Dozens of youth football coaches and officials who were flagged as a potential danger to children appear to have slipped through the net.

BBC Scotland has learned the Scottish Youth Football Association (SYFA) was warned 116 of its members were under investigation by Disclosure Scotland.
The SYFA said it was only aware of 69 cases and had taken action to suspend them - meaning 47 were not dealt with.
It said it was urgently trying to clarify the discrepancy.
Scotland's Children's Commissioner said the matter needed "urgent consideration".
BBC Scotland can also reveal Scottish football's governing body, the SFA, has stripped the SYFA of its strategic child safety responsibilities.
The SYFA had been dogged with criticism since December when it emerged it had 2,500 coaches working with children without any background checks.
The criticism included a stinging rebuke by the Holyrood Health and Sport Committee which also took aim at the SFA for being "asleep at the wheel".
Under Freedom of Information legislation, Disclosure Scotland told BBC Scotland's investigations team that over a three-year period - 2014 to 2016 - the vetting body had notified the SYFA 116 times that one of their members was being "considered for listing".
It means that the vetting body Disclosure Scotland has obtained information or intelligence that a person either working with or applying to work within a vulnerable group, in this case children, may not be suitable for that work.
Disclosure Scotland then puts them on the "consideration" list and places them under investigation until they are either cleared or completely barred from working with children.
Once notified a member has been 'considered for listing', SYFA policy is to immediately suspend them as a precaution until the end of the Disclosure Scotland investigation when they will either be allowed back to work or banned.
After an investigation, if Disclosure Scotland is still concerned about a person's suitability or safety to work with vulnerable people, the person is put on a list which means they are completely barred from working with that group.
Listing happens in the most serious cases and it is a criminal offence to ignore this.
The SYFA was notified 116 times of people 'considered for listing' but it told the BBC it could only find records of 69 notifications - 40% short of the total number.
This means the organisation tasked with protecting young footballers has no trace of 47 occasions over the past three years when it has been told one of its members might be a danger to children.
Bruce Adamson, the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland, told the BBC the matter needed "urgent consideration to get to the bottom of it".
He said: "What the [Health and Sport] committee found was a real concern about the [SYFA] not seeking support when it needed to and not having the proper procedures in place, and I think that the figures that you have come across through your Freedom of Information request indicate the same thing: that this is an organisation that is not doing things properly at the moment and needs additional support."
Relatively few who are considered for listing end up barred completely. That is an action reserved for the most serious cases.
For Data Protection reasons Disclosure Scotland said it was unable to say how many SYFA officials had been listed, or barred outright from working with children between 2014 and 2016.
The SYFA said its records showed three people had been "listed"' in the same period.
But the BBC understands this number to be at least five - which means there are potentially two or more people banned from working with children about whom the SYFA can find no records.
It is a criminal offence for someone who is "listed" to do regulated work in the UK with the protected groups they are listed for.
It is also a criminal offence for an organisation to employ a "listed" person to do that kind of regulated work.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who chairs the Health and Sport Committee, said it may have to recall the SYFA for further examination.
He said: "We are very concerned and obviously, following on from that [committee] report, information coming forward like this would cause, I believe, the committee great concern and it may be something we have to look at again."
In a statement, a spokesman for the SYFA said: "SYFA records show a figure of 69 notifications of members being considered for listing during that period and three actually listed.
"We will be contacting Disclosure Scotland as a matter of urgency to clarify any discrepancy."
In a clear sign the SYFA has lost the patience and confidence of the governing body, an inquiry has been launched by the SFA into its affiliate association over its safeguarding policies, including how it operates its background checks on coaches, called Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) checks.
Pending the outcome of this inquiry, the SFA has effectively stripped the SYFA of its strategic responsibilities to make decisions on child wellbeing matters "without seeking and obtaining the prior agreement of the Scottish FA".
Donna Martin, child protection officer for the SFA, told the BBC: "They can no longer make any decisions around child wellbeing; anything that's raised in the sense of a concern, and issues around PVG, have to come to [the SFA] first.
"And what we hope is that the inquiry gets into the level of detail that [the SYFA] recognise their role and responsibility in keeping children and young people safe."
A spokesman for the SYFA said: "We've had a number of very encouraging senior-level discussions with the SFA in recent weeks on Child Wellbeing and are committed to a far more closely aligned approach on this and other matters.
"A wide-ranging review of our systems is under way and we will be working in partnership with the SFA to make any necessary improvements."
The moves comes as the SYFA announced plans to close a loophole allowing coaches to work for three months before having to undergo background checks.
An SYFA spokesman said: "As a result of our ongoing review of child protection systems, we plan to eliminate the current three-month provisional membership period for the forthcoming season - 2017/2018.
"This means all officials will have to complete a PVG application form in full before they can participate in any activities involving children.
"As at present, until an applicant has been fully approved by Disclosure Scotland, they must, at all times, operate under the direct supervision of a PVG-checked official when dealing with players."
The SYFA concerns come amid a torrent of child sex abuse in football allegations across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
The SFA launched a major inquiry into the scandal following a series of BBC Scotland investigations, and earlier this month the inquiry said it was "entering the crucial stage " of hearing from survivors.


A workman has been found guilty of breaching safety rules after a woman was crushed under a heavy metal gate he had fitted.

Jill Lunn, 56, died after suffering a heart attack while pinned under the automatic gate in 2013.
Robert Churchyard, 51, of Turner Road, Norwich, was found guilty at Norwich Crown Court of breaching a general duty of care in his work.
The jury failed to reach a decision on a gross negligence manslaughter charge.
Mr Lunn worked for an automated door and gate company.
The case was adjourned until 17 October when a decision will be made on whether to hold a retrial or to move to sentencing for the duty of care offence.
More on this and other news from Norfolk
Mr Churchyard, who denied both charges, fitted the gate, which weighed about a third of a tonne, at Mrs Lunn's home in Blofield Heath near Norwich in March 2013.
It fell on her the following month when she tried to close it by hand after the remote-controlled automatic mechanism failed.
Norwich Crown Court heard the gate was designed to be operated both automatically and manually, but fell because safety-stop devices had not been fitted.


Presidential candidates for the 2016 race and other politicians are speaking out against Donald Trump after a string of violence at his rallies.

Mr Trump called off a rally on Friday night in Chicago after clashes between protesters and supporters.
The Republican who has won a string of primary contests has blamed the supporters of Democrat Bernie Sanders and denied responsibility for the violence. On Sunday, he said his campaign is "not provoking" and "wants peace".
He said no one gets hurt at his "love-fest" rallies.
A Quinnipiac University poll shows that Mr Trump is leading the way in Florida and tied with Ohio Governor John Kasich in Ohio ahead of crucial state primaries on Tuesday.
Here's what people are saying about Mr Trump and the violence at his rallies:
What Trump says about protesters at his rallies
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders: Called Mr Trump a "pathological liar" after he said he had sent protesters to disrupt his rallies.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio: Said it is "harder every day to justify" backing Mr Trump should he win the Republican nomination and said conservatism is not about "how angry can you get, how offensive you can be, how loud you can speak".
Ohio Governor John Kasich: Asked his staff to make a list of Mr Trump's quotes promoting violence at his rallies and that Mr Trump's "toxic" tone makes it even more important for him to win his home state in the primary election on Tuesday.
Senator Ted Cruz: Said that the culture of violence is Mr Trump's fault, telling reporters that "any candidate is responsible for the culture of the campaign".
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio: Tweeted that there is no question Mr Trump a racist.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton: Said Mr Trump's campaign consists of "hate" and "fear".
President Barack Obama:  Said over the weekend: "Our leaders - those who aspire to be our leaders - should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another and speak out against violence and reject efforts to spread fear or turn us against one another. And if they refuse to do that, they don't deserve our support."
House Speaker Paul Ryan: Said the violence at Mr Trump's rallies is "very concerning" and that candidates must take "responsibility for the environment" at their events
Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Republican candidate: Told NBC's Today programme that the violence could get worse, placing blame on the protesters, saying "I think certainly if the protesters continue with their... tactics, there is a real possibility of escalation".
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee: Defended Mr Trump, condemning the Chicago protesters. "I think it's ridiculous to blame Trump for a bunch of thugs out on the street," he told the Huffington Post.
Conservative pundit Ann Coulter:Tweeted that "left-wing fascists violently shut down a peaceful Trump rally last night & Cruz + the entire media took the animals' side"


A row has broken out over the ownership of a work of art by "guerrilla artist" Banksy after it was taken from a Bristol street.

It was removed by crowbar by the leader of a nearby youth club within hours of being found.
Dennis Stinchcombe said he hoped to raise Â£100,000 for the struggling Broad Plain Boys' Club by auctioning it.
But Bristol mayor George Ferguson asked for the work to be put back on the city council-owned wall.
It is now expected to go on display in a museum in the city while the ownership is debated.
The work, showing a couple embracing while checking their mobile phones, was found on Tuesday - but removed soon after.
A smaller copy of the original has been pinned up in its place.
Mr Stinchcombe, 58, said: "Now we've ended up with a Banksy on our doorstep. It is a dream come true."
"If we hadn't taken it, someone would have ripped it from the wall or vandalised it."
But Mr Ferguson said it was "against the spirit of Banksy and street art" to remove it.
"He [Mr Stinchcombe] has got a job to do supporting his boys' club, but I don't think it is in the right spirit to remove it, and I would ask that he puts it back.
"I think it was an unwise thing to do.
"On the face of it that would be theft, so I think he should take a lot of care.
"He should be careful and make sure he's on the right side of the law. I'm pretty sure that it belongs to us."
The BBC has asked a spokesman for Banksy for a comment but has not yet received a reply.
Mr Stinchcombe said the Banksy would be displayed at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery until the different opinions over its legal ownership could be settled. He previously said he would make contact with Bonhams auction house about selling it.
A spokesman for Bonhams said so far it had not been approached by anyone wanting to sell the artwork.
He said if the auction house was approached its experts would first validate the item by checking with a company that authenticates Banksy's work.
"After this we would make a number of checks as to whether it was on any stolen artworks database and whether the seller is entitled to sell it, as part of our due diligence process.
"Until then we could not put any value on it," he added.
Mr Stinchcombe said he had received death threats after removing the work.
"I had to make a decision as to whether to allow it to stay there and come in today to find it gone or damaged, or take it yesterday and think what can we do with this to make it a bit of a reality and be good for the community," he said.
Police officers who visited the boys' club on Wednesday afternoon to view the artwork advised club officials to seek legal advice because there could be issues surrounding the sale of the artwork if they did not own it.
Alison Bevan, of the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, described the piece as "brilliant".
"It is great to have Banksy back here," she said.
"I think that the fact it was screwed on to a wall makes it extremely portable and would have increased the likelihood of someone taking it.
"From my point of view, the fact it has come to an organisation like this, that is supporting the local community, is better than it going straight to some wealthy collector."
Another visitor to the site, Paul Messenger, from Bristol, said: "I don't mind at all [that it was removed], I think it was a sensible thing to do.
"It can make money for a good cause. I would suggest it was the right thing to do."
Youth worker Jordan Powell, from Warmley, Bristol, stayed in the club overnight to help protect the original.
"Everyone can still see it here and it is safe," he said.
"Everyone has their own opinions, some are probably jealous, but it is going to a great cause. It is going to help the youngsters in Banksy's home town."


One of two men accused of murdering a scrap metal dealer has told a court he was not responsible for the death and blamed his co-defendant.

Adam Fanelli, 31, was found dead at Nash Park travellers' site in Buckinghamshire on 17 March.
Addy McAllister, 34, of Charlesworth Street, Bolsover, and Jemma Price, 30, of Ridgeway, Kensworth, deny murder.
But Mr McAllister told Luton Crown Court it was Mr Price who fought with Mr Fanelli.
The body of father-of-two Mr Fanelli, from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, was discovered in a field next to the travellers' site in Winslow Road in Nash near Milton Keynes.
He had 159 separate injuries and post-mortem tests showed he died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Mr McAllister told jurors Mr Fanelli had bought drugs for him and Mr Price in Dunstable before the three set off for Nash in Mr Fanelli's van.
An argument broke out at the site, between Mr Fanelli and Mr Price, who had armed himself with two knives and punctured three tyres on the van. Mr Fanelli then came towards Mr Price with a drain-pipe.
Mr McAllister said at this point he managed to get the knives and run off, discarding them in a nearby field.
When he returned, he said he found the pair fighting and neither was backing down.
"They were like two dogs fighting," he said.
He tried to intervene, but said he got into the van and drove off fearing for his safety.
When he returned soon after he found Mr Price washing his hands and no sign of Mr Fanelli.
"I asked him what had happened to the lad (Mr Fanelli) and he said he had sent him home," he said.
He learned the next day that Mr Fanelli's body had been found.
The prosecution allege both defendants inflicted a severe beating on the victim.


A man arrested on suspicion of burglary is on the run after he jumped out of a moving ambulance.

Gobinda Chinweefat, 26, was arrested near the scene of a burglary in Didsbury, Manchester, on Friday night.
A short time later, he complained of chest pains and police called an ambulance to take him to hospital.
While driving along Kingsway, Mr Chinweefat opened the ambulance doors and jumped out. Greater Manchester Police said he could be seriously hurt.
Det Insp Kevin Marriott said the ambulance had been travelling at between 20 and 30mph (40 to 48km/h) when Mr Chinweefat jumped out.
He landed on his back but immediately got up and ran away through a tunnel linking Kingsway to Brailsford Road.
"We are making every effort to find him," said Det Insp Marriott
"Mr Chinweefat was also complaining of chest pains and we are concerned that he may need medical attention for this or any injuries sustained in his escape.
"He is not to be approached by members of the public but if anyone sees him or knows of his whereabouts, please contact GMP."


Scotland's first minister has said that MSPs will be given a vote on the triggering of Article 50 regardless of a Supreme Court ruling on the issue.

The Supreme Court is due to rule on Tuesday whether the UK parliament needs to give its approval before Article 50 is triggered.
The Scottish government argued that Holyrood should be given a say too.
Nicola Sturgeon has now said MSPs will have a vote regardless of the outcome of the case.
Prime Minister Theresa May has made clear her intention to take the UK out of the single market, with Ms Sturgeon warning the move "undoubtedly" makes a second referendum on Scottish independence more likely.
The Scottish government has put forward proposals for a separate settlement that it says would allow Scotland to stay in the single market even if the rest of the UK leaves.
When she set out her key objectives for the Brexit negotiation process last week, Mrs May promised to push for the "freest possible trade" with European countries.
And she said she wanted the UK to be able to negotiate trade deals with other countries around the world as part of plans to create a "truly global Britain".
But writing in the Daily Record, Ms Sturgeon said: "It's getting hard not to feel like the PM has her fingers in her ears when it comes to Scotland.
"This isn't some academic debate - removing us from the largest single market in the world would be devastating for people's jobs and living standards. But that seems to be of little concern to the Tories."
She added: "No matter what the court decides, I want to make this crystal clear - I intend to make sure the Scottish Parliament has the chance to vote on the question of triggering Article 50.
"If the UK government don't start showing Scotland some respect, I'll make sure that people across Scotland have the chance to choose our own future before the Tories drag us off an economic cliff-edge."
The Supreme Court case followed an appeal against an earlier High Court rejection of the UK government's argument that it already has the powers to trigger Article 50.
Campaigners say parliament must be consulted before the government does so - although Labour has already said it would not vote against Article 50.
The Scottish government intervened in the Supreme Court case, with the country's Lord Advocate arguing that MSPs should also be consulted before Article 50 is invoked.
On Sunday, the Scottish government's Brexit minister, Michael Russell, said the SNP's 54 MPs would definitely vote against Article 50.
Meanwhile, a group of MSPs has travelled to Brussels to gauge support for Scotland keeping some form of connection with both the European Union and the single market.
Members of Holyrood's European Committee said their talks would centre on what can be done to mitigate the impact of leaving the EU.
Committee members will meet senior German MEP David McAllister, who is vice president of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, and Danuta Hubner, the chairman of the parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Committee convener Joan McAlpine, an SNP MSP, said there was a "great deal of concern in Scotland" about what leaving the single market would mean for the country.
She added: "As Brexit gets closer - Article 50 is expected to be invoked in the next two months - it is vital that we explore all the ramifications of this as well as every possible avenue that helps Scotland retain as close a relationship with the EU and its single market as possible."
Deputy convener and Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald added: "We're moving into a crucial phase in the run up to Article 50 being triggered, and these meetings will help us understand the implications of Brexit for Scotland on major issues such as citizenship, the economy and trade."
EU leaders have warned that the UK cannot access the single market, which allows the free movement of goods, services and workers between its members, while at the same time restricting the free movement of people - a key pledge of the prime minister.


Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes is targeting further silverware after he and assistant Tony Docherty agreed contract extensions.

The pair, who led the Dons to Scottish League Cup success in 2014, have signed deals until 2019.
"I don't want our tenure with Aberdeen to be remembered for having lifted one trophy," said former Scotland international McInnes, 43.
"While we've achieved some progress, we still have a long way to go."
McInnes, who took up the reins at Pittodrie in March 2013, will sign the contract once he returns from holiday next week.
He added: "Tony and I are totally committed to bringing as much success as we possibly can to this club and, while we've already achieved some progress, we still have a long way to go.
"This is a great club, with great fans and a fantastic squad of players and I'm looking forward to what promises to be an exciting season ahead."
Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne said the news was a welcome boost for the club's supporters.
"Derek and Tony have made tremendous progress in the two years they have been here and I'm absolutely delighted that they want to remain to see through the job that they've started," Milne added.


David Cameron has invited acting Labour leader Harriet Harman to a high-level security meeting about the threat posed by Islamic State (IS) extremists.

The government is seeking support from Labour MPs to extend the RAF's air campaign to strikes against IS targets in Syria, as well as Iraq.
Labour has hinted it would not oppose action in Syria, as it did in 2013.
Ms Harman will join senior ministers and military chiefs at Tuesday's National Security Council meeting.
The last time a Labour leader received such an invitation was in 2013.
The prime minister believes IS fighters need to be confronted in Syria, where the US are conducting operations, but will not take military action without a Commons vote.
Some Conservative backbenchers have expressed doubts about further action in the absence of a wider diplomatic strategy so Mr Cameron is reluctant to ask MPs to vote to extend the campaign unless he has Labour's backing.
A Number 10 spokesman said: "The PM thought it was important to ensure the leader of the opposition was fully briefed on the current situation."
Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker has also been invited.
Earlier this month, Ms Harman said Islamic State had to be "stopped" and Labour would look "very seriously" at any proposals brought forward by the government.
She said the situation was different from that in 2013, when Labour voted against air strikes in Syria, because IS was a terrorist organisation, while President Bashar al-Assad was the head of a government, albeit a "terrible regime".
Labour had been concerned about "what would fill the space" if the Syrian president had been toppled, Ms Harman added.
Mr Cameron was defeated in the Commons in 2013 when Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to oppose air strikes on Syrian government targets designed to deter the use of chemical weapons.
The 2013 vote focused on the Syrian president, not IS militants.
Parliament approved UK bombing of militant positions in Iraq last year. However, MPs were not asked at the time to authorise strikes across the border in Syria.
The National Security Council meeting comes as ministers are facing criticism for advising UK holidaymakers to come home from Tunisia amid fears of another terror attack.
Last month 30 Britons were killed when a gunman opened fire on tourists staying in a popular Tunisian holiday resort. IS said it carried out the attack.
Tunisia has accused the UK of playing into terrorists' hands and some tourists complained they were being ordered out of the country.
After the Tunisian beach attack, Mr Cameron said IS posed "an existential threat" to the West, and its members in Iraq and Syria were plotting "terrible attacks" on British soil and elsewhere.


Irish league side Bangor are no longer facing the threat of possible closure over alleged outstanding debts.

The Championship One club was issued with winding-up proceedings in a dispute linked to the installation of a 3G pitch.
The petition was dismissed at Belfast High Court on Thursday after agreement was reached about paying a contractor.
The case against the Seasiders centred on work carried out at their re-branded Bangor Fuels Arena.
Further terms of the resolution remain confidential.
The club opened a new all-weather training surface at the Clandeboye Park ground in 2013.
It was hoped the pitch would generate additional revenue for a club that was founded in 1918 and who enjoyed Irish Cup success back in 1993.
Contractor TAL Civil Engineering brought the petition due to outstanding debts for its work on the project.
Following a two-week adjournment in the case the court heard that the two sides had reached agreement.
"As I understand it funds have been transferred to my client's account this morning," a lawyer representing the petitioner told Master Kelly.
Pressed further, she confirmed that a reduced figure had been agreed and the debt paid in full.


Having pets is great, but they can be very expensive to look after.

1 August 2017 Last updated at 07:46 BST
This can cause problems for people who may not be able to afford to feed their pet.
One woman has set up a unique food bank for animals.
Whitney went to find out more...


Swansea's Supporters' Trust wants any change of ownership at the club to be completed before the end of the season.

An American consortium led by Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan is in talks about buying around 60% in the Swans.
The trust will retain its full 21.1% stake and says its views "should not be ignored" as negotiations continue.
Having initially been sceptical of the American investment, the trust says in a statement: "Now it is time to move on."
The statement continues: "Club leadership must be united and the future ownership structure of the club determined before the end of the season to enable the club to be as effective as possible in the transfer market over the summer.
"We talked last week of our disappointment as an organisation at the situation that had arisen. But now it is time to move on.
"The Trust is looking to work constructively with all the various parties in order to achieve a solution that is best for the football club.
"At the fans' forum last Thursday night, we talked about how a protracted period of uncertainty in the boardroom is not in the best interests of the club."
Levien, the managing general partner of Major League Soccer side DC United, has been in Wales to continue discussions.
Under the terms of the deal, it is expected chairman Huw Jenkins and vice-chairman Leigh Dineen will hold management roles at the Liberty Stadium.
The trust was disappointed it had been "kept at arm's length from negotiations" after some of its members met Levien on 9 April as news of the potential takeover emerged.
But the trust, which has a representative on the Swansea board, has since studied the takeover proposals and the transaction is to be completed before the Premier League's new record £5.136bn television rights deal starts at the beginning of the 2016-17 season.
"We have to work with the other shareholders, and the other shareholders have to work with us, to reach an agreement that works for all parties and, most importantly, the football club," the trust added in its statement.
"It is our job, as custodians of a significant stake in the club, to ensure we protect the interests of our members whilst moving discussions towards a conclusion.
"Our football club, uniquely in the Premier League, provides a strong 'voice in the boardroom' on behalf of all supporters, and we should not give it up lightly.
"As the second largest shareholder, our views should not be ignored."


Is something shifting in the diplomacy surrounding the Syria crisis that might offer just a glimmer of a chance for a settlement?

Turkey - a long-standing supporter of the Syrian rebels is drawing ever closer to both Russia and Iran - President Assad's closest allies.
The US and Russia have long been seen as having incompatible goals in Syria, with Moscow backing the Assad regime and Washington seeing his departure as an essential pre-condition for the defeat of so-called Islamic State.
But the two have now been meeting for weeks in search of a deal.
In the coming days, US Secretary of State John Kerry will again meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov with conflicting reports as to whether some kind of understanding is possible.
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan too is engaged in high-level talks - with an important visit to Tehran thought to be in the offing.
But as a corrective to any undue optimism there's also just been a reminder of how close the crisis in Syria really is to a major escalation.
Last week, US F-22 warplanes were scrambled to provide cover for US special forces who were operating alongside Kurdish fighters near Hasakah in north-eastern Syria.
The Kurds had come under attack from Syrian warplanes after local Kurdish commanders and the Syrian regime had a major falling out. The Americans have made it clear that they will not hesitate to shoot down any Syrian aircraft that endangers their forces.
So what is going on?
In a sense, the Kurds are at the heart of the problem.
Fighters from the Kurdish Popular Protection Units - also known as YPG - are among America's most effective allies in the struggle against IS.
Up to now, the Assad regime has largely left the Kurds alone; both sides having bigger problems with IS.
However, these air strikes seem to signal a new strategy in Damascus; perhaps Kurdish advances are now proving a threat to Mr Assad as well.
But the risk now is clearly of an encounter between US and Syrian warplanes in air space where Russian jets may also be active.
The Kurds are also the principal reason for the Turkish government's change of heart.
Ankara's efforts to back Sunni Arab fighters against the Assad regime have had little strategic success.
Turkey's long-time blindness to the problem posed by IS has also come back to haunt it, and Turkey now faces a twin terror threat from both Islamic State and separatist Kurdish fighters.
The Turkish government has signalled that it is prepared to switch tack, searching for a common approach with both Moscow and Tehran.
It has certainly not discovered a sudden enthusiasm for President Assad.
But it now sees the chaos in Syria as leading only to one thing - the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish entity on its border - which Ankara fears will only encourage militancy among Kurdish groups inside Turkey.
That is something it sees as a fundamental threat.
American support for the Kurds in Syria only makes matters worse, inevitably causing serious friction between Ankara and Washington.
Turkey's diplomatic switch also marks a recognition that Russia's intervention in Syria has profoundly changed the military balance there.
The Assad regime remains embattled and its forces over-extended.
Look at the back-and-forth struggle for control of Aleppo, for example.
But Russian air-power and Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah fighters have made a huge difference on the ground.
Mr Assad may not win in any meaningful sense, but he looks certain to survive.
The US has been forced to accept the new Russian-imposed strategic reality as well.
Its efforts to find so-called moderate Syrian forces to confront the regime have proved half-baked and sometimes almost farcical.
As the blood-letting continues, the US is desperate to find some avenue to bring about progress; hence its opening towards Moscow.
As veteran US commentator Prof Tony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC notes, in the absence of alternatives, the US is being compelled to seek the "least bad option - ie trying to get an understanding with Russia," he says.
"The US would like to begin with something approaching a ceasefire, except for strikes on IS and Islamist extremist groups.
"It wants to get humanitarian relief flowing, and to broker some kind of government where Assad would go, and a better and more democratic government would emerge.
"The greatest immediate risk is that the war grinds on indefinitely with Assad seemingly ascendant, and Russian regional influence slowly increasing," he warns.
"Tensions with Turkey, increases in Iran's influence, more sectarian and ethnic conflicts, and the break-up of Syria are all possible additional risks."
Nobody doubts the stakes involved.
The question for the Americans is can Russia be trusted?
The Pentagon is unenthusiastic about any deal.
As Prof Cordesman notes: "There is a lot of concern that Russia has emerged as a major spoiler in the region; that any co-operation agreement will unravel or be violated; and that President Putin's growing influence will mean more Russian adventures and a willingness to take risks."
How much hope should be invested in a putative US-Russia deal?
Prof Cordesman highlights a fundamental question: "Is any form of Syrian stability now practical? Even the best US-Russian agreement won't unify Syria, bind regional armed factions, return refugees to their homes, or produce instant political unity," he argues.
"It could be a first step in the right direction, but only that," he adds.
This, then, is what this week's diplomacy is partly about - taking that initial first step in the right direction.
But it is also about so many other things as well: Turkey's strategic priorities; Russia's regional role; President Obama's desire to salvage something from the Syrian crisis and so on.
Meanwhile, the suffering continues.
There will sadly be more pictures of shell-shocked Syrian children on the front pages of the world's newspapers.
It doesn't look as though there can be any fundamental regime-change in Syria without the total collapse of the state.
And if that were to happen, who would step into the void?
This crisis is nowhere near an end-game and the chaos in Syria looks set to dog the next US administration just as it has thwarted President Obama's efforts to turn America's attention away from the Middle East's wars.


Shaun Murphy came from behind to beat fellow Englishman Ali Carter and reach the final of the China Championship.

The 2005 world champion will play Luca Brecel in Tuesday's final.
Murphy, who is ranked number eight in the world, trailed 4-2 in Guangzhou before winning four frames in a row to take the semi-final 6-4.
Belgian Brecel saw off home favourite Li Hang 6-5 in the second semi-final, after his shock quarter-final win over Ronnie O'Sullivan.
"I have a terrible record against Ali, it's a long time since I have beaten him," Murphy said.
"At 4-2 down I was just trying to hang on to his coat tails. Some of the safety play was very high quality, but we both missed chances."
The winner of the China Championship will earn £150,000.


Netherlands great and former Barcelona boss Johan Cruyff says he is "2-0 up in a match" against lung cancer.

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner was told of his illness in October.
The 68-year-old won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax as a player and led Barcelona to their first European Cup win in 1992 as manager.
"The results have been very positive," he said. "Thanks to the excellent work of the doctors, the affection of the people and my positive mentality."
"Right now, I have the feeling that I am 2-0 up in the first half of a match that has not finished yet," he added. "But I am sure I will end up winning."
Cruyff helped his country reach the World Cup final in 1974, where they lost to West Germany.
He also led Barcelona to the the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989.
Barcelona also won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1990-91 to 1993-94 under his guidance.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Cruyff had double heart bypass surgery in 1991.
Having been a smoker, he gave up immediately after the operation and took to sucking lollipops in the dugout.
He featured in a Catalan health department advert, saying: "Football has given me everything in life, tobacco almost took it all away."


Two men died while waiting to be seen by paramedics because ambulances were stuck at hospitals, service bosses have said.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has received a complaint from the family of Jack Skelly, 71, from Burnley, who died after waiting 55 minutes for a crew.
In a separate incident, Richard Hansbury, 65, bled to death in Wigan after a 150-minute delay.
NWAS said patient handovers are causing "significant delays".
The trust said it is facing its most difficult operating environment on record, with a 7% increase in 999 calls this year.
Nurse Jo Needham told the BBC she could not be certain her uncle (Mr Skelly) would have survived but said he "would've had a better chance if the ambulance had arrived earlier".
He had complained about feeling unwell and collapsed in the bathroom on 19 December.
She arrived 15 minutes after the first of four phone calls made by the family for an ambulance and found him "semi-conscious and able to mumble answers to questions".
In a subsequent call she told the call handler that she was a nurse, adding: "I was asked if I would take clinical responsibility for him but I said 'when is the ambulance arriving?'
"By the time the ambulance arrived I was trying to resuscitate him," she added.
"I think he would have had more chance of surviving if he had collapsed in a public place with a defibrillator."
In September the trust admitted it was struggling to hit national targets to reach the most urgent "red one" and "red two" calls within eight minutes. Crews must reach non life-threatening "green" calls within 20 minutes.
An ambulance crew had to wait nearly three hours for a second available crew to help them lift 19-stone Mr Hansbury into an ambulance on 3 October. His inquest is on Friday.
He had been found bleeding heavily from a head wound by neighbours who heard his cries for help at his sheltered accommodation in Wigan.
A NWAS statement said in both cases it was "fully investigating" the incidents and offered its condolences to each family.
It added in each incident the trust, "was experiencing a high demand for its services and unfortunately, a number of our resources were waiting with patients at nearby hospitals".


The UK has only just pushed productivity per hour worked above its pre-crisis levels, according to Thursday's figures from the Office for National Statistics.

There has been a steady economic recovery since the financial crisis, but it has been driven by longer hours and more people working.
So while the economy has grown, living standards and wages have not.
The chancellor said this week incomes would soar if productivity were higher.
Philip Hammond told the Conservative conference it would add thousands to household income and was vital to the UK's future: "If we raised our productivity by just 1% every year, within a decade we would add Â£250bn to the size of our economy; Â£9,000 for every household in Britain."
That, for what it's worth, would easily wipe out the hit to household incomes the Treasury forecast from leaving the EU.
So what is productivity?
Productivity is, crudely put, how good the economy is at turning hours at work and raw materials into something valuable. If productivity rises then wages and living standards rise too.
It is not about how hard we work, but how much value we get for each hour of graft.
Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, has described it as, "the ultimate determinant of people's incomes, and with it the capacity of our economy to support health, wealth and happiness."
So, pretty important. Yet in the UK it is not in great shape - almost a fifth lower than in the rest of the G7 advanced economies and almost a third lower than in France the US and Germany.
You can think of it like this.
Most of us go to work Monday to Friday and over a week we get a certain amount of work done.
But in Germany, the United States and even France, their workers could go home on a Thursday and easily match our efforts, assuming they worked the same hours.
In those three countries productivity per hour is about 30% higher than ours. They could have a three-day weekend, every week, and keep up with our five-day slog.
Why is that? No one knows for sure.
The UK was overtaken by France and Germany in the 1970s. The US has been ahead since the Second World War.
In recent years the massive disruption the financial crisis caused led to slumps in productivity in many of the world's biggest economies - including the UK.
But unlike after previous recessions the UK's productivity growth didn't bounce back to its long-term average of 2% annual growth and it fell further behind.
The UK economy has grown since the crisis but mainly because we are all working longer hours. We are only just treading water on productivity growth.
That is vitally important because 2% productivity growth is the reason each generation has enjoyed living standards twice as good as their parents for the last 100 years.
So how do we fix it?
That depends what you think the problem is - and there are a lot of theories.
It could be we are just not measuring our economy properly. It is very hard to accurately measure the whole economy and data is often revised. If it is revised up then suddenly our productivity looks better.
We might be missing the benefits of technology, with free services like Google Maps and Facebook and streaming music improving people's lives in ways that aren't properly measured.
That is unlikely to be the whole story though.
Low investment is blamed by many, with the UK investing less in infrastructure than the French or Spanish under the last government.
Literacy and numeracy are also worse in the UK than in most of Europe's biggest economies. That said, the current generation are the best educated in history.
The UK is also tilted towards London and the South East, the only regions that pull above the rest of the country in terms of productivity.
Adding to that unbalance our economy has shifted towards low-paid jobs in low productivity sectors like the accommodation and the food sector. So the employment rate is close to record highs but cheap labour means companies can afford to put off investment in machinery and other, more efficient ways of working.
This leads us to look at the bigger picture - investment fuels innovation.
Over the last 150 years we have seen incredible advances. We have gone from horse-drawn carts to Boeing 747s, kerosene lamps to electricity in most homes and outhouses and pails of water to flushing toilets and clean running water.
Add to that revolutionary inventions like antibiotics, the internal combustion engine and the internet among countless others and we have witnessed one of the greatest periods of technological innovation in history.
All of those advances boosted productivity.
The American economist Robert Gordon has argued that we are running out of powerful ideas. As he put it, what really changed lives more - the flushing toilet and sanitation or the iPhone?
So we face huge challenges maintaining the last century's growth in productivity, living standards and wages.
We need to solve our productivity puzzle.
Sadly, there isn't an app for that.


The most significant aspect of the US President, Barack Obama's upcoming summit with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is that Mr Obama will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations.

This is the first time that a US head of state will be given this honour by India and reflects, more than anything else, the degree of comfort that Delhi has in its relations with Washington.
India, traditionally, has invited its Republic Day guests who will not attract controversy at home and come from countries with whom it has close strategic relations.
Thus the heads of neither Pakistan nor China have been invited on the first count. While no Latin American leaders have ever come for the second reason.
It says something about how difficult Indo-US relations have been that it has taken over seven decades for Delhi to invite the US president to participate in a ceremony marking its emergence as a full-fledged constitutional democracy.
While there is much focus on what diplomats call the "deliverables" - substantive agreements and deals - that will emerge from the meeting, the likelihood is that the symbolism will be much greater than the substance on this visit.
Mr Obama and Mr Modi held a fruitful summit in September last year and the present invitation was extended seemingly on the spur of the moment by Mr Modi when the two met on sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Myanmar (Burma) last November.
This has meant, officials on both sides admit, relatively little time to put together a substantial agenda.
A better measure of the Republic Day summit's agenda will be the areas the bilateral talks will focus on - defence, energy and counter-terrorism.
These are all in the sensitive zone of most governments and the depth of the discussion in each of these underlines how close the two countries have become.
In defence, the spearhead of the relationship is less the business of selling and buying arms than attempts by India and the US to jointly develop and produce a new generation of weaponry.
This idea has been kicked around for several years between the two countries, struggling to overcome political and bureaucratic resistance within both capitals.
The expectation is that at least one, if not more, such deals will be signed later this month.
A few dozen possible technologies and weapon systems have been offered by the US.
India is particularly interested in drones, carrier technology and so on that enhance its ability to project its air and naval power.
In energy, the two governments are looking at contending interests - improving the supply of fossil fuels and inhibiting climate change.
Mr Modi and Mr Obama are relatively unusual among world leaders in their personal belief that global warming is an issue of overriding importance.
The US has thus been a strong supporter - though with some commercial opportunities in mind - of the Indian government's ambitious plans for renewable energy, especially solar. The September Indo-US summit was shot through with green energy.
Mr Obama would like Mr Modi to give binding commitments on India's carbon emissions, even ones as broad as the ones China agreed to recently.
But India has a troubled fossil fuel dependent power generation sector. It is looking increasingly to the US for inexpensive natural gas - and has been pushing for a long-term commitment by Washington to allow such imports.
The US, in return, will continue to push India to change a flawed nuclear liability law that makes it difficult for the US and other countries to sell reactors to an energy-starved India.
Neither issue is likely to be resolved during this summit, though there may be discussion to that effect.
Counter-terrorism is a particularly good measure of the strength of relations for two reasons.
One, India continues to be wary of the degree of intelligence cooperation between the US to India's regional rival, Pakistan. The more Indian and US intelligence agencies work together, the less important the shadow of Pakistan becomes to bilateral relations.
By all accounts, India and US already enjoy a very high level of intelligence sharing on terrorism.
Notably, when European governments were complaining about revelations of widespread electronic surveillance by the US National Security Agency, a terrorism-wary India reportedly asked the NSA to step up its eavesdropping activities.
An area where the two sides are working more closely together, however, is cybersecurity.
An ever more connected India is becoming more conscious of its vulnerabilities in this area and understands the need for international support.
However, the spectacle that will accompany the Republic Day summit will obscure the weakness of shared big strategic thinking between the two countries.
The two leaders are extremely focused on domestic concerns, seeing foreign policy as a sideshow to the economic and social agenda they have for their own countries.
The two are on opposite sides when it comes to the US policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
But they are increasingly on the same page when it comes to East Asia and China.
When Mr Obama takes the salute of marching Indian soldiers, these will not be at the forefront of the summit agenda.
The symbolism of the event will undermine the other side of the geopolitical coin: differences between India and the US pale in comparison to what brings them together.
Pramit Pal Chaudhuri is Foreign Editor of Hindustan Times


US President Donald Trump has named Lt Gen HR McMaster as his national security adviser.

He will replace Lt Gen Michael Flynn who was fired after just three weeks and three days in the job.
A lieutenant general with the US Army, HR McMaster served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he worked on a government anti-corruption drive.
Mr Trump's first choice, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the role, citing "personal reasons".
How much has Trump achieved so far?
Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake
Profile:  The new national security adviser
Mr Trump has praised Herbert Raymond McMaster as "a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience" who is "highly respected by everybody in the military".
Gen McMaster served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is known as a thoughtful, if straight-talking, military strategist, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Washington.
He does not appear to have close ties to Moscow, and was recently commissioned to study the ways the US could counter some of Russia's military advances, our correspondent adds.
Gen McMaster is no stranger to questioning authority. In a 2014 interview, he said: "The commanders that I've worked for, they want frank assessments, they want criticism and feedback."
Time magazine named him as one of its 100 most influential people in the world in 2014, saying he "might be the 21st Century Army's pre-eminent warrior-thinker".
He criticised the US military's involvement in the Vietnam War in his book Dereliction of Duty.
He has a PhD in US history from the University of North Carolina.
Gen McMaster has said it is "a privilege... to be able to continue serving our nation" and that he looks forward to joining the national security team.
The role involves serving as an independent adviser to the president on issues of national security and foreign policy.
It is one of the most senior roles in the US government. Observers say the role's influence varies from administration to administration, but the adviser is seen as one of the president's key confidantes.
The adviser attends the National Security Council, and may act as a broker between different government departments.
The role is not subject to US Senate confirmation.
Gen Flynn stepped down after misleading Vice-President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US.
Mr Flynn is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador in calls before his own appointment.
It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy.
However, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that the intelligence leaks about Mr Flynn's conversations were "the real scandal".
Mr Flynn's short tenure led critics to describe Mr Trump's administration as chaotic.
Keith Kellogg, who took over as acting national security adviser after the resignation, will now serve as the National Security Council chief of staff.
The other candidates in the running were Robert Caslen, an Army lieutenant general who is the superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point, and career diplomat John Bolton, who served as George W Bush's ambassador to the UN from August 2005 to December 2006.
Mr Trump says Mr Bolton will also serve his government "in another capacity".
Mr Trump held interviews with the four men at Mar-a-Lago where he spent the third weekend in a row.
He has called Mar-a-Lago, a private property, the "Southern White House".


The sails of the Sydney Opera House were illuminated with red poppies on Friday to commemorate Armistice Day.

Known as Remembrance Day in Australia, 11 November marks the halt of fighting in World War One in 1918.
The red poppy, which grew on the bloody Western Front battlefields, came to symbolise the end of the war.
The iconic Sydney building was lit up at 20:00 local time (09:00 GMT) to remember the servicemen and women killed in conflict.
The idea to project the Flanders field poppies came from the president of a suburban soldiers association.
Paul Graham, a 77-year-old veteran of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, was selling poppies in Sydney last year when he realised many people knew little about Armistice Day.
The Poppy Appeal raises money for current and former armed services members, and their families, who are in need.
"I was amazed at the number of people who didn't know what the poppies were for," Mr Graham told the BBC.
Unlike Anzac Day, Armistice Day is not a public holiday in Australia.
Mr Graham spent a year lobbying the state government about his Opera House idea until he received a response declaring it an "excellent initiative".
"The premier got my letter and he said 'what a wonderful idea, we'll do that.' They sent education kits out to all the schools and tonight we'll see poppies projected on the roof of the Opera House."
Mr Graham, who served in Malaysia and the Suez Canal conflict, said many servicemen and women continued to suffer.
"I think it's really important that we do not forget our dead but that we also remember our living," he said.
The Allies and Germany signed an armistice in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiegne, France, at 05:00.
Six hours later, at 11:00, the conflict ceased.
King George V announced that a two-minute silence would be observed in 1919, four days before the first anniversary of Armistice Day.
The silence continues to be observed every year on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.


Hundreds of union members have joined protests in Cardiff and Wrexham against the UK government's cuts to the public sector.

The Treasury has admitted that the savings of more than £80bn could cost nearly half a million jobs.
The Welsh Assembly Government said the Spending Review meant it would lose £1.8bn from its budget over the next four years.
Rallies have also been taking place in other cities across the UK.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan has said the review was fair, and the assembly government was facing "smaller cuts than most UK government departments".
The public sector employs around a quarter of the workforce in Wales.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has about 22,000 members in Wales.
Chair Katrine Williams said: "Our demonstration is intended to show that workers in Wales will not sit idly by and allow our public services to be decimated and the Welsh economy to be wrecked by these vicious cuts.
"Public sector workers face thousands of job losses across Wales, and a huge increase in workloads plus attacks on wages and pensions.
"The jobs of private sector workers will also be hit as the economy shrinks. And we all face the destruction of vital public services.
"Now is the time to stand up and take action against these threats."
The assembly government has said the cuts were at the lower end of predictions, but the budget was the "worst since devolution".
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has said Wales could see up to 25,000 public sector job losses over four years with the same number in the private sector.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan has called the review a "fair funding settlement for Wales".
She has said: "The Welsh Assembly Government is facing smaller cuts than most UK government departments but, like everywhere else, tough decisions will have to be faced in Cardiff Bay."


A steel plant which closed more than four years ago with the loss of hundreds of jobs is to reopen and start production next year.

Steel manufacturer Liberty House said the site at Sheerness in Kent would restart production of bar and rod products by mid-2017.
It said up to 100 workers would be employed at the former Thamesteel plant on the Isle of Sheppey.
Thamesteel, which employed 400 people, went into administration in 2012.
"We hope some of the former workers will consider coming back but either way we intend to invest in building skills for the future," said VB Garg, chief executive of Liberty Steel Newport.
The company said the move broadens the range of steel products it can supply to the UK steel market from its works in South Wales and Dalzell in Scotland.
"We are particularly excited about the prospect of restarting the Sheerness rolling mills which were closed by the previous owner four years ago," said Mr Garg.
"Although we originally thought we would move the mills elsewhere, we now believe it will be better to reopen the existing site."
The company will recruit an initial workforce of 60 people, rising to 100 as market conditions allow.
It said it had agreed a long-term lease with site owner Peel Ports.
Swale Borough Council granted planning permission for the demolition of some buildings on the site on Thursday night.
Mr Garg said that land would be used by Peel Ports to store imported cars.
Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said he was surprised to hear the news.
"It's hopeful news for Sheerness if it goes ahead, but the people who lost their jobs have been told on so many occasions it was reopening in some shape or form and they have been let down each time," he said.
Community union, which represented the Thamesteel workers, said the decision by Liberty House was encouraging.
"We will be working closely with Liberty House to bring back the good quality steel jobs that were lost," said general secretary Roy Ruckhuss.
"It is vital that local and national government  provide all necessary support in helping bring this steelworks back to life."


Finland has sent letters to nearly a million reservists to collect their contact details and remind them of their duties in case of combat, a defence ministry spokesman said.

The letter tells reservists which regiment or unit to join in the event of war, he told the BBC.
He insisted that the correspondence was not related to Russia's annexation of Crimea or recent fighting in Ukraine.
However, neutral Finland has increased co-operation with Nato this year.
In April the Finnish navy dropped depth charges in waters near Helsinki as a warning to a suspected submarine, which some media reports said was Russian.
The air force in recent months has also had to deal with some airspace violations by Russian warplanes.
Russia has repeatedly warned Finland not to join Nato and has criticised its co-operation with Nato members.
Finland's defence ministry said letters to conscripts were sent throughout May to inform them of changes to the structure of Finland's military.
"The letter reminds them of their responsibilities and what they will be expected to do in the event of a military crisis," the spokesman told the BBC. "The process was started before events in Crimea and Ukraine and is done in part to ensure that we have the right contact details."
But recipients say it is the first time such correspondence has been sent for many years and that the mass communication tactic reflects the concern of the authorities about Russia's intentions.
The Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939, seizing more than 10% of the country's territory before a peace deal was signed in 1940.
Finland was part of the Russian empire for more than 100 years before it won independence in 1917.
During the Cold War, Finland was officially neutral, but remained under the influence of its neighbour. It forged close ties with the Soviet Union.
Finland shares a 1,340km (833-mile) border with Russia.  It has a system of universal male conscription under which all men above 18 serve for 165, 255 or 347 days.
The regular army has about 12,000 soldiers and can rapidly expand to about 280,000 troops if reservists are called up, the defence ministry says.


A donor has left £143,000 to an RSPCA branch in Wiltshire, sparking a search for people who knew her.

The legacy to the North Wiltshire branch was left by Helene Adele Lisbeth Klein, who lived on York Road in Swindon and died in February 2014.
Manager Richard Clowes said the RSPCA wanted to find out more about the benefactor "in order to pay tribute to her properly".
"It would be great to have a Helene Klein cattery or dog block," he added.
The money is expected to be used towards a £3m building project for an animal centre with veterinary clinic to rehabilitate and then rehome animals rescued in the branch area.
"Sadly, no-one at the RSPCA branch seems to have known Helene but we are all incredibly grateful that she knew about us and left this generous legacy in her will," said Mr Clowes.
"As far as we know, she did not leave any pets when she died, but perhaps she had friends or neighbours who could tell us more about her.
"Was she a cat lover or a dog devotee or did she simply love all animals equally? Any information would be great."


Celtic's 13-year-old forward Karamoko Dembele made his debut for England Under-15s on Saturday.

Dembele - who made headlines in October when he played for Celtic's development team - came off the bench as England beat Turkey 5-2 at St George's Park.
He recently appeared for Scotland's Under-16 side in the Victory Shield.
He is also eligible to play for Ivory Coast and will not be tied to a national team until he makes a competitive senior appearance.
After Saturday's game, Dembele posted a message on Instagram that read: "Good experience at England, glad to have won 5-2 against Turkey and have assisted one, played well."


President Donald Trump has signed an executive order requiring a review of environmental protections given to lands owned by the federal government.

The order aims to shrink the borders of national monuments created by previous presidents, which Mr Trump called an "egregious abuse of federal power".
Unlike national parks, which require an act of Congress, national monuments can be created by a presidential directive.
However, a president does not currently have the right to abolish a monument.
The White House intends to shrink the borders of existing national monuments that have drawn controversy from Republican lawmakers and the mining industry.
Environmentalists fear this order will unleash a wave of new oil and gas extraction, which was a Trump campaign promise.
It directs the Department of Interior to examine all lands designated as national monuments since 1996.
The 1.35 million acre Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, created by Barack Obama during the final days of his administration, is one of the parks under review.
Utah lawmakers oppose the Obama action and have lobbied Mr Trump since his November election to overturn it.
Mr Obama placed 553 million acres under national monument protection during his presidency - more than any other US president.
This, his successor said, was an abuse of the law which eliminated the ability of people in these states to decide how best to use the land.
Rob Bishop, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said: "I'm pleased to see President Trump recognise long-standing abuses of the Antiquities Act.
"It was created with noble intent and for limited purposes, but has been hijacked to set aside increasingly large and restricted areas of land without public input."
Environmental groups panned Mr Trump's latest action to undo his predecessor's environmental legacy.
"An attack on one national monument is an attack on all," said Theresa Pierno of the National Parks Conservation Association.
"These public lands are owned by all Americans. Communities are doing their job to protect them. Our elected officials must do the same."


Friday 1 July marks 100 years since the start of one of the deadliest battles in World War One - the Battle of the Somme.

30 June 2016 Last updated at 07:14 BST
More than a million soldiers were killed or wounded, and it changed war and warfare forever.
Many of the soldiers were young men and teenagers - and some even younger than that.
Colin's dad, Sidney Lewis, was just 12 years old when he ran away from home to join the army.
In 1916, his life changed forever when he was sent to fight on the frontline at the Battle of the Somme.
This is his incredible story.


Bath trumpeted the signing of Sam Burgess by releasing an X-Factor style video, reeling off the stats he accumulated in the past five years for rugby league's South Sydney Rabbitohs to a bombastic string soundtrack.

His first press conferences were held to a backdrop of predictions and projections over whether he could represent England at next autumn's World Cup.
On Friday, though, it was all about being in the moment.
After two months out with a broken cheekbone and following two cameos off the bench, the 25-year-old made his first start as Bath beat Montpellier 32-12 in the European Rugby Champions Cup.
Chev Walker and Barrie-Jon Mather have both made the journey that Burgess is just embarking on - crossing from league to learn the ropes as union centres with Bath, in Walker's case, and Sale and England, in Mather's.
As Burgess makes the switch from being the world's best in one sport to complete novice in another, what challenges do they foresee for him?
For the 100 years between league breaking away and union finally starting to pay in 1995, the rivalry between the two codes was never friendly.
Converts to league were treated with suspicion on arrival in the 13-man game, while a ban from ever returning to union, even as a spectator, ensured codes were only crossed in one direction.
But rugby in 2014 is a very different, less divided place.
When Burgess came on for the final half hour of Bath's win over Montpellier in France last week, he replaced Kyle Eastmond, formerly of St Helens, and played outside George Ford, whom he once tried to convince to join him at old club Bradford Bulls.
One of Burgess's rivals for a spot in England's midfield is Luther Burrell, who played league for Huddersfield Giants as a teenager.
Joel Tomkins, now back with Wigan Warriors, was the man in possession of Stuart Lancaster's number 13 jersey a year ago, while Ben Teo'o, who played alongside Burgess for South Sydney just a few months ago, made his union debut for Irish province Leinster in October.
As well as familiar league faces, there is genuine enthusiasm about Burgess's arrival from those who have only watched him from across the divide.
Australian scrum-half Will Genia, a veteran of more than 50 Tests, could hardly emphasise enough how much he would like the chance to play alongside Burgess, saying it was "most definitely very appealing".
"Both games are professional and I think that rivalry between union and league comes from fans more than anything," said Walker, who moved to the Recreation Ground in 2006 from Leeds Rhinos.
"The Bath boys welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable from the get-go. It was just a matter of getting in there and introducing yourself.
"There was a little initiation on the first away trip - I had to sing a song and I went for Baa Baa Black Sheep. I couldn't think of anything else - they just threw it upon me!
"But they made me feel that welcome and part of the boys that I was able to do it with a smile on my face."
After Burgess's penultimate match for the Rabbitohs - a semi-final win over the Sydney Roosters - he was accosted by the opposition's Sonny Bill Williams.
"See you on the dark side," said Williams, on the brink of a return to union after a previous spell in which he won the World Cup with New Zealand.
Yet a reunion in union is far from certain.
Seven months after making his 15-a-side debut, Jason Robinson was scoring a try for the British and Irish Lions in their opening Test against Australia.
Seven months after arriving at Wasps, Lee Smith was already back at Leeds Rhinos having played just two first-team games of 15-a-side.
Between those two, there are plenty of other league players who have arrived to fanfare, and done decent, rather than world-beating, jobs in union.
Chris Ashton sparkled before falling out of form and favour, Andy Farrell's progress was hampered by a succession of injuries, Lesley 'the Volcano' Vainikolo failed to recreate his league pyrotechnics.
"Rugby league is a simple game - you catch, pass, tackle and run," explains Mather, who played at outside centre in England's Five Nations defeat by Wales in 1999 after his move from Castleford to Sale the previous year.
"There is the play of the ball, but that is nowhere near as technical as rugby union.
"You have to learn the body positions and different tactics depending on where you are on the field.
"It will be a shock to the system and he will feel a little bit lost and confused for quite a while."
Burgess's two appearances as a replacement have been full of cannonball physicality, channelled in less-than-textbook ways.
After chasing up one kick against Montpellier, he launched into a tackle so high it slipped clean over the top of his target.
Bath head coach Mike Ford insists that his charge can go low, with assistant Toby Booth adding that he will learn how to tweak his defence "on the job".
Getting his head around the breakdown may take more time.
In Burgess's early days at Bath's Farleigh House training headquarters, as he recovered from his facial fractures, he trained alongside injured flanker Francois Louw.
The pair spent time in an area of the gym known at the club as "the padded cell", with South African Louw putting on a ruck crash-course amid the crash mats.
"It is just such a different process. In league you take the tackle and you play the ball again as quick as you can. In union the tackle is just where it starts," explains Walker.
"That was the most physically demanding part of it for me, trying to get my head around the ruck - or not getting my head around the ruck as it may be.
"I could have hurt myself getting it wrong because it is not second nature.
"We were playing Saracens away towards the back end of the season and Richard Hill [the blind-side flanker who was a member of England's 2003 World Cup-winning team] was a proper gentleman - looking after me by telling me to get my head and eyes up when he had an opportunity to hurt me.
"That was 15 games into my union career and I still hadn't mastered it."
It did not take long for Burgess to learn a lesson on the differences between life in Sydney with a population of 4.5m, and Bath, with roughly 50 times smaller.
At 05:30 GMT on one of his first mornings in the city, he could be found wandering the Georgian streets, decked out in full Bath tracksuit, searching in vain for a morning coffee.
But while Bath's cafe culture might not be as big, the spotlight could be even more fierce than in Sydney.
"In the mid 2000s, Leeds Rhinos were second string to the football team, who were playing in the Champions League," said Walker.
"When I got to Bath, though, everybody knew the rugby team. Even for the tourists who were coming in to the town, we were up there with the Roman Baths.
"When I was playing for Leeds I would go home and completely forget about work, but being a rugby league player who had been brought in and the attention that that attracted in the town was a bit more overwhelming than my day-to-day work."
It is not just Bath's fans and millionaire owner Bruce Craig who are waiting for a return on their investment.
On the basis of Burgess's first competitive union carry in his 28 November debut against Harlequins, England coach Stuart Lancaster talked up his prospects of making the second-string Saxons side against the Irish Wolfhounds two months later.
That fast-track into the international set-up, and 2015 World Cup contention, could be derailed by Bath's apparent determination for Burgess to spend some of his limited game time in the back row.
It is there, rather than in midfield, that Bath need a star signing and, as the money behind his move, they feel no obligation to fit with Lancaster's plans.
"If he comes in as a back rower you have to almost say that is a three-year project and almost write off anything that you get out of the first year as a bonus," warns Mather, now general manager of New South Wales Rugby League.
"You have the breakdown, rucking and mauling and that is tough enough to learn, especially when you are playing against guys who it is second nature for.
"When you add line-out and scrum to that I think you are asking way too much of him, unless it is really a long-term project."
But Burgess is used to having a lot asked of him.
Five years ago, shortly after celebrating his 21st birthday at a bar in Leeds, he touched down half a world away to find himself heralded as the Rabbitohs' saviour.
"There are quiet hopes that Sam Burgess could become a new Sattler, a cardinal-red-and-myrtle-green messiah who can deliver rugby league's most successful club its 21st premiership after 39 lean years," reported the Sydney Morning Herald from his unveiling.
The 'Sattler' they referred to was former captain John. He had been the last man to lift the national title for South Sydney, leading them to victory in the 1970 final despite playing 77 of the 80 minutes with a jaw broken in three places.
Fast forward to October 2014 and the newspaper's prophesy was realised with eerily painful accuracy.
With one hand on an ageing Sattler's shoulder and a man of the match award in the other, Burgess bid farewell to the club having played through a snapped cheekbone to deliver their elusive title.
"Sam is an outstanding freakishly talented athlete. I have achieved quite a lot in my career and I look at him and am in awe," adds Walker.
"We are a similar age coming from league and going to Bath, but Sam is a special, once-in-a-lifetime player.
"He is one of those players who has everything - he has drive, he is clearly tough, added to which he is the ultimate professional off the field and is humble. He is ridiculous."
Bath and England hope that description translates in the best possible way to Burgess's performances in the 15-man game.


A visitor tried to smuggle tear gas into a prison, the BBC has learned.

The gas was found by wardens at HMP Woodhill, in Milton Keynes, who spotted the "suspect package" on the visitor in the prison's search area last Saturday afternoon.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed "an unauthorised item was successfully intercepted" before the visitor entered the prison itself.
It said it took "a zero tolerance approach to contraband in our prisons".
A spokeswoman confirmed police were investigating the discovery.
The incident happened on 21 May was documented in an internal prison report seen by the BBC.
The report said the "police attended and the visitor was arrested".
HMP Woodhill is a category A prison which can house up to 819 inmates.


US President Donald Trump was forced to withdraw his healthcare bill at the last minute - and Democrats have been quick to rub it in.

New York Congressman Sean Maloney shared a gleeful selfie...
...while Senator Bob Menendez suggested Republicans had got a taste of their own medicine.
California congressman Adam Schiff mocked Mr Trump for blaming the Democrats for the bill's failure - despite the Republicans controlling both the House and the Senate.
Former president Barack Obama's spokesman didn't bother with words - but tweeted an old photo of Mr Obama celebrating.
But Minnesota congressman and senior Democrat Keith Ellison pointed out that one reason the bill failed was because some Republicans felt it did not roll back enough of Mr Obama's Affordable Care Act.
Hillary Clinton, who lost the presidential race to Mr Trump, also celebrated, but warned that the fight wasn't over:
Republicans, for their part, were more sombre on Twitter.
Senator Lindsey Graham had a warning for the happy Democrats:
Alabama congressman Bradley Byrne said Democrats wouldn't be celebrating after Obamacare fell apart:
Utah congresswoman Mia Love said she had worked with President Trump to make the bill as good as she could.
Meanwhile, congressmen Bruce Poliquin and Darrell Issa criticised Obamacare - but said Mr Trump's healthcare bill wasn't the right solution.


Tencent has struck a licensing deal to distribute Universal Music's content on its streaming platforms in China.

Artists with Universal, the world's largest music company, will be available on Tencent's QQ Music, KuGou and Kuwo services.
The companies will also build Abbey Road Studios China, inspired by the famous London recording facility.
Tencent now handles music from three of the world's top labels including Warner and Sony.
The deal not only covers Tencent's own platforms but also allows it to exclusively sub-license Universal Music's content to third-party music service providers in China.
The Chinese internet giant says it already provides more than 17 million songs to 600 million monthly active users.
Entertainment industry veteran and president of Music Matters Jasper Donat told the BBC it could be a "game changer" for the music industry in the Asia Pacific region.
"Tencent is solidifying their claims as the only legitimate streaming service in China and their reputation as a trustworthy partner in the music industry," he said.
The chairman and chief executive of Universal Music Group, Sir Lucian Grainge, said recent developments in technology and the commercial environment in China meant is was "the right time for an innovative strategic partnership with a leading Chinese company like Tencent".
Sir Lucian added that Tencent could help to speed up China's "music ecosystem" and "inspire growth in creative and commercial opportunities for all artists".
Mr Donat said the plan to build Abby Road Studios China would further promote the country as "an exciting new opportunity for music artists while still accepting that it is a challenging market to do business".


Will there be a serious attempt to stop John Bercow resuming the chair of the Commons, now he has indicated he could seek to continue through the full length of the new Parliament?

Back in February, five Conservatives signed an early day motion of no confidence, but the attempt to unseat him fizzled out.
Even so, my guess is that the anti-Bercow camp will not be able to resist, if only to make the point that not everyone in the House supports him.
The Commons has to re-elect its Speaker at the start of each new Parliament.
There is a stately formal process, under which the newly elected MPs are summoned to the House of Lords, where they will receive an instruction from the Queen to choose a new Speaker.
Father of the House Ken Clarke will preside, and his first task will be to "ascertain" whether the incumbent Speaker, who will be lurking on the backbenches, wishes to re-stand.
This will not be a cliff-hanger - Mr Bercow will then deliver a short speech, and then a motion will be put that he should take the chair as Speaker-elect.
This, incidentally, is never a whipped vote, and MPs tend to take it very badly if any of the various whips' offices attempt to intervene in what should be "House matters", which are left to a free vote - so it is wrong to talk about the government "failing to back" the Speaker.
But this vote is the moment when any MP who wants to oppose the return of John Bercow would have to strike, and there are a few of ways in which they could do so.
They could seek to intervene on his speech to make some hostile point, perhaps asking for a definite departure point. or they could simply oppose the motion.
The key player is the Father of the House - the MP with the longest unbroken service - Ken Clarke.
If the motion is opposed, it would be by an MP or MPs shouting: "No."
This is more difficult if a number of voices are raised, and if they then keep shouting: "No," the House may not particularly want to vote, but they could force a division.
Even then, I doubt the result would be the defeat of Mr Bercow.
While there was visible dislike from David Cameron, there is no sense of any feud with Theresa May, and, indeed, she provided an effusive endorsement for his election literature, describing him as "a devoted and hard-working champion for his constituents in Buckingham".
Following the defeat of one of the Deputy Speakers, Natascha Engel, there will be an election to fill her post - and it may well be contested.
Ms Engel rather quietly played a key role in the structural changes that have opened up the Commons in recent years.
She was the first to chair the Backbench Business Committee, which opened for business in 2010, with the power to allocate a significant bloc of debating time on the floor of the Commons and in Westminster Hall.
The committee was created to loosen the grip of the government and the parties on the Commons agenda, by providing a route for groups of MPs to raise cross-party concerns independent of the so-called "usual channels" - meetings of parliamentary business managers who, until then, set almost all the business of the House.
The committee could quite easily have become a rather dreary affair, scheduling niche debates on hobby horse subjects - but the ground rules Ms Engel was instrumental in setting ensured that groups of MPs with important concerns could secure a prime time Commons debate, and, crucially, a vote in the House.
This quickly became a channel for Brexit campaigners to get their concerns on to the floor of the House, but it has also allowed some extremely important issues outside the normal spectrum of party disputes to be given an airing.
The precedents Ms Engel set were a vital part of the revival of the Commons, since the depths of the expenses scandal.


A pilot escaped without injury after making an emergency landing in his light aircraft next to a river in North Yorkshire.

Police said the incident happened at 10:30 BST near the village of Tockwith, which is 10 miles (17km) west of York.
North Yorkshire Police said it was believed the aeroplane had suffered engine failure.
Sgt Andy Graham, who attended the crash, praised the "great piloting skills resulting in no injuries".
More on this and other North Yorkshire stories


Parma have returned to Italy's professional ranks after the reborn club clinched promotion in their first season following bankruptcy.

The new club secured promotion to the third tier with a 2-1 victory over Delta Calcio Rovigo on Sunday.
The two-time Uefa Cup winners were wound up last summer after racking up debt of more than 200m euros (£143m).
"The message that comes from Parma is that we're back," said captain Alessandro Lucarelli.
Parma have eased through Serie D, the highest level of amateur football in Italy, setting a league record of 85 points from 35 matches.
The new club, formed in July, is backed by pasta maker Guido Barilla with former coach Nevio Scala as president.
Scala, 67, guided Parma to three of their four European successes in the 1990s.
In addition to two Uefa Cups, between 1992 and 2002 Parma also won the European Super Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup, three Coppa Italias and an Italian Super Cup.
"We are enjoying the rewards of an extraordinary ride," said Scala.
"Let's enjoy the victory, as it's the first of a process that we hope will see us as contenders again next year."
Coach Luigi Apolloni, the former Italy defender who played for Parma between 1987 and 2000, added: "This was a victory for the whole city."


Crusaders crashed out of the Champions League second qualifying round to FC Copenhagen, losing 6-0 in the away leg on Tuesday, and 9-0 on aggregate.

Andrija Pavlovic opened the scoring with a cool finish and Andy Mitchell headed Christoffer Remmer's cross into his own net just before half-time.
Andreas Cornelius headed powerfully home and then Rasmus Falk fired in the fourth from close range.
Jan Gregus netted with a fine free-kick and Cornelius grabbed his second.
Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, the Irish League champions travelled to the Danish capital without skipper Colin Coates, who was on holiday.
The hosts had early chances, with Cornelius heading wide and then crossing for Pavlovic, who was unable to find the net.
Pavlovic made no mistake from 12 yards out in the 15th minute, however, finishing off a pass from Falk with style.
Kasper Kusk missed from five yards out, before the unfortunate Mitchell scored an own goal just before the interval.
Cornelius' back-post header three minutes after the resumption made it 3-0, before Falk scored his second of the tie and Gregus beat Sean O'Neill with a well-taken free-kick.
Cornelius notched his third goal of the tie with 14 minutes remaining as his side set up a third qualifying round meeting with Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu.
Crusaders' thoughts will turn to the defence of their Premiership title, which begins with the visit of Ballymena United on 6 August.
Match ends, FC København 6, Crusaders FC 0.
Second Half ends, FC København 6, Crusaders FC 0.
Goal!  FC København 6, Crusaders FC 0. Andreas Cornelius (FC København) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner.
Declan Caddell (Crusaders FC) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Goal!  FC København 5, Crusaders FC 0. Jan Gregus (FC København) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Substitution, Crusaders FC. Matthew Snoddy replaces Michael Gault.
Substitution, FC København. Bashkim Kadrii replaces Andrija Pavlovic.
Substitution, FC København. Aboubacar Keita replaces Zanka.
Substitution, FC København. Danny Amankwaa replaces Rasmus Falk Jensen.
Substitution, Crusaders FC. Jordan Owens replaces Philip Lowry.
Goal!  FC København 4, Crusaders FC 0. Rasmus Falk Jensen (FC København) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Crusaders FC. Paul Heatley replaces David Cushley.
Andreas Cornelius (FC København) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Goal!  FC København 3, Crusaders FC 0. Andreas Cornelius (FC København) with an attempt from very close range to the top right corner.
Second Half begins FC København 2, Crusaders FC 0.
First Half ends, FC København 2, Crusaders FC 0.
Own Goal by Andrew Mitchell, Crusaders FC.  FC København 2, Crusaders FC 0.
Goal!  FC København 1, Crusaders FC 0. Andrija Pavlovic (FC København) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.


Mae dyn 29 oed o Wynedd wedi ei garcharu am bum mlynedd am fod â lluniau anweddus o blant yn ei feddiant.

Fe gafodd rheithgor yn Llys y Goron Caernarfon, Pryderi Tomos, gynt o'r Waunfawr ger Caernarfon, yn euog o'r cyhuddiadau yn ei erbyn.
Roedd wedi ei gyhuddo o wneud a bod â dros 500 o luniau a ffilmiau anweddus yn ei feddiant.
Fe ddaeth yr heddlu o hyd i'r delweddau a'r ffilmiau tra bod Tomos yn byw ym Mangor.
Fe ddaethant hefyd o hyd i ddillad plant rhwng dwy a phedair oed yn ei ystafell wely, yn ogystal â dwy nofel ffantasi am herwgipio plant.
Roedd Tomos wedi ei ddedfrydu i ganolfan i droseddwyr ifanc 10 mlynedd yn ôl am droseddau tebyg.
Ddydd Mercher, dywedodd y Barnwr Tracey Lloyd-Clarke fod dedfryd estynedig yn golygu y byddai Tomos yn parhau ar drwydded am bum mlynedd ar ôl ei ryddhau o'r carchar, ac y byddai'n rhaid iddo arwyddo'r gofrestr rhyw am oes.


An investigation has been launched into the death of a man found collapsed on a boat at Cardiff Yacht Club.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the owner of the Vasquez motor cruiser died after he was discovered on board on 12 November.
Initial tests have shown there were high levels of carbon monoxide inside the cockpit, with the engine running.
MAIB said two people who tried to rescue the man had to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.


A range of charities and organisations can be contacted for help and support if you have suffered criminal activity or sexual abuse.

You can contact your local police, who are the only people with the proper powers to assess criminal allegations.
However, the Metropolitan Police, which is leading the Savile investigation, is also asking people with information or concerns to contact the NSPCC on its 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 5000.
The NSPCC is a charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children and offering information, advice and counselling to adults concerned about a child's safety. You can also contact the charity by email, at help@nspcc.org.uk.
If you have an allegation about inappropriate behaviour on BBC premises, or by BBC presenters or other staff, you can inform the BBC Investigations Unit in confidence by calling 020 8752 4168 during office hours.
If you need help and support, the following organisations may be able to help:
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood is a charity that offers support and advice to adult survivors of any form of childhood abuse. It can be contacted on 0800 085 3330 or visit the website.
Rape Crisis (England and Wales) offers help, support and information about rape and sexual violence, and can give details of your nearest Rape Crisis Centre, which specialise in rape trauma support and counselling.
The helpline offers support to male and female survivors of rape or sexual abuse over 14 years of age, however long ago it happened. It can also offer help and support to partners, friends and family. Call the national helpline on 0808 802 9999.
If you have been sexually abused recently, Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) are specialist, round-the-clock services which provide medical care and forensic examination following assault or rape, counselling and - in some locations - sexual health services.
Services are free of charge and provided to women, men, young people and children (although not all centres may currently be able to assist children).
SARCs are mostly able to assist in the immediate aftermath of an assault and can store the forensic results until you make up your mind whether to report to the police or not.
You can find a list of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (in England and Wales) on the Rape Crisis website - select the link for reporting a rape, which you'll find down the left-hand side.
If you do not wish to take legal action, it may still be important that you receive medical attention.
You do not have to have a forensic examination if you go to a SARC, hospital accident and emergency department or your GP, but you may need to receive treatment for any injuries, emergency contraception or to check for sexually-transmitted diseases.
If you are in Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland provides a national rape crisis helpline for anyone affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. The helpline offers free and confidential support and information. The charity can also put you in touch with local rape crisis centres or other services for ongoing support. Contact Rape Crisis by phone on 0808 801 03 02 or visit the website.
The NEXUS Institute works across Northern Ireland to respond to the needs of adults (over 16) who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or other forms of sexual violence. It provides a counselling service for those in need. Contact by phone on 028 90326803 or visit the website.
Survivors UK provides information, support and counselling for men who have been raped or sexually abused. Contact the charity by phone on 0845 122 1201 or visit the website.


Apple has won a major regulatory battle in Australia that will likely see it retain control of its contactless payment technology.

Four banks had wanted to negotiate with Apple to gain access to its payments technology for their own apps, avoiding having to pay fees to Apple.
But the country's competition watchdog has now barred them from collectively bargaining with Apple.
The decision is the first of its kind and could set a global precedent.
In its final ruling on the case on Friday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said that the collective threat to boycott Apple was "likely to reduce or distort competition".
They wanted their own apps to have access to the contactless payment technology used in iPhones.
The near field communication (NFC) system allows users to settle bills by holding their phone to a small terminal, with the money deducted from a bank card registered with Apple Pay.
Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank and Bendigo & Adelaide Bank together command around two-thirds of Australia's credit card market.
But so far, they do not allow their cards to be used with Apple Pay because they have never reached agreement on the conditions.
Doing so would have put them in a much stronger position against Apple.
They wanted to convey to Apple that unless it gave them access to its iPhone technology, they would continue to prevent their customers from using Apple Pay.
Apple Pay collects a fee from the bank for each transaction, meaning Apple risked a significant loss.
But the commission said that ruling in favour of the banks would have reduced competition by forcing Apple to act more like Google, who's more open Android operating system allows contactless payments from individual apps.
"It is a tricky issue for a competition regulator to force one competitor to adopt a strategy of the other competitor," ACCC chairman Rod Sims explained.
It certainly looks like it.
They can still negotiate with Apple individually, but with much less bargaining power than they had hoped for.
If a single bank blocks its customers from using Apple Pay, it might well be the bank that loses out. Customers could be unhappy about being left out and switch to another bank.
In fact, some of the other Australian banks that do allow their cards to be uses for payment via Apple have seen an increase in customers since the gridlock between Apple and that group of four.
Representative for the banks said they were "disappointed" by the decision and would review their future strategies.


Former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman has called on Boris Johnson to consider banning lorries from some of London's roads during peak times.

Following the death of six cyclists on London's roads in two weeks, Mr Boardman asked the mayor to honour a "promise" he made by looking at similar schemes in operation abroad.
He said: "The longer we delay, the more lives will be lost."
Mr Johnson told BBC London 94.9 he was not convinced by the argument.
Nine of this year's 14 cyclist fatalities and five of last year's 14 deaths involved a heavy goods vehicle.
In the centre of Paris, where there are restrictions on lorries, there were no cyclist fatalities in 2011, according to the Prefecture of Police of Paris.
Boardman, British Cycling's policy adviser, said in an open letter to the mayor: "When I rode alongside you to help you launch your vision for cycling in March this year, you made a verbal promise to look at the successful experiences of Paris and many other cities in restricting the movements of heavy vehicles during peak hours.
"London has an opportunity to emulate and surpass Paris and to lead the way for the other ambitious cycling cities across Britain.
"Let's not waste this opportunity to do something now."
The House of Commons Transport Committee is to hold an oral evidence session on cycle safety on 2 December to "stimulate debate", said chairman Louise Ellman.
Speaking to Vanessa Feltz on BBC London 94.9, the mayor of London said safety must be improved.
He said he was getting on with the programme to invest the "thick end of Â£1bn" to make cycling in the capital safer.
Mr Johnson said there had to be a "much bigger conversation about HGVs" and the dangers they pose when they turn left.
But he said imposing a peak-time ban risked damaging London companies and creating a "serious influx as soon as the ban is over".
He said that examples from other European cities were being studied, but that he was "by no means satisfied" the idea was the solution.
Mr Johnson said the latest person to die was in a collision with a lorry at about midday, not during the rush hour.
2010: 10 deaths, four involving HGVs
2011: 16 deaths, 12 involving HGVs
2012: 14 deaths, five involving HGVs
2013 so far: 14 deaths, nine involving HGVs
Source: TfL
He added: "We are not dismissing any suggestion."
On new safety ideas being considered at Transport for London, he said the issue of people riding bikes and walking in the street using personal electronic devices was discussed frequently.
Mr Johnson said he thought headphones were an "absolute scourge" and that he would consider banning cyclists from wearing them.
"Call me illiberal, but it makes me absolutely terrified to see them bowling along unable to hear the traffic.
"You've got to be able to hear that car behind you or about to come out of the road in front of you," he said.
Mark Ames, editor of cycling blog ibikelondon, accused the mayor of taking attention away from his "inaction".
He wrote on Twitter that the mayor was "a clever man" who had "deflected all attention on his inaction and HGV ban and made a debate about Londoners wearing headphones".
The House of Commons Transport Committee chairman Ms Ellman said the deaths of cyclists this year had raised the issue of restricting lorries, and the behaviour of drivers and cyclists.
She said: "Many of these casualties involve large vehicles, especially HGVs, and there is now debate about whether they should be banned from city centres at peak times.
"This will have consequences for businesses, which need to be assessed."
Kate Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Road Haulage Association, said: "Lorries have to get in and out of construction sites. Shops have to have goods on their shelves. Even Halfords."
She said restricting lorries from entering the city between 10:00 and 18:00, for example, "would add to the congestion that London roads are already facing".
During the Olympics, deliveries were made to shops and businesses overnight with the usual restrictions preventing noise for residents removed.
But Ms Gibbs said that was not a "workable solution".