BBC News Stoke & Staffordshire

A European Champion triple jumper who is targeting success in next summer's Tokyo Olympics says he nearly quit the sport earlier this year.

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Over the summer, Ben Williams, from Stoke-on-Trent, smashed his previous personal best to win at the the European Team Championships.

But the 27-year-old told BBC Radio Stoke, after struggling with injuries and having surgery last year, he wasn't sure in February if he wanted to keep jumping.

"It was coming back from injury, it was a difficult time," he said, "I wasn't able to jump and do what I wanted in training, there seemed no light at the end of the tunnel."

However he told BBC Radio Stoke's Robin Grey, his friends and family "motivated me to get in the gym and that's what I needed at the time."

A wedding caterer has been ordered to pay more than £250,000 after the bridegroom and 57 guests were struck down by food poisoning after eating a hog roast at a wedding in Staffordshire.

The Galloping Gourmet (Coulsdon) Ltd, pleaded guilty to two food safety breaches at Cannock Magistrates’ Court following an investigation by Lichfield District Council’s food safety team.

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The newlyweds, Phil and Vicki Kemp, were unable to go on their honeymoon to the Dominican Republic as a result of the salmonella poisoning.

Lichfield District Council found undercooked pork had been the cause of the outbreak at the former Packington Moor in October 2017 and said it had been a "huge case to investigate".

It is particularly devastating for those involved that the problems emerged on what was meant to be a memorable and very special day. The effect of what happened to Phil ensured that his and Vikki’s first few days of newlyweds, when they should have been enjoying their honeymoon, were ruined."

We could have some rain, hail and rumbles of thunder this weekend, but it should be dry and overcast for most of us.

Here's your forecast for the weekend.

A footpath where a man was killed by a falling tree is going to fully reopen today after safety works were carried out.

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Neville Scattergood, 58, from Stafford, was killed on a footpath on the Isabel Trail, off Eccleshall Road, in the town, on 3 October.

An inquest into his death's been opened and adjourned and it is also being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.

Staffordshire County Council said staff had inspected the trail and, while minor works would be carried out next week, barriers were being removed today.