in the Stoke-on-Trent North constituency; almost the same rate as the West Midlands as a whole. In Burslem at 2001 unemployment was 3.2% and declining. In 2005, the building of business park units in the town. Further business parks are planned for 2006/7 just to the north in Chatterley Valley, and the south in Etruria Valley. In 2019 it was reported that the town's last bank had closed, leaving the town without any free to use cash machines, making it the first large town in the UK without one. Media In 2007 a social enterprise newspaper, Local Edition, become one of the first newspapers to cover the area regularly. The newspaper covered Burslem, as well as surrounding areas including Tunstall, Middleport and Cobridge, giving a voice to the people in the community. The newspaper ceased publication in 2008 and its archive is online. Leopard Inn The Leopard Inn is a Grade II listed building in Burslem, dating from the late 18th century and refronted about 1830, It is famous as the place where Josiah Wedgwood, Thomas Bentley, Erasmus Darwin and James Brindley first met in 1765 to discuss the building of a canal (eventually the Trent and Mersey Canal). The pub was the model for several of Arnold Bennett's "Five Towns" novels, where it is called The Tiger. In the 1870s the owner James Norris extended the rear of the building, adding 57 bedrooms to the few existing, and it became an important commercial hotel in the Potteries. Social conditions later changed, and the additional rooms were closed in 1956. The pub was severely damaged by fire on 22 January 2022. Abi Brown, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, later said (28 January) that the building "still has a chance to be rebuilt and restored. And whilst we will never replace what was there, we do have a chance to help the owners of this building and other such historic buildings in our city." She said that the Heritage Congress group, to include the council, local heritage groups, private developers and Historic England, would be set up to protect similar properties. Tourism Around 5 million tourists visit Stoke-on-Trent each year, supporting around 4,400 direct jobs. Stoke shows its popularity through the number of repeat visits; around 80 percent of visitors have previously been here. Burslem has a variety of strong tourist attractions; Burleigh, Moorcroft, Festival Park, its many pubs, and the