Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation for using a prohibited drug.

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The Russian was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open.
The heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Sharapova says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.
The five-time Grand Slam winner said she "cannot accept" the "unfairly harsh" ban - and will appeal.
Sharapova will challenge the suspension, which is backdated to 26 January 2016, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
In a statement, she said the tribunal concluded her offence was "unintentional" and that she had not tried to use a "performance-enhancing substance".
But she claimed the ITF had asked the tribunal to impose a four-year ban, adding it "spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules".
The tribunal ruling said Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in an out-of competition test on 2 February, as well as in the aftermath of her Australian Open quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams on 26 January.
It treated both results as a single anti-doping violation.
The London 2012 Olympic silver medallist added: "I have missed playing tennis and I have missed my amazing fans... your love and support has gotten me through these tough days.
"I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that's why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible."
The ITF will not appeal against the tribunal's decision.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said it would "review the decision, including its reasoning" and decide whether to appeal.
Nike, which suspended its relationship with Sharapova in January, said it would "continue to partner" the Russian, based on the tribunal's findings.
Sharapova was Forbes' highest-paid female athlete for 11 consecutive years, until Williams moved above her this year. The American made £28.9m from winnings and endorsements to Sharapova's £21.9m.
Aged 17, Sharapova became the first Russian to win Wimbledon in 2004, added the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008, before completing a career Grand Slam with the French Open title in 2012.
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She won the French Open again in 2014, but the 2018 tournament in Paris is the next major Sharapova can enter, when she will be 31.
Wada said in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the system.
It also suggested athletes who tested positive before 1 March could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before 1 January.
However, Sharapova had already admitted she continued taking the substance past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name - mildronate.
In reaching its verdict, the ITF recognised Sharapova had not intentionally broken anti-doping rules, as she did not know that mildronate contained a banned substance from January of this year.
But the federation said the Russian was "the sole author of her own misfortune", as she had "failed to take any steps to check whether continued use of the medicine was permissible".
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki described Sharapova's case as a "sad situation".
"Tennis has a really strong anti-drug policy in place and it helps the sport really keep clean," the 25-year-old told BBC Sport.
"It's always a sad situation when someone is getting banned or you have heard they have failed a drug test, not only for Maria but for tennis in general."


A doctor specialising in end-of-life care has written a letter to David Bowie thanking him for helping him talk to people about death.

Dr Mark Taubert, palliative care consultant at Velindre NHS Trust in Cardiff, said it prompted a "weighty" discussion with a dying woman.
His letter, published on the blogs website page of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has been retweeted by Bowie's son, Duncan Jones.
The singer died from cancer aged 69.
Mr Jones had not tweeted since confirming his father's death, which happened in New York on 10 January.
But he retweeted a link to the letter, where Dr Taubert described the conversation he had with the woman after she had been told her cancer had spread and that she would not live much longer than a year.
Starting the letter with "Dear David", Dr Taubert wrote: "We discussed your death and your music, and it got us talking about numerous weighty subjects, that are not always straightforward to discuss with someone facing their own demise.
"In fact, your story became a way for us to communicate very openly about death, something many doctors and nurses struggle to introduce as a topic of conversation."
He went on: "We talked about palliative care and how it can help.
"She told me about her mother's and her father's death, and that she wanted to be at home when things progressed, not in a hospital or emergency room, but that she'd happily transfer to the local hospice should her symptoms be too challenging to treat at home.
"We both wondered who may have been around you when you took your last breath and whether anyone was holding your hand.
"I believe this was an aspect of the vision she had of her own dying moments that was of utmost importance to her, and you gave her a way of expressing this most personal longing to me, a relative stranger."
Dr Taubert also said dying at home and the last photos of Bowie carrying "off a sharp suit" would help people deal with any fears they had about the last weeks of life.
"You looked great, as always, and it seemed in direct defiance of all the scary monsters that the last weeks of life can be associated with," he added.


League Two club Cambridge United have signed Brighton defender Tom Dallison on a six-month loan deal.

The 20-year-old, who signed his first professional deal with the Seagulls in 2013, is yet to play in a senior first-team match for the Championship side.
After previous loan spells at Braintree and Dartford, he made one start in League Two for Crawley last season.
"Tom brings to us a genuine left-footed option at centre back," Cambridge boss Shaun Derry told the club website.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A cheese-maker has been told by police she may be liable for legal action if she supplies Gloucester's famous annual cheese-rolling event.

The event sees revellers chase a wheel of Double Gloucester down a steep hill and has seen some participants injured.
Diana Smart, who makes the 7lb (3kg) cheese for the event at her Churcham farm, said police warned her about her responsibilities as organiser.
She said: "It made me feel pretty angry... there's not a lot we can do,"
Mrs Smart, 86, who has made cheese for the event for 25 years, said police had warned her she could be regarded as responsible if anybody was injured.
The cheese-rolling at Cooper's Hill dates back to at least the early 19th Century and this year's event is set to take place on Monday.
Some 15,000 people turned up for the last official cheese-rolling event in 2009 but the hill, near Brockworth, is only suitable to host about 5,000 spectators.
Unofficial races organised by local enthusiasts have been held during the late spring bank holiday each year since.
A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: "Advice has been given to all those who have participated in any planning of an unofficial cheese rolling event this coming bank holiday.
"This included the individuals who provide the cheese.
"We feel it is important that those who, by law, could be constituted as organisers of the event that they are aware of the responsibilities that come with it so that they can make an informed decision about their participation."
Police said they had visited Mrs Smart to advise her that, in the absence of a recognised organiser, anyone who facilitates the event could be deemed to be an organiser by default.
"In this case that person could then attract the legal liability issues that come with hosting the cheese-rolling," a spokesman said.


A man has been seriously assaulted while walking along a street after leaving work.

The 35-year-old was hit on the head by a man who attacked him from behind on Scott's Street in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway.
The victim was taken by ambulance to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary following the incident at about 23:00 on Friday.
He was released from hospital after receiving treatment.
Police have appealed to anyone who has information to come forward.
Sgt Alan Dillon, of Annan police office, said: "From our inquiries so far, two men were seen running away from Scott's Street through Newington Park after the attack.
"Officers are currently checking CCTV in the area and carrying out door-to-door inquiries."


A Nato oil tanker has exploded in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 15 people, say officials.

Police said the tanker, transporting fuel to Nato forces in Afghanistan, was hit by a bomb overnight near the town of Landi Kotal in the Khyber region.
People gathered to collect spilt fuel when another fire broke out, said one senior police official.
At least 14 other Nato tankers were damaged in  a separate attack nearby, at the Torkham border crossing.
The region is a crucial transport route for supplies destined for Nato forces in Afghanistan but the convoys frequently come under attack from militants and criminals.
Local official Shafeerullah Wazir said the tanker was hit by a small bomb in the early hours of the morning.
"The oil tanker caught fire after a blast caused by a small bomb before dawn," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
"Villagers from nearby houses rushed and started collecting oil coming out of the destroyed tanker after the fire had been extinguished.
"Suddenly the fire erupted again and at least 15 people including five young boys who had been collecting oil in their buckets were burnt to death."
There were no injuries at the separate attack at Torkham.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but there has been an increase in Taliban activity since al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad on 2 May.
In the deadliest incident, more than 80 people were killed by a twin suicide bombing targeting police recruits in the north-west.
On Friday, one person was killed and 10 injured when the Taliban attacked a US consulate convoy in Peshawar - the first attack on US interests since US commandos killed Bin Laden.
The Pakistani Taliban said the bombing was to avenge his death.


Broadcaster Stuart Hall has been charged with three counts of indecent assault.

The 82-year-old from Wilmslow in Cheshire has been charged following complaints to police about alleged incidents involving three girls aged between nine and 16.
Lancashire Police said the offences were alleged to have been committed between 1974 and 1984.
Mr Hall has been bailed to appear before Preston magistrates in January.
In a broadcasting career spanning five decades, he is perhaps best known for his distinctive style of football reporting on BBC Radio 5 live.
Mr Hall was appointed OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and charity.
A BBC spokesman said: "In light of the very serious nature of these charges Stuart Hall will not be working at the BBC while the police continue with their inquiries."


A 15-year-old boy remains in a critical condition in hospital after a stabbing at a school in south London.

Another boy, also 15, suffered knife wounds in the attack on the grounds of Kingsdale Foundation School, Dulwich at about 15:30 GMT.
Both are being treated in hospital, according to the London Ambulance Service.
A third teenager has been arrested and is being questioned at a south London police station, the Met said.
Headteacher Steve Morrison said the school will be open as usual on Friday and parents will be kept updated.
The stabbing took place at the school, where staff were having meetings with deputy head teacher Andrew Sear, on Thursday afternoon.
It is understood the school was not evacuated, however some students were kept inside until the situation was resolved.
An administrator at the school said he was being "flooded with calls" from worried parents.
The 18-year-old sister of one pupil, who did not want to be named, said: "It was in the atrium so a bunch of kids would have seen it.
"[My sister] was in the top of the English department but could hear screaming."
Southwark Council said the school would re-open on Friday and students would be offered counselling.
At its last Ofsted inspection the school, which has 1,600 pupils aged 11-18, was rated as "good" with the behaviour and safety of the pupils considered "outstanding" by the education watchdog.
Following the incident, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Helen Hayes, tweeted: "Very distressing to hear of double stabbing of two young people in my constituency this afternoon - thoughts with the injured boys."


Investigative work has started for plans to heat Bath Abbey using the city's hot springs.

Each day some 250,000 gallons (1.137 ML) of water with a temperature of about 45C (113F) flow through the Roman Baths from underground springs.
The council claims this could supply up to 1.5MW (megawatts) of energy - enough to heat the abbey and the Pump Rooms.
Contractors have started digging in Kingston Parade to find out if there is room for heat exchanger equipment.
A Bath and North East Somerset Council spokesman said all the necessary consent has been obtained and the work will respect the historic nature of the area.
"An archaeologist will be working alongside the engineers to document and interpret any objects that may be uncovered by the excavation," he said.
The work is part of an £18m project to stabilise the "huge underground voids" underneath the floor of the 500-year-old abbey.
It is thought up to 6,000 bodies had been buried underneath the abbey and the voids were caused by graves settling.


A protester has taken up hitch-hiking in a high-vis jacket after cuts to his local rural bus service.

Duncan Foster dons a reflective vest which reads "Lift Please, No Buses" as he attempts to thumb down rides Whittington, Lancashire.
The local bus service has been cut from 111 buses per week to just one a day during term time.
Lancashire County Council said it could no longer afford to subsidise rural bus services.
Mr Foster, who usually drives, said the cuts do not directly affect him but he wanted to "represent neighbours who need regular buses to get to hospital appointments and to visit their families".
Councillor John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "Transport to rural areas has been particularly affected by reductions in council funding.
"I have written to the government to ask them to establish a special fund for rural buses in recognition of the difficulties faced by people in rural communities who rely on public transport."


Thirteen fire engines are likely to be removed permanently from the capital in a drive to cut cost, says City Hall.

The Mayor of London's office said the potential move followed "record low" numbers of fires and related deaths in the capital.
Removing the engines, out of use for more than two years, could save Â£8.1m from the 2016/1017 budget.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it had received a letter from the mayor and would respond in due course.
The engines are likely to be cut from service after a public consultation in which 70% of 1,478 respondents - including members of the public and LFB staff - voted to maintain the number of engines and fire stations in the capital.
A spokesperson for London Mayor Boris Johnson said the engines had been held back for two-and-a-half years and in that time, response times had "continued to be comfortably met".
She added: "The savings achieved by their permanent removal would allow more money to be invested in frontline officers and help fund vital long term work to continue reducing the number of fires and deaths in the capital for many years to come."
Mr Johnson is to direct the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) to follow earlier recommendations by the Fire Commissioner and start to make an official plan to implement the cuts.
LFB, which has been asked to make a total of Â£11.5m savings for the coming financial year, said it would respond to the mayor via the LFEPA.


Criminal proceedings against the late Labour peer Lord Janner over sex abuse charges have ended because of his death, an Old Bailey judge has said.

The peer had been accused of 22 counts of sex offences against boys, over a 20-year period from the 1960s - allegations his family denied.
A jury was to be asked to decide - without resolving whether he was guilty - if the incidents had taken place.
A lawyer for some of the alleged victims said they were "devastated".
Meanwhile, 12 former residents of children's homes have told the BBC they were abused by Lord Janner.
Lord Janner, who had been suffering from dementia, died in December aged 87.
A trial of the facts had been due to be held in April 2016 - however, prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said on Friday that the law provided no circumstances whereby a dead defendant could face a trial, even a trial of the facts.
BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds says it is expected that Lord Janner's case will now be considered by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by Justice Lowell Goddard.
Mr Whittam told trial judge Mr Justice Openshaw that the Crown would not go ahead with the planned trial of facts.
Mr Justice Openshaw said: "There is nothing more to be said. That's the end of the proceedings, that the defendant is dead."
The allegations centred on claims that Lord Janner, when he was MP for Leicester West, befriended the manager of a children's care home to allow him access to children and carry out serious sexual offences.
Leicestershire Police said an investigation into allegations not just against Lord Janner but against other individuals is "live and will continue".
Liz Dux, specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon, who represents six of Lord Janner's alleged victims, said: "My clients are obviously devastated that they are no longer able to give their evidence in a criminal court.
"They understand the reasons why but that doesn't make up for the real travesty - that many gave their statements decades ago and have been denied justice through a failure to prosecute earlier when Janner was alive and well."
Her clients "sincerely hope" the Goddard Inquiry will make their cases a priority and allow them to give evidence in person, she added.


Fulham captain Scott Parker has agreed a one-year contract extension to remain at Craven Cottage until 2017.

Parker, 35, signed for the Whites in 2013 and has made 99 appearances for the club in all competitions.
The midfielder said he was "delighted" to sign an extension and is "confident next season will be a better one".
The former England international missed the first 17 games of the season because of injury, while Fulham finished 20th in the Championship.


Ospreys hope to have Wales scrum-half Rhys Webb available for their Anglo-Welsh Cup match against Bristol.

Webb made his comeback from an ankle injury in the Swansea region's 26-21 win over Newcastle.
The 28-year-old is expected to be released from Wales' Six Nations squad to continue his return to fitness.
"There's a strong possibility and we'd be more than comfortable in giving him as much game time as he needs," said attack coach Gruff Rees.
"He certainly wouldn't train properly until Thursday or Friday, but that's no issue with someone like Rhys.
"He lead the side last week, he knows a lot of our tactical messages and he'll drive probably an even younger group this week."
Webb is one of 11 Ospreys players in Wales' squad which met up on Monday.
He has played only an hour since undergoing ankle surgery following Wales' 32-8 defeat by Australia on 5 November.


A court in Venezuela has sentenced a policeman to 18 years in jail for the death of a teenager in an anti-government protest in February.

Police officer Javier Mora Ortiz, 23, admitted responsibility in the death.
The 14-year-old protester, Kluiver Roa Nunez, was shot in the head by a plastic bullet during a march in the western city of San Cristobal.
President Nicolas Maduro had condemned the incident and promised a full investigation.
The court in Caracas found Javier Mora guilty of murder.
He was arrested shortly after the clash between hooded protesters and Venezuelan security forces on 24 February.
President Maduro went on national television to regret the death of the student and call for an end to violence.
The student's death sparked protests against legislation that allows the security forces to use force against protesters.
Last year, the opposition and human rights organisations accused the Venezuelan government of using excessive force during months of protests in which more than 40 people died.
Among the victims were people from both sides of the political divide in Venezuela.
Dissatisfaction with the shortage of many staples, as well as rampant crime and high inflation, led thousands of people to take to the streets in the western states of Tachira and Merida over a year ago.
The protests quickly spread to the rest of Venezuela, but died down after several months.
Earlier this year, the opposition tried to revive the street protest movement, but gatherings were smaller, including the march in which Kluiver Roa was fatally shot.
The opposition says the left-wing policies of the past 16 years - initiated by late President Hugo Chavez - have failed, pushing the country into economic disaster.
Mr Maduro says the opposition and right-wing elements outside the country have been boycotting the country's economy and preparing a coup against his socialist government.
The Venezuelan economic crisis has deepened in recent months as the country, a major oil exporter, has suffered with lower prices in international markets.


With a cessation of hostilities taking effect across Syria, people across the war-torn country have been sharing photos and videos of themselves enjoying a rare moment of relative calm.

Posts from the divided northern city of Aleppo have for months been almost exclusively about bombings, destruction and the suffering of civilians, even before government forces renewed their siege of rebel-held eastern districts where some 250,000 people live.
But less than 24 hours after the truce began, Aleppo residents were suggesting that life was slowly returning to normal - or at least as normal as could be expected under the circumstances.
Social media backed up reports that the cessation of hostilities was broadly holding.
Many users initially provided frequent updates on whether government and rebel forces were abiding by the agreement announced on Saturday by Russia and US, who back opposing sides.
As the truce entered its second day, they had switched to sharing photos of celebrations for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, which also happened to start on Monday.
There was a sense of relief and cautious optimism after several very difficult months.
Some photos showed people shopping at markets in rebel-held areas in the northern provinces of Aleppo or Idlib - an activity that was fraught with danger only a few days ago.
Children were pictured laughing and playing in devastated streets and attending parties at which they could enjoy colouring and playing with balloons.
Several boys were even seen playing on an unexploded bomb in one Aleppo district.
In Jarablus, a northern border town where militants from so-called Islamic State were recently ousted by Turkish-backed rebel forces, residents were seen celebrating Eid on the streets.
Pictures of smiling children and dancing fighters in the town centre were widely circulated.
However, not all the material shared on social media was so positive.
Some Twitter users reported violations of the truce, describing clashes in Aleppo, Idlib and parts of Damascus province. Others were cautious about the long-term prospects of the initiative.
It is too early to tell whether the truce will hold and the calm last, but after five years of war Syrians are clinging to this moment of hope.


Delays to a decision on London's airport expansion are a "failure of leadership", the CBI business lobby group has told the BBC.

Carolyn Fairbairn, the director-general of the CBI, said: "We need this decision to be taken quickly."
David Cameron had promised a decision by the end of the year on whether to build a new runway at Heathrow.
However, on Monday BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed said the decision could be delayed "for at least six months".
The environmental, political and business arguments over whether to enlarge Heathrow or Gatwick airports have been going on for 25 years.
In July, the Airports Commission chaired by Sir Howard Davies backed the building of a new third runway at Heathrow at a cost of some £23bn ($34.6bn), although it did not rule out the option of expanding Gatwick.
However, senior sources have now said there needs to be more "confidence building" about the environmental impact of a new runway at Heathrow.
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Ms Fairbairn said: "Our economy is going to run out of airport capacity in the south by 2025.
"The effect on exports is going to be dramatic, a potential £5bn lost exports by 2030 if we don't act. It feels like a real failure of leadership.
"We really need a decision on airport capacity, it's urgent and it's not optional,"


A £50,000 reward offered for information about missing RAF airman Corrie Mckeague is to be withdrawn if nobody comes forward in the next week.

Mr Mckeague vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 24 September.
The reward was offered by an anonymous business couple in Suffolk.
His mother Nicola Urqhuart said on Facebook: "We consider it sensible that the offer of a reward should not remain in place indefinitely."
Live: For more on this and other Suffolk stories
Police have begun to search more than 920 sq m (1,100 sq yds) of waste to a depth of 8m (26ft) at a landfill site at Milton in Cambridgeshire.
Mrs Urquhart, from Dunfermline, said: "At this moment in time, the offer of a reward hasn't brought to the fore, the information we had hoped for.
"We have decided to leave a reward in place for one more week.
"On behalf of my family, I would wish to publicly thank from the bottom of our hearts the couple concerned.
"Not only have they offered what would be to most of us, a life changing sum of money in the shape of the reward, they have also given their time and made great efforts to assist us find Corrie."
Mr Mckeague was last seen walking into a bin loading bay known as the "horseshoe" at 03:25 GMT.
A bin lorry was seized early in the early stages of the investigation after Mr Mckeague's phone signal followed the same route as the vehicle.
But, no traces of him were found in the lorry.
It is expected to take a team of specialist officers up to 10 weeks to complete the search of the landfill site.


Armed men are reported to have taken control of a provincial capital in the unsettled south of Yemen.

Government officials and residents said fighters from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) were among those who seized Zinjibar, in Abyan province.
But opponents said President Ali Abdullah Saleh had given up the town to stoke fears of a militant takeover.
He is resisting calls to step down, despite months of popular protests and growing opposition from a key tribe.
At least 124 people died in recent days in the capital, Sanaa, in clashes between government forces and fighters loyal to Hashid tribal leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar.
A ceasefire was eventually agreed on Saturday and a deal reached to withdraw troops from Sanaa, though the timing remains unclear.
Official reports emerging from Zinjibar suggested the town was seized by force.
The AFP news agency reported that 16 people had been killed during Friday and Saturday during fighting in and around Zinjibar.
But other reports made no mention of violence. One resident of Abyan province told the BBC that the town was chaotic and there was widespread looting.
"About 300 Islamic millitants and Al Qaeda men came into Zinjibar and took over everything on Friday," a Zinjibar resident told Reuters.
However, one military unit was reported to have refused to surrender and was now surrounded, reports said.
There are conflicting accounts of the loyalties of the armed men, reflecting the complex nature of military loyalties in Yemen.
While government officials said the men were AQAP, one analyst told the BBC they were in fact an older, more established group of fighters loyal to President Saleh and his now-rival, the defected army officer Ali Mohsen (who is also Mr Saleh's brother-in-law).
The government has blamed previous attacks in southern Yemen on al-Qaeda, but the country's opposition has accused President Saleh of stoking fears of an Islamist takeover.
That pattern was quickly repeated as news emerged from Zinjibar. Opponents accused the president of allowing the town to fall to the armed men in order to claim that AQAP were becoming a major threat to Yemen's stability, the AFP news agency reported.
AQAP is known to be active in southern Yemen, but the region is also home to a long-running separatist insurgency.
The group is described by the US as one of the world's most active al-Qaeda cells.
However, it usually operates from mountainous areas away from towns and cities.
Yemen is beset by problems, including dwindling oil supplies and a growing water crisis as well as grinding poverty, political unrest and the presence of al-Qaeda and separatist rebels in the south.


Five people have been arrested after a series of drugs raids at homes across Renfrewshire.

Police Scotland said they had searched four properties and had seized drugs worth about Â£65,000 and a four-figure sum of cash.
An air weapon was also recovered during the operation. The drugs seized are believed to be cocaine.
Three men, aged 65, 38 and 18, and two women, aged 68 and 39, were arrested for alleged drugs offences.
They are expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday.
A 64 year-old woman and a 66 year-old man will also be subject of a report to the procurator fiscal in connection with the air weapon.
Officers said they had searched homes in Cameron Avenue in Bishopton, Ryat Linn and Sconser in Erskine, and Merlinford Crescent in Renfrew at about 15:30 on Friday.


Coventry City were relegated to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 58 years after drawing with fellow strugglers Charlton.

The game was twice delayed in the first 10 minutes when Charlton fans threw plastic pigs onto the pitch in protest against the club's ownership.
After Nathan Byrne hit the bar for Charlton, George Thomas fired the Sky Blues ahead from close range.
But Patrick Bauer's headed equaliser in the second half sealed City's fate.
Coventry were in the Premier League as recently as 2001, but they now face the prospect of playing fourth-tier football for the first time since 1959.
The Sky Blues' descent towards relegation saw them fail to win in their opening 10 games, with a difficult season on the pitch matched by problems off it, with fans holding a series of protests against the club's owners, the hedge fund Sisu.
Their form has improved in recent weeks under Mark Robins, culminating in their victory over Oxford in the EFL Trophy final, and they started the brighter of the two teams.
Both sides were withdrawn from the field after Addicks fans threw pigs onto the pitch for the second time, with Coventry taking the lead through Thomas' sharp finish.
Jodi Jones had a shot saved just before half-time, while Thomas went close again after the break, but City could not maintain their advantage.
Bauer nodded in from two yards out after Coventry failed to clear a corner, and the hosts could not find a late winner to stave off the drop.
Charlton meanwhile climb to 15th, six points clear of relegation with three games to play.
Match ends, Coventry City 1, Charlton Athletic 1.
Second Half ends, Coventry City 1, Charlton Athletic 1.
Attempt missed. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Corner,  Coventry City. Conceded by Chris Solly.
Foul by Gael Bigirimana (Coventry City).
Jake Forster-Caskey (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. George Thomas (Coventry City) right footed shot from very close range is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Kwame Thomas (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Andrew Crofts (Charlton Athletic).
Attempt saved. Jake Forster-Caskey (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Ben Stevenson (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ben Stevenson (Coventry City).
Fredrik Ulvestad (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Joe Aribo replaces Ricky Holmes.
Foul by Kevin Foley (Coventry City).
Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Nathan Byrne (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Coventry City. Kyel Reid replaces Jodi Jones.
Attempt saved. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution, Coventry City. Kevin Foley replaces Jordan Willis.
Kwame Thomas (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic).
Jodi Jones (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Jodi Jones (Coventry City).
Jake Forster-Caskey (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Corner,  Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Farrend Rawson.
Attempt saved. George Thomas (Coventry City) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Kwame Thomas (Coventry City).
Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. George Thomas (Coventry City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Jodi Jones (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Ben Stevenson (Coventry City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Corner,  Coventry City. Conceded by Chris Solly.
Foul by Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic).
Jordan Turnbull (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Andrew Crofts (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Andrew Crofts (Charlton Athletic).
Ruben Lameiras (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Jake Forster-Caskey replaces Ezri Konsa Ngoyo.
Goal!  Coventry City 1, Charlton Athletic 1. Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Josh Magennis following a corner.


There is no more familiar sight in the countryside than a tractor pulling a plough.

Ploughing remains more or less the same now as it was hundreds of years ago.
But recently some farmers have abandoned ploughing completely.
They say the result is better for the bottom line and the environment.
I've spent the past year following one Cotswold farmer who's done that.
Jake Freestone farms more than 1,500 hectares in Overbury, Worcestershire, not far from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
He is one of a small but growing number of farmers who have stopped ploughing their land.
In fact, the trick with this new system is to make sure no bare soil is exposed during farming year at all.
So after harvest, you also immediately plant "cover crops" straight into the stubble.
In one field Jake might start by planting a cover crop such as fodder radishes and then a bit later, he plants the pea crop directly on top.
The cover crops are designed to protect the soil and also put back nutrients and plant matter.
This should drastically improve the health of the soil and boost yields while reducing the costs of farming.
At least that's the theory.
If you spend as much time as I do gossiping with farmers then you hear all sorts of views about this "no till" system.
They say it was tried in the 70s and didn't work; it leaves fields looking very scruffy and pests including slugs will take over.
Archers fans will know the one farm in Ambridge to try this idea appears to be on the edge of abandoning it after less than a year.
So what is Jake's experience?
Well his malting barley, pea and oilseed rape crops all did about as well as the national average.
His wheat was a little variable but overall slightly better than the national figures.
Meanwhile the cost of production for wheat has gone from £120 a hectare to just £60 and fuel use is down just over 40%.
There are big upfront costs though.
Jake has had to invest a large sum in a huge piece of machinery called a cross slot drill, which is used to plant seeds directly into the cover crop.
Although he has subsidised that by doing contract work for other farmers, as interest in his no till system grows.
But after a year Jake is sure this is the way forward for him and other arable farmers.
In a post-Brexit world, it's unclear what farm subsidies might look like and might make this system, with its similar yields but much lower inputs, a more attractive idea.
There are also benefits for the rest of us.
Jake was waiting for a new piece of kit to arrive on the farm that will allow him to see how much water his non-ploughed soil now holds.
The theory is the soil will now soak up even more rain and that will have huge benefits in terms of reducing potential flooding for those living on the hills beneath the farm.
It could be Jake's just been very lucky; this year was a fluke and like all pioneers he'll face some big problems in the next few years.
So I'll be staying in touch to see how things pan out and see if no till is a trendy idea or if it really is the future of farming.


A Londonderry councillor has said he is seeking an urgent meeting with Asda over its plans for a major new supermarket in the city.

In 2012, the former planning minister, Alex Attwood, gave the green light for a new superstore at the current Homebase site at Crescent Link.
The retailer has said it is reviewing its plans more than two years after it promised to create 350 jobs.
DUP councillor David Ramsey has said that Asda must make its mind up.
He told BBC Radio Foyle that too many jobs are at stake.
"We must ensure that the development on the link road progresses.
"There has been a lot of work already ongoing.
"We have met with planners recently to see the progress of the development in that area.
"We need to know Asda's aspirations."


Showing more original, high quality programming on Gaelic TV channel BBC Alba would benefit Gaelic education, it has been suggested.

MG Alba, which operates in partnership with the BBC, has asked that a stronger BBC Alba should form part of the BBC's next Royal Charter.
Highland Council officers have urged councillors to support this call.
The officials said more Gaelic programmes would support "significant growth" in Gaelic medium education.
Councillors on Highland Council's Gaelic implementation group will be asked to back MG Alba's position at a meeting on 12 November.
Launched in September 2008, BBC Alba now reaches on average more than 700,000 viewers per week in Scotland.
Last month, MG Alba said 73% of what was shown was repeats and on current funding only 1.7 hours of original output, including news, was possible per day.
It said this figure was "significantly short" of an ambition of three hours per day.
The organisation has called for a "stronger BBC Alba" and for the BBC to produce 10 hours of original programming per week for the channel for the next 10 years of the charter, in comparison to the current 4.4 hours currently developed.
Its youth programming has included involvement in the making of a television adaption of Mairi Hedderwick's Katie Morag books.
The Royal Charter sets out the public purposes of the BBC, guarantees its independence and outlines the duties of the BBC Trust.
The current charter runs until 31 December 2016.


Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has urged Republicans to "get your walking boots on" and drum up support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

He appeared before 15,000 activists in Jackson, Mississippi, being introduced by and sharing the stage with Mr Trump.
And he said the party could "beat the pollsters" in the presidential race.
Mr Trump, who is trailing his rival Hillary Clinton in the opinion polls, backed the UK's exit from the EU.
In a tweet last week, Mr Trump said: "They will soon be calling me Mr Brexit."
Mr Trump introduced Mr Farage as the man who "brilliantly" led the UK Independence Party's campaign to secure a vote on the future of the UK's 40-year membership of the European Union.
Mr Farage began his address by saying he had a "message of hope and optimism" for the Republican Party.
He drew on parallels between Mr Trump's bid for the White House and that of the Brexit campaign's "people's army of ordinary citizens", which he said engaged successfully with the public prior to the UK's referendum vote on whether to leave the EU.
He told those gathered: "If you want change in this country, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out there campaigning.
"And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment."
Mr Farage also said the Republican campaign represented a "fantastic opportunity".
He added: "You can beat the pollsters, you can beat the commentators, you can beat Washington."
Mr Farage, who attended the Republican convention in Cleveland last month, had previously said he would not "fall into the trap" of personally endorsing Mr Trump in his quest to reach the White House.
However, during his rally appearance he said that if he were an American, he would not vote for Mrs Clinton "even if you paid me".
By Gavin Hewitt, in Jackson, Mississippi
Donald Trump showered Nigel Farage with praise as the leader who had helped Britain regain control of its borders.
The two men shook hands and then Mr Farage spoke for 10 minutes. He was greeted with strong applause.
He said there were parallels between Brexit and what was happening in the US - little people let down by global corporations. "We made June 23 our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment", he told a crowd waving "make America great again" placards.
From the side of the stage Mr Trump smiled and clapped. Mr Farage spoke about when President Obama came to the UK and urged voters to remain in the EU. "He talked down to us," he said, "he treated us as nothing."
Mr Farage said "I can't possibly tell you how you should vote", but added he would not vote for Hillary Clinton "if you paid me".
It was not an endorsement but it came close.
The UKIP leader earlier told local radio in the state that the similarities between Brexit and the US election were "uncanny".
Speaking on Super Talk Radio in the US state, Mr Farage said he had been part of a "political revolution" in the UK and there were the makings of a similar movement in the US.
He compared the federal government in Washington DC to the European Commission, saying many people felt it had become "its own country", and claimed the Democrat nominee, Hillary Clinton, epitomised the status quo.
"I'm going to say to people in this country that the circumstances, the similarities, the parallels, between the people that voted Brexit and the people that could beat Clinton in a few weeks' time here in America are uncanny."
He suggested it did not matter that the political establishment, including many top Republicans, were shunning Mr Trump's campaign.
Mr Farage, who is credited with securing the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU and helping to pull off the surprise Leave victory, is standing down next month as the party's figurehead, but will remain as a member of the European Parliament.
However, Mr Farage's association with Mr Trump has not gone down well with some senior members of UKIP, including its sole MP Douglas Carswell, who tweeted "it's all going a bit South Thanet for the US Republicans" - a reference to Mr Farage's failed attempt to win a seat in the Kent constituency last year.
And Suzanne Evans, the former UKIP policy chief currently suspended by the party, suggested Mr Farage was trending on Twitter "for all the wrong reasons".
Lord Sugar, a former member and significant donor of the Labour Party who backed the Remain campaign, tweeted Mr Farage was a "creep" by claiming he won the Brexit vote.


Iraqi ground forces have begun an operation to retake Tal Afar, one of the last cities in the country held by the Islamic State group, officials say.

In a televised speech announcing the offensive overnight, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the jihadists had the choice between "surrender or die".
The army targeted Tal Afar after seizing Mosul, IS's main stronghold 55km (35 miles) to the east, in July.
Tal Afar, which has a mainly Shia-Muslim population, fell to IS in 2014.
It sits on a major road between Mosul and the Syrian border that was once a key supply route for the jihadist group.
Iraqi warplanes have bombarded IS positions in the city for several days, in preparation for ground operations.
On Sunday Mr Abadi, dressed in a black military uniform and standing in front of an Iraqi flag and a map of the country, announced the "start of an operation to free Tal Afar".
"I am saying to Daesh [the Islamic State group] that there is no choice other than to surrender or die," he said.
He finished his speech with an address to Iraqi troops: "The whole world is with you."
Hours before Mr Abadi's statement, the Iraqi air force dropped leaflets over the city warning people to "prepare" for the latest assault.
"The battle is imminent and the victory is coming, God willing," the leaflets read.
Tal Afar is surrounded by government troops and Shia militiamen in the south, and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in the north.
Last month, a senior Iraqi commander who once served as mayor of Tal Afar said there were between 1,500 and 2,000 militants and their family members left in the city.
Maj-Gen Najm al-Jabouri told Reuters news agency the jihadists were "worn out and demoralised" and that he did not expect a fierce battle for the town like the one for Mosul, which lasted almost nine months and took a heavy toll on Iraqi forces.
He also noted that only one part of the town had narrow streets comparable to those in Mosul's Old City. Few civilians are believed to be left in Tal Afar, with 49,000 having fled since April.
Beside Tal Afar, IS controls territory around Hawija, 170km (105 miles) to the south-east; and from Ana to Al-Qaim in the Euphrates river valley, 220km to the south.


British film director Amma Asante says the organisers of the Oscars need to keep up the momentum on its actions to improve diversity.

Asante was one of the 683 industry figures invited this summer to become Oscar voters.
Almost half were women and almost as many were people of colour.
"It's up to us to vote now," Asante said. "I don't know the change happens overnight."
The move by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came in response to criticism of a lack of diversity at this year's awards ceremony.
"I think it's making headway," said Asante. "It's got to keep up the momentum. I'm interested to see what will happen in two Oscars' time.
"I definitely want to see change with this first one and then I want to see that we've fully turned a corner by the time we get to the second one."
Asante was speaking to BBC News at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where her film A United Kingdom had its world premiere.
Her previous films, A Way of Life (2004) and Belle (2013), both premiered in the Canadian city.
Asante said the lack of opportunity in the industry meant talent was being lost.
"Not all talent can afford to say, 'I'll just wait another three years and continue to have my work rejected'.
"While we're forcing people into other lines of work, because there is no opportunity for them, the industry is actually suffering."
A United Kingdom stars David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike in the true story of a controversial interracial marriage between an African royal and a British woman in the 1940s.
The film will open the London Film Festival next month.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs until 18 September.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Obesity rates are rising again among American adults, despite national efforts to promote healthy lifestyles.

Rates of obesity had been climbing dramatically since the 1980s but started levelling off in about 2004.
This latest study means they are rising again - to nearly 38% in 2013-14, up from about 32% a decade ago.
The numbers come from a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using a national survey of about 5,000 people.
National campaigns have been aimed at lowering obesity rates in the US, such as First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, which offers programming for exercise and healthy eating among youths.
Stacey Snelling, a nutritionist teaching at American University, told the BBC that the rise in obesity rates could be due to the healthy eating campaigns losing their effectiveness.
Over the past 10 years, much of the focus has been on food and nutrition for keeping obesity at bay, but now people were "losing attention" to that message, she said, so perhaps now it was time to focus on exercise.
"Our initial reaction to the obesity epidemic - limited sugary beverages and fried food - that only works to a point," said Ms Snelling.
The consumption of fizzy drinks has fallen in recent years and fast-food chains now offer healthier menus, but these kinds of public health problems are complex, she adds.
Many companies have introduced things like treadmill desks and incentives to exercise with pedometers and staff-wide contests - but not all have taken a stake in employees' health.
"With adults, the corporate environment has not changed as dramatically as schools have," she said.
Obesity prevalence was found to be much higher for adult women than adult men - 38% compared to 34.3%.
Study author Cynthia Ogden told the BBC that this study marked the first time in many years that higher women's obesity rates were statistically significant.
"That's kind of a new finding," said Ms Ogden. "Now, what's happened is prevalence in women has gone above what it was in men again."
Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic adults and youth are experiencing higher rates of obesity than their white counterparts, the study found.
Between black men and women, there is a significant difference for rates of obesity - women's rates soar above men's at 57% compared to 38%.
Socio-economic forces determine the health status of any group of people, said Ms Snelling.
Reporting by Ashley Gold


The entrance to a proposed road tunnel beneath Stonehenge would ruin views of the winter solstice sunset from the stone circle, it has been claimed.

Anti-tunnel campaigners say artificial light from it would create a permanent "glow" and put an end to the phenomenon of a "last flash" as the sun goes down.
The proposed location for the western portal of the A303 tunnel is directly in line with the "sun gap", they claim.
Highways England said it was still looking at all options for the road.
Chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust, Andy Rhind-Tutt, said an exploratory archaeological dig currently taking place about 800m (0.5 mile) from the monument, was related to the proposed location of the western portal, and was directly in line with the solstice alignment.
"The point about Stonehenge is all about sunset and sunrise and celebrating the end of the dark nights.
"On 20 or 21 December the sun sets, and it cuts absolutely straight through the stones.
"Winter was the big celebration at Stonehenge.
"People were there 5,000 years ago celebrating the fact that the sun is setting for the last time at the end of the dark nights.
"If they are going to put a tunnel in and it came out where they are exploring at the moment, you're going to have this glow coming off the ground as the sun sets, so it would destroy the whole purpose and meaning of Stonehenge."
In 2014 the government announced it would commit to building a tunnel, removing the A303 from the landscape at the World Heritage Site, and earlier this year a Unesco report backed the idea.
Highways England said the dig was just one part of a wide range of surveys it was undertaking.
A spokeswoman said: "Since we last met with communities earlier in the year, we have been working hard to make sure we fully understand the benefits and potential impacts of upgrading the A303 past Stonehenge.
"Based on our work so far, a tunnel is our working assumption, but we have to remain open-minded and are still evaluating all options to improve the road."
The proposed options will go out to public consultation early next year.
English Heritage said it was looking forward to seeing more detailed designs and contributing to the consultation but supported the idea of a tunnel "if it is designed and delivered well".


More people die in seaside accidents than in cycling road incidents every year, claims the RNLI as it warns people to take care on the coast.

Seventeen people drowned or died in accidents around the Welsh coast in 2013 while 65 lives were saved by RNLI lifeboat crews and lifeguards.
Alcohol and the shock of cold water are blamed as major factors.
The warning comes a day after rescuers were called to 13 incidents on the north Wales coast.
A total of 167 people lost their lives off the UK coastline last year - the highest number since 2010.
The RNLI said it was aiming to halve accidental coastal deaths by 2024.
It said the numbers of deaths at the seaside was much higher than the 109 deaths in cycling accidents on Britain's roads in 2013.
On Wednesday, coastguards based at Holyhead, Anglesey, reported over a dozens incidents alone across north Wales, including people cut-off by the tide, a man taken to hospital after being pulled from the sea at Barmouth in Gwynedd and a boy saved by an inshore lifeboat at Towyn in Conwy.
Thomas Redmond, 21, from Briton Ferry, gave his backing the RNLI's Respect the Water safety campaign after he was rescued when his kayak filled up with water and overturned at Aberavon in June.
"I consider myself to be quite strong but I was completely overcome by the water," he said.
"I can swim but there is no way I would have been able to make it to the shore by myself.
"I never quite realised how a relaxing day at the seaside could go so wrong.
"I could have well been one of the drowning statistics - things could have been a lot worse."
RNLI advice to holidaymakers and day-trippers includes:
Nicola Davies, RNLI coastal safety manager for Wales, said:  "We're lucky to have an exceptional coastline around Wales but we want people to understand there are risks, and that they should not underestimate the power of the sea."


It is now 16 years since the concept of an American-style city boss breathing a fresh "can-do" attitude into our sleepy town and city halls was first offered in England.

There are many imports from the United States that have really taken off over here but it would be fair to say that the idea of electing a mayor to take control of big chunks of local life is not one of them.
There are 353 local councils across England and, as we come to the end of 2015, just 16 are now run by a directly-elected executive mayor.
In fact, in two places, Hartlepool and Stoke-on-Trent, local people rapidly got fed up with the mayoral system and voted to scrap the post.
So is it just mere coincidence that the public is being given no say at all as the Chancellor, George Osborne, now proudly rolls out the prospect of a new generation of directly-elected executive mayors to run "devolved regions"?
Negotiations have been carried out exclusively between local council leaders and ministers with no plans for a public referendum either before or after any of the deals signed so far have been agreed.
Could it be that the public would veto the idea if given the chance?
A recent exercise in Sheffield might shed some light on that view.
The University of Sheffield's Bernard Crick Centre carefully selected 45 people from across South Yorkshire to form an "Assembly of the North" to come up with their ideas for what a devolved region should be and how it should be run.
It was a carefully monitored academic exercise run by the political research centre's director, Professor Matt Flinders.
"The politicians appear to have little faith in the public being capable of taking part in really important policy decisions," he told me.
"We wanted to see if a citizens' assembly could shed light on whether that was a correct assumption."
The Assembly members, a cross-section of local people selected by an independent polling organisation, were invited to spend two weekends at a hotel in Sheffield where they were almost force-fed information on the ideas behind devolution.
Expert witnesses were brought in and cross-examined.
Supporters of the current regional devolution deals appearing in front of the Assembly included Sir Steve Houghton, the leader of Barnsley Council, and John Mothersole, the chief executive of Sheffield City Council, who together had just brokered a deal to bring together nine neighbouring local councils in a mayor-led "Sheffield City Region".
Sceptics adding their views to the mix included Peter Davies, the former Mayor Doncaster, independent political bloggers and academics.
An independent chairman was brought in to ensure no vested interests had unfair influence in the process.
I can personally vouch for the independence of the chair as it was me.
After four days of deliberation and debate and a series of votes on what the Assembly saw as the way forward for regional devolution they came up with a far different approach to what is being offered now.
They liked the idea of devolving powers and decision-making to their own local area, but saw it as being dangerously undemocratic to trust an executive mayor to be in charge.
Instead, they overwhelmingly supported setting up an elected regional assembly.
They also thought the "Sheffield City Region" deal was far too small and with few powers capable of making a difference.
They wanted it to take in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber and be allowed to raise its own taxes.
There was one overwhelming view expressed that bubbled up in the Assembly's early discussions and refused to go away.
It was a sense of anger that what is being described by Mr Osborne as a "devolution revolution" is being carried out by politicians behind closed doors.
Of course, all this comes from just 45 members of the public.
But as one of them pointed out, that is 45 more than are being consulted before the deals are signed.
Who says we want a mayor?


The case against two men accused of stealing £20,000 of biscuits from the makers of Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels has been dropped.

A trailer was taken from Burton's Foods Ltd on Ty Coch Way, Cwmbran, Torfaen on 17 June.
The two men, from Liverpool and Cheshire, had been charged with theft.
A hearing at Newport Magistrates' Court heard a third man will appear in court in relation to the alleged theft on Friday.


We've reached the fag end of 2015 and MPs have already begun their Christmas break; peers, who are made of sterner stuff, have scheduled two more legislating days before they depart.

The Lords meet at 2.30 (GMT) and their opening half hour of questions to ministers will cover plans to reduce the number of suicides on railways (Lord Faulkner of Worcester); VAT evasion by overseas online retailers (Lord Lucas); Minimising the risk of neural tube defective pregnancy (Lord Rooker) and encouraging leaders of the UK's Muslim communities to identify, confront and expose their violent co-religionists (Lord Pearson of Rannoch).
The main legislative action is the final day of committee stage scrutiny of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill. As usual at this stage it is rare for issues to be forced to a vote, but peers will study closely what the minister Lord Freud has to say in response to a battery of amendments, and will sharpen their lines of attack for the ensuing report stage, where votes are more regular events.
The amendments cover the such issues as the impact of the benefits cap for "kinship carers" and on people placed in temporary accommodation by a local authority which has found them to be in priority need.
There will also be a short dinner break debate on retail banks and vulnerable customers.
Peers gather at 11:00 ( GMT) and their last question time of 2015 will cover the percentage point gap in early years attainment between the poorest children in London and those in the north of England  (Baroness Massey of Darwen);  The number of jobs being created in the tourism sector, and recognition and support for the sector in light of this (Lord Lee of Trafford) and revising the Politics A-level curriculum (Baroness Parminter).
Then it's on to the second reading of the Immigration Bill, which aims to tackle illegal immigration by making it harder to live and work illegally in the UK.  It includes measures to deal with illegal working and block illegal migrants' access to services like housing and banking. And there are also measures to support enforced removals.
By convention, peers do not refuse a second reading to a government bill promised in an election manifesto, but expect plenty of attempts to amend this one when it reaches report stage, and watch out for opposition speeches flagging up the areas they intend to target.
And with the end of business, Parliament goes into a brief holiday hibernation. MPs emerge, blinking, into 2016, on Tuesday January 5th, when David Cameron will report back on the latest EU summit. The Lords do not return until the following week.


Seven people had to be rescued during a race around the Isle of Wight.

The 16 lifeboats on duty during Saturday's Round the Island Race helped rescue one man overboard, two people with head injuries, one person with sea sickness and one with a broken arm.
The Portland coastguard helicopter also airlifted a competitor with a head injury and a member of lifeboat crew.
One of the competing yachts also had to be rescued after running aground off Ventnor.
The coastguard said the independent lifeboat from Sandown and the RNLI lifeboat from Bembridge towed the stricken vessel to safety after it became lodged on rocks.
More than 1,500 vessels took part in the annual event, which began and ended in Cowes.
More than 100 retired before completing the circuit.


A German court has begun hearing the cases of 79 Afghan families seeking damages for the deaths of dozens of civilians killed in a 2009 air strike.

The families represent victims who died when a German commander ordered the attack on two fuel tankers stolen by insurgents.
The families are seeking 3.3m euros (Â£2.8m; $4.3m) from the German government.
In 2010, the German defence ministry paid out $430,000 to victims' families.
At the time, German authorities labelled the payment as humanitarian aid and said it did not constitute an acceptance of legal responsibility.
The attack on the tankers happened near the northern Afghan town of Kunduz.
At least 90 people were killed, though a lawyer for the Afghan families contends that 137 people were killed. Many of the victims were women and children trying to siphon fuel as the tankers had been abandoned.
The incident triggered a major political controversy in Germany, leading to the resignation of the then-Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung and the dismissal of army chief Wolfgang Schneiderhan.
Germany's parliament described it as "one of the most serious incidents involving the German army since the Second World War".
The hearing at a court in the western city of Bonn on Wednesday focused on two claims. One is a father seeking 40,000 euros after the death of two of his children and the other is a widowed mother-of-six whose claim amounts to 50,000 euros.
The German government attempted to have the case thrown out, arguing that the air strike was under the command of Nato, and Berlin alone could not be blamed.
"The federal republic of Germany is not the right respondent. The conditions (for a lawsuit) have not been fulfilled," said government lawyer Mark Zimmer.
However, presiding judge Heinz Sonnenberger agreed to hear the lawsuit. He said that the case would hinge on whether the plaintiffs could prove state liability for the loss of life.
"We will have to review whether international humanitarian law has been violated," he told the court.
Peter Derleder, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he felt confident after the first day of the hearing.
"The court did not rule out a claim based on a violation of international law," he said. "There should have been a warning flight to put civilians on alert."
The court will resume hearing the case on 17 April.
About 4,400 German troops remain in northern Afghanistan, carrying out mainly training and reconstruction roles, though their number is being gradually reduced.


Samsung has confirmed it is developing its own voice-controlled "smart speaker" for the home, to rival devices by Amazon and Google.

DJ Koh, head of Samsung's mobile division, told CNBC News: "I am already working on it."
The company already has a voice-controlled assistant called Bixby on some of its devices, which can send messages and set reminders.
One analyst said Samsung would have to differentiate itself from competitors.
Voice-controlled smart speakers are typically used to play music, set a timer, add items to a shopping list and control other internet-connected gadgets around the home.
Amazon's Echo speaker can be used to buy products from the online retailer, while Google's Home speaker can retrieve search results in a conversational way, and play YouTube videos on a compatible television.
"Samsung will have to do something different," said Ranjit Atwal, a research director at Gartner.
"There is no point building your own IP (intellectual property) if it replicates what is out there already."
Samsung already manufactures internet-connected appliances such as fridges and televisions, but its Bixby voice assistant currently only appears on a small number of its latest smartphones.
There, it can perform some tasks that Google's voice assistant and Apple's Siri cannot do, such as "take a screenshot and post it on Facebook".
But Mr Koh said he wanted to provide "a fruitful user experience at home" and said he would be "moving quite heavily on it".
Gartner predicts that worldwide spending on smart speakers will reach $3.52bn (Â£2.5bn) by 2021.
Their value for the technology giants lies in their ability to collect data and offer add-on services such as online shopping and music streaming.
"It's less to do with the speaker, and more to do with making their voice assistants more pervasive," said Mr Atwal.
"What Samsung needs is data. The more data you have, the more variety you have, the quicker you learn and the better the product - that's why Google is so good at providing a breadth of services.
"Trying to make everything smart and intelligent is a big job. Samsung needs to narrow its focus and look at where it might be able to provide value to its users."


Chelsea Ladies were denied the top spot in the WSL 1 table as they were held to a draw by Birmingham City Ladies.

Freda Ayisi put the visitors in front just after half-time when she sent a low cross inside the far post.
The hosts were level just five minutes later as former Blues striker Eniola Aluko restored parity from close range.
Chelsea finished the game with 10 players after Katie Chapman was sent off for a second booking when she fouled Ayisi with three minutes left.
The result puts Chelsea one point behind leaders Manchester City in second in the WSL 1 table, while Birmingham City lie in fourth place.
Chelsea forward Eniola Aluko:
"We weren't ourselves in the first half going forward, and then we gave away a sloppy goal just after half-time.
"At the end of the day though, we got a point out of a game that we could have lost against a very difficult Birmingham side.
"Whenever we've gone behind this season we've always come back, and in the end we could have won today because we had a couple of good chances late on. "
Birmingham defender Kerys Harrop:
"We'd surprised them with our goal, but the way it came about was something we'd worked on and Freda took it really well.
"Unfortunately we then gave away a soft goal and that's unlike us; it was the first goal we've conceded in seven matches and we've given hardly any away all season.
"That's what we're good at; having the concentration and organisation at the back, so it was disappointing to concede the way we did."
Match ends, Chelsea Ladies 1, Birmingham City Ladies 1.
Second Half ends, Chelsea Ladies 1, Birmingham City Ladies 1.
Attempt missed. Claire Rafferty (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Eniola Aluko.
Foul by Jade Bailey (Chelsea Ladies).
Freda Ayisi (Birmingham City Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Birmingham City Ladies. Conceded by Millie Bright.
Attempt blocked. Freda Ayisi (Birmingham City Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Andrine Hegerberg.
Second yellow card to Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) for a bad foul.
Foul by Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies).
Freda Ayisi (Birmingham City Ladies) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, Birmingham City Ladies. Andrine Hegerberg tries a through ball, but Charlie Wellings is caught offside.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Charlie Wellings (Birmingham City Ladies) because of an injury.
Karen Carney (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Alex Windell (Birmingham City Ladies).
Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Aoife Mannion (Birmingham City Ladies).
Substitution, Chelsea Ladies. Hannah Blundell replaces Ana Borges.
Attempt missed. Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Eniola Aluko.
Attempt saved. Freda Ayisi (Birmingham City Ladies) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Melissa Lawley.
Attempt saved. Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea Ladies) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ji So-Yun.
Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Kerys Harrop (Birmingham City Ladies).
Attempt missed. Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Millie Bright.
Attempt missed. Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Ji So-Yun.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Kerys Harrop (Birmingham City Ladies) because of an injury.
Ji So-Yun (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Alex Windell (Birmingham City Ladies).
Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies).
Charlie Wellings (Birmingham City Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Gemma Davison.
Attempt missed. Melissa Lawley (Birmingham City Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Abbey-Leigh Stringer.
Attempt missed. Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Karen Carney.
Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies).
Jessica Carter (Birmingham City Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Gemma Davison.
Ji So-Yun (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Andreas Lubitz, the young co-pilot who deliberately crashed a Germanwings airliner into the French Alps on 24 March 2015, killing himself and 149 other people, started flying as a teenager.

He first took to the skies as a member of a gliding club in his hometown of Montabaur in west Germany before fulfilling his ambition of becoming a professional pilot.
Friends and neighbours described him as a "quiet" but "fun" character, who enjoyed his job.
A picture from his now defunct Facebook page shows him smiling happily in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
In the aftermath of the disaster, investigators have established a very different side to his character.
Police found torn-up sick notes in his homes, including one covering the day of the crash.
Despite assertions from friends that he was in good spirits, the final report on the crash by French investigators found he had suffered from a psychiatric condition and had been taking medication before the crash.
Fearing he was losing his vision, he had hidden the evidence from his employer.
The Bild newspaper also reported that he may have been going through a "personal life crisis" at the time of the crash.
Lsubitz lived at his parents' home in Montabaur, a town near Frankfurt of about 12,500 people. His father Guenther worked in banking and his mother was a church organist.
He was about 14 when he joined the LSC Westerwald glider club in Montabaur, where he learned to fly in a sleek white ASK-21 two-seater and went on to obtain his full licence, according to club chairman Klaus Radke.
He was also a keen runner, competing in several races.
In 2007, he graduated from high school and was accepted as a Lufthansa trainee the following year, enrolling at the company's training school in Bremen.
Lubitz had a break in training about six years ago, lasting several months, according to Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr.
Mr Spohr refused to disclose the reason for this gap but said his suitability had been reassessed and Lubitz had resumed his studies.
But the final report of the investigation into the crash finds the interruption was caused by medical problems.
He suffered a serious depressive episode during his treatment and went on to receive treatment for a year and a half. During that time, he considered suicide but was eventually declared healthy.
It was recommended by a doctor that he needed special regular medical inspection and his medical certificates were valid for only one year at a time. A relevant note was added to his aviation authority file as well as to his pilot's licence.
In 2013 he joined Lufthansa's low budget airline, Germanwings. He initially worked as a flight attendant before starting his role as co-pilot.
His duties would have included monitoring instruments, communicating with air traffic controllers and sharing control of the aircraft with the captain. He would have also been expected to steer the plane during the pilot's breaks, or if he or she became ill.
Lufthansa said Lubitz had flown a total of 630 hours before the fatal crash.
He underwent a regular security check on 27 January and nothing untoward was found. Previous security checks in 2008 and 2010 also showed no issues.
"He was 100% fit to fly without any restrictions or conditions," Mr Spohr said. Yet the crash investigation found differently.
He had battled with vision problems and insomnia for several months, it said, caused by a psychiatric disorder rather than anything physical.
He was taking medication for both psychiatric issues and insomnia, and had been given doctor's notes excusing him from work. But he never showed them to the airline.
"On the day of the accident, the pilot was still suffering from a psychiatric disorder, which was possibly a psychotic depressive episode and was taking psychotropic medication," the report found.
"This made him unfit to fly."
But the report found he had hidden the evidence, and neither the airline nor his colleagues could have known about his circumstances.
Those who knew Lubitz have described him as an affable young man, who gave no indications he was harbouring any harmful intent.
Klaus Radke told the Associated Press that he had seen him when he returned to the club to renew his glider licence in the autumn of 2014.
"He seemed very enthusiastic about his career," he said. "I can't remember anything where something wasn't right."
Peter Ruecker, a long-time member of club, also insisted Lubitz had seemed "very happy" during their last meeting.
"I'm just speechless," he said. "I don't have any explanation for this. Knowing Andreas, this is just inconceivable for me."
A German criminal investigation into the crash concluded in January that Lubitz bore sole responsibility for crashing the jet.
Guenther Lubitz, the killer's father, rejected the findings as "false", arguing that they were not thorough enough.
He and his wife placed a loving tribute to their son in a local newspaper to mark the first anniversary of the crash, angering families of the victims, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports.


With two machine guns on board, the speed boat raced up and down the palm-fringed creek of Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta as several enthusiastic soldiers whooped with excitement.

Four larger well-armed vessels moved at a more sedate pace.
These Nigerian soldiers have good reason to be on high alert.
Gunmen recently ambushed a police boat killing 12 officers on board.
"Attacking law enforcement agents is like attacking the state," says the spokesman for the military's Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu.
"It is a dastardly blow… and we are not taking it lightly.
"I foresee a situation whereby those people, in order to gain recognition, may want to attack innocent civilians," he warned.
Following the attack, an email was sent to journalists stating that this ambush was the work of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend).
"We remain resolute in our resumption of hostilities," the email said.
However the military and experienced Niger Delta watchers doubt that there is any link between the attack and Mend which was extremely active, kidnapping oil workers and severely disrupting oil production, prior to the 2009 amnesty deal.
"They are a set of criminals usurping the image of Mend to seek attention and perhaps remuneration," said Lieutenant Colonel Nwachukwu.
It is widely believed that the attack was the result of a disagreement over money amongst a group of former militants.
By the look of things it will not be the last.
So far around 30,000 people have been granted amnesty by the Nigerian government.
In what is a very expensive commitment, each is supposed to receive 65,000 naira ($410, £265) per month.
Thousands have also been given training for jobs as diverse as pipe welding and learning to become a pilot.
The amnesty programme costs close to $500m a year, but that is small change compared to the extra oil money accrued since the peace deal was struck.
Production fell as low as 800,000 barrels a day when the militancy reached its peak.
Today officials say 2.4 million barrels are produced each day.
But critics say the root causes of conflict have not been addressed.
"We have seen that the federal government itself is only interested in the flow of oil," says Morris Alagoa of the campaign group Environmental Rights Action.
"Today we see that the former militant leaders are given so much money and inducements but in the communities people are still drinking from polluted waters, oil spills are not cleaned up and we don't have modern amenities - no good education facilities and no health care system," he said.
In Yenagoa town, the capital of Bayelsa state, there are unmissable signs that some of the former militant leaders have become incredibly wealthy - sprawling gaudy mansions are well-known landmarks.
In his less ostentatious but nevertheless relatively luxurious home, I met Reuben Wilson who is guarded by six policemen.
"When I was in the creek… we see money easily," he said.
"We would call an oil company and say: 'If you don't give us this, we will blow up this facility', and they would send money to the camp.
"Anything we said, we need they would send to us."
The former self-styled "general" has his sights on getting extremely wealthy.
"An oil company came to my community recently and has already started drilling there. Now I am in charge of the security in that area," he said.
"By the grace of God, the oil company will give me a major contract to supply chemicals and equipment so in two or three years when you come back maybe you will see me in a big mansion."
In Yenagoa, a former soldier tells me he used to visit the militant camps in the Niger Delta to service their guns.
He is from Azuzuama, the same community as the group that recently killed the policemen.
He does not want his identity revealed.
"Some of them, when they got the amnesty money, they later went and bought guns to carry out sea piracy activities," he said.
"The aim of re-arming is just for criminality… because they see that some of the ex-militant commanders have made so much money in life so they themselves are trying to get quick money," he told me, adding that former militants are also heavily involved in oil theft.
But whilst many of the ex-militant leaders are "living big", some of their former fighters are disgruntled.
"My money I receive is 40,000 naira instead of 65,000 and we don't like it. Let the government do something to favour us; if they don't, we can go back to our camps and do anything we like," said 29-year-old Solomon, who still hopes the amnesty commission will fund his education.
"The money has been cut by the bank manager and my 'Oga'," he said, referring to his former militant commander.
In Yenagoa, there are signs that some of the oil money is being spent on development, as huge diggers build new roads.
"We must all as leaders make genuine efforts to create jobs and develop skills and prepare for the day after oil," says Seriake Dickson, the governor of Bayelsa state.
"This state is going to be a hub for tourism and a hub for agriculture and that's why we have also taken the issue of security very seriously. Bayelsa is ready for business."
The federal government is for now buying the peace.
But the underlying grievances remain here - the deep poverty, lack of development and pollution.
Until they are dealt with, it will be hard to stop people believing that crime pays in the Niger Delta which at times feels like a crooked casino.


House price growth slowed in August but buying a property was still 6.9% more expensive than a year ago, new figures show.

The Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking Group, said that the average home in the UK cost Â£213,930.
Prices in the three months to the end of August were 0.7% higher than the previous quarter - marking a slowdown in the pace of growth.
Property values fell by 0.2% in August compared with July, the lender added.
"House price growth continued the trend of the past few months in August with a further moderation in both the annual and quarterly rates of increase. There are also signs of a softening in sales activity," said Martin Ellis, housing economist at the Halifax.
"The slowdown in the rate of house price growth is consistent with the forecast that we made at the end of 2015. Increasing difficulties in purchasing a home as house prices continued to increase more quickly than earnings were expected to constrain demand, curbing house price growth."
Analysts said that the slowdown may have come in part as a result of the typical summer lull in housing activity, but the long-term outlook was difficult to judge.
"On the ground we are not finding a huge change in prices, just a determination for buyers and sellers to get on with moving but at more realistic price levels," said estate agent Jeremy Leaf.
"Of bigger concern is whether there is the confidence among developers to take on debt for longer-term supply. We hope that the Bank of England has these factors in mind when making an interest rate decision this month and formulating other polices over the next few months."
Where can I afford to live?


Hearts' plans to redevelop the main stand at Tynecastle have been approved by Edinburgh City Council.

Work on the £11m project, which will increase the ground's overall capacity to more than 20,000, is scheduled to begin next month.
The redevelopment programme is due for completion in September 2017.
Hearts owner Ann Budge said last month that she expects the current 17,400 capacity to be unaffected while the work takes place.
"Inevitably there will be a bit of disruption because it is a big building programme but we absolutely keep that to a minimum and the supporters who still want to come and sit in the old stand will do so," she added.


The first phase of construction work on the controversial Inverness West Link is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Highland Council said the road linking the A82 on the east bank of the River Ness with Dores Road would ease travel across the city.
A campaign had opposed the road's construction because the route will cross areas of green space.
The start of building work could mean delays at the A82's Bught Drive junction for six weeks.
Highland Council expects to spend £55m building the road and creating new rugby pitches and also a new course and clubhouse for Torvean Golf Club.
The project forms part of the £315m Inverness City Region Deal announced in March.
The first stage of the West Link's construction is expected to last until late next year.
By 2020 people should be able to travel from the Southern Distributor Road to the A82, using a new bridge over the River Ness, and avoid having to go through the city centre.
Margaret Davidson, leader of Highland Council, said: "It is good to see this section of the work under way.
"The West Link will deliver significant economic benefits to the city and surrounding area, reducing congestion and enabling jobs and housing development."


Controversial courtside ads for UK bookmaker William Hill have been dumped from next month's Australian Open tennis tournament.

Tennis Australia confirmed on Friday it would no longer offer "on-court signage" to the betting agency.
The ads were criticised in January after the BBC and BuzzFeed revealed evidence of widespread match-fixing at the top level of world tennis.
William Hill was not implicated in the match-fixing allegations.
However, the scandal renewed criticism of the betting agency's deal in 2015 to become the Australian Open's "official betting partner".
Anti-gambling campaigners said the agreement represented a problematic deepening of ties between large bookmakers and the sport.
Richard Heaselgrave, a Tennis Australia executive, confirmed the advertisements had been cut.
"We have discussions with all our partners each year to amend their rights and benefits," he told the BBC. "William Hill won't have on-court signage for 2017."
Senator Nick Xenophon, who previously called for Tennis Australia to cut its "unprecedented ties" with the bookmaker, expressed cautious optimism about the decision.
"It's a welcome step provided there's no sting in the tale," the anti-gambling politician told the BBC.
"Ultimately I want to see an end to all gambling sponsorship at sporting events because so many children are exposed to it."
Australia has the world's highest gambling loss per head, according to UK consultancy H2 Gambling Capital, with Australians losing an average of A$1500 (Â£900; $1130) a year.
Dr Sally Gainsbury, from the University of Sydney, said the increase in gambling promotions at major sporting events was a concern for the community.
"Sports betters are more likely to say they are influenced by advertisers... because they have more difficulty controlling themselves," she said.
"The other concerns we have in relation to these sporting events is the exposure and normalisation of gambling behaviour to a wide population."
"That's what we're really concerned about, the next-generation effect, where young people might grow up thinking that betting is just a normal part of watching sport."
William Hill has been contacted for comment.
Reporting by the BBC's Greg Dunlop


Netflix has shaken off growth worries with new subscriber numbers that beat estimates and sent its shares soaring.

The video streaming company added 3.2 million international customers in the last three months, far more than the 2 million analysts had predicted.
In the US numbers rose by 370,000, as hit shows such as Stranger Things and Narcos won over more subscribers.
It helped quarterly revenues rise 31% to $2.29bn (Â£1.88bn), sparking a 20% jump in Netflix's share price.
In the three months to the end of September Netflix had about 83.3 million subscribers.
The company said on Monday that it plans to license content to existing online service providers in China rather than operate its own service in China in the near term.
Netflix has been expanding in international markets to counter slowing growth in the US. The service has a strong presence in more than 130 markets worldwide, except China.
Concern that Netflix's growth was slowing had overshadowed the company. Its shares had fallen about 13% this year.
But in after-hours trading on Wall Street the shares jumped 20% to about $119.
Analysts said that the figures should dispel fears that Netflix was running out of momentum, at least in the short term.
Neil Saunders, chief executive of retail consultants Conlumino, said: "We maintain our view that over the next few years international expansion will pay dividends, but for the current cycle Netflix will be very reliant on domestic performance to ensure it ends the fiscal year on a high note."


The body of a missing music shop owner has been found in the boot of his car parked in Birmingham.

Tanveer Iqbal's body was found in his Renault Clio in Portland Road, Edgbaston, on Monday afternoon.
The 33-year-old had not been seen since closing his Hi-Tech Music shop in Shireland Road, Smethwick, on Sunday evening and had been reported missing.
Police said his death is currently being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination will be carried out.
Mr Iqbal was reported missing at midday on Monday.
More on this story and others from Birmingham and Black Country
Portland Road was cordoned off between City Road and the Ridgeway and the car has been taken away for investigation.
Det Insp Paul Joyce said police are working "around the clock" to try to piece together Mr Iqbal's last movements.
"Portland Road is likely to remain closed until later today while my team continues to carry out an important forensic examination at the scene," he said.
"I am particularly keen to speak to any witnesses who may have seen Mr Iqbal between closing his shop in Smethwick on Sunday night and the time he was discovered at lunchtime on Monday."


The head of the Philippines police has said more than 1,900 people have been killed during a crackdown on illegal drugs in the past seven weeks.

Ronald dela Rosa was speaking at a senate hearing into the sharp rise in deaths since Rodrigo Duterte became president.
He said police operations had killed about 750 people, but the other deaths were still being investigated.
Mr Duterte won the presidency with his hard-line policy to eradicate drugs.
He has previously urged citizens to shoot and kill drug dealers who resisted arrest, and reiterated that the killings of drug suspects were lawful if the police acted in self-defence.
He also threatened to "separate" from the UN after it called his war on drugs a crime under international law.
The US has said it is "deeply concerned" by the increase in drug-related killings.
The senate joint inquiry is being conducted by Senator Leila de Lima, who has called on authorities to explain the "unprecedented" rise in deaths.
It is also hearing from the relatives of some of those killed.
The family members of some of those killed are getting the chance to tell their stories to the inquiry.
Wearing dark glasses and draped in a shawl, Harra Besorio said policemen raided her home in Pasay City without a warrant and stripped her infant daughter to check for drugs.
Her partner, who she admitted was a small-time dealer, and his father were beaten up in front of them, she told the inquiry on Monday. They were later taken to a police station and allegedly killed there.
The two police officers accused claimed an attempt had been made to grab one of their guns, but this was refuted by the Philippines Commission on Human Rights.
It said they had been badly injured and were shot three times. The two officers have been charged with murder.
Mr dela Rosa told the inquiry on Tuesday that a total of 1,916 deaths had been recorded during the crackdown, 756 of which were during police operations.
He said the number had gone up even since he gave evidence on Monday, where he gave a figure of 1,800 deaths.
"Not all deaths under investigations are drug-related," he told news agency Reuters, saying about 40 killings were due to robbery or personal disputes.
However, Mr dela Rosa said there was no declared policy to kill drug users and pushers, saying police were "not butchers".
The police director-general also added that about 300 police officers were suspected to be involved in the drugs trade, warning that they would be charged and removed from their positions if found guilty.
Nearly 700,000 drug users and peddlers have turned themselves in since the launch of the campaign, Mr dela Rosa said.
He also said that there was a decrease in overall crime, though the number of homicides and murders had increased.
On Monday, Mr dela Rosa told the inquiry: "I admit many are dying but our campaign, now, we have the momentum."
Senator Frank Drilon told Reuters that the number of deaths was "alarming" and had "a chilling effect".
In his previous role as mayor of Davao, Mr Duterte built a reputation for blunt speaking and supporting the extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals.
Crime rates in Davao decreased while he was in office, though human rights groups estimate than more than 1,000 people were killed with no legal process.


Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has signed a new five-year deal with Premier League champions Leicester City.

The Denmark international, 29, played in all 38 of the Foxes' league fixtures last season, keeping 15 clean sheets.
He has made more than 200 appearances for Leicester since arriving from Leeds United in 2011, having started his career at Manchester City.
"We've taken some massive steps and ever since I arrived it's been fantastic," Schmeichel told LCFC TV.
"It was a case of coming back after winning the Premier League and making sure that the hunger was the same within myself and the squad. I've come back absolutely convinced that this is the place for me to be."
Boss Claudio Ranieri has said the club will not sell anymore of their best players after N'Golo Kante joined Chelsea last month.
England forward Jamie Vardy also signed a new deal with the champions in June, ending speculation that the 29-year-old would join Arsenal.
The Foxes begin their season with the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, when they face FA Cup winners Manchester United.
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The classmates of a boy who died after falling into the sea at Aberdeen Beach last month have paid tribute to him.

Lucas Walker, from Aberdeen, who would have celebrated his seventh birthday on Monday, died after getting into difficulties in the water off the city's beach on 20 August.
His mother Julie Walker, 37, also died during the incident.
Pupils at Bramble Brae School released balloons in the presence of Lucas' grandparents and three brothers.
Head teacher Amanda Murray said: "It was an incredibly emotional day for everyone but we felt it was very important to come together to celebrate the life of Lucas and to share memories of the fun and laughter he brought to Bramble Brae.
"It was fitting that family members were with us to see how fondly he is remembered and to take part in the balloon release.
"The events of last month will never be forgotten. What we have to do is ensure pupils, family members and staff who have been touched by this terrible tragedy continue to be supported through a very difficult period."
Lucas was a primary three pupil at the school.
Following the tragedy, counselling was made available by Aberdeen City Council and continues to be offered to anyone affected by the deaths of Lucas and his mother.
Aberdeen City Council leader, Jenny Laing, said: "Young people are incredibly resilient but we should not underestimate the impact the loss of Lucas and his mum has had on the school community in Aberdeen and we want to reassure parents, guardians, staff and the children themselves that we are here for them."
Lucas was paddling in the water when he was swept out to sea. His mother had tried to save him.
The pair, from Aberdeen, were both taken to hospital but did not survive.
Lucas's 13-year-old brother, Samuel, was also pulled from the water, along with a man and a woman. All three tried to save Ms Walker and her son.
Safety measures at the beach are being assessed as part of an inquiry.