BBC Local Live: Staffordshire & Cheshire

The Burton Albion manager says he's looking to bring in four more players before the summer transfer window shuts at the end of this month.

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Nigel Clough told the club's website they'd made enquiries about three loan signings and one permanent one.

He said they're just waiting for decisions and would "keep pressing this week".

The number of children arrested in Staffordshire has dropped by almost 3,000 across the past six years, according to new figures.

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The Howard League for Penal Reform says there were 1,350 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year compared with 4,163 in 2010 - a fall of nearly 68%.

The figures for England and Wales show an average drop of 64% over the same period.

The charity says it has worked with police forces across the country to try and keep as many children as possible from becoming part of the criminal justice system.

On Midlands Today this evening, we'll hear how a sharp rise in theatre hire charges is having a major impact on some amateur dramatic groups in Lichfield.

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The Garrick Theatre insists the new tiered system of charges is in response to dwindling grants, but the groups say they can't afford to put on some productions now.

I'll have the full story from 18:30 on BBC One.

The soggy start to August is going to continue, with more rain forecast tonight and tomorrow.

Some of it could be quite heavy.

Balloons, food boxes and other waste from a birthday party is among rubbish that's been fly-tipped in a Staffordshire village.

Stafford Borough Council says 15 black bags of waste have been found off Oak Lane in Bradley.

Stafford Borough Council

Separately they say rolls of carpet and underlay (pictured) were fly-tipped on Balaam's Lane, Hilderstone.

In both cases they say the rubbish was dumped in the last few weeks.

A man who died when his car hit a stone wall in the Staffordshire Moorlands has been named by police.

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They say William Ebrey, 54, from Congleton, was driving on the A523 when the collision happened at the Calton Moor Crossroads on Sunday morning.

Officers said he was the only person in the car and was found dead at the scene.

Crewe Alexandra's Chris Porter says the team can take a lot of positives from the opening day 2-2 draw at home to Mansfield Town, one of the League Two promotion favourites.

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Porter scored twice in the game and told BBC Radio Stoke he was encouraged by the side's performance.

We've shown we can stand up to the big, physical teams. When we come up against a more 'footballing' side I think that's where we'll definitely thrive so it's only encouraging and, on another day, we could have come away with all three points."

A cygnet's died after reportedly getting caught in a boat's propeller on a canal in Nantwich.

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The RSPCA says the injured bird was found on Wednesday near Barbridge Marina with skin ripped off his body.

They say the cygnet was so seriously hurt a vet had to put him to sleep.

Flowers, sunsets and more in today's selection of photos of Staffordshire and Cheshire which have been shared by you our audience.

To share your pictures of the area, drop them in on an email or post them on Instagram, adding #bbcstoke to the description to show you agree to share them.

A Lichfield-based theatre group claims it's being priced out of performing at its venue of choice.

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The Garrick Youth Theatre company has been performing at the Garrick Theatre in the city for 14 years but it says bosses there have increased the hire fee by 65%.

The group claims the rise means it would cost them £60,000 to stage a production.

The theatre says the decision follows a 52% reduction in council funding.

We've been part of [the venue's] success in building a real proper community theatre...we love the place...and without all the groups working together I really fear for the Garrick's future."

People in a Staffordshire village say it is being indundated with lost drivers, because their sat-navs are taking them the wrong way.

The road layout off the B5026 was changed last year and it's claimed the navigation tools haven't been updated with the new route.

As a result, drivers are being sent through the village, leading to HGV drivers unable to turn around due to single-track roads.

The parish council is now calling for signs to be added, telling drivers to ignore their sat-navs.

The police watchdog has launched an investigation after a woman alleges police ripped her baby son's ashes out of a teddy bear, scattering them during a search.

Officers were searching her partner's flat in June in relation to a stolen laptop, her solicitors said but left empty-handed.

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Chelsea Wright, of Rugeley, says she was left "hysterical" when it happened and said she told the officers the bear contained her son Nathan's ashes.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission says Staffordshire Police voluntarily referred the complaint to them.

It says it's already gathered evidence including footage from body-worn cameras.

Port Vale signed Leeds defender Tyler Denton on a season-long loan deal.

The 21-year-old won't be available for Wednesday's cup game at Elland Road but will be able to play against Wycombe on Saturday.

Port Vale FC

Campaigners who want to save a Hull landmark which was made in Stoke-on-Trent say they want people in the Potteries to lend their support.

Mike Bartlett Photography

The Three Ships mural is on a vacant former shop. Historic England turned down Grade II listing in November.

It was Richards Tiles in the 1960s who made the mural - the firm subsequently became part of Johnsons Tiles Ltd.

Hull Heritage Action Group say it's part of their city's fishing heritage and want people in Stoke-on-Trent to show their support by signing their petition which calls for Historic England to reconsider their decision.

Port Vale striker Dan Turner says he is targeting a first-team starting place after scoring the first Football League goal of his career.

Port Vale FC

The 19-year-old was a half-time subsitute and scored Vale's third in the 3-1 win at Crawley.

Playing on the wing, I feel like I've got a bit more freedom but I'll play anywhere, as long as I'm playing games. That was the aim at the start of the season, that's still the aim now, just to start and hopefully score a few more goals."

Too many cancer patients are not having their first appointment on time in north Staffordshire, according to figures seen by BBC Radio Stoke.

The national standard says 85% of patients should be seen within 62 days at the Royal Stoke and County Hospitals but that's not happened since March last year.

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In contrast, the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has met the target at Leighton Hospital since autumn 2015.

Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has met it twice since the start of 2017.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust says it's allocated nearly £500,000 to meet the target by September.

A business owner in Newcastle-under-Lyme says it was "pure luck" an arson attack didn't destroy his firm.

Harry Murray of HMS Staircase Ltd says three of his company's delivery lorries were targeted in April and they were lucky the fire didn't spread to their factory.

He says he's not surprised at a rise in arson attacks last month, reported by Staffordshire Fire Service and says those who set them don't realise the damage they do.

All lanes have now reopened on the M6 southbound J14-J15 after the earlier crash near Stafford.

Highways England says traffic is starting to clear, but warned of a few delays at the moment.

On Midlands Today this lunchtime, you'll see how a new "green corridor" is being built for wildlife along part of the route of the new high-speed rail project HS2.

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And we'll also have all the action from the weekend's football as the action got under way from the Championship to League Two.

Those stories and more from 13:30 on BBC One.

Two people have been arrested after a fire at a nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent which police are treating as arson.

Police say it happened at the Desire club on Trinity Street, Hanley on Saturday morning.

They say a 19-year-old man was taken to hospital in Birmingham for specialist burns treatment and his condition's said to be critical.

The two arrested, a 24-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson.

A change in hire charges at a Staffordshire theatre is forcing some long-serving amateur dramatic groups to cancel shows.

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Lichfield Garrick Youth say they've had no choice but to cancel one of two annual shows due to the new pricing structure.

Hire charges range from £8,000 to £18,000 per show.

The management at the Garrick Theatre, Lichfield say the move follows cuts to their budget but they are offering am-dram groups a price freeze during part of the year.

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough said he felt his side deserved a draw after a late goal saw Cardiff City leave the Pirelli Stadium with all three points.

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Kenneth Zohore crushed the Brewers' resistance as he held off two defenders to curl a shot home with just three minutes remaining.

Burton could have led in the first half when Marvin Sordell's goal-bound shot was blocked, but had to thank keeper Stephen Bywater after half-time as Cardiff dominated.

There is not much you can do when someone rifles one in the bottom corner from 20-odd yards out. I thought for the way we defended we deserved a point and I thought we dealt with things very well and we missed our opportunity in the first half if anything."

A hospital has launched an investigation after a new mum developed an infection following a caesarean section.

The Sentinel

A hedgehog that had "blown up like a beach ball" has been released back into the wild.

The male hedgehog, which had inflated to twice its normal size, was found wandering around in circles in Doncaster earlier this month by a member of the public.

The animal was diagnosed with the rare "balloon syndrome", caused by gas collecting under the skin.

He was taken to the RSPCA's Stapeley Grange centre near Nantwich where a needle was inserted to vent the trapped air - effectively "popping" him, a vet said.

Now the charity says the animal, nicknamed Monty after the Montgolfier brothers, who invented the hot air balloon, was released back into the wild at the weekend:

Stoke City is close to securing the signing of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on a three-year deal, BBC Radio Stoke understands.

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The Cameroon striker is a free agent after leaving FC Schalke in the summer after three years at the Bundesliga side.

The 28-year-old, who scored three goals in 30 appearances last season, represented his country at the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.

People in part of Crewe who are seeing brown water from their taps this morning are being told "it's unlikely to be harmful".

United Utilities says it's had a number of calls this morning from residents in the CW2 area saying they've got discoloured water.

The firm says it has inspectors monitoring the situation but says it's from a disturbance to natural sediments and minerals in the pipes in the area.

Parents are being urged to help support a campaign against deliberate fires as the fire service admits it's failing to get its message across.

Staffordshire Fire Service

It comes as the service revealed the number of deliberate blazes last month was up almost 70% compared with July 2016 - from 101 to 170.

Staffordshire Fire Service says it's overhauled its Flames Aren't Games campaign but says it needs help from parents.

We are trying our best to raise the awareness of people that the risk really is quite stark but that message isn't getting through and we do need the help from friends and family, it's everybody's part to play to get that message over to kids."