny spells but also a few light showers in places.

Feeling warm with top temperatures of 21C (70F).

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

It's looking like a good start to the day over Stoke-on-Trent at the BBC Stoke HQ in Hanley, with some sunshine in between the clouds.

Earlier, it looked even better over Longport, from this photo taken by BBC Weather Watcher Pete, at Bradwell this morning:

Image source, Pete at bradwell

We'll have a full look at the day's weather shortly and we'll also have plenty of updates on Friday's news, sport, travel and more through the day.

Keep sending comments and photos of the area through on email or, for pictures, you can also put them on Instagram, adding #bbcstoke, external to the description to show you agree to share them.

It is the second ram raid in two days in the area, police say.

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.