Third man dies after crane collapsepublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
David Webb was injured when the crane collapsed at a building site in June.
Read MoreSummary
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
Third man dies after crane collapsepublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
'Terrified' birds rescued after being 'thrown into lake'published at 17:45 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeThree "terrified" birds have been rescued from a lake in Stoke-on-Trent after they were reportedly thrown into the water by a man., external
Image source, RSPCAThe RSPCA says they were called last week after a witness reported that the man walked up to the water in Tunstall Park with a metal cage and threw three domestic quails "as far as he could" into the lake.
The charity says the woman who saw the incident caught the birds and called them - the birds are now recovering at their Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich.
On Midlands Today from 18:30: Convicted of planning UK terror plotpublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Liz Copper
Reporter, BBC Midlands TodayOn Midlands Today this evening we'll be reacting to the news that four men have been found guilty of plotting a terror attack on a police or military target in the UK.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceTwo were from Birmingham and two from Stoke-on-Trent and they were arrested last August in an undercover police sting.
We'll have the story of their arrest and what they were plotting on BBC One from 18:30.
Watch: Tonight and tomorrow's weather forecastpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayAfter a day of some rain and some sunshine, here's how the rest of today and the start of tomorrow is looking across the West Midlands.
You can also get up-to-date forecasts at any time for your part of the region via the BBC Weather website.
Media caption, Shefali Oza
Kerry Cast death: CCTV of possible witnesses releasedpublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveA CCTV picture of potential witneses have been released by police, external trying to work out how a woman died at her home in Cannock.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe body of Kerry Cast, who was 40, was discovered on 1 July at her house in Herondale, but a post-mortem examination failed to prove how she died.
Staffordshire Police says more tests are being carried out and the CCTV still they've released shows three people they want to talk to.
Det Insp Dan Ison has stressed the trio are not suspects but could be witnesses,
Barn fire of wooden crates tackled by fire crewspublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveA barn fire near Lichfield this morning is, external thought to have started accidentally.
Two crews were sent by Staffordshire Fire Service to the blaze on Mill Lane, Shenstone at 07:47.
The fire service say it took them just over an hour to put out the fire involving wooden crates in the barn.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire ServiceFootball: Stoke fans urged not to get 'hysterical' over players' exitspublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio StokeStoke City midfielder Joe Allen has urged fans not to panic too much following the departure of some senior players this summer.
Image source, Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesMarko Arnautovic, Phil Bardsley, Glenn Whelan and Jonathan Walters have all left the club in the past few weeks.
Allen told BBC Radio Stoke that new faces will arrive and the current squad is more than capable of stepping up.
Quote MessagePeople can get a bit hysterical, but that's football - it hasn't changed from any other year really. The additions that have come in are going to help fill any voids and anyone who looks at our squad on paper will be confident we can do something really good in the Premier League."
Joe Allen, Stoke City midfielder
BBC Weather Watcher pictures: Shaking off the rainpublished at 16:52 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Our BBC Weather Watcher's regularly take great photos while out and about in Staffordshire and Cheshire.
This stand-out picture was taken by user Jon in Barlaston of one bird shaking itself during the rain today.
Image source, JonFootball: Burton to finish rock-bottom, journalists predictpublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Gavin Bevis
BBC Local LiveLet's hope for Burton Albion's sake BBC Sport's predicted Championship table for the 2017/18 season turns out to be wrong.
The Brewers are most likely to finish bottom, according to the collated result from a group of 25 BBC Sport journalists.
They've placed the Rams in the play-off positions but are forecasting mid-table mediocrity for Nottingham Forest.
Cannabis worth £750k seized in raidspublished at 16:26 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveMore than 1,000 cannabis plants with a street value of up to £750,000 have been seized in a string of raids in Stoke-on-Trent., external
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceStaffordshire Police says 13 houses and sites across the city were searched yesterday.
Officers say they arrested eight people in connection with drugs offences and add that two are now facing being deported.
Watch: Adam Peaty's Staffordshire pridepublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Adam Peaty has thanked the people of Staffordshire for their support after writing the latest chapter of his swimming success story.
At July's swimming World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, he broke his own world record twice.
He also became the first swimmer in the world to swim 50m breaststroke in under 26 seconds.
Peaty has been talking to BBC Midlands Today's Mary Rhodes and you can watch the full interview here.
Media caption, Swimmer Adam Peaty on his love of Uttoxeter
Extension cable 'almost caused fire'published at 15:59 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LivePeople are being warned over the use of extension cables after one almost caused a fire in Rugeley. , external
Staffordshire Fire Service says it happened at a home on Ravenhill Terrace on Friday when smoke was reported coming from a plug socket.
Firefighters say this was caused by an extension cable powering a washing machine and tumble dryer which hadn't been fully uncoiled.
They say because it was still partly coiled up it had overheated, causing the socket to overheat and start smoking.
JCB used in botched cash machine raidpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
A group of masked men flee leaving the cash machine behind when disturbed by police.
Read MoreMasked raiders try to take cash machinepublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
The raiders escaped in waiting vehicles when police turned up to the scene.
Read MoreSupermarket badly damaged after botched JCB ram-raidpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
BBC Midlands TodayA Co-op store in Staffordshire, which was the target of a botched cash machine burglary, external using a JCB, has been left significantly damaged.
A group of masked raiders tried to use the vehicle to remove the machine from the wall of the store in Kings Bromley at about 03:10 this morning.
Media caption, The Co-op and JCB after the botched attempt
However Staffordshire Police say they fled the scene in cars when they were disturbed by their officers.
Structural engineers are now examining the damage to the shop.
Watch: Five great photos of Staffordshire and Cheshirepublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveWe range from a deer scratching an itch to a canal sunset in today's pick of pictures of Staffordshire and Cheshire, sent in by our audience.
If you've got a photo to share of the area, send it in on email or put it on Instagram, external, adding the tag #bbcstoke to the description so it's clear you agree to share it.
Media caption, Audience photos
Chemical spill concerns as lake turns bright green in Tamworthpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
A lake in Tamworth has turned bright green – leading to speculation of a chemical spill., external
Image source, Tamworth Herald/Mike StockingLightning strike 'caused house fire'published at 13:59 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeA lightning strike was the cause of a serious fire at a house in Staffordshire, the fire service say.
Media caption, The house after the fire
Several Staffordshire Fire Service crews were needed to bring the blaze in Coates Heath under control yesterday.
The homeowner, Simon Stanley, says he's "devastated", having only built the house eight years ago.
'Three Musketeers' guilty of terror plotpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
They were among four men involved in planning an attack on a police or military target in the UK.
Read MoreConvicted terror gang 'very dangerous extremists' say policepublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 2 August 2017
Four men convicted of preparing a terror attack have been remanded in custody until sentencing tomorrow.
Following the guilty verdicts, Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Ward, head of West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "Today's case was about four very dangerous extremists who were plotting to carry out a terror attack in the UK.
Image source, West Midlands Police"Today the communities of the Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham should feel relieved that they are much safer with these four dangerous individuals now going to spend a long time behind bars."
He described the accusations against his team as "groundless", saying: "They went against the integrity of the undercover operatives, they went against the integrity of the wider investigation.
"I'm really proud of our officers; I'm particularly proud of our undercover operatives who were in an incredibly dangerous situation."
