Wes Fletcher has joined Motherwell after leaving York City and targeted more goals than his predecessor in the number nine jersey, John Sutton.

The 24-year-old Englishman, who was with Manchester United, Liverpool and Burnley as a youth, has signed a one-year contract at Fir Park.
Sutton, who scored 13 goals last season, has joined St Johnstone.
"I've asked for the number nine jersey as I like the pressure of expectations," said Fletcher.
"I know the previous player wearing that number scored a lot, so my target is to not only match that but get more.
"I'm a player who will work hard and I know where the goal is."
Fletcher, who had spent spells on loan to Grimsby Town, Stockport County, Accrington Stanley, Crewe Alexandra and Yeovil Town, scored seven times in 32 appearances last season as York finished 18th in England's League Two.
He finally left Burnley permanently to join York in 2013 but was out of contract and was released this summer.
His arrival at Fir Park follows quickly after the addition of David Clarkson, the striker released by Dundee.
Manager Ian Baraclough told his club website: "I've seen a fair bit of Wes and know exactly what he is capable of.
"The club has also had him watched on several occasions and feel he is ready to add something different to our squad.
"His game will suit the way we want to play and, along with David Clarkson, will add more competition.
"This is just the beginning of the recruitment process though.
"We've still got several more faces to come all across the park and we'll continue to work hard to do that as quickly as possible."


Scotland's chief fire officer Alasdair Hay has said the right resources are being sent to incidents after claims about the handling of some call-outs.

He was responding to concerns local knowledge has been lost following the closure of fire control rooms in Inverness and Aberdeen.
Highland Council and Shetland MSP Tavish Scott have been among those raising the concerns.
Mr Hay said there were "checks and balances" to ensure the right response.
Earlier this week, Highland Council's ruling administration renewed its call for the region to have a dedicated fire control room service.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) shut its operations control room in Inverness last month and its site in Aberdeen in November.
Calls that were handled by those control rooms are now dealt with in Dundee.
But Mr Hay said: "I want to give strong reassurances that at no point did we not dispatch the right resources across the north of Scotland.
"We have a number of checks and balances that make sure we send the right resources to the right incident as quickly as we can."
He said the fire service would also continue to improve systems, processes and operations to provide "the best possible and most robust service" to communities.


Fifty jobs are set to be created at a medical technology company in Carmarthenshire.

Magstim Company Limited, which manufactures devices used in brain therapy, has announced plans to expand its plant in Whitland.
The company said the move will take its total workforce there to 150 and will boost its market in the USA.
The three-year expansion project has been supported by Â£2.7m of Welsh government funding.
Managing director Robin Davies said expansion would "help us achieve our growth plans".
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: "It's always good to see an indigenous company with considerable expertise in its specialist field continuing to make its mark worldwide.
"It serves to promote Welsh capability on an international stage and is a very welcome boost for our rapidly expanding life science sector."


A campaign has been launched to save a telephone box which is used by walkers for shelter in the Cambrian mountains.

The red box, situated between Tregaron in Ceredigion and Llanwrtyd in Powys, has been listed for removal by BT because it has not worked for more than 18 months.
But keen walkers have described it as an "important part of the landscape".
BT said the box had been targeted by vandals and gave the public 90 days to raise objections before it is removed.
But campaigner Marilyn Barrack said it could be a "lifeline" to ramblers caught in bleak conditions.
Ms Barrack, chairwoman of the Elenydd Wilderness Hostels Trust, said: "Mobile coverage is very sparse and there is not another phone box for about seven miles, and there are not many houses in the area."
Dafydd Morgan, of Tregaron Walking Club, said: "From a distance it stands out prominently in whatever direction you see it from - it's the only landmark up there that can assist people on their travels."
A spokesman for BT said: "We have started a consultation with Ceredigion council and the community would have an opportunity to feed into this."


Rhys Ifans has given the strongest hint yet he could be involved in a sequel to the cult Welsh film Twin Town.

The Welsh actor, who also appeared in Notting Hill and The Amazing Spider-Man, starred in the 1997 original alongside Dougray Scott.
Ifans and his brother Llyr played Lewis twins, Jeremy and Julian.
"There's quite possibly a juicy Welsh movie some time towards the end of next year," Ifans told BBC Radio Wales.
"Or it could be at the beginning of the following year."
Twin Town was described as a dark crime thriller set in Swansea and director Kevin Allen has already revealed he is working on a sequel, potentially in nearby Llanelli.
Trainspotting, another 1990s cult movie, will have a sequel, which is due for release in January.
Ifans admitted he was going to his "good friend" Allen's house on Tuesday for a "Christmas soiree".
Asked by BBC Radio Wales host Jason Mohammad if "juicy" meant Twin Town 2, Ifans replied with a laugh: "Oh I don't know, I couldn't tell you!
"Let's just say all of your listeners will be very pleased to hear about this. It is early days. Right now my lips are glued very tightly."


A teenager from County Durham who lost his legs and an arm to meningitis when he was nine months old has had a bionic arm fitted.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
2 January 2015 Last updated at 11:31 GMT
Lyndon Longhorne, from Crook, lost the limbs as well as tips of the fingers on his left hand.
The 19-year-old said since the state-of-the-art hand was fitted, life is "a lot different".


The manager of Bombardier's Northern Ireland operation has said the Canadian bailout of the firm's CSeries project poses no threat to the Belfast plant.

Michael Ryan made the comments in an interview with the Bloomberg financial news service.
In October, the Quebec state government pumped $1bn (£655m) into a partnership set up to complete the CSeries.
The wings for the CSeries are made in Northern Ireland.
"The quid pro quo was that final assembly and marketing would stay in Quebec, but that was all," Mr Ryan said.
The CSeries will employ at least 800 people in Belfast at full production, out of 5,500 in total.
Mr Ryan told Bloomberg that the Northern Ireland plant had skills in composite manufacturing that made it a world leader in wing production, safeguarding its status.
The development of the narrow-bodied CSeries passenger plane has placed a major strain on Bombardier's finances.
The project has been repeatedly delayed, is over-budget and orders have been slow.


Blackpool International Airport has been put up for sale.

Balfour Beatty, which purchased it in 2008, said its strategy had changed and it wanted to end its involvement in running regional airports.
Staff were told the news on Thursday and management said it was too soon to comment about any potential redundancies as a result of the sale.
Blackpool Airport said it would be sold as a going concern and it was "business as usual" and flights would continue.
The airport said: "It's too soon to comment on any redundancies, the size and the shape of the company would be determined by new owners."
There are about 110 staff employed at the airport.
Last year, 235,000 passengers used the airport.


Severe weather warnings are in place in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned of strong winds, heavy surf and the possibility of flash floods.
The Queensland Premier Annastacia Palasczuk advised people to stay indoors if they could.
The bad weather comes barely a week since storms battered New South Wales, killing four people.
The bureau warned of winds peaking at 100km/h (62mph) on Friday night along the coast.
The weather is expected to intensify as it moves south, before moving off the coast on Sunday.
Friday's rugby league test match between Australia and New Zealand was called off hours before kick off.
The game was rescheduled for Sunday. It is the first time since 1948 that a league match has been postponed because of weather.
Ten dams operated by Seqwater in southeast Queensland are spilling over, the water agency said.
Massive flooding struck areas in and around Brisbane in 2011, with 38 people killed and more than  30,000 properties swamped.
Then, the authorities faced questions about why waters in the Wivenhoe dam, west of Brisbane, were not reduced in preparation for the flooding.
The dam was 98% full on Friday. Seqwater said it was monitoring levels and that it would likely release water from Wivenhoe and another dam on Friday night or Saturday morning, according to the Queensland Times.


The future role of Guernsey States-owned airline Aurigny will form part of a review into its services.

The length of the airport runways in Guernsey and Alderney, the airline's role in economics and the needs of the community will also be included.
The loss-making airline no longer runs a Guernsey-Jersey service and concerns have grown about flights to Alderney.
Deputy Lyndon Trott, leading the review, said transport was the biggest policy issue facing the States.
Mr Trott said: "The many issues surrounding our air and sea connectivity currently present the Bailiwick with its number one strategic policy challenge."
He described the review as "a genuine opportunity" to set long-term plans for the future of the States-owned airline.
The island's government bought the airline in 2003 in a bid to safeguard slots at London Gatwick.
The public has been asked to contribute to the review and the report including recommendations is due to go before the States in early 2017.
Included in the Terms of Reference
Source: Strategic Review of Aurigny


Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has signed a new contract with the champions of Italy until 2020.

Allegri, 49, has steered Juve to three successive Serie A titles, two Champions League finals and three Coppa Italia triumphs since replacing Antonio Conte in July 2014.
"Side by side, Juventus and Allegri have created history and legend," said a Juventus statement.
"Now is the time to make the next step forwards together."
It added: "Today's agreement extends a working relationship that has seen the Bianconeri consolidate their position as Italy's top team and also evolve into one of European football's major forces."
In May 2016, former AC Milan boss Allegri extended his contract with Juve until the summer of 2018.
Juventus finished four points ahead of second-placed Roma in 2016-17 to be crowned Italian champions for a sixth straight season.
They also reached the final of the Champions League, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid in Cardiff last Saturday.
Elsewhere in Serie A, Simone Inzaghi has signed a two-year contract extension tying him to Lazio until 2020, the club said on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old coach enjoyed a positive 2016/17 season, guiding Lazio to fifth in Serie A and the Italian Cup final, which they lost to Juventus, meaning they will play in next season's Europa League.


Former British and Irish Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll has backed Wales coach Warren Gatland to lead the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand.

Gatland, 52, controversially dropped the Ireland legend from the decisive Test win against Australia in 2013.
O'Driscoll told the Daily Telegraph that Gatland and Ireland boss Joe Schmidt are the best options for 2017.
The 37-year-old added Gatland's style "is probably something that lends itself to the short lead-in time".
The Lions face New Zealand three times in a five-week tour in 2017, with the first Test coming after six build-up games over three weeks.
British and Irish Lions chief executive John Feehan has said Gatland is the leading contender to take charge again.
The Welsh Rugby Union would again back their national coach, who was assistant to Ian McGeechan for the 2009 tour to South Africa that ended in a 2-1 defeat.
Gatland selected Wales' Jonathan Davies ahead of O'Driscoll to partner Jamie Roberts for the crucial Test in Sydney three years ago.
Former Ireland captain and Lions hooker Keith Wood described the decision as "a terrible mistake".
The Lions won 41-16 without O'Driscoll, but Wood stood by his comments.
O'Driscoll says he would partner Davies with England's Manu Tuilagi were he selecting the team now.
"I will get absolutely lambasted in Wales for not picking Roberts, but I think you have to have Manu in there and I don't think you play him and Jamie together," said O'Driscoll.


X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger has just had a road gritter named after her.

It was all part of a competition that the council for Oldham, in Greater Manchester, ran for school children to name their new gritter.
They had thousands of entries but the winner was 10-year-old Eve who suggested naming the truck after the celeb judge.
The gritter will be used to spread salt on roads when it snows - so the name has a salty twist... Nicole Saltslinger!
But Nicole isn't the only celeb who's had something strange named after them.
Ships and boats often get named after people like this polar research ship named after wildlife presenter Sir David Attenborough.
It got this name after the winning entry in a competition to name it - Boaty McBoatface - didn't get taken up by the ship owners.
Instead they said the popular suggestion of Boaty McBoatface would be given to one of their sub-sea vehicles.
Naming new species after celebrities is a very good way to get people talking about what you've discovered.
A new type of trapdoor spider was given the name Aptostichus angelinajolieae after American actress Angelina Jolie.
It was named after her by a university professor in recognition of the work she does to help refugees around the world.
When a new type of plant is discovered it needs a name too.
So when scientists at Duke University in North Carolina, America, needed to name a new group of 19 ferns they thought of... Lady Gaga.
The 19 different species of fern each have the the group name "Gaga" and one of them has the full name Gaga germanotta - referring to Lady Gaga's real surname Germanotta.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger might may be a successful football manager, but did you know he has a minor planet - 33179 Arsenewenger - named after him too?!
In fact, there are lots of things in space named after scientists, astronomers and other famous people.
The person who discovers a minor planet can suggest a name to a committee, who then decide whether it's suitable.


The wreckage of Irish Coast Guard helicopter R116 has been found off the Mayo coast in the Republic of Ireland, officials have said.

Four crew were on board the Sikorsky S92 when it crashed during a coastguard operation on 14 March.
The 45-year-old pilot, Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, was recovered from the sea but died in hospital later that day.
Search crews said they were "hopeful" the bodies of the three missing crew could be inside.
"That is the absolute hope," Chief Inspector with the Air Accident Investigation Unit, Jurgen Whyte,  told the broadcaster, RTÃ‰.
"We have the wreckage, it's now just a matter of getting a weather window."
The families of Captain Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciaran Smith have been informed of the latest development.
The wreck has been located about 60m off Blackrock island, and is lying on the seabed at a depth of about 40m, the Irish Coast Guard said.
A remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), fitted with an underwater camera, was deployed in the search operation on Wednesday morning, eight days after the crash.
However, it was not yet able to confirm if any bodies are inside the wreckage.
The wreck was found close to where a signal from the helicopter's black box recorder was detected last week.
A recovery operation will now take place, but search teams will have to take account of weather conditions, which have already hampered the search.
Relatives of the crew are to visit the site later in an Irish naval ship.
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny joined hundreds of mourners at Capt Fitzpatrick's funeral on Saturday.
Her sister told the funeral Mass that "God owes us, he owes us to bring home Dara's three colleagues who are still missing".


A cruise line passenger who threatened to 'jump ship' at the next port after complaining about his cabin was removed for being a security risk.

Jack Moran, 85, from Crosby believes a misunderstanding led to his eviction from the Royal Caribbean ship and is demanding an apology.
He was celebrating his diamond wedding with his wife Anne and family in May when their cruise was cut short.
Royal Caribbean said its first priority is "the best interests of guests."
Mr Moran said he got wet paint on his hand and trousers after arriving in the cabin, as the balcony had been recently painted.
After making several complaints, he told a member of the restaurant staff he wanted to "jump ship" at the next stop.
When he returned, security staff and the second captain told the family the company's head office wanted him taken off as he was a "security risk."
A security guard was stationed outside his cabin all night and regularly checked on him.
Mr Moran said he believes his comments were misunderstood and the cruise company overreacted.
"Cruises are a great holiday, it's just unfortunate that staff that were dealing with me misunderstood everything.
It could have been so simple, everything could have been sorted out."
The couple, their daughter and son-in-law and his mother, left the ship at Zeebrugge and made their way home to Merseyside after just 23-and-a-half hours on the cruise in May 2014.
The group has been refunded the cost of the four-day holiday and the return trip home. They are hoping to receive an apology soon.
A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean Cruises said: "Our first priority is always to look after the best interests of our guests and crew.
"We acknowledge Mr Moran's ongoing concerns and have contacted him to discuss these in more detail."


A beef farmer has enlisted the help of one of his cattle to pop the question.

Ashley Farrell from Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, proposed to his girlfriend Anna Louise Martin on Christmas Eve.
He made his unconventional bid for bliss by spray-painting "Marry me" on the side of one of his calves.
Miss Martin suspected nothing as Ashley wooed her to the cow shed, as he had already told her she was getting a calf for Christmas.
She said: "I went outside and saw a small calf (a velvet Belted Galloway cross) but thought something was up because if he had the calf from November then it should be bigger than that.
"Then, before I could open my mouth, it turned around and the words 'Marry me' were painted on the side of it.
"I turned around and Ashley was on one knee with the ring in his hands and I of course said yes".
However Miss Martin, from Hillsborough in County Down, admits that she did not believe that Ashley came up with the dramatic idea himself at first.
"He is not usually the romantic type, but he thought of this one himself.
"I should have given him more credit but he is your typical farmer so I was really surprised that it was his idea."
Like many couples, Ashley and Anna Louise were quick to post their engagement announcement on Facebook, but they did not expect such a widespread reaction.
"My friend sent the photos into Farming Life newspaper and next thing I knew I was getting calls and texts from all different newspapers and media," said Miss Martin.
"It's all a bit of craic though."


Barcelona's Neymar and Bayern Munich's Douglas Costa have been named as over-age players in Brazil's Rio 2016 Olympics squad.

The third permitted over-age player is Palmeiras goalkeeper Fernando Prass.
Gabriel Barbosa, the teenage Santos striker who scored on his Brazil debut last month, is one of five forwards in the largely under-23 squad.
Under-20s coach Rogerio Micale will manage the side after Dunga's sacking following the Copa America.
Goalkeepers: Fernando Prass (Palmeira), Uilson (Atletico Mineiro).
Defenders: Marquinhos (PSG), Luan (Vasco da Gama), Rodrigo Caio (Sao Paulo), Zeca (Santos), William (Internacional), Douglas Santos (Atletico Mineiro).
Midfielders: Thiago Maia (Santos), Rodrigo Dourado (Internacional), Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafinha (Barcelona), Felipe Anderson (Lazio).
Forwards: Neymar (Barcelona), Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich), Gabriel Jesus (Palmeiras), Gabriel Barbosa (Santos), Luan (Gremio).


Plans to introduce car park charges at parks in a Dorset town could increase congestion in nearby streets, campaigners have claimed.

Borough of Poole Council plans to start charging at Upton County Park and other parks, beaches and playing fields.
Whitecliff Residents Association said surrounding streets would be "flooded" by motorists looking for alternative free parking.
The council said the move could raise Â£0.5m a year.
The council is proposing on-street charges round Sandbanks, at Upton County Park and at open spaces including Whitecliff Park, Hamworthy Park, Lake Pier, Newfoundland Drive Skateboard park and Rockley Park.
Opponents claim charges will discourage people from visiting parks and taking part in sport and fitness activities.
A petition opposing the plans has attracted almost 2,000 signatures and members of Whitecliff Residents Association have written to the government to complain.
Association chairman Bob Lister said: "If they put in car parking charges, they will flood our road which is already congested."
The council's transport portfolio holder John Rampton insisted introducing charges was a "financial imperative".
"It's a very small ask - we don't believe people's behaviour will change that much."
"Councils are in such a difficult position - they have to make savings and make money and commercialise, where they can, if they are to survive and provide services to the most vulnerable people in our society."
If the plans are approved following public consultation, charges could be in place by Easter.


Mason Caton-Brown's hat-trick of tries gave Salford victory over Widnes in a pulsating Super League contest.

Salford went six points ahead on three separate occasions, but were pegged back each time by the Vikings.
A Josh Jones try and two Gareth O'Brien penalties stretched Salford's lead to 10 points, before Corey Thompson's score for Widnes set up a tense finish.
However, Caton-Brown dived over with two minutes remaining to seal a third win for Salford over Widnes in 2016.
Hull KR's loss to Hull FC on Thursday meant Widnes were already guaranteed a top-eight spot, while Salford are unable to finish any higher than ninth.
Caton-Brown's opener was cancelled out by the first of Matt Whitley's two scores for the home side, while Justin Carney and Patrick Ah Van swapped tries to make 12-12 at half-time.
The pick of Salford's five touchdowns was Caton-Brown's second, the former London Broncos man finishing a move that started on halfway with Robert Lui's superb offload, only for Whitley to level again.
After the Red Devils had gone 26-16 up, Thompson's try came while both sides were down to 12 men, with Jack Buchanan of Widnes and Salford's Craig Kopczak both in the sin-bin following a scuffle.
But Caton-Brown had the final say, powering over in the corner to complete his treble in the closing seconds.
Widnes Vikings: Hanbury; Thompson, Runciman, Marsh, Ah Van; Mellor, Brown; Burke, White, Buchanan, Whitley, Dean, Houston.
Replacements: Cahill, Heremaia, Manuokafoa, Farrell.
Salford Red Devils: O'Brien; Caton-Brown, J. Griffin, Sa'u, Carney; Lui, Dobson; Kopczak, Tomkins, G. Griffin, Murdoch-Masila, Jones, Flanagan.
Replacements: Krasniqi, Hauraki, Kenny, Evalds.
Referee: Gareth Hewer


Ireland coach Joe Schmidt bemoaned his side's slow start to the game and missed try-scoring chances as they lost their Six Nations opener to Scotland.

Ireland trailed 21-8 at the interval but fought back to lead by one point, before going down 27-22 at Murrayfield.
"We were well off our game early on and the Scottish attack really took advantage of that," lamented Schmidt.
"We fought back and had some gilt-edged chances. It's incredibly disappointing that we let it slip in the end."
Scotland started strongly with two tries from Stuart Hogg and, though Keith Earls scored in the corner for Ireland, Alex Dunbar's score put the hosts 21-5 up.
Tries from Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson put the away side 22-21 ahead before Greig Laidlaw's two late penalties sealed Scotland's victory.
Schmidt said defeat had been "tough to take".
"We arrived at the stadium 10 or 15 minutes late and we were late for most things in the first half," he added.
"I thought we clawed our way back well in the second half and shut down some of their attack but missed some good opportunities ourselves."
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Schmidt said watching the game back would not be pleasant, particularly given the first-half defensive lapses which helped the Scots gain a foothold.
"We were very naive and passive in the early stages, which was something we had worked pretty hard to avoid," he said.
"We missed our timing a bit but we haven't played in a long time and there were a few changes in there too since our last game."
Under new rules introduced this year, Ireland secured a losing bonus point for finishing within seven points of their opponents, and Schmidt remains upbeat about their prospects.
"We're not out of the competition," he said. "We did get a point out of the game but given that we scored three tries, we are maybe disappointed that we were only one try away from getting another [for scoring four tries].
"At the moment our priority is to get recovered and work towards a much better performance next time."


Sinn Féin does not want the Northern Ireland Assembly to collapse and believes a deal on welfare is still possible, its MLA Alex Maskey has said.

His party's ard chomhairle (national executive) met in Dublin on Saturday to discuss the political and financial crisis facing Stormont's institutions.
Mr Maskey said they agreed that Sinn Féin "cannot and will not stand over" proposed cuts to the welfare system.
He called for further talks with the UK government, saying a deal was "doable".
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Mr Maskey said: "The ard chomhairle had a very long conversation yesterday.
"We understand fully the implications of where this might go, we do not want the collapse of the institutions.
"What we do want is to recreate the agreement that the five parties had at Christmas.  Let's sit down and hammer that out again if need be, it is doable."
In March, Sinn Féin dramatically withdrew its support for the wide-ranging deal it had struck last December, known as the Stormont House Agreement.
The agreement provided mitigation measures that would have protected benefit recipients in Northern Ireland who stood to lose out as a result of welfare reform.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister who tried unsuccessfully to pass the Welfare Reform Bill in the assembly last week told the Sunday Politics that those protective measures have been "lost" and "put in the bin" because of the parties' failure to agree.
Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey accused Sinn Féin of being led by its "southern command" in the Republic of Ireland over welfare policy.
Mr Storey said Sinn Féin was "looking both ways" and "constantly looking over its shoulder in relation to what happens in another jurisdiction".
However, Mr Maskey said: "Sinn Féin doesn't have a northern command or a southern command, it has a national party leadership."
The West Belfast MLA listed examples of deals, once believed to impossible, that were struck during the peace process, including the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the 2006 St Andrews Agreement that led to the DUP sharing power with Sinn Féin and the devolution of policing and justice in 2010.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers has written to party leaders inviting them to a review of the Stormont House Agreement on Tuesday.


Huddersfield Giants confirmed their Super League status for another season with a comfortable win over bottom side Leigh Centurions.

Lee Gaskell grabbed the game's first try after 22 minutes, with Danny Brough adding the extras and a later penalty to make it 8-0 at half-time.
Ukuma Ta'ai's touchdown for the hosts was followed by Gaskell's second as Huddersfield built a 20-point lead.
Josh Drinkwater got Leigh's only try before Leroy Cudjoe completed the win.
Huddersfield's triumph, their second in as many weeks over the competition's bottom two sides, confirms the make up of the Super 8s and Qualifiers.
Warrington, who won the League Leaders' Shield last season and lost both major finals in 2016, are resigned to having to battle to avoid relegation.
Leigh, whose captain Micky Higham made his 500th career appearance in the defeat, need to beat near neighbours Salford next week and hope that Widnes fail to overcome Warrington if they are to avoid finishing bottom after 23 Super League games.
Huddersfield Giants boss Rick Stone:
"It was a tough, physical game and we showed some good resilience.
"Our goal is now to win as many games as we can and we have a few boys to come back from injury."
On confirming a top eight finish: "I was always confident as most of the time we were a bit banged up with injuries and I felt once we got those players back it would help us.
"It started probably at the Magic Weekend with a bit of a rusty win over Catalans. We began to respect the process a bit more - the boys have bought into that and the last couple of months have been good."
Leigh Centurions coach Neil Jukes:
"I thought we turned up for one another and had a real dig, but there were just too many silly scenarios which kept putting unforced pressure on ourselves.
"While the scoreline doesn't look great, to do the amount of defending we did shows that there's still a good work ethic within them. But regarding smartness we probably get one out of 10."
Huddersfield Giants: Rankin; McGillvary, Cudjoe, S Wood, McIntosh; Gaskell, Brough; Rapira, Leeming, Ikahihifo, Roberts, Ferguson, Hinchcliffe.
Replacements: O'Brien, Wakeman, Clough, Ta'ai.
Leigh Centurions: Brown; Higson, Crooks, Langi, Dawson; Mortimer, Drinkwater; Hock, Higham, Hansen, Paterson, Vea, Stewart.
Replacements: Pelissier, Tickle, Hopkins, Burr.
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas


World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has apologised for statements he made in a video posted online.

Fury, 27, was filmed making homophobic, sexist and anti-Semitic comments in a video posted online earlier this month.
The Briton also voiced his views on bestiality, paedophilia and women during the 57-minute clip on YouTube.
"I said some things which may have hurt some people - which as a Christian man is not something I would ever want to do," said Fury.
"I apologise to anyone who may have taken offence at any of my comments.
"Though it is not an excuse, sometimes the heightened media scrutiny has caused me to act out in public.
"I know more is expected of me as an ambassador of British boxing and I promise in future to hold myself up to the highest possible standard.
"Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am in no way a racist or bigot and I hope the public accept this apology."
In November, Fury caused an upset by outpointing 40-year-old Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko in Germany, with the rematch for his WBA and WBO heavyweight titles to take place at the Manchester Arena on 9 July.
His previous comments on homosexuality, paedophilia and women resulted in more than 100,000 people signing an online petition in an attempt to get him removed from the BBC's 2015 Sports Personality of the Year shortlist.
Fury remained on the list and apologised at the award ceremony in December.


Boyhood, a film 12 years in the making, has won top honours at the New York Film Critics awards.

The best picture winner also garnered best director awards for Richard Linklater and best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.
It was shot over more than a decade to capture the passage of time in one boy's life from age 5 to 18.
The annual critics awards are typically viewed as a pre-cursor to the high-profile and coveted Academy Awards.
Other winners include actor Timothy Spall - named best actor for British painter JMW Turner in Mr Turner - and best actress Marion Cotillard for her roles in The Immigrant and Two Days, One Night.
Actor JK Simmons won a best supporting actor prize for his role as a terrorising music teacher in Whiplash.
The Lego Movie won best animated film, while Ida was named best foreign film. Citizenfour, about US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden, won for best documentary film.
Presentation of the awards is scheduled for 5 January in New York.
The New York Film Critics Circle, founded in 1935, counts members representing magazines, newspapers and online publications.
The awards are considered a bellwether for the Oscars, which will air on 22 February.


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has finalised his frontbench team by filling posts left vacant after three shadow ministers resigned on Wednesday.

Kevan Jones, Jonathan Reynolds and Stephen Doughty quit in protest at the sacking of shadow cabinet members who were at odds with Mr Corbyn.
Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, dismissed the three MPs as being part of "a narrow, right-wing clique".
The moves complete Mr Corbyn's three day reshuffle.
His new appointments are: Kate Hollern, who becomes a shadow defence minister; Jenny Chapman, who becomes a shadow education minister; Jo Stevens becomes shadow prisons minister; Andy McDonald becomes shadow transport minister, Angela Rayner, shadow work and pensions and Fabian Hamilton, shadow foreign affairs.
Mr Jones quit his defence spokesman role over the issue of Trident after Mr Corbyn replaced pro-nuclear weapons MP Maria Eagle with Emily Thornberry, who favours unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Meanwhile, shadow rail minister Jonathan Reynolds and Stephen Doughty, a shadow foreign minister, quit over the sacking of shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden.
Mr Corbyn fired Mr McFadden for "disloyalty" after he appeared to criticise the Labour leader's stance on terrorism.
Mr Corbyn managed to avoid a further spate of resignations that had reportedly been threatened if he had sacked shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn.
In the end, after a protracted reshuffle, the changes he made saw anti-Trident MP Emily Thornberry replacing shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, who moved to culture to replace sacked Michael Dugher.
Mr Benn, who disagrees with Mr Corbyn on key issues including bombing IS targets in Syria, denied he had been "muzzled" by Mr Corbyn after reportedly agreeing not to criticise the leader's policy positions from the front bench.
He said he would be carrying on with his job "exactly as before".


For months Kamil Rebacz from London had been planning a holiday to the Dominican Republic.

His fiancee Beata was five months pregnant. "We had been saving for months and the baby is due in June," he says.
"We wanted to have a little free time for ourselves, and enjoy ourselves before the birth."
Then last month their plans unravelled as news of the Zika virus outbreak in Latin America hit the headlines.
Although the virus causes few problems to most people, it has been linked to brain damage in newborn children whose mothers have been affected.
"This is our first baby," says Kamil. "I have read about what could happen if my fiancee was bitten by a mosquito. I can't take the risk."
When Mr Rebacz first contacted his airline they refused to compensate him for cancelling his flight. However, a week later his holiday company later agreed to a full refund.
Ironically it's the increasing severity of the outbreak that probably got Mr Rebacz his refund.
The UK's National Travel Health Network and Centre (NTHNC) now says pregnant women should reconsider their travel plans, and that any traveller should seek advice from a health professional before departing if travelling to any of the affected area.
The new guidelines have made claiming a refund a lot easier, although insurance companies and travel companies insist that they are reviewing all claims on a case by case basis.
"If someone is advised not to travel to a destination by a medical professional then most travel insurance policies will cover cancellation costs than cannot be reclaimed elsewhere," says Caroline Jones of the Association of British Insurers.
"This is provided that the trip and insurance were bought before the recent advice changed.
"The primary reason for travel insurance is to cover medical costs abroad so in general someone needing treatment from the Zika virus whilst abroad would be covered."
As the Zika virus spreads across the Americas there are growing anxieties about its impact on tourism in the region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday reported that 21 countries and territories, including Latin American and the Caribbean, have seen cases of the virus.
However the number of cases of holidays being cancelled or even delayed is still very small.
But for a country like Brazil it couldn't come at a worse time.
Deep in recession, with soaring unemployment and multiple corruption scandals Brazil needs all the tourist dollars it can get.
The Rio Carnival, which starts at the end of the week, brought in a million tourists and $782m (Â£542m) in revenues for the city last year.
Numbers at present seem to be unaffected but there is a bigger prize later in the year - the Rio Olympics.
The Brazilian government's communications director Mario Andrada said on Tuesday that there was, as yet, no evidence of people cancelling their trips to the Olympics in August.
In the UK Simon Williams, director of Bespoke Brazil said his customers were not cancelling holidays in Brazil but they were asking a lot of questions about the risks.
"Hopefully no one does cancel," he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"We've had a couple of people who have decided to postpone their trips - one who was looking to get pregnant and I fully understand that because that's the real problem with Zika - and the potential links between Zika and microcephaly.
"So pregnant mothers or people who are looking to get pregnant - I would probably wouldn't travel to Brazil just because of that fear - even though the actual chances of having microcephaly are very low."
The Caribbean Tourism Organization and Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, have both reported travel cancellations in the Caribbean due to Zika.
The industry most at risk here is the cruise ship business. In 2014 there were 24.5 million cruise ship arrivals in the 30 territories of the Caribbean.
Honeymooners and young couples are a target market for the cruise lines - exactly the kind of tourist most at risk, if they get pregnant while on holiday.
Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer at the world's biggest cruise ship operator, Carnival, said: "It is actually a very small proportion of our guests that are pregnant, so the impact has been very limited.
"There have been a small number of cancellations.
"But we work with our guests to make sure they have the offering of an alternative destination and if that doesn't suit them we can offer them a cruise credit for future use."
However, all the cruise lines saw their shares fall last week as the media coverage of the virus gathered p[ace.
Tuesday saw even sharper falls although a set of disappointing profits from Royal Caribbean International made a gloomy situation worse, although this was more to do with the strong dollar and high costs than the Zika virus.
Norwegian Cruise Line shares fell over 7% on Tuesday and Carnival shares fell over 6%.


Protesters have cut off access to the Bolivian mining city of Potosi in a dispute with the government over infrastructure investment.

Access to the city of more than 130,000 people has been blocked by thousands of protesters as part of an 11-day strike.
Local media report that the city has almost run out of petrol, food and money.
Around 100 foreigners, mostly Argentine tourists, have been trapped by the roadblocks.
Many of the Argentines had travelled to the area for the Pope's visit last week.
Twenty French youth volunteer workers, three Britons and one Russian are also among the stranded foreigners.
One of the stranded British tourists told the AFP news agency that police were working on a plan to get them out by bus.
The authorities admit that they have so far been powerless to break the picket lines.
"Despite efforts that have already been made to leave the department by land, these efforts have not succeeded," government minister Carlos Romero told AFP.
The protesters are demanding increased government investment in public infrastructure.
Reuters news agency reports that clashes between the police and protests have left four people injured.
The strikers carried out a similar protest in 2010 that brought the city to a halt and caused food shortages.
Potosi is famous for its mining heritage and was recently included on the UN cultural body Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites in danger.
The mines were a source of huge riches for Spain until the end of colonial rule in the 19th Century.
Potosi's mine became the world's biggest after silver was discovered there by the Spanish in 1545.


Police have ordered the arrest of 34 people in Italy and another four in Spain in an international drugs raid.

The suspects are accused of smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Europe in sailing boats.
Officials said among those arrested is a commander of the Colombian left-wing rebel group, Farc.
Police said the suspects were part of a transatlantic drugs ring run by the 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate, which has its base in southern Italy.
The investigation, dubbed Santa Fe, was carried out jointly by Italian agents, members of the US Drug Enforcement Administration and Spain's Guardia Civil.
Officials said the drug ring operated in countries as far flung as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Spain and Montenegro.
The identity of the Farc commander has not yet been made public, but Colombian media said it would soon be revealed.
The rebel group derives much of its finances from cocaine production and trafficking.
Officials said that in the course of their investigations they seized a total of four tonnes of cocaine.
One of the largest seizures was in the night of 25-26 August last year when the Spanish navy stopped a sailboat heading for the Italian coast.
They found 856kg of cocaine on board.
They said that the drugs were smuggled from Colombia mainly into southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro in Calabria, but that they were also taken to ports in northern Italy such as Vado Ligure, Livorno and Genoa.
Police say the 'Ndrangheta operates the biggest cocaine smuggling network in Europe.


Growth in the Scottish economy remains positive despite the pace slowing significantly in the second quarter of 2015, according to the chief economist.

Dr Gary Gillespie said growth was still forecast at just below 2% for the year, following three years of steady growth.
However, he warned of a "challenging" environment, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
Finance secretary John Swinney said Scotland had "remained resilient" despite "increased global headwinds."
Dr Gillespie's tri-annual "state of the economy" report said quarterly growth was 0.1%, with annualised growth at 1.9%. Growth for the UK as a whole in 2015 is forecast around 2.4%.
Household expenditure and investment were key drivers in the Scottish market, with construction activity in particular surging.
However, he warned that there had been "substantial reduction in investment intentions" in the oil and gas sector, "impacting directly on employment and the wider supply chain".
The outlook for the sector in 2016 remains "challenging" while oil prices remain low, and a fall in global commodity prices has also hit steel and paper production.
A strong rate of employment growth in recent years has levelled off, with unemployment stabilising at pre-recession levels.
Dr Gillespie said: "The external environment remains key to the outlook in 2016 for Scotland both in terms of global demand, in particular China, and the impact of monetary tightening in the US on wider global economic sentiment.
"The legacy from the financial crisis of 2008/09 is a much more inter-dependent and fragile global economic system which transmits the impact of economic changes through the global economic system. As an open economy, Scotland is not immune to these impacts."
The chief economist noted that growth should be more "broad-based" in 2016, with more private sector expenditure balancing out public sector investment and improved productivity driving export growth.
He said: "The labour market remains strong, and whilst there are headwinds from the external environment the outlook overall at this time remains positive."
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish economy had "remained resilient even in the face of increased global headwinds", continuing the longest period of continuous quarterly growth in the Scottish economy since 2001.
He said: "Recent data has shown that Scotland's economy has been performing well over recent years, with output and employment above their pre-crisis levels. Our economy, however, is facing a number of external challenges and the pace of growth has therefore slowed during the second quarter of the year.
"The UK government retains control of the main economic and tax levers affecting the North Sea oil industry, and we urge them to do all they can to assist the sector. We are doing all we can within our devolved powers, having set up the Energy Jobs Taskforce to help protect employment in the industry and to drive forward innovation and new ways of working.
"Our prioritisation of public infrastructure spending throughout 2015 has also been a strong contributor to growth in Scotland during this period."
He added: "The Scottish government will continue to work with businesses to focus on growing the economy and promoting Scotland as a great place to do business."


An ex-UKIP councillor has been ordered to pay £80,000 in damages to two Labour MPs over remarks he made about the Rotherham's child abuse scandal.

Caven Vines claimed during an interview in January 2015 the MPs knew about the abuse but did not intervene.
MPs Sir Kevin Barron and John Healey were awarded £40,000 each in libel damages at the High Court in London.
Mr Justice Warby said the "offensive and wrong" allegation had caused "real anger and distress".
Lawyers for the MPs said the allegation was "extremely grave" and could not have been more serious for politicians serving constituencies in the town, ahead of the General Election.
Sir Kevin, MP for Rother Valley, said he felt an anxiety and unease that he had not felt in other campaigns, which made it "very stressful". His integrity "had been called into question which was a very grave matter", the hearing was told.
Mr Healey, who represents Wentworth and Dearne, said the allegation had been damaging to his relationship with his constituents and had taken the focus away from things that needed to be done.
He considered they had left "a very dark stain on him and his integrity" which might never fully be removed, the judge was told.
Mr Vines, the former UKIP group leader in the town, claimed the pair had not suffered in any way, highlighting that both were returned to Parliament with an increased majority.
Judge Warby recorded the judgment after concluding Mr Vines had failed to put forward any defence which could possibly succeed.


Police investigating the suspicious death of a Perthshire man have traced his car.

The 49-year-old, formally identified as Alan Gardner, was found at an address on Croft Park, Balbeggie, at noon on Thursday.
Police later said they were keen to locate a vehicle which belonged to the dead man - a blue Toyota Rav.
Officers thanked the public for their help in tracing the car in Perth, and said inquiries are continuing.


Police have made a further arrest following the death of a man who was struck by a car in Manchester.

Shahid Tarafdar, 45, died after being hit by a Peugeot 307 on Stockport Road at about 15:45 GMT on 7 February.
Greater Manchester Police said a 19-year-old man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.
A 17-year-old boy and a man aged 21 have already been charged in relation to Mr Tarafdar's death.
Police have issued CCTV images of a man they want to speak to "in connection with the collision".
Mr Tarafdar was hit in Levenshulme by a car spotted driving on Stockport Road turning right into Kirkmanshulme Lane. It was later found burnt out on Rimmers Close, Beswick.
A 17-year-old boy has previously been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
The teenager was also charged with a number of other driving offences including driving while disqualified, failing to stop and report a collision, and using a motor vehicle without insurance.
Michael Joyce, 21, from Reabrook Avenue, Manchester, has been charged with perverting the course of justice.


Edinburgh trams are to be fitted with defibrillators as part of a campaign to save the lives of heart attack victims.

Quick use of the devices is said to increase survival rates by up to 75%.
The defibrillators, costing Â£1,500 each, come with a recorded message to explain how to use them.
Edinburgh's Lord Provost Donald Wilson launched the project and said: "Not only can the machines help passengers in need, they can be taken off the carriage and used at tram stations."
Charity St John Scotland is installing the defibrillators which are being funded by public donations and businesses including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Virgin Money, Montagu Evans, Charlie Miller, GLM, Phillips and Laerdal, and Newtyne Consultancy and Training.
Each year, only around 5% of the 3,500 people in Scotland who undergo attempted resuscitation outside hospital for a heart attack survive to hospital discharge.
Lynn Cleal, fundraiser and chairwoman of St John Scotland, said: "We are delighted to bring together the donor businesses with Edinburgh Trams to install these life-saving defibrillators now giving a lifeline right across the city.
"The St John and the City project is committed to making defibrillators more accessible to members of the public and, as they will now be on every tram, we hope that they will be able to save more lives in Edinburgh."


Chinese shares ended the week almost 8% lower after volatile trading that started on Monday with shock losses and spread fear to global markets.

On Friday, the mainland's benchmark Shanghai Composite closed up 4.8% at 3,232 points.
China's second bourse, the Shenzhen Composite, closed up 5.4% to 1,846 points, but ended the week 9.4% lower.
Other stock markets in Asia also continued their rebound, helped by a strong finish for US shares.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed up 3% at 19,136 points, but the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong reversed earlier gains to close down 1%.
The Hang Seng ended the week 3.6% lower - its sixth consecutive weekly fall.
Dominic Chan, analyst at GF Securities in Hong Kong, said: "Investor confidence remains shaky. Some took profit as they think the rally is not sustainable."
Angus Nicholson, an IG Markets analyst, said investors remained concerned about China and when the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates.
In London, the FTSE 100 also turned negative, after initially rising, to be down slightly at 6,186 points.
China's market has rebounded, so sighs of relief all round?
Some argue, it is a typical August market flap, and calm was always going to return when the grown-ups are back from their holidays. Well, maybe.
But this episode is a reminder of how important China is to the global economy and of the fact that it is slowing down.
The rest of us really do need China to achieve a smooth transition to a slower and more sustainable growth rate.
Two figures to underline the need for more moderate growth: the average over the last three decades was 10%, and investment has been more than 45% of national income, or GDP, every year since 2009.
Neither can last indefinitely. The hard bit is getting to a new path without tripping up on the way.
Andrew Walker: China's slowdown and cheap oil
Carrie Gracie: China's deafening silence
Robert Peston: China's woes and a still flawed global economy
Duncan Weldon: What next for the global economy after China market woes?
Kamal Ahmed: India - we can take the economic lead as China stumbles
The rise in Tokyo extended the previous day's recovery for Asia's largest stock market after its sharp losses earlier this week.
Investors were also digesting new data showing that Japanese inflation fell back to zero in July, raising speculation that the central bank would launch a fresh round of stimulus.
In Sydney, the ASX 200 finished 0.6% higher at 5,263 points.
Marking the end of a week of corporate results, the supermarket Woolworths reported a 12.5% drop in full-year profit - its first fall in almost two decades.
However, Woolworths' shares closed 1.5% higher after the retailer announced a new chief executive in a bid to revive its fortunes.
South Korea's Kospi index finished 1.6% higher at 1,937 points.
The recovery across Asia took its cue partly from China's recovery, but also the strong sentiment from the US.
Shares on Wall Street rose overnight and oil prices jumped sharply after revised figures showed the US economy expanded far more than originally thought in the three months to June.


It's not often Russell Brand plays second fiddle as a guest on a TV show.

But when Paul Gascoigne appeared on BT Sport's Fletch and Sav show, everyone listened, including Russell.
For all of Gazza's amazing moments on the pitch, he's also known for his long term battle with alcohol.
Despite visible signs of vulnerability over the years the former footballer seemed back to his old "daft as a brush" self.
Paul Gascoigne was massive news when you were growing up.
He picked up 57 England caps and was described as the most naturally gifted footballer of his generation.
Type "Paul Gascoigne Euro 96 wonder goal" in your search engine and you'll see for yourself.
He was also famed for cracking jokes and playing pranks on teammates.
He began the interview talking about how the tabloids have reported on his problems with addiction.
"(What) the press what they've been writing about it, it's scandalous.
"The press were actually outside my house and were taking pictures and they even wrote the next day that I was in rehab in Spain somewhere," he said.
"I wasn't, I was somewhere else. It was just the lies that keeps coming on."
He then remembered a conversation which led to him signing for Tottenham.
"I played against Spurs at Newcastle, scored two, and walking off the pitch Terry Venables (Spurs manager) said 'If you come and sign for me I guarantee you within 10 days you'll be playing for England'."
"That's all I wanted to do.
"Then I did in about eight games of coming to Tottenham, I got my chance to join with the England squad, which was unbelievable."
Then, almost inevitably, things took a funny turn when Gazza remembered trying to help out the Spurs groundsman.
"He [the groundsman] said 'I've got to get rid of these pigeons', I went 'OK then I'll help you... I'm not doing anything.'
"I walked across the pitch, and he says: 'There's one at the top of that roof'.
"I went: 'OK how'd I get up there?'"
Once he got up onto the roof things soon went, hilariously, wrong.
"I went over and I just heard [a cracking sound], and I fell through the roof, I landed 30 foot down on the steps!
"I said, gaffer, I don't think I can train today,"
"He said 'what for?'
"I said 'A pigeon did it.'"
The 47-year-old talked about turning down a deal to sign with Manchester United, in favour of a Tottenham package which included a house for his parents, as well a sun bed for his sister.
What he didn't bank on was getting a letter from Sir Alex Ferguson himself.
"It wasn't a good letter, I got cained.
"It was like 'I can't believe you turned down the biggest club [for a sun bed]'.
Gazza enjoyed a spell in Italy in the 1990s after Lazio paid more than Â£5m for the striker.
"The one team I wanted to play for was AC Milan, I eventually got to play them - away.
"I thought this is my chance to prove against them, how good I am."
"We got beaten 5-1, I think it's the only game I wanted to end quickly, I think I had one touch with about five minutes to go."
Gazza famously cried when he was booked during an England World Cup match - because it would have stopped him playing in the 1990 final.
And he admits he still gets tearful today, especially when it hits him afresh that his playing days are behind him.
"I was in tears to my sister and my dad last week, I just felt a little bit lonely.
"That's why I sometimes find it hard to go to games."
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A beach and promenade in Conwy is to get a free wi-fi service.

Conwy council said the service in Colwyn Bay was the first of its type in north Wales.
The free wi-fi zone runs from Porth Eirias to the pier.
Cllr Mike Priestley, Conwy's cabinet member for communication said: "We recognise that having access to information quickly is increasingly important, with benefits for both users and businesses."


Oxford businesses could be charged for their parking spaces in a bid to reduce congestion in the city.

Oxfordshire County Council is set to spend £100,000 looking into a workplace parking levy.
Leader Ian Hudspeth said money raised by a levy would be used to improve Oxford's transport network.
Rob Lindley, managing director of Harley Davidson in Europe, based in Cowley, described it as a tax on businesses.
According to a report by Bev Hindle, acting director for environment and economy, the levy would "discourage car commuting" and "provide additional revenue for transport improvements to manage growth pressures".
The only other city in the UK to bring in similar charges is Nottingham where millions of pounds worth of charges are collected each year.
The scheme, which sees businesses with 11 or more spaces charged £375 per car, was introduced in 2012.
Mr Hudspeth said: "Go and visit Nottingham and you'll see that business really benefits, there's less congestion in the centre of the city, and people can get in and out easier."
But Mr Lindley said: "It can be wrapped up anyway people like, the environment or congestion, but in the end it's just a tax on our business operations.
"Business rates and the cost of commercial premises in Oxford are already high.  If the council was to impose such a tax Oxford becomes less competitive.
"With the UK going through Brexit and an increasing climate of uncertainty, we need to give employers, and especially employers of international businesses, encouragements to operate here, not disincentives."
Nigel Tipple, chief executive of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "I think it's important we look at the overall impact on business, and how we can work with the council to look at managing transport and movement across the city."
The council's cabinet meets on 22 November and is expected to release funds to develop the business case in time for October 2017.


Prosecutors have seized more than £120,000 from a convicted drug dealer who has just given birth in custody.

Sarah Keegan, 32, has been ordered to hand over £123,972.62 after a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The Crown had taken her to court using proceeds of crime legislation.
Keegan, from Manchester, was jailed for two years earlier this year after she admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin at a caravan park in Beattock.
Along with co-accused Jason Jolley, 45, who was jailed for five years, they were arrested following a Police Scotland operation code named Operation Boswell.
Officers swooped at the Dumfries and Galloway caravan park and recovered heroin and a cutting agent with a £65,000 street value.
Detectives searched the pair's caravan and found drugs paraphernalia including scales and 22 knotted bags of heroin.
Jolley and Keegan's DNA and fingerprints were found on the items and a small quantity of heroin was also discovered in Keegan's underwear during a strip search at a nearby police station.
Defence advocate Susan Duff told the court that her client could not be in court as she had given birth in the last month.
Ms Duff told the court that she and prosecutors had agreed that Keegan should hand over the sum to the government within six months.
Lady Rae then ordered payment to be made.


Striker Andre Ayew will miss Swansea City's game at home to Premier League bottom club Aston Villa, on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Ghana international missed last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth with an ankle injury.
The former Marseille forward had a scan in France and has been diagoned with a strain, as Swansea expected.
The Swans are hopeful that the eight goal forward will be able to return for their Premier League trip to Stoke on April 2.
Winger Modou Barrow replaced Ayew in the Swans' starting side and scored his first league goal for the club to draw the Welsh side level in the first half.
Curtis was delighted with the Gambian's contribution.
"I thought he (Barrow) was superb," Curtis continued. "He was probably the most dangerous player on the park.
"With his first goal for the club, that will give him confidence.
"He should he was worthy of the start. He was excellent."
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Mike Tindall has become the final member of England's 2003 World Cup-winning team to retire.

The former England captain was player-coach at Gloucester last season but has not been offered a new contract.
The 35-year-old centre, who joined Gloucester from Bath in 2005, won 75 caps for his country.
"It wasn't a hard decision in the end. It was a case of staying another year at Gloucester or retiring," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"I didn't want to go and play at another club so it was an easy decision."
After 17 years, it's time to retire from rugby. I have been lucky to play with/against some great players, and two great clubs.
Mike Tindall on Twitter
Tindall's decision comes four days after former team-mate and close friend Iain Balshaw became the penultimate member of the 2003 World Cup-winning side to retire.
Tindall, who captained England in 2011, played 181 games for Gloucester and had considered continuing as a coach at Kingsholm, prior to the sacking of director of rugby Nigel Davies in May.
"I've had 17 years in the game, so I thought it might be nice to have a bit of time away to see if I wanted to still be in the environment, or out doing something else," added Tindall.
"There's personal ambitions I'm sad about missing. I would have loved to have said I was at a club for 10 years, but it doesn't always work out the way you want it to.
"No way would I change anything or feel sad about anything.
"I can say now I've done eight years at Bath, which I loved, and had nine fantastic years at Gloucester. I can be really proud of those times and I think it's the way I wanted it to finish."


An Italian judge has ordered 49 suspected Latin American gang members to stand trial for allegedly using dogs to smuggle cocaine into the country.

A vet in Mexico forced large dogs to swallow drug packages before they were flown into Milan, police say.
On arrival, they were killed and dismembered to retrieve the cocaine in a case which has outraged animal rights activists.
The Ecuadorean, Peruvian and Salvadoran nationals will face trial in Italy.
The suspected gang members, between 19 and 37 years old, are thought to be part of youth drug gangs known as "pandillas".
The gangs go under the names Trebol, Neta, Latin King Luzbel and Latin King Chicago, according to the investigative judge Fabrizio D'Arcangelo.
Mr D'Arcangelo told reporters the armed gangs were involved in several crimes in and around Milan.
The drug trafficking operation was first uncovered in March, when 75 suspects were arrested.
Animal rights organisations have reacted angrily at the trafficking scheme.
They say many of the dogs must have died before arriving in Italy, as a small leak of cocaine would have been enough to kill them.
The 49 Latin Americans will stand trial for organised crime and court proceedings have been set for 9 October.


A 24-hour strike by Arriva Trains Wales drivers, as part of a dispute over pay and conditions, will go ahead resulting in all services being cancelled.

Members of the Aslef union will walk out on 4 January, the day many return to work after the Christmas break.
Union members have been refusing to work overtime for the last three days.
The union said a pay deal had been accepted, but a dispute remained with changes to terms and conditions. Arriva said it "regrets" the disruption.
An Arriva spokesman said the strike could also result in some early morning disruption on 5 January.
He advised customers to make alternative travel arrangements for Monday and to check travel plans for Tuesday.
A planned strike was called off in November.


The day after triggering Brexit, the government has published details of its "Great Repeal Bill".

Described by Theresa May as an "essential step" on the way to leaving the EU, it aims to ensure European law will no longer apply in the UK.
Here's how it will work:
As the name suggests, the Great Repeal Bill will repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, which took Britain into the EU and meant that European law took precedence over laws passed in the British parliament. It will also end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.
All existing EU legislation will be copied across into domestic UK law to ensure a smooth transition on the day after Brexit.
The government says it wants to avoid a "black hole in our statute book" and avoid disruption to businesses and individual citizens as the UK leaves the EU.
The UK Parliament can then "amend, repeal and improve" the laws as necessary.
Ensuring the continuity of EU rules and regulations is also meant to aid trade negotiations with the EU because the UK will already meet all of its product stands.
The Great Repeal Bill is likely to be "one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK", a report by the House of Commons library predicts, with "major swathes of the statute book" needing to be examined to see how they will work after Brexit.
This is because working out which bits of UK law came from the EU is not as simple as it may sound.
In fact, it presents a "unique challenge", a House of Lords committee warned recently, because "the body of EU law is found in a number of different places, and in a number of different forms".
Simply transposing all EU law into UK legislation will not be enough, the government's white paper on the bill says.
Swathes of UK law "will no longer work" on exit, for example because they refer to EU institutions.
Not all of this can be done through the Great Repeal Bill, so the government plans to create powers to "correct the statute book where necessary" - without full Parliamentary scrutiny.
This is the one of the most controversial features of the bill (see below).
More complications are presented by the government's negotiations with the EU, which will be taking place while the bill is passing through Parliament.
Those talks could shape what the UK's post-Brexit laws look like - but the Great Repeal Bill will need to be done and dusted by the day the UK leaves.
The government plans to enact its "corrections" to the statute book using what are known as Henry VIII powers, after the Statute of Proclamations 1539 which gave him the power to legislate by proclamation.
Given that this will not involve the usual Parliamentary scrutiny process, opposition parties have protested, with Labour claiming ministers were being handed "sweeping powers" to make hasty, ill thought-out legislation.
Ministers have attempted to reassure critics by saying such measures will be time limited and not be used to make policy changes.
In total, the government estimates that 800 to 1,000 measures called statutory instruments will be required to make sure the bill functions properly.
A lot.
The government's white paper says there is "no single figure" for this, but that there are believed to be 12,000 EU regulations (one type of EU law) in force, while Parliament has passed 7,900 statutory instruments implementing EU legislation and 186 acts which incorporate a degree of EU influence.
The total body of European law, dating back to 1958, is known as the Acquis Communautaire.
It binds all member states and in 2010 was estimated to consist of about 80,000 items, covering everything from workers' rights to environment and trade.
As well as regulations, this includes EU treaties, directions and European Court of Justice rulings.
New EU legislation is being created all the time and will continue to apply in the UK until it leaves.
Different types of EU legislation work in different ways, and will be treated differently by the bill. So regulations, which apply automatically in the UK, will be converted into UK law.
But directives require a new UK to come into force - this legislation will be preserved by the bill.
Reality check: How much UK law comes from the EU?
The bill will be included in the next Queen's Speech (expected in the spring) and will then have to pass through both Houses of Parliament. The plan is for it to be passed ahead of the UK's exit from the EU but to become law only when it actually leaves.
Under the formal timetable for negotiations, the UK is due to leave the EU in March 2019 unless both sides agree to an extension.
The white paper confirmed the government intends to pass a number of other bills over the next two years to prepare for specific aspects of Brexit, including on customs and immigration.
The government also confirmed the UK would be withdrawing from the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights, the EU's human rights agreement, and that it would not be converted into UK law.
The government said the charter was "only one element of the UK's human rights architecture" and it had no plans to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, a separate agreement which is not part of the EU.
Ministers have also clarified that once the UK leaves the EU, European Court of Justice judgements will have the same status as UK Supreme Court decisions, which can be overturned by subsequent rulings.
For the record, we also know the Great Repeal Bill won't actually be called the Great Repeal Bill - because the word "great" is not permitted under Parliamentary drafting rules.
UK bills must describe the content of the bill in a straightforwardly factual manner, with no "slogans" permitted, so we we can expect a more technical title.
Until the UK actually leaves, EU law will continue to apply. But after leaving, the Repeal Act (as it will be by then) comes into force.
The government says having the legislation in place will ensure a "calm and orderly exit". Then begins the long-term process of the government, and Parliament, choosing what it wants to do with the laws it has incorporated from the EU.
With so many pieces of legislation to be considered, this could turn out to be a "major drain on resources" and should not "crowd out" other government policies, the Institute for Government think tank has warned.
Some of the EU laws are in areas that are controlled by the devolved administrations - so do they now become part of Westminster law, or will they be added to the statute book in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
It's not entirely clear how this will work, although the government says it will work closely with the devolved administrations.
It also predicts the repeal process will result in a "a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration", as powers in devolved areas are repatriated from Brussels.
But the bill has been described by the Scottish government as an "executive power grab".
It has warned it could block the legislation if Scotland's interests are not represented in the negotiations, assuming its consent is required before it becomes law.
Unveiling the white paper in Parliament, Mr Davis did not respond directly when asked by the SNP if the devolved administrations would have to give their consent to the bill, although ministers have previously suggested consent would be needed.
The UK government says blocking the bill could have "very significant consequences", leaving "a hole in our law".


Richie Ramsay didn't win the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, but he wore a contented smile none the less having played himself into the top-six and securing himself a place in The Open Championship at Royal Troon later this week.

At one point in his final round of 67, Ramsay looked like he might take his challenge to the wire, closing to within a single shot of the eventual champion, Alex Noren, following a run of four straight birdies  in his opening six holes.
He said he stood on the 10th tee believing for the first time in his life that he could win a title that he says would mean almost as much to him as a major championship. Not enough putts dropped on the back nine - he gave himself multiple opportunities - and he had to settle for the consolation prize of a slot in The Open.
Ramsay asked about Andy Murray in the aftermath and called the now two-time Wimbledon champion an inspiration. "Watching Andy play at Wimbledon this week, watching Jamie play, those guys are huge inspirations for Scottish people," he said. "To win Wimbledon is a massive achievement and I think sometimes we take that for granted, we forget how good he is.
"It's great watching him, because he's Scottish and because he's got that grit and fire. I love that attitude. For me, every week is about trying to be the best I can be.
"When I'm 60, I want to sit in my chair watching the golf and be able to say that I won X number of tour titles and that I couldn't squeeze any more out of the talent I had. Talent is great, but if you don't have that hard work ethic, you're not to get anywhere."
Ramsay has won three times on tour, the most recent of them being the Trophee Hassan in March last year. He's played in The Open five times, missing the cut on three occasions. His best finish was 58th at Muirfield in 2013. He was tied for 68th at St Andrews last year.
His performance here rather came out of the blue. Ramsay finished sixth in China in May, but his form since then has been poor, his best finish a 43rd. His season had been a grind up until Castle Stuart.
"I just loved it out there," he said. "I didn't come out with a tentative attitude, which has sometimes been my fault in the past. I hit some great shots.
"I knew, standing on that 10th tee, that I could win the tournament and that's a great feeling. I just have to take that into the next year and see if I can get this title in the bag one of these years.
"From a confidence point of view, I will think to myself that I had a chance to win a huge tournament. You're halfway there when you believe you can do it. I know I have a lot more in the tank."
Castle Stuart didn't get the champion it wanted, with due credit to the excellent Noren, but it was a terrific host venue. The troubling aspect - and it's reflective of golf's serious problem - was the size of the crowd on each of the four days.
The total attendance for Thursday-Sunday was 41,809. The final round brought the smallest number of fans - 8,733 - of the week.
There was a Murray effect there for sure. But it's a much wider issue than that.
Last year at Gullane, the Scottish brought in a total crowd of 63,000, which was, in turn, less than the 65,833 that attended the year before at Royal Aberdeen.
The small numbers this time are partly on account of geography but also to do with golf's diminishing attraction as a spectator sport.
None of that bothered Noren, of course. Nor Ramsay. If there was a competition to find the widest smile at Castle Stuart last night, the two of them would have been locked in a dead heat.


An alleged victim of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham said she felt she had no choice when asked to perform sex acts on several men.

The woman told Sheffield Crown Court she was just 12 when she was picked up from a children's home and abused by Basharat Hussain and two other men.
She also said she had been taken to Blackpool and raped by several men.
Mr Hussain, who denies the claims, is one of seven people on trial over alleged child abuse in Rotherham.
The witness, who cannot be named due to the nature of the allegations, told jurors said she was first abused after she and a friend were taken out for a meal by Mr Hussain and a number of other Asian males.
She said: "I felt very grown up. They took us out and paid for the meal. I did not feel I could say no."
She went on to tell the court that she was taken to Blackpool aged 16 and made to work in a restaurant, in a move prosecutors say was orchestrated by Mr Hussain.
She said that she was kept there for several months and was forced to have sex most days.
She said that when she returned to Rotherham she discovered she had several sexually transmitted infections.
Arshid Hussain, 40, High Street, East Cowick, Goole, faces 30 charges, including five counts of rape.
Qurban Ali, 53, Clough Road, Rotherham, faces four charges, including rape and conspiracy to rape.
Majid Bostan, 37, Ledsham Road, Rotherham faces one charge of indecent assault.
Sajid Bostan, 38,  Broom Avenue, Rotherham faces seven charges, including four counts of rape,.
Basharat Hussain, 39, of no fixed abode, faces 15 charges including two counts of rape.
Karen MacGregor, 58,  Barnsley Road, Wath, South Yorkshire, faces four charges, including conspiracy to rape.
Shelley Davies, 40, Wainwright Road, Kimberworth Park, Rotherham, faces three charges, including conspiracy to rape.
Cross-examining the witness on behalf of Mr Hussain, Gillian Batts said: "The truth of the situation is you've never met Basharat Hussain have you?"
The witness replied: "Yes I have."
It is alleged Mr Hussain was one of seven people involved in the sexual exploitation of children between 1987 and 2003.
It is claimed the children were "targeted, sexualised and, in some instances, subjected to acts of a degrading and violent nature".
The trial continues.


Airlines must pay compensation to passengers who are delayed by three hours or more, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.

The judgement upholds the court's 2009 ruling, which was challenged by a group of airlines including BA and Easyjet.
Passengers will be able to claim compensation of between 250 euros ($324; Â£204) and 600 euros, depending on the flight distance.
Compensation will not be due in "extraordinary circumstances".
The court did not specify what those might be, other than saying those circumstances that were beyond the control of the airline.
European regulations introduced in 2004 oblige airlines to pay compensation to passengers for certain cancellations and delays.
A further ruling by the ECJ in 2009 confirmed that delayed passengers should be treated as if their flights had been cancelled, if the delay was longer than three hours.
Prior to this, passengers had only been able to claim for meals, refreshments, two free telephone calls and, for an overnight delay, hotel accommodation and transfers to and from the hotel.
However, some airlines refused to obey this judgement and an appeal by a group of airlines and travel organisations - BA, Easy Jet, TUI Travel and the International Air Transport Association - persuaded the English High Court to refer the matter back to the ECJ in August 2010.


Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield has said he would have regretted not testing himself in rugby union.

The 35-year-old brought an end to his sporting career after Yorkshire Carnegie's Championship play-off defeat by Doncaster Knights.
Sinfield had been signed on an 18-month deal with Carnegie but announced his retirement last month.
"I'm really glad I did it. It was something that was on my bucket list," he told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It was something I felt I needed to do and if I'd not took the challenge on I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.
"I know I've only done six months instead of 18 but I just felt the timing was right and you don't want to push too far."
Sinfield led the Rhinos to seven Grand Final wins during his 13 years as captain of the club and coach Brian McDermott has said he would welcome him back at the Super League club.
But Sinfield, who made his professional debut at the age of 16, says he is looking forward to his retirement.
"I can still keep myself fit and healthy because my body is intact and there's lots of challenges I'd like to do for charity," he added.
"I want to find a line of work that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning and it'll be nice to have my weekends free to spend time with my family.
"I'll miss playing, I've no doubt about it, and I'll get behind both teams and hope they can have great success in the coming years."
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A campaign has been launched to turn London's council elections in May into a referendum on plans to close all Tube ticket offices by 2015.

Labour and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said it would make stations unsafe and are urging voters to "save their ticket office".
Mayor of London Boris Johnson made the announcement in November.
He said the plan meant more staff would be present in ticket halls and safety would not be compromised.
The campaign was launched earlier at London Bridge station with the first of 500,000 campaign leaflets handed out to commuters.
TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said: "This is a real chance for Londoners to send a message to Mayor Boris Johnson telling him what they really think about his U-turn on his 2008 election pledge to keep open every ticket office.
"We say a closed ticket office makes a station less safe and secure to the travelling public. They will have to tell voters why they believe the complete opposite."
Transport for London said following the introduction of Oyster cards only about 3% of people used ticket offices.
Phil Hufton, of London Underground, said: "In future, more staff will be visible in our ticket halls where they can help customers to buy the most appropriate ticket for their journeys and all stations will continue to be staffed at all times whilst services are running.
"Statements about stations becoming less safe are completely unfounded."


Leicester have lost only two out of 25 Premier League games this season, and what has been really refreshing about their success is they have simply stuck to what they are good at.

The reason so few sides have been able to deal with their tactics is not because they do not know how to cope with counter-attacks and an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation, more that not many of them have even tried.
By that, I mean when teams have played the Foxes, they have believed they could beat them playing their way - and paid the price.
Some people think the 4-4-2 formation Leicester use is a bit prehistoric but they are showing it is a great system when your players know how to play it perfectly.
That is mostly down to coaching and the work they have done as a team in training, but it also relies on the intelligence of individuals to know they are all defending when they have not got the ball - which is a lot of the time.
Unlike the rest of the top teams, they are not bothered about possession - Leicester's passing statistics are among the worst in the top flight.
Instead, they defend well, do not over-play at the back and get the ball upfield quickly, using the pace and efficiency of their forward players to punish teams.
They give the ball away a lot because they play a lot of quick, long passes forward into final third of the pitch.
It is not always pretty, and is totally different to the way the rest of the leading teams play.
Those sides expect to dominate possession because, in most matches, they have the better players and they trust in their attacking quality and strength.
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Nobody has been in awe of Leicester or given them respect and tried to shut up shop - and nobody, apart from Arsenal in September, seems to have been able to match their intensity and their attacking play.
That is going to change, although it will not happen this weekend.
Arsenal whacked Leicester 5-2 at the King Power Stadium, so I would be gobsmacked if the Gunners alter their possession-based attacking approach when they play them again at Emirates Stadium on Sunday (12:00 GMT).
But when teams like Norwich and West Brom visit the King Power in the next few weeks, I think we will find out how Leicester get on against totally defensive-minded opponents in games they will need to win if they are going to be champions.
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To stop the Foxes, those teams will just drop off like Claudio Ranieri's side do, crowd the midfield to condense the play, and sit so deep Leicester cannot play long balls over the top.
They will deny them space to break into and make them pass their way through a packed defence, rather than let them run at a stretched defence - which is how many of their goals have come so far.
Leicester are not the only Premier League team who play counter-attacking football - in October I looked at how West Ham and Crystal Palace have had some success playing that way too.
It is the Foxes who have been by far the most impressive, though, because they have been able to keep playing at a high tempo from the start to the finish of matches.
Again, that shows whatever they are doing in training is right, because I know from experience you do not just stay that fit over many months of the season.
Some people have said they have been fortunate not having many injuries. But is it luck, or is it down to a really good medical staff and a training regime that keeps the players fit and at the level of fitness required to play the way they do? I don't think it is a coincidence they have managed both.
Sure, you need some luck along the way too but I certainly think their fitness levels are far above most of the other top-flight teams.
That has made their style of play more effective, which has made them harder to beat. You cannot wear them down or just wait for them to tire.
I was brought up playing 4-4-2 and for it to work well, you need to develop little partnerships all over the pitch.
For example, the relationship between the right-back and right-midfielder has to be spot on. The best example I can think of that in the past 25 years is at Manchester United, when they had Gary Neville and David Beckham.
Those link-ups are working for Leicester too. Riyad Mahrez does have some defensive responsibilities down the right, but he can also go wandering over to the left in the way he did to score against Manchester City because he knows that, behind him, Danny Simpson is going to keep his position - he is not expected to go past the halfway line much.
What has helped Leicester develop those sort of partnerships so effectively is having such consistent team selections.
Claudio Ranieri has picked the same team for the past five league matches and has made only 21 changes in 25 games, the fewest in the Premier League.
It means the team has gelled in lots of areas, and is another reason they have got better as the season has gone on.
When counter-attacking teams concede the first goal, they obviously have to respond by altering their tactics and are often less successful.
But you cannot say it is crucial to score first against Leicester because of how they reacted when that happened earlier in the season. We know they will still come at you.
Until the end of October, Leicester leaked a lot of goals and had to come from behind a lot - they did it six times in their first 11 games to gain 10 points, which gave them a reputation for having a never-say-die attitude.
Their defensive improvement means that has not happened much recently - they have conceded only eight goals in their past 14 league games, and have been behind only once in that time - when they lost to Liverpool on Boxing Day.
It is still important to score first in any game - statistically you have a much better chance of winning.
But the problem is if you go after Leicester early to try to get the first goal, that is when you are at your most vulnerable.
It is a Catch-22 situation, and Arsenal are the next team who must decide how to handle it.
I do not see the Gunners changing their attacking approach on Sunday because Arsene Wenger is the type of manager who does not worry too much about the opposition.
He believes in his team, believes they will dominate and believes they will create chances.
I totally understand why, and I am not suggesting they need to change anything because I actually think they will win playing that way, but it will be fascinating to see if Leicester can prove people wrong yet again.
Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


Australian police are treating as a "terrorist incident" a Melbourne siege in which a gunman was killed.

Heavily armed officers arrived at an apartment building on Monday after reports of an explosion and found one man already dead in the foyer.
Another man, Yacqub Khayre, was armed with a shotgun and holding a woman inside the building against her will.
Khayre, 29, called a broadcaster during the siege to say he was acting in the name of the Islamic State (IS) group.
A news outlet for the group claimed it had carried out the attack, but police said there was no evidence of it co-ordinating with Khayre.
Three police officers suffered injuries after Khayre engaged them in a firefight in which he was shot dead. The hostage was rescued unharmed.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the victim who died, a building employee, was "in the wrong place at the wrong time".
Authorities were investigating whether Khayre, a Somali-born Australian citizen, may have lured officers to the wealthy suburb of Brighton with the aim of confronting them.
Mr Ashton said comments Khayre made referencing IS and al-Qaeda had prompted the terrorism investigation.
"We do not yet know if this was something he was really planning or whether it was just an ad hoc decision that he has made just to go off tap like this," Mr Ashton said.
"They (IS) always tend to jump up and claim responsibility every time something happens," Mr Ashton said.
He said Khayre had been acquitted over a foiled plot to attack a Sydney army barracks in 2009.
He had "a long criminal history" and was on parole after being released from jail on a separate offence last year, Mr Ashton said.
The gunman had arranged to meet the woman through an escort service before taking her hostage, he said.
Neighbours and people in the area described hearing loud gunfire at the scene.
"Everyone just panicked," one witness, Luke Fourniotis, told the Herald Sun.
"I started running but I didn't know where the shots were coming from so I had this thought: 'Are they shooting at us?' My heart was in my throat."
Nearby resident Graeme Hisgrove said heavily armed police officers went through his backyard during the operation.
"We were just in the front room of the house and all the rapid fire started, so we all hit the deck on the floor and just didn't know what was going on," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
On Tuesday, police raided a house reportedly shared by Khayre and his mother, seizing computers, other electronic devices and books.
Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull said the case raised "grave concerns" about the parole system which he said would be addressed.
"How was this man on parole? He had a long record of violence. A very long record of violence," Mr Turnbull said.
"These are important issues and Australians need to be assured that people who are a threat to their safety are not being released on parole."
Mr Turnbull said Australia's official terror threat level would remain at "probable".
Last month, an Australian coroner criticised a decision which allowed bail to a gunman behind Sydney's deadly cafe siege in 2014.


Nearly a year after serious flooding brought misery to parts of Aberdeenshire, doubts have been expressed about work intended to prevent future floods.

Ballater was one of the communities worst affected.
Some local people there have said flood prevention measures have failed to tackle the greatest dangers.
Aberdeenshire Council said it has spent Â£40,000 on rebuilding a section of river bank in Ballater.
More than 170 households in Aberdeenshire are still in temporary accommodation.
Ballater flood group volunteer Tony Cox thinks the council has concentrated on the wrong part of the river bank.
He said: "We're standing more or less on the repair section that the council inserted which is known as the '40 metre section'.
"It repairs an area here but unfortunately this is not where the flood made its entrance onto the golf course.
"That's further round the river, further upstream, and that has not yet been addressed."
Aberdeenshire Council chief executive Jim Savage agreed that it has taken a while for flooded-out residents to get back home.
He said: "It's really sad to see that it does take a long time to get people back in.
"That can be for many different reasons in terms of the level of damage to the house, their personal circumstances, insurance situation, whatever it may be.
"It's very sad to see that happening. I hope and think that whatever we need to do collectively we'll do so, to get people back in as soon as possible."
For 63-year-old local resident Josephine Hazley that cannot come soon enough.
"We are hoping to come at the end of January," she said. "We've been promised that and we're very much looking forward to that."


The World Para-athletics Championships come to the London Stadium between 14 and 23 July.

There will be radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio 5 live sports extra throughout the event, as well as a live text page for each evening session to bring you the medals as they happen.
All times BST
Live coverage - 19:30-22:15, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra
Live text - 19:00-22:00
Live coverage - 19:45-22:00, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra
Live text - 19:00-22:00
Live coverage - 19:30-22:30, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra
Live text - 19:00-22:00
Live coverage - 20:00-22:00, BBC Radio 5 live
Live text - 19:00-22:00
Live coverage - 19:00-22:00, BBC Radio 5 live
Live text - 19:00-22:00


"A billion betrayed" - the Times of India sums up the country's mood with this headline on the arrest of three cricketers over spot-fixing allegations in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"Anger", "outrage", "betrayal" and "shame" are just some of the strong words the Indian media are using in connection with the arrest of Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila.
Sreesanth was part of the national team that won the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and the one-day international World Cup in 2011.
The cricketers' families have already protested that they are innocent and media reports on Friday quote Sreesanth's lawyer as saying that he is "totally innocent".
The Times of India says that "the dark and ugly face of Indian cricket exposed itself on Thursday".
"Sreesanth puts IPL in a spot, fans in a fix," is the headline of The Hindu newspaper.
"A major clean-up operation is required if cricket in India is to retain the loyalty of its fans," the paper's editorial says.
The Hindustan Times says:  "Indian cricket's reputation was dragged through the mud on Thursday and a billion fans were betrayed".
Prominent Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran says the allegations have cast serious doubts over the credibility of cricket in India and that fans will now keenly watch players' actions.
Punjab's leading daily The Tribune writes: "It is a sad day when the uncertainties inherent in sport are undermined by the lure of money."
The Statesman quotes former India captain Sunil Gavaskar: "I am completely shocked. The IPL rewards cricketers quite handsomely, some of them are paid over-handsomely".
In other news, the Supreme Court has asked state governments to be careful in arresting people for posting "objectionable comments" on social networking sites, The New Indian Express reports.
"The courts said that state governments should ensure strict compliance of the federal government's advisory, which said that a person should not be arrested without taking permission from senior police officials," the paper adds.
It goes on to state that the court's advice should be seen "in view of public outrage over people being arrested for making comments or liking posts on Facebook".
Bollywood stars Sanjay Dutt's return to jail for firearms offences linked to the 1993 Mumbai blasts has also been covered extensively in the media.
A picture gallery in The Indian Express shows Dutt's journey from his house to the prison.
Though overshadowed by Dutt's return to jail, Bollywood's tryst with glamour continues and most Indian newspapers and websites are enthusiastically reporting India's presence at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Indian Express shows Bollywood "shining" in a picture gallery with photos of superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor and Vidya Balan walking the red carpet.
The Hindustan Times praised Mr Bachchan for addressing the festival audience in Hindi.
"It was a historic moment for Amitabh Bachchan to be invited to open the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival with his The Great Gatsby co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. Big B made the experience more special by addressing the audience in his mother tongue Hindi," the paper said.
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