Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Good morning and I can tell all of you preparing to head to the V Festival in Staffordshire, it's looking like a good start to Friday.

BBC Weather Watcher Connie took this from just over the border into Cheshire, near Nantwich:

Image source, Connie

We'll have a full look at this morning's weather forecast shortly and then there'll be updates through Friday including looking ahead to the V Festival.

There'll also be more of your photos of Staffordshire and Cheshire so keep those coming on email or post them on Instagram, adding the tag #bbcstoke , externalto the description to show you agree to share them.

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.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Online retailer Amazon has "adopted" two railway stations in Staffordshire. , external

Image source, London Midland

The move means the company, which has a distribution centre in Rugeley, will be responsible for the floral displays at Rugeley Town and Rugeley Trent Valley.

It's been done in partnership with train operator London Midland which runs an Adopt a Station programme.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The former Port Vale captain Phil Sproson says Tom Pope can have a big role to play this season if the team can get him more involved in games.

Image source, Port Vale FC

The 31-year-old striker has yet to score in the opening three games of the season and Sproson says the team need to create more chances for him.

Russell Truran
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Just under two months before the old £1 coin becomes obsolete, there are still car parking machines in Stoke-on-Trent which don't accept the new 12-sided version.

From 15 October, shops can refuse the old version of the coin, but BBC Radio Stoke has found machines in Hanley and Burslem that don't accept the new one.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council says 82% of its parking machines now accept the new coin and all their machines will be updated before the old one goes out of circulation in October.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Drivers are being urged to be patient as Cheshire Police says most routes around the M6 at junction 19 in Cheshire are suffering heavy congestion., external

Image source, Cheshire Police

The motorway remains shut northbound up to junction 21 after Highways England says one of the expansion joints "failed" on the Thelwall Viaduct.

With the closure not expected to be lifted before 20:00, North West Motorway Police are urging people heading to the Everton's Europa League game to plan their journey, external with kick off due at 20:05.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

We're forecast a dry and mild night, but there could be a few showers tomorrow.

Burton Mail

An "astonishing" student got top A-level marks only 10 days after spending his 18th birthday dramatically saving his dad's life. , external

Image source, Burton Mail

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

We can bring you a bit more on this direct service between Stoke-on-Trent and London Euston.

It'll start, along with other changes, from December 2018. As well as Kidsgrove, Stone and Stoke-on-Trent, we've clarified with West Midlands Trains Ltd that it will call at Alsager too.

Image source, Google

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

We told you the M6 closure at junction 19 northbound in Cheshire is due to one of the expansion joints on the Thelwall Viaduct having "failed".

To explain what those are, Highways England says the joints help the viaduct deal with movement caused by temperature changes or the weight of heavy vehicles.

BBC Sport

Lichfield player Emily Scarratt scored the first try and a penalty try as defending champions England powered into the Women's World Cup semi-finals.

Image source, David Rogers/Getty Images

They beat the USA in a seven-try win which also saw fellow Lichfield Amy Cockayne touch down as well.

The champions will now play the winners of the later game between hosts Ireland and France in the last four.

Stuart Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

The closure of the M6 northbound in Cheshire, external is expected to last until about 20:00 or 21:00 tonight.

Image source, Google

Highways England says an expansion joint on the Thelwall Viaduct has "failed".

Staff say they initially shut three of the four lanes on the way past the scene, but then moved to a complete closure at junction 19 due to traffic backing up., external

Caroline Gall
BBC News Online

No charges will be brought against three police officers over the death of a man who had been Tasered.

Adrian McDonald died after his arrest at a flat in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, in 2014.

Image source, Facebook

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) asked prosecutors to consider charges against three officers following its investigation.

But the Crown Prosecution Service said there was "insufficient" evidence for a "realistic prosecution".

A 17-year-old and her one-year-old daughter were hit and remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

With the northbound M6 still shut in Cheshire between junctions 19 and 21 this afternoon, this is what we know so far:

• Just before 13:00, Cheshire Police get multiple reports of object in the carriageway on the Thelwall Viaduct on the northbound, external side of the M6
• Once they get there they find several grid plates have come loose and have come out on to the road
• Emergency roadworks have been started to repair the damage
• Meanwhile the whole northbound side is shut from junctions 19 to 21
• That closure is expected to last through the rush-hour into this evening, external
• Surrounding roads quickly saw "severe delays" and police are urging drivers only to travel if they absolutely have to, external

Port Vale make their 16th summer signing, adding Sheffield Wednesday winger Jack Stobbs on a season's loan.

Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

This is one of the metal grid plates which have come loose in the M6 in Cheshire this afternoon, forcing the closure of the northbound side from junctions 19 to 21.

It's happened on the Thelwall viaduct stretch, North West Motorway Police says, external.

Image source, North West Motorway Police

Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A man's been arrested by police in connection with a hit-and-run , externalwhich left a teenager and her baby daughter seriously injured.

The 17-year-old and her one-year-old daughter were struck on Waterloo Road, Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday.

This afternoon, Staffordshire Police says they've arrested a 26-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent who's still in custody.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

There are now heavy delays all around the M6 at Knutsford, Cheshire after the complete closure northbound due to loose metal plates on the carriageway.

Image source, Cheshire Police

Cheshire Police says drivers should avoid anything but essential travel, external as the motorway is shut from junctions 19 to 21.

North West Motorway Police says, external the closure's set to last until this evening.

Image source, Highways England

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

A car that police think hit a teenager and her baby daughter has been found in Stoke-on-Trent.

The 17-year-old and her one-year-old daughter were struck by a silver vehicle at Waterloo Road on Tuesday evening, near the junction with Hawthorne Street, in Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, Google

The driver of the silver vehicle then drove away towards Hanley, police said.

Today, they say they found a silver VW Jetta on Nevada Lane, external near the Burslem campus of Stoke-on-Trent College.

They add that the mother and her daughter are now in a stable condition in hospital after suffering serious injuries.