The man who oversaw the closure of St Edward's Hospital, at the turn of the century, is 
retiring from mental health care.

David Pearson, nursing director of the North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare 
Trust, started off as 16 year old cadet nurse at the Cheddleton hospital in the 
Seventies.

The 55 year old father-of-the-three witnessed a dramatic transformation of mental health 
care across the district as his career progressed.

It was the progressive introduction of care in the community that saw the 1200-bed St 
Edward's hospital become surplus to requirements at the end of the Nineties.

Two men have been jailed for a total of 18 years after attacking a man with a pitchfork in Biddulph.

They’re 43 year old Stephen Wilshaw, of Craigside, Biddulph and 20 year old Joseph Cooper from Liverpool.

Wilshaw has begun a 10 year jail term after admitting wounding William Wright with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in January this year.

Cooper will be spending eight years in a young offenders institution for the same offence.

The sentences were handed out at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Leek road scheme protesters are taking their campaign to London today.

They’re visiting Downing Street this afternoon, to re-deliver a near-11,000 signature petition.

It will be presented to Number 10 by Save Our Leek leader Sarah Gayton.

The campaigners are demanding highways planners re-think the road scheme, which they say is riddled with safety issues.

They also want a public inquiry into how the local authorities have handled matters.

The campaigners delivered their original petition last autumn.

Leek has a new town mayor.

She’s Leek East member Pam Wood from the Moorlands Democratic Alliance group.

Mrs Wood was welcomed to office at last night’s annual meeting by retiring mayor Barry Cowie.

John Fisher, Lib Dem member for Leek West, is the new deputy mayor.

JCB has won a £60 million contract to supply machinery to Brazil.
The Brazilian government has ordered more than 1,000 backhoe loaders.

They're needed to improve the country's road infrastructure.

It's Rocester-based JCB's biggest ever overseas deal.

Plans to shut 24 beds for at mental health resource centres in North Staffordshire will be 
discussed at four public meetings.

One of the three affected centres is The Ashcombe in Cheddleton.

The other two are at Shelton and Bradwell.

The first public meeting will be held at the Brandon Centre, in Cheadle, on June 6.

NHS Combined Healthcare Trust wants to withdraw the beds to save £2.5 million.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has expressed its disgust at the number of serious arson attacks carried out in the past year.

Over 200 fires were deliberately started in commercial buildings and homes between April 2011 and March 2012.

The figures are released just a week after a leading storyline in the soap Coronation Street saw Terry Duckworth planning an arson attack on a building in order to claim on the insurance.

Director of Prevent and Protect, Dean Stevens said people who commit arson are putting lives at risk – their own lives, the lives of members of the public and the lives of our firefighters who are sent to tackle the incidents.

 He warned that arson is a criminal act and the fire service take a zero tolerance approach to it. Working alongside the police they do everything in our power to help catch those responsible.

Bus operators are waiting to hear how work on Leek's new road scheme will affect 
services in the town.

Construction work on Ashbourne Road will affect the exit from the town's bus station.

A spokesman for First Bus said they are waiting to get direction from the county council.

Work on the road scheme, funded by supermarket giant Sainsbury's, is scheduled to start at any time.

Early road closures will affect Fountain Street and Derby Street, in addition Ashbourne 
Road.

The project is sceduled for completion by early November, to coincide with the opening 
of Sainsbury's new Leek store.

Fire chiefs are urging that sprinklers be fitted in new homes. 

The call follows the deaths of six children in a house blaze in Derby.

Staffordshire's deputy chief fire officer, Chris Enness says the tragic incident has further highlighted the need for sprinklers in new domestic properties.

He says sprinklers can protect those unable to make an escape from a fire.

Biddulph's annual festival next month has the makings of being the biggest and best ever.

The organisers are organising an extra special celebration to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Costume-making sessions are in full swing at the town's fire station and leisure centre, to 
add colour to the traditional carnival parade.

This year's festival takes place on Saturday June 30.