By Margaretha de Clercq: Police are appealing for help to trace a 37-year-old Stafford man, last seen on March 13.
Jason Luigi Vella is 5ft 3in, slim with short brown hair and blue eyes.
He has gone missing from his home in Young Avenue, Stafford.
Police are urging Jason or anyone who has seen him to contact them on 0300 123 4 45

By Leanne Kirtley: Police have traced a “vulnerable” 14-year-old girl from Stafford who went missing over a week ago.
Grayce Gittings, from the Ranton area, was found safe and well last night (May 10) after going missing on Friday April 30.
Staffordshire Police have thanked the media for their support in the appeal to locate her.

By James Montgomery: A motorcyclist who died in a crash on the A34 Brocton crossroads near Cannock Chase on Wednesday (May 5) has been named as Geoffrey Kevin Jones.
The family of the  55-year-old, from Lichen Close in Huntington, Cannock, say they have lost a “loving son, father and brother”.
A statement from the family  said: “Throughout his life he gained the respect of a great many people through work and play.
“His untimely death will leave a big hole in all of our hearts; he will be deeply missed, never forgotten.”
A Facebook group …

 
By James Montgomery and Margaretha de Clercq: One 15-year-old boy proved not all young people are apathetic about politics.
Wearing his blue Conservative rosette with pride, Tim Aspin was meticulously helping organise the count of votes in Stafford on Thursday night and Friday morning.
It’s three years before Tim can vote, but he says he still feels he can make a difference through campaigning.
He joined the Conservative Party a year and a half ago.
Tim became interested in politics through his parents, saying that being an only child it was often the subject around the dinner table.
Unfortunately, he says his …

By Margaretha de Clercq and James Montgomery: The Labour stronghold of Stafford was overthrown with a convincing win by Jeremy Lefroy securing victory for the Conservatives.
Labour candidate David Kidney had been in power since 1997, when he beat David Cameron.
Yet Mr Lefroy acknowledged Mr Kidney’s successful run over the past 13 years, saying in his acceptance speech: “I have got to earn the respect that David Kidney has earned.”
Mr Lefroy commended the amicable way in which all candidates had fought the election.
He said he was “very honoured” to have …

By James Truswell: Stafford Borough Council are hoping to boost the electoral turnout by allowing people to vote in unusual locations.
People have been voting in pubs, hairdressers and also Marstons Road – home of Stafford Rangers – as well as usual locations such as schools and village halls.
In order to maximise the turnout, Chief Executive and Acting Returning Officer Ian Thompson has increased the number of polling stations that cover the two constituencies of Stafford and South Staffordshire.
“One of my duties as acting returning officer is to ensure that as …

By Leanne Kirtley: The parents of an 18-year-old who died in a road accident near Gnosall have spoken of their “sweet, darling daughter”.
Natasha White from Marsh Street, Stafford, was a passenger in a Rover car when it collided with a Ford on the A518 at 7.20pm on Saturday (1 May).
Natasha’s family told how she was a “special” daughter, sister, niece and cousin. They added in a statement:
“Words cannot describe the pain we are feeling. You will always have a special place in our hearts. We’ll miss you so much. Words …

By Chris Heath: A Labour minister claimed his party has the best policies on climate change when he visited Stafford.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband was supporting local candidate David Kidney.
They were visiting the Areva T&D factory in Stafford. The company develop substations and manage power grids worldwide. They have also been credited as one of the greenest energy firms.
Mr. Miliband was given a tour of the factory before speaking to members of the press.
He described it as an “excellent factory” as well as claiming that …

By Andrew Stuart: The first production motorbike has sold for more than £80,000 in Stafford.
The 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was being sold by Bonhams auctioneers, at the Stafford County Showground. It was part of the Carole Nash International Classic Bike Show.
The final sale price of £86,200 was more than the estimate of between £40,000 and £60,000.
It was in the same auction as a Brough Superior, of the type ridden by Laurence of Arabia. That sold for £157,700 – it was estimated to go for between £110,000 and £130,000.
The Hildebrand and …

By Andrew Stuart: The first production motorbike is up for sale this Sunday (April 25) in Stafford.
The 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller is set to go for between £40,000 and £60,000 at auction. It’s being sold at the Stafford County Showground, during the Carole Nash International Classic Bike Show.
The Hildebrand brothers, Henry and Wilhelm, developed the motorcycle in partnership with Alois Wolfmüller and his mechanic, Hans Geisenhof, in the late 1800’s.
Their design was powered by a twin-cylinder, water-cooled, four-stroke engine displacing 1,488cc, which until relatively recent times was the largest …