Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:01 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
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.
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
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:01 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Charity benefits from Bramall Lane pre-season friendlypublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Rob Staton
BBC Radio SheffieldA pre-season friendly at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United and Stoke City has raised over £7,000 for a charity after £1 per ticket sold for the match was donated to the UK Solidarity Fund.
Image source, Sheffield United FCIt's been revealed that £7,092 was given to the cause after that amount of people attended the game, with the money going to help families affected by terror attacks in the UK such as recent incidents in London and Manchester.
Quote MessageThe tragedies have been hugely impactful, particularly at Manchester where innocent local people having a night out at a pop concert were so tragically caught up in the attack."
Kevin McCabe, Sheffield United co-owner
Quote MessageIt’s important that we as a club do what we can to offer our support to those affected by such terrible events."
Peter Coates, Stoke City chairman
Football: Tonge extending stay with Port Valepublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio StokePort Vale's manager Michael Brown has confirmed Michael Tonge will remain at the club.
Image source, Pete Norton/Getty ImagesThe former Stoke City midfielder has spent the summer training with the Vale , externalafter he was released by Stevenage in the summer.
Quote MessageI think he sets a good example to the young players and we'll maybe try and develop him along the coaching avenue as well
Michael Brown, Port Vale manager
Council to get rent from planned flatspublished at 17:46 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
James Bovill
Staffordshire Political Reporter, BBC NewsNearly 300 luxury flats look set to be built on the Smithfield site in the middle of Stoke-on-Trent. , external
Media caption, Carl Brazier, director of housing with Stoke-on-Trent City Council
The city council will pay for the two, 11-storey towers to be built in Hanley and then make money by renting them out.
The flats could be ready by summer 2019 and a public consultation on the plans is open now until next month.
'Lucky escape' after car smashes through wallpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Image source, West Midlands Ambulance ServiceA driver's had a "lucky escape' even though his car smashed through a brick wall in Stafford., external
It happened at the corner of Clarke Street and South Walls, not far from town centre's Primark and the police station, earlier.
The car appears to have gone through a car park wall.
The driver, who's in his 60s, didn't suffer any injuries in the crash, external, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.
Image source, West Midlands Ambulance ServiceWatch: Tonight and tomorrow's weatherpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenterAfter a day of sunshine and showers, here's how the weather's looking for tonight and tomorrow across the West Midlands.
You can also keep up to date with the latest forecasts for your area on the BBC Weather website.
Media caption, Charlie Slater
Woman knocked to ground in 4x4 hit-and-runpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveA woman was knocked to the ground and suffered several injuries in a hit-and-run, external in Stoke-on-Trent.
Image source, GoogleStaffordshire Police says the victim was on a road behind Darcy's pub in Victoria Road, Fenton, on Saturday evening when it happened.
Officers say a blue 4x4 vehicle hit her and then drove off. The woman suffered injuries to her head, neck and abdomen but didn't need hospital treatment.
Football: Crewe boss shrugs off Bakayogo injurypublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio StokeCrewe Alexandra's manager David Artell has told BBC Radio Stoke Zoumana Bakayogo will be fit for their opening game of the season on Saturday.
The full-back is receiving treatment for a knee injury but Artell confirmed after yesterday's friendly "it was nothing serious".
Image source, crewealex.netCar blaze on bypass causes long delayspublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
A car which went up in flames on the busy A500 Nantwich bypass,, external sparked long traffic delays.
Image source, Cheshire Fire ServicePasschendaele: Soldier's final battle route traced 'using Google Maps'published at 16:33 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Kate Palmer
A woman's told the BBC how she used Google Maps to trace the route her great, great uncle from Staffordshire took when he died during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War One.
Cdr Fiona Shepherd, a Royal Navy logistics planner, has been among 4,000 relatives of soldiers attending a service today at Tyne Cot cemetery in Belgium.
She says she has been piecing together the life and death of her forebear, Harold Baker, from the south of Staffordshire, whose body was never found.
Fiona says she believes she has traced his final resting place to a cemetery in Belgium after only recently researching his past and then made use of online technology to find his final route on the battlefield.
Quote MessageI used Google Maps and tracing paper to find the route he would have taken on his last day, physically through the fields. I probably got to about 100 metres to the spot at Polygon Wood where he probably was killed and found a shell just lying in a ditch, it was really quite poignant - it had been raining
Cdr Fiona Shepherd, Relative of World War One soldier
Cashier 'threatened with metal bar' in newsagents robberypublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeA newsagents in Stoke-on-Trent has been robbed after a man threatened the cashier with a metal bar. , external
Image source, GoogleStaffordshire Police says it happened on Thursday morning when the man went into Jackson News on Leek Road, Joiners Square.
They say he demanded cash and goods after threatening the cashier and made off with money.
Watch: Monday's selection of audience photos of Staffordshire and Cheshirepublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LivePlenty of blue skies and great scenery in today's pick of the pictures which have been sent in by you, our audience.
Media caption, Your photos of Staffordshire and Cheshire
If you've got a photo to share of Staffordshire or Cheshire, share it via email or, if you use Instagram, pop it there, external with the tag #bbcstoke to show you agree to share it.
Young striker handed new deal at Brewerspublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Gavin Bevis
BBC Local LiveMarcus Dinanga has signed a new one-year contract with Burton Albion.
The 20-year-old striker scored more than 30 goals while on loan at Matlock Town last season and has netted three times during the Brewers' pre-season campaign.
Dinanga - who is listed as 116 years old on the club's website, external - said he hoped to earn a chance in Burton Albion's first team this season.
Image source, Burton AlbionLane closed due to dumped asbestospublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Riyah Collins
BBC West MidlandsStaffordshire County Council has closed a road in Lichfield due to dumped asbestos.
Wood Lane in Little Aston, the authority says, will remain closed until the material's removal.
Image source, Staffordshire County CouncilFlooded garden 'depressing and unfair' for Nantwich familypublished at 14:44 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Jennie Aitken
Reporter, BBC Radio StokeA woman from Nantwich has told BBC Radio Stoke that having a flooded back garden for most of the year is really depressing and unfair on her children.
Cherie Davies says she bought a brand new house from David Wilson Homes in their Stapeley Gardens development three years ago but says it regularly floods.
She says the developer has been refusing to drain her garden, despite the National House Building Council (NHBC) ruling in her favour, but says it eventually agreed after she contacted BBC Radio Stoke.
In response, David Wilson Homes says following the recommendation of the NHBC it will complete the drainage in Cherie's garden.
Charity ride for fallen police officers raises £100kpublished at 14:21 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local LiveMore than £100,000 has been raised by hundreds of police officers and staff who cycled miles in remembrance of colleagues who have died on duty.
They gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire, yesterday for an annual service of remembrance.
Image source, Care of Police SurvivorsThe funds raised from the cycle ride will go towards supporting victims' families.
You can see more photos from the event on the BBC Midlands Facebook page., external
Councillor removed from authority after failing to attend meetings for six monthspublished at 13:49 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Conservative councillor Joanne Christian has been removed from the Hednesford South ward on Cannock Chase District Council after missing all meetings since January, external.
She has served in the ward since May 2015.
Toddler killer mum has jail term cutpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Ayeeshia Jane Smith died from a tear to the heart after being stamped on by her mother.
Read MoreAyeeshia Jane Smith murder: Kathryn Smith has minimum jail term reducedpublished at 13:44 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Image source, PAA woman who stamped her 21-month-old daughter to death has had the minimum term she must serve in prison cut on appeal by five years.
Kathryn Smith, 24, was ordered to serve at least 24 years behind bars in April last year, after being convicted of killing Ayeeshia Jane Smith in the girl's bedroom in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, in 2014.
Image source, Family handoutToday at the Court of Appeal, three judges dismissed an appeal against her conviction saying there was "ample" evidence on which the jury could have reached the verdicts they did.
But they did cut the minimum term of her life sentence from 24 years to 19 years.
Council's laboratory in Stafford set to be axedpublished at 13:36 British Summer Time 31 July 2017
A council laboratory used for testing food and consumer goods in Stafford is set to shut down with 16 jobs being axed., external
Image source, Staffordshire Newsletter
