By James Drakeford: A lottery winner has come up with an inventive way to help track down an unclaimed lottery ticket bought in Stoke-on-Trent before it expires next week.

Neil Jones, 47, from Fenton, hopes to find the winner through the power of song.

By Sarah Wells: Tickets for rock legend Slash’s homecoming concert in Stoke-on-Trent sold out in less than two hours.

Tickets went on sale at 9am this morning (May 6) for Slash’s forthcoming gig at the Victoria Hall on July 24, where over 1,500 fans will watch the star.

By Tom Shingler: Slash has confirmed the date of his first ever concert in Stoke-on-Trent.

The former Guns and Roses guitarist announce on Twitter that he will be performing in his home town on July 18.

The concert is one of four dates in the UK as part of his European tour.

By Sandy Wagg: The Leek Arts Festival has begun after a lively launch at St Edward’s Church.

Now in its 34th year, the event aims to showcase the thriving arts community in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

The closure of the festival’s main venue – The Swan pub – had threatened the festival, but the re-opening in April meant the show could go on.

By Ashley Hodnett: Former Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow is to star on stage at Stoke-on-Trent’s Regent Theatre.

The singer/songwriter is starring in a new touring production of Jekyll and Hyde.

The show comes to the Regent from May 23 to 28.

By Josh Hoare: Radio Stoke’s football commentator and a former Potters’ favourite have joined a local band’s charity single to celebrate Stoke City’s trip to Wembley.

The Britannia faithful have been hailed as among the loudest supporters in the country and with 34,o00 set to travel down to the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, StaffsLive caught up with Universal Thrift Club who have been making all the noise with their Wembley single, The Great North London Road Trip.

By Sandy Wagg: The Regent Theatre in Hanley is opening up its stage to a production of FAME performed entirely by 9-25 year olds.

The production will be created from start to finish in just two weeks.

West End professionals will be on board to help choreograph and oversee musical and artistic direction.

By Ashley Hodnett: Young actors are being offered the chance to star in a Shakespeare play being staged at Stafford Castle.

Producers of the Stafford Festival Shakespeare are looking for around 20 young performers to star in The Comedy of Errors.

Auditions take place on Sunday (April 17) at 9.30am at the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford for anyone aged over 16.

By Holly Patel: Staffordshire’s annual Just So festival returns to Barnswood, near Leek, for a weekend of family festivities.

The first one was held in August last year and all 5,000 tickets were sold.

Event organisers are hoping for the same again this year when it takes place on August 19-22.

By Jonathon Doubtfire: Up and coming Indie band, The Crookes appeared at The Sugar Mill in Hanley on Saturday (April 9).

The Sheffield-based quartet charmed the audience at the venue with a passionate and involving performance, which saw them showcase songs from their debut album including Just Like Dreamers and Crookes Laundry Murder 1922.

Lead vocalist George Waite also conducted an on-stage dance off between two members of the crowd during the five song set.