Stuart George
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke

A closed sports centre could be taken over and run by a community group.

Kidsgrove Sports Centre shut at the end of June after Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council said it couldn't afford to run the Staffordshire County Council-owned building., external

Now the borough council says it's listed the site as an "asset of community value" and written to campaigners called the Kidsgrove Sports Centre Community Group to tell them that.

It means that, if the county council decides to sell the building, the group would have six months to develop a business case to run the facility.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

Autumn appears to have arrived early in the West Midlands and there are more showers forecast for tomorrow.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

More than 100 apprentices have been recruited by Staffordshire-based digger maker JCB.

The firm says the total, 117, is the biggest ever single intake of apprentices in its 71-year history.

JCB says this year it's put £7.5m into recruiting young people.

Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

Concerns have been raised over the impact of Marks and Spencer closing its store today in the centre of Crewe., external

The firm's extended its branch on the Grand Junction Retail Park, on the edge of town, with staff moving across when the Market Square shop shuts for good.

Local traders in the town's centre have told BBC Radio Stoke they're concerned about the effect the closure will have on their businesses.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A social worker who failed to record visits with vulnerable children while working for Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been struck off.

A tribunal hearing found Joanne Forrester was also responsible for a number of failings including that she didn't visit cases with the required frequency.

The chair of the Health and Care Professions Council panel Ian Comfort said Ms Foster had exposed children "to the risk that harm would not be identified and addressed".

The panel ordered her to be struck off their register. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been approached for its response but has yet to respond.

Ros Chimes
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke

A stray lamb which was found with a broken leg by a butcher is now recovering well and playing with the farm's dogs.

Sean Landy discovered Lily a few weeks ago near his Audley farm and bonded with her so much that he guaranteed she wouldn't "end up on a plate".

Now, she's had the plaster cast removed from her leg and Mr Landy says she's getting on so well with the dogs, she's almost become one.

Everton midfielder Conor Grant joins League Two side Crewe Alexandra on loan until January.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport

For football fans, there's just over a day to go until the summer transfer window shuts and managers generally have to put up with what they've got until January.

With that in mind, BBC Sport's been looking at what every Premier League club's priority is before the window shuts at 23:00 on Thursday.

Image source, Getty Images

The summer didn't start well for Potters fans with many starting to wonder if they were outsiders for relegation.

But a few weeks later and the apparent gaps in Mark Hughes's squad suddenly do not seem quite so glaring - here's my full analysis on Stoke's prospects.

Sarah Robertson
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

A special ceramic poppy wreath has been designed to remember a once forgotten World War One soldier from Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, Johnson Tiles

Johnson's Tiles has produced it, saying it wanted to pay tribute to James Joseph McLynn, from Hanley, who died in October 1918.

He had lain in an unmarked grave until earlier this year and was only identified at a Belgian cemetery after the MoD said new "convincing" evidence confirmed he was buried at the site.

The wreath will be presented at a rededication ceremony next week for his grave, which will be covered by BBC Radio Stoke.

BBC Sport

The Burton Albion manager's praised midfielder Jackson Irvine for his performances , externalfor the club with the 24-year-old moving to Hull City.

Image source, Getty Images

The Australia international scored 11 goals in 45 leagues games for the Brewers after joining from Ross County in July 2016.

BBC Midlands Today

A family from Staffordshire is training for Parallel London, which takes place in the capital this Sunday., external

It’s an event for families with a member who has a disability.

They'll get to train and compete alongside each other at London's Olympic Park.

Two-year-old Lyra Davis-Heggies, from Hednesford, has cerebral palsy and global developmental delay and doctors weren't sure if she'd ever be able to walk.

The family are entering the 10km event this weekend.

A family was refused entry to the Staffordshire theme park earlier this year

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam says he expects manager Mark Hughes will be looking to bring in more players before Thursday's transfer deadline.

Image source, Stoke City

The Potters announced their seventh summer signing yesterday with the arrival of defender Kevin Wimmer (pictured) from Tottenham for £18m.

Crewe Chronicle

Nantwich police are clamping down on an increase in anti-social behaviour incidents, an officer has said. , external

BBC News England

A fire broke out at HMP Featherstone during the disturbance last night at the jail.

Staffordshire Police said it was alerted to prisoners "causing problems" at the Category C prison in Staffordshire and that it involved "a number" of inmates.

Fire crews were alerted to reports of a blaze at about 19:00 and remained at the jail, which holds about 650 men, until almost midnight.

No staff or prisoners were injured, the Ministry of Justice said.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Drayton Manor Theme Park says it will now allow Sikh visitors to wear ceremonial daggers.

It follows an incident in June which saw a family refused entry after an adult declined to exchange his Kirpan, worn as a symbol of his faith, for a replacement necklace.

Image source, @THESECRETPSYCH

A friend had said the family from Coventry was celebrating their son's sixth birthday and had spent hundreds of pounds on tickets.

Now, the theme park near Tamworth says, after discussions with the Sikh Council, it will allow Sikhs to enter wearing them as long as they meet health and safety guidelines.

Those include that the dagger isn't longer than six inches and it should be worn out of sight and securely.

James Bovill
Staffordshire Political Reporter, BBC News

A North Staffordshire mental health charity says it could close by Christmas after losing its NHS funding.

North Staffs Voice for Mental Health, external has been running for 25 years and has more than 1,300 members.

The group helps make sure people who use mental health services are getting right and proper treatment.

Almost all of its £150,000 annual funding comes from the North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

But they are withdrawing that money from the end of September, saying the charity doesn't provide direct care and so doesn't sufficiently support the CCG's priorities.

The charity says it could mean the end for their eight staff by the end of the year unless extra funding can be found.

Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Port Vale manager Michael Brown says goalkeeper Rob Lainton could feature against Notts County on Saturday.

Image source, Port Vale FC

The Vale go into the game having won just one of their opening four games in League Two.

Lainton's only featured in their first league game against Crawley Town and has been out with a thigh injury.

Express and Star

A fire broke out at HMP Featherstone amid claims of violent disorder on one of the wings. , external

Image source, Express and Star

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A man's been found with serious head injuries on a road in Staffordshire., external

Image source, Google

Police say he was discovered yesterday afternoon on Tean Road, Cheadle.

The 49-year-old was flown to hospital by the air ambulance and officers say they're now trying to figure out what happened.