BBC Local Live: Staffordshire & Cheshire

1. Mother says MoD apology over Iraq death 'bitter sweet'
2. Staffordshire Police officer disqualified for drink driving
3. A teenager tried to smuggle 200 pills into V Festival
4. Updates on Friday 18 August 2017

Increase in visible policing at V Festival at Weston Park

Armed police officers have become more visible at this years V Festival.

The police officer in charge at V Festival this weekend has said increase is "in line with the national picture" and a number of drugs arrests have been made on site.

Stoke City 1-0 Arsenal

Former Real Madrid winger Jese Rodriguez scores the winner on his Stoke City debut as Arsenal again come unstuck at the Bet365 Stadium.

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Stoke fed up of criticism - Hughes

Stoke's victory over Arsenal was the result of the team and fans being "fed up of criticism", says manager Mark Hughes.

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Fan takes unexpected ferry detour to away game

A Walsall fan's unexpected ferry ride to Fratton Park and other things you may have missed in Saturday's EFL games.

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Stoke defeat difficult to swallow - Wenger

Stoke 1-0 Arsenal: Defeat difficult to swallow - Arsene Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels his side did more than enough to win the game "comfortably" despite the fact they lost 1-0 away at Stoke.

Hughes delighted after 'big' win over Arsenal

Stoke 1-0 Arsenal: Mark Hughes delighted after 'big' win over Gunners

Stoke boss Mark Hughes is full of praise for his team after they put in a "big shift" to claim a 1-0 win over Arsenal.

Crewe Alexandra 1-0 Barnet

Chris Porter's second-half strike earns Crewe Alexandra their first win of the season as they overcame Barnet.

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Chesterfield 2-0 Port Vale

Kristian Dennis scores his third goal of the season as Chesterfield beat Port Vale to move off the bottom of League Two.

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Lawro's predictions v actor Poulter

Mark Lawrenson takes on Detroit actor Will Poulter in the next round of Premier League matches.

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Team news

Stoke hand a Premier League debut to new loan signing Jese as one of two changes from the team that lost 1-0 to Everton on Saturday. Saido Berahino is the man who makes way, while Bojan also drops out as Cameroon winger Eric Choupo-Moting makes his first start for the club.

Arsenal make two changes to the side that beat Leicester 4-3 at home last Friday.

Out goes Rob Holding, with Shkodran Mustafi taking his place in the back three, and Aaron Ramsey also comes in to replace Mohamed Elneny in central midfield.

And there is still no Alexis Sanchez, who is not fit enough to make the Gunners squad. Olivier Giroud, match-winner against the Foxes, is on the bench though.

Send us your pics

Instagram

This season we would love you to send us your matchday photos to our new Match of the Day Instagram account.

Whether you're having your traditional pre-match meal, on your way to the game or taking your seat in the stands we want to hear from you.

Include #bbcfootball and we'll include the best images right here on this page.

Lawro's predictions

Getty Images

Mark Lawrenson is up against actor Will Poulter is this week's round of predictions.

The 24-year-old Londoner, who you may remember getting chilly in the The Revenant, is a big Arsenal fan.

He is backing his team to do the business with some to spare against Stoke and Chelsea to turn over north London rivals Tottenham tomorrow.

The five ages of the Premier League

BBC

On Tuesday the Premier League turned 25.

It has been a stellar quarter-century for the game's elite, with a huge increase in the standard of football and stadia and a massive influx of foreign stars, new fans and broadcasting cash.

Want to relive it in glorious technicolour and pain-staking detail? In easy-to-swallow five-year increments you say?

We got you. Step this way for our blockbuster review of the five ages of the Premier League so far.

Burton Albion 2-1 Birmingham City

Burton Albion come from behind to beat Birmingham City and register their first Championship points of the season.

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Burton sign Terriers winger Scannell

Huddersfield Town loan winger Sean Scannell to Championship side Burton Albion for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.

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Our live coverage across the day

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening.

V Festival 'changing with the times'

The man responsible for organising the V Festival, which takes place at Weston Park this weekend, said it has to constantly evolve to keep up with the times.

For instance, Andy Redhead explained that 10 years ago almost everyone brought tents and camped on the site, but now they sold a lot of day-tickets to people who go home at the end of each day.

BBC

Mr Redhead said they also had to keep up with current musical trends and watch what their competitors were doing, to make sure they get the best acts.

This year's big act will be Jay Z and he said it was the only European festival the rapper had agreed to do.

You know what people like, but you've got to be aware of what trends are, if things are changing, and customers want something else then you have to change with that."

Andy RedheadV Festival

Roads set for resurfacing ahead of bridge closure

Work's due to start from Monday night on resurfacing work in parts of Burton that will be used as diversions once a bridge is shut to traffic.

Staffordshire County Council

The county council says staff will spend six nights in a row preparing a series of roads that'll take drivers who would normally use St Peter's Bridge.

The crossing itself will close for strengthening work on 29 August until the end of November as part of a £6.1m project.

Relatives to remember WW1 soldier

Living relatives of a soldier from Stoke-on-Trent will be at a ceremony next month which will see his grave rededicated.

James Joseph McLynn, from Hanley, died in October 1918 during heavy shelling and his body had lain in an unmarked grave for decades.

The story of James Joseph McLynn

His remains were only identified this year at a Belgian cemetery after the MoD said new "convincing" evidence confirmed he was buried at the site.

A rededication ceremony will be held there next month.

A campaign was launched to try and find any relatives of his that were still alive and, with the help of BBC Radio Stoke, there will be some at the event.

Stolen car involved in 'series of crashes'

A car which police say was reported stolen has been involved in a string of crashes in Stoke-on-Trent.

Google

Staffordshire Police say they were told of the theft in Hanley yesterday afternoon.

They say the bronze Ford Focus was going from the A500 on to Reginald Mitchell Way when it was involved in collisions with a Renault and two Vauxhalls.

Officers say they believe it may have been going on the wrong side of the road and the other cars swerved to avoid it and hit other things.

Arrest after man hurt in home robbery struggle

A man's been arrested after three people reportedly armed with a kitchen knife robbed a house in Tamworth.

Staffordshire Police say two men and a woman turned up at the home on Milton Avenue on 6 August.

Google

They say a man inside was forced back into the house when he answered the door, there was a struggle and he suffered a wound to his neck that needed hospital treatment.

Officers say several small items were stolen.

The force says a 47-year-old man's been arrested in connection with the robbery and released under investigation.

Weather: Showers tomorrow and more on Sunday

We'll have a few showers tomorrow and more on Sunday, but the weather is expected to improve next week.

Rebecca Wood has your forecast

Football: Stoke signing is 'an elite level player'

Stoke City's latest signing, Jese Rodriguez, is an "elite level player", according to his manager.

Stoke City

The 24-year-old made the switch to the Potteries this week on a season-long loan from Paris St-Germain.

He joined Real at the age of 14 and was part of their Champions League-winning squads in 2014 and 2016.

He is at a club where he can express himself and I think we can give him a platform to excite. He is an elite level player."

Mark HughesStoke City manager

Police officer found guilty of drink driving

A Staffordshire-based police officer's been convicted of drink driving.

Thomas Doubtfire, 54, from Worcestershire, had denied driving a motor vehicle over the prescribed limit.

Google

He was found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court and giving a 16-month driving ban and fined.

Staffordshire Police says the officer, who's based in Wombourne, is currently suspended and they'll now start misconduct proceedings.

'Impressive parking' from air ambulance

You might think you're good at parking your car but how's this?

Midlands Air Ambulance says its pilot carried out some "impressive bay parking" when helping Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service in Stafford last night.

Midlands Air Ambulance

PC disqualified for drink driving

Force says it is "extremely disappointed" in PC Thomas Doubtfire who was disqualified for 16 months.

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Mother says MoD apology over Iraq death 'bitter sweet'

A mother from Staffordshire says finally getting an apology from the government over her soldier son's death in Iraq in 2005 is "bitter sweet".

Sue Smith from Tamworth's fought a 12-year legal battle after Private Phillip Hewett died when his "snatch" Land Rover he was travelling in hit a roadside bomb.

BBC

He was the ninth of 37 service personnel to be killed in the vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, which came to be known as "mobile coffins".

Following a legal battle that reached the Supreme Court, Sue has finally got her apology from the MoD.

She's exclusively told the BBC the long battle's taken a heavy toll on her and her family, but she feels that Phillip's death now leaves a legacy.

A teenager tried to smuggle 200 pills into V Festival

A teenager's been found trying to smuggle 200 pills into the V Festival site at Weston Park.

Staffordshire Police

Routine bag searches by Staffordshire Police turned up the tablets and the 17-year-old from Stone's been arrested for possession with intent to supply.

Separately, the force says a 16-year-old boy was thrown out of the event after 28 MDMA pills were seized from him and he was also referred to youth offending for rehabilitation.

Excitement as people head to V Festival

I've been a Stafford station this morning where many festival-goers arrive off the train and then take shuttle buses to the V Festival site at Weston Park.

People heading to the buses to V Festival

There's been a buzz of excitement around the place since 07:00 with many arrivals telling me they were going to the event for the first time.

The station's been a sea of tents, wellies and rucksacks with some groups made up of as many as 20 friends, all eager to get to the Staffordshire event.