A prominent separatist commander has been killed in eastern Ukraine, four days after another pro-Russian military leader was blown up by a car bomb.

Mikhail Tolstykh, known as Givi, was killed when a rocket was fired into his office in what rebel authorities in Donetsk are calling a terrorist attack.
Eastern Ukraine has seen its bloodiest period of clashes since 2015, with at least 35 deaths in little over a week.
Rebels have blamed Ukraine's security services for both bomb attacks.
Oleg Anashschenko, who was de facto defence minister of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), had been driving in Luhansk when his car blew up on Saturday.
The two military figures blown up in the past few days are the latest in a series of rebel commanders killed in eastern Ukraine. The conflict between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists erupted after Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula in March 2014.
Ukrainians in Kiev have put the most recent killings down to infighting among rebels. Military commentator and MP Dmytro Tymchuk suggested that Givi had begun ignoring orders, particularly during the escalation of fighting at Avdiivka last week, just outside Donetsk.
Givi led the so-called Somali battalion during the rebels' successful campaign to seize control of Donetsk airport.
He was one of the best-known faces among the separatists, along with Arseny Pavlov, widely known as Motorola, who was blown up in a lift at a block of flats in Donetsk last October.
Pavlov, a Russian military veteran, was high on Kiev's wanted list, having told reporters that he had killed 15 Ukrainian prisoners.
Ever since the conflict in the east began, there have been numerous incidents involving separatist leaders and rarely have the attackers been caught.
January 2015: Oleksandr Bednov, head of Luhansk rapid reaction force, shot dead with bodyguards
May 2015: Oleksiy Mozhovyy, killed with entourage in ambush
August 2016: Ihor Plotnitskiy, head of the self-styled Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), survives an attack on his car; both his parents died in Russia the following month, reportedly of mushroom poisoning
September 2016: Ex-Plotnitskiy adviser hangs himself while in detention for allegedly plotting a coup
January 2017: Ex-LPR leader Valeriy Bolotov dies suddenly in Moscow, weeks after accusing Plotnitskiy of illegally seizing power. His family says he was poisoned


A Welsh language and cultural centre could be developed in the heart of Cardiff.

The aim of the proposed facility is to celebrate and protect the language, as well as provide a space for residents and visitors to speak Welsh.
Cabinet members will be recommended to authorise the development at the Old Library at a meeting on Thursday.
Funding would come from a Â£1.25m Welsh government pot aimed at creating similar facilities around the country.
The centre would be run alongside the Cardiff Story museum which is already at the Old Library, on The Hayes.
Among the bodies set to be involved are Cardiff University, which would run Welsh language courses, nightspot Clwb Ifor Bach, which would showcase Welsh bands, and broadcaster S4C, which would provide interactive equipment for children.
If permission is granted, the new joint facility would be called Yr Hen Lyfrgell (The Old Library) and would include a cafe bar, book shop, teaching rooms, and exhibition, performance and conference space.


Scotland's first minister has signed a letter formally asking for powers to hold a second Scottish independence referendum.

The Scottish Parliament voted by 69 to 59 on Tuesday in favour of seeking permission for another referendum.
Nicola Sturgeon argues Scotland should have the choice on what path to follow in the wake of the Brexit vote.
The UK government has already indicated that any referendum should wait until the Brexit process has been completed.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who met Ms Sturgeon for talks in Glasgow on Monday, has repeatedly insisted that "now is not the time".
She argues that the focus should be on getting the best Brexit deal for the whole of the UK, and Scottish voters can only make an informed choice once the terms are clear.
By Sarah Smith, Scotland editor
Sitting on the sofa, her shoes kicked off, putting the final touches to that letter
It couldn't be more different from the very formal portrait of Theresa May signing the Article 50 letter in Downing Street. Very different images - and that is no accident.
But while the picture may look quite casual, the contents of this letter are  not.
In it the first minister asserts that she has a clear mandate to ask for another referendum since the Scottish parliament voted to back her on Tuesday.
And she repeats her request for a vote in 18-24 months time. She says by then the shape of the Brexit deal will be clear.
But she knows what the prime minister is going to say in reply.
Constitutional matters are reserved to Westminster so the Scottish government must ask for the powers to hold such a vote to be transferred to Holyrood under a Section 30 order, as was done before the 2014 referendum.
The Scottish government released a photo of Nicola Sturgeon drafting the letter to Theresa May, with her feet curled up on a sofa at her official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh.
The letter is expected to be sent to Downing Street on Friday.
Ms Sturgeon is seeking a referendum between the autumn next year and spring 2019 - but has indicated she would be willing to negotiate the timing.
If, as expected, the request is declined, Ms Sturgeon has said she will set out her government's next steps in April, when MSPs return to the Scottish Parliament after the Easter recess.
The two-day debate at Holyrood on an independence referendum began last week but was suspended as news of the terror attack at Westminster emerged.
When it resumed on Tuesday, the minority SNP government was backed by the pro-independence Scottish Greens in the vote, with the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems opposed.
Scottish voters rejected independence by 55% to 45% in a referendum in 2014, but Ms Sturgeon believes the UK voting to leave the EU is a material change in circumstances which means people should again be asked the question.
While the UK as a whole voted to leave, Scotland voted by 62% to 38% to remain in the EU.
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Northampton Town have signed midfielder Paul Anderson on a one-year deal after he left League One rivals Bradford City by mutual consent.

The 28-year-old was restricted to 18 Bantams appearances after joining last summer because of a broken leg.
Anderson has played 292 times in his career for teams including Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town.
"Paul is a player of proven quality with a lot of Championship experience," said Cobblers manager Rob Page.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Brexit should not end open financial markets in Europe, the head of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority has said.

Andrew Bailey said there should be common rules and a mechanism for resolving disputes between UK and EU financial firms following Brexit.
He said UK firms should to be given more information on plans for Brexit before the end of this year.
But he admitted the picture he was painting was "what we should aspire to" rather than a definite prediction.
"My question is... whether restricting trade is an inevitable or a necessary response to Brexit and in the interests of anyone?" he said.
"I hope you will not be surprised to hear that my answer to these is 'No'".
He was speaking to an audience of business journalists and representatives of the financial services industry at Thomson Reuters in Canary Wharf and addressing concerns over what will happen to London's large financial services industry after the UK leaves the European Union.
He suggested the City of London should be given a transitional period during which it could "continue with current arrangements while whatever comes next, is put into effect".
Banks and other financial institutions are drawing up contingency plans and some have indicated they plan to shift jobs and business to other European locations once the UK leaves the European Union.
Mr Bailey said firms would need more information on the government's Brexit blueprint by the end of this year if they were to avoid putting those contingency plans into action.
What Brexit will look like and how it will work seem increasingly to depend on where you are standing.
Michel Barnier, the EU's Chief Negotiator for Brexit warned today that you are either in the Single Market or you are not, there can be no special deals for different parts of the economy; while Andrew Bailey, the head of the FCA, the UK finance industry's regulator, says firms won't have to move to the EU after Brexit nor do you have to be in the single market to get the benefits of free trade with the EU.
It may seem difficult to reconcile those views, but not impossible.
Andrew Bailey sees a deal negotiated between the UK and the EU which respects each others' rules and regulations, coordinates regulation and agrees on a mechanism to solve disputes.
But he also added firms in the City would want to see the details such a deal by the end of this year, or they might decide the risks are too high of no deal being agreed and decide to move anyway.
That timetable seems very ambitious, the talks have yet to agree on such details as citizens' rights or the bill for leaving, if any.
While Mr Barnier's emphasis that there will be no special deals for different British industries, seems to undermine the British financial sector's demand that it maintains open access to the EU.
As Mr Barnier also said today, the EU has made its views very clear on these issues but he was "not sure they have been fully understood across the Channel."
Other European countries have indicated they would like to see more business, such as the clearing of euro denominated derivatives, which London dominates, move to cities remaining within the EU.
"When I hear people say that firms need to relocate in order to continue to benefit from access to EU financial markets, I start to seriously wonder: Does Brexit have to mean abandoning the benefits of free trade and open markets in financial services? It should not," Mr Bailey said.
"Does it require membership of the Single Market to get the benefits of free trade with the EU? No."
Mr Bailey said that while he viewed competition between locations as healthy, Brexit should not be used as an excuse to restrict where firms located their operations, or activities such as clearing.
He said he hoped there could be a sensible and pragmatic solution to maintaining open markets in financial services and that four key elements that would be required to make that work: "comparability of rules, but not exact mirroring; supervisory co-ordination; exchange of information; and a mechanism to deal with differences when they occur."
"My own view is quite clearly what comes next should not look very different to what we have now but we require some sort of institutional view to make it work."


Four police officers must answer claims of misconduct over a man who went missing and later committed suicide, according to its watchdog.

Kazimierz Radloff, 64, from Dudley, was found dead on 6 July last year.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said that two days before he was found relatives warned he indicated he intended to kill himself.
There was no indication earlier police intervention would have altered the outcome, the IPCC said.
West Midlands Police have now decided three police constables and an acting inspector will have to answer a case for misconduct.
They would be "subject to management action including words of advice," the IPCC said.
The investigation found police initially treated Mr Radloff as someone in breach of bail conditions rather than as a vulnerable missing person, it said.
Evidence indicated a lack of intelligence checks and information sharing meant opportunities were missed to escalate the search, the watchdog said.
The IPCC also said it recommended to the force that all officers should receive guidance on working with interpreters.
Mr Radloff committed suicide his inquest in August last year found.


The Oxford students union has denied reports that it told students to use gender-neutral pronouns such as "ze".

The Sunday Times said the move, outlined in a leaflet produced by the union, was "intended to stop transgender students being offended".
But the student body described the article as "a piece of misinformation" and said no such leaflet existed.
It added that students are encouraged at meetings to introduce themselves with the pronoun of their choice.
In a statement posted on its website the Oxford University Students' Union said telling people to stop using "he" and "she" would be "totally counterproductive".
"That would be misgendering and would likely have the biggest impact on individuals who may already be struggling to get people to use 'he' or 'she' for them," it said.
"Requesting that people state their pronouns, and do not assume the pronouns of others, is not particularly radical or controversial.
"It's a standard practice, not just in Oxford but in student communities and LGBTQ-friendly spaces all over, and we encourage its spread.
"We find it disappointing that a piece of misinformation has resulted in a media storm around what is a very basic effort to ensure our trans students feel welcome within the Oxford community."
The Sunday Times was contacted for a comment.


An Australian school has apologised after a boy who attended a school event in costume as Adolf Hitler was named as one of the "best dressed" students.

The scandal unfolded on Wednesday at St Philip's College, a private school in the outback town of Alice Springs.
The school apologised to the Jewish exchange students who were present.
The principal confirmed the student asked "a respected staff member" for permission to dress up as the Nazi dictator and that she had said yes.
"In a busy school, this student did go to a respected staff member said 'is this OK?' and the staff member said 'yes'," Roger Herbert told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Now she is absolutely shattered that she said that, and I'm really concerned about her wellbeing."
Last month a Western Australian mother was criticised for painting her white son's skin black in tribute to his idol, Australian Rules player Nic Naitanui.
Mr Naitanui, who is of Fijian heritage, said on Twitter that he did not believe there was any intentional offence but said the boy's mother should "reflect and choose an alternate method next time".


The UK government has started selling off internet addresses that it no longer uses.

The first group of 150,000 addresses has been snapped up by a Norwegian firm called Altibox for about Â£600,000.
The addresses are becoming valuable because the net has almost outgrown the addressing scheme it adopted in the 1970s.
If the UK government sells off all the surplus addresses it owns it could get up to Â£15m.
However, some fear that as the addresses are shared out more widely, data could go astray.
The surplus addresses are part of a much bigger block of 16 million addresses given to the Department of Work and Pensions in 1993. Earlier this year, the DWP started a project to see how many of these IP addresses could be freed.
An official report produced before the DWP began its investigation suggested that 70% of the massive block was used for the UK government's internal network, leaving about five million free for disposal.
A government spokesman said: "Government periodically reviews all its assets to consider their financial value, including options to release income from those that are not used to their fullest potential.
"The scope of the value of these assets is commercially sensitive and protected by standard legal confidentiality agreements."
The addresses are known as IP Version 4 (IPv4) addresses and are valuable because of a hard limit in the numbering system they use. This caps the total number of IPv4 addresses at 4.3 billion. In practice there are fewer available because some are reserved for other uses.
The net is in the process of moving to IP Version 6 (IPv6), which has an almost inexhaustible supply of addresses. However, technical incompatibilities between the two versions means many firms are seeking to expand their existing IPv4 networks instead of switching.
Regional caches of IPv4 addresses have all but run dry, meaning many firms have to look elsewhere for them, said Sandra Brown, president of address broker IPV4 Market Group.
Trading in IPv4 had been brisk in Europe, said Ms Brown, because the organisation that oversees net addresses in the region had approved policies that allowed transfers. In the busiest months, about two million IPv4 addresses were being traded in Europe.
"Supply has met demand but we are reaching a point where supply is about to fall short and we have seen prices escalate because of that," she said.
Each individual IP address was worth up to $11 (Â£7), she said, but prices were lower when big deals were done.
Trading was likely to continue for years as firms were only slowly migrating to IPv6.
"Most of the people I talk to say it will take five to 10 years to convert," said Ms Brown.
That might spell trouble, said Doug Madory from network specialist Dyn, because there were concerns about what happened when that finite stock of addresses was divided very finely.
"People typically try to deal with addresses in contiguous blocks to keep the binary math from getting unwieldy leading to errors," he said.
"As you slice it thinly the number of routes gets larger and larger and it's computationally expensive to look up where each packet has to go."
In addition, he said, delays in transferring ownership had already led to some data going astray.
"We see this as a transition period," said Andrew de la Haye, chief operating officer of the Ripe agency that oversees net addresses in Europe.
He added that some European companies were analysing how they use IPv4 as a way to help them move to the larger addressing system.
"It's a bit early to say but I have spoken to a few of our members and they are freeing up IPv4 address spaces to fund their IPv6 migration," he said. "The long-term strategy should be IPv6."


A teenager has died after getting into difficulties while swimming under a County Durham waterfall.

The 16-year-old male was with a group swimming in the pool beneath High Force in Middleton-in-Teesdale on Tuesday.
He was recovered from the water by a fire brigade rescue boat and airlifted to Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital, but later died.
Police said five other teenagers, three boys and two girls, who had been with the boy, were not injured.
High Force, where the River Tees plunges 65ft, is one of County Durham's most popular tourist destinations.
Police, fire crews, air support, and a mountain rescue volunteers carried out a search of the area after the alarm was raised at about 20:00 BST.
The teenager was located some time later, and was treated at the scene by paramedics.
Pete Bell, from Teesdale and Weardale Mountain Rescue Team, said: "Unfortunately these bodies of water are magnets for people when the weather is good, but despite the air temperature being warm the water is still cold and there are unknown currents. Even the best swimmers can find themselves in difficulty.
"We would urge people not to go into the water at High Force because the risks are considerable."


Labour has accused the government of failing to take fast enough action to close down illegal schools.

There are 21 institutions being investigated in England by the Department for Education, according to a ministerial statement.
The statement from children's minister Edward Timpson says "robust steps" are being taken to tackle unregistered schools.
But Labour's Lucy Powell said ministers had "dragged their feet".
The issue of illegal schools was raised by Ofsted last year.
Inspectors warned of pupils being taught in schools that were not registered, inspected or subject to any kind of formal accountability - and Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw called for urgent action to get them closed.
These are schools which are running as full-time places of education, rather than classes providing extra lessons.
In November, inspectors reported that they had uncovered 15 such illegal schools and then in December a further three schools were found operating outside the law.
The only one to be publicly identified was Bordesley independent school in Birmingham, which had already been closed down.
Labour has been pointing to this month's ministerial response which said there were 21 current investigations into institutions that might be "unregistered independent schools".
"However, this number often changes as new settings are established and existing ones close, or are confirmed not to be operating as schools," continued Mr Timpson's statement.
"We have taken robust steps to tackle unregistered schools and improve safeguarding which includes being clear it is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered independent school.
"All these institutions have been warned that it is a criminal offence to operate as an unregistered school. We are asking Ofsted to visit and to prepare cases for prosecution as necessary."
In November, Ofsted wrote to the education secretary saying: "The arrangements for closing down unregistered schools are inadequate.
"Too many children remain at significant risk of harm. I will continue to do all that I can to identify and inspect unregistered schools."
Lucy Powell, Labour's shadow education secretary, commenting on the investigations, said: "Ministers have a basic responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe, and yet despite warning after warning, they have dragged their feet on this very serious issue, leaving children in unregistered schools where they could be in harm's way.
"It is extremely worrying that Ofsted remain concerned that the number of children being educated in unregistered provision in parts of the country far exceeds the number that is currently known by the government.
"Without a doubt, the dangerous lack of local oversight of our schools system, created by the Tories' education policy, is putting children at risk."
But a spokesman for the Department for Education said there were already steps announced to "crack down" on such "illegal and unsafe" unregistered schools.
"Last month we announced an escalation of Ofsted investigations into unregistered schools, with additional inspectors dedicated to rooting them out, a new tougher approach to prosecuting them and a call to local authorities to help identify any settings of concern.
"Our tougher stand against illegal schools will help prevent children from falling into the grasp of extremists."


An Australian man who used a stolen bulldozer to crush four cars, a boat and a house has been found guilty of endangering lives.

Jamie Francis Sager, 50, had admitted to the rampage in the New South Wales town of Teralba in 2015, but denied he was trying to hurt a family inside.
The three people managed to escape what prosecutors said was an act of revenge.
A jury unanimously rejected Sager's claim that he did not know there was anyone inside at the time.
The court heard that Sager had made eye contact with one person in the house before ploughing into it.
Sager had stolen the bulldozer from a nearby mine in darkness on the morning of the attack. From there, he waited until sunrise before driving to the house.
He first rammed the vehicle into the cars and the boat, leaving a trail of destruction, before turning his attention on the house.
Prosecutors said he wanted to cause "maximum destruction" when he drove the bulldozer into the walls and razed the building.
Police ultimately managed to stop Sager when the bulldozer got stuck.
Sager later claimed he had not intended to hurt anyone inside the house.
"That's why I hit the cars first because I knew when I hit the cars they'll come out of the house," Sager told police, according to the Newcastle Herald.
The court heard he knew the family and had an "irrational desire" to inflict revenge after perceiving he had been wronged.
The jury found Sager guilty of maliciously destroying property with the intent to endanger life, a charge carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail.
He will be sentenced in October.


A Grade II-listed hall that influenced Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is opening its doors to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the author's birth.

Bronte paid several visits to North Lees Hall in Derbyshire which provided the inspiration for Thornfield Hall.
Thornfield Hall was the home of the 1847 novel's hero Edward Rochester.
North Lees is now owned by the Peak District National Park Authority, which is holding open events on Saturday and Sunday.
At the time of Bronte's visits to the Hathersage area, the Eyre family were living at North Lees. They lived there from 1750 until 1882, as well as occupying the hall for two generations during the 15th Century.
In Jane Eyre, the world-renowned author describes the North Lees's battlements, the view from the roof and the apostles' cabinet - a piece of furniture that belonged to the Eyre family.
Bronte later bought the cabinet and moved it to her family home in Haworth, Yorkshire, where it can still be seen.
The hall closed in July after the Vivat Trust, which had managed the building since 1988, stopped trading.
Bronte, born on 21 April 1816, was the eldest of the literary Brontes. She wrote three other novels - Shirley, Villette and The Professor.
The open days run from 11:00 to 15:00 BST on both Saturday and Sunday.
"Leaning over the battlements and looking far down, I surveyed the grounds laid out like a map: the bright and velvet lawn closely girdling the grey base of the mansion; the field, wide as a park, dotted with its ancient timber; the wood, dun and sere, divided by a path visibly overgrown, greener with moss than the trees were with foliage."


A record number of Irish passports - more than 700,000 - have been issued so far this year.

The Republic of Ireland's passport office tweeted the milestone: "Wow, we have just broken a new record, over 700,000 Passports have been issued so far this year! #RecordBreaker".
Last year, nearly 670,000 Irish passports were issued.
There has been a surge in applications from Great Britain and Ireland since the UK voted to leave the EU in June.
An Irish passport would allow its holder to continue to move and work freely within other EU member states once the UK withdraws.
The latest 2016 figures available are up until the end of October, and they show that there were 635,635 passport applications, compared to 566,142 in 2015.
The number of those applications from Northern Ireland was 59,043, up 27% from 2015. With regards to Great Britain applications, the figure was 58,015, up 42% from 2015.
The Republic's Passport Service had already seen a surge in demand prior to Brexit, due to an increase in outbound travel, the Euro 2016 football championships and new US travel requirements for biometric passports.
People with a parent or grandparent born in Ireland are among those who can apply for an Irish passport.


The EU referendum campaign has kicked off with a row over claims millions could be freed up for the NHS if Britain voted to leave on 23 June.

Vote Leave claims £50m a day is being sent to Brussels - money it says could be spent instead on building hospitals and reducing pressures on the NHS.
But Britain Stronger in Europe says that figure is wrong - and leaving the EU would harm the health service.
Opinion polls suggest the referendum is too close to call with 10 weeks to go.
In the main campaign developments so far:
The NHS has emerged as the chief battleground on day one of the official campaign, with Leave campaigners calling for a large slice of the UK's net contribution to the EU's coffers - which it says amounts to £350m a week - to be pumped into the NHS instead.
Laura Kuenssberg: Leave campaign claims aimed at undecided voters
"I think we ought to decide ourselves how we spend that money and I would suggest we spend it on the NHS," said Gisela Stuart, the Labour MP and co-chair of the cross-party Vote Leave group.
"The NHS is under tremendous pressure, people have to wait longer whether it is for treatment or for A&E and I think £350m would be better spent on the NHS."
Reality Check: Would Brexit mean extra £350m a week for NHS?
We've said it before and we'll say it again - the UK does not send £350m a week to Brussels - the rebate is deducted before the money is sent, which takes the contribution down to £276m a week.
That figure includes £88m a week spent in the UK on things like regional aid and support for farmers. The government could decide after a Brexit that it should take that money away from farmers and give it instead to the NHS, but it might be an unpopular decision in rural areas.
Read more
Reality Check: Do EU migrants put pressure on NHS?
Her message is being echoed by Conservative heavyweights, such as Mr Johnson and Justice Secretary Michael Gove, key figures in the Leave movement.
"At the moment the money we give to the European Union is spent by others, people we have never elected and never chosen and can't remove," Mr Gove said.
"If that money is taken back, that £50m a day will be spent on British people's priorities and the NHS is top of people's list."
Britain Stronger in Europe - the main Remain campaign - has said the £350m figure is inaccurate because the UK gets a large chunk of its membership fee back through the UK's annual rebate, money which is already spent in a number of areas, including on farming subsidies.
Its executive director Will Straw described Vote Leave's arguments as "unedifying speculation" and claimed several of its supporters wanted to privatise the NHS.
And the TUC said the NHS, which costs £2.25bn a week to run and is reliant on migrant labour, would face a staffing crisis if the UK was to vote to leave the EU.
The BBC's political correspondent Iain Watson said there was likely to be a lot of trading of statistics during the campaign, with some opinions stated as facts.
Addressing the broader economic case for remaining in the UK, Lord Darling, who was Labour chancellor from 2007 to 2010, warned against choosing "isolation rather than influence".
In a speech in London, the Labour peer - who led the successful Better Together campaign in the Scottish independence referendum - argued the referendum was "not about sovereignty" because the UK "is a sovereign nation and will remain so".
The UK's EU vote: All you need to know
EU for beginners: A guide
UK and the EU: Better off out or in?
A-Z guide to EU-speak
Who's who: The Vote Leave team
Who's who: The Remain campaign
The Labour peer rejected claims that the Remain campaign was using the same tactics as Better Together did in 2014 - dubbed "Project Fear" by its opponents - saying he made "no apology" for exposing his opponents' "fear of the spotlight of legitimate scrutiny".
"It is not Project Fear. In truth, it is a reality check. The kind anyone would rightly take before making an enormous decision affecting their lives."
Speaking in Washington, ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama to the UK next week, George Osborne said it was the "overwhelming view" of foreign governments and international institutions such as IMF and Nato that the UK should remain.
Asked whether he agreed with the Remain campaign's claim that mortgage rates would go up in the event of EU exit, Mr Osborne said this was a matter for the Bank of England but it was a widely held view that "prices would rise, jobs would be lost and living standards would fall".
But Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "Less than 24 hours in and the pro-EU camp are already panicking - resorting to doing down the economy and people's mortgages to intimidate the British public into voting their way."
At a Brexit rally in Manchester, Boris Johnson said one of the most "depressing things about the campaign to Bremain" is that "there is not a shred of idealism" - but Labour accused him of "talking down Britain's influence".
"The EU, they say - it's crap but we have no alternative," Mr Johnson said.
"Well we do have an alternative, and it is a glorious alternative, a relationship with Europe based not on the whims of unelected bureaucrats but on cooperation between elected governments."
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has, meanwhile, challenged David Cameron to a face-to-face debate as he delivered a letter to Downing Street protesting at the government's pro-EU £9m leaflet campaign.
Mr Farage, who took on former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg during the 2014 European elections, said the government's arguments were "jammed full of lies and inaccuracies" and the prime minister must front up to "see if your claims will stand up to public scrutiny".
"Name your place and time and let's have a live, televised, head-to-head debate where we can debate one of the greatest political questions of our time," he said.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Vincent Nichols - the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales - urged parishioners to "pray for guidance" and look beyond narrow economic concerns.
However he said he believed if the UK left the EU it would face "more complex problems than we would if we were playing an active part with Europe".
"In the EU, trade is harnessed to peace. An essential feature of the EU is the peace that has been sustained in Europe since the end of the second world war."


Ancient, highly valuable forests are being lost at an "unprecedented" rate from protected lands in Cambodia, according to a new report.

The analysis, from campaign group Forest Trends, says that large corporations are using legitimate development permits to illegally clear land.
Around 2,000 sq km of forests are being lost every year, they say.
Effective governance of the forests in Cambodia has broken down, they argue.
Forests have long been a big issue of concern in Cambodia and across south east Asia.
In the 1990s, timber concessions were granted by the government and a rapid deforestation ensued, so much so that by 2005 the country had the third highest rate in the world.
Protests from the international community forced the Cambodian government to act and logging permits were significantly restricted.
But environmental campaigners say that the felling of trees in large numbers has continued by different means.
In their latest report, Forest Trends say that the government has in recent years granted what are termed Economic Land Concessions (ELC) to large agri-business companies who want to develop the land.
Under the guise of creating a rubber plantation for instance, the trees are cleared and exported. On many occasions the plantations never materialise.
According to the study around 14% of Cambodia has been allocated to domestic and foreign corporations for development. Around 80% of that land is in protected parks and forests.
The report says that about 1.1 million hectares of concession areas were awarded to purported rubber plantations, compared with 150,000 for sugar and about 100,000 for pulp and paper.
"This is illegal by Cambodia's own laws and regulations," Kerstin Canby from Forest Trends told BBC News.
"If my interests are just to get the timber out, I would go to the Ministry of Agriculture get an ELC and clear cut the entire forest and then I can state that I am going to plant something, but who's going to punish me if I don't?"
The researchers have used data from the government along with images of over 32,000 forest fires from Nasa satellites in 2012-13.
This showed that carbon emissions from evergreen forests cut down in concession areas are almost ten times greater than those outside, confirming that it is the oldest and most valuable trees that are being targeted.
The authors say that most of the timber is exported to Vietnam and China - some of it may end up being sold to other parts of the world.
"We are basically setting up these 'cancer cells' in the best forest areas and this is getting out of hand, the whole rule of law in the sector is melting away," Marcus Hardtke, an expert on forest issues in Cambodia told BBC News.
"What happens is that the companies set up sawmills within the concession areas, but they basically go outside and grab everything and buy from other areas, they bring it into the concession and they launder it via the concession - this can go on for 2 or 3 years, they clean out the whole area."
As part of global climate talks, the UN has been promoting the idea of REDD+, the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
Under this programme developing countries, like Cambodia, can get financial support from donors to keep their forests and the carbon they store, intact.
But the REDD+ programme is seen as ineffective in preventing the corruption and lack of legal capacity that Forest Trends say is widespread in Cambodia.
"They have websites and newsletters but it is all irrelevant," said Marcus Hardtke.
"The house is burning but they are discussing the colour of the curtains."
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.


Uncertainty over how Welsh council maps will be redrawn is damaging staff morale, the head of a body representing local authorities has said.

The Welsh government is expected to unveil its preferred options for reorganising councils later this week.
Steve Thomas, from the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), said the wait for a decision is "debilitating" for Wales' 130,000 staff.
The number of authorities - 22 - is expected to be halved after the review.
Mr Thomas told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme that council reorganisation remains challenging, following the publication of the Williams Commission review.
It recommended cutting councils in Wales from 22 to as few as 10.
"The uncertainty now, which has stretched on since the Williams Commission... is debilitating," the WLGA's chief executive told BBC Wales' Vaughan Roderick.
"And the problem that we've got is that whatever happens in the next period with any future published maps, there won't be new authorities in place until 2020," he said.
"That in itself will continue to cause questions about people's futures and what it means for their careers in local government."
Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews is expected to reveal his new-look local government map this week.
He will also speak at the WLGA's annual conference in Swansea on Thursday.
It follows reports last week that some senior Labour council figures had asked ministers to water down plans to slash the number of authorities.
Mr Thomas said some would welcome the new map, while others would contest it.
But he also questioned the timing, ahead of next year's assembly elections.
He added: "The map could again change possibly. The search for a definitive map is almost the search for a holy grail within local government at the current time, and I'm not certain whatever comes out will be definitive."
You can catch-up with the full Sunday Supplement programme for the next month on demand on the BBC's iPlayer Radio.


Blackpool ended Stevenage's nine-game unbeaten run and moved to within three points of the League Two play-off places with a win at Bloomfield Road.

The Seasiders took the lead after 15 minutes from the penalty spot. Jordan Flores' floating cross was adjudged to have been handled by Stevenage skipper Jack King, and Mark Cullen stepped up to convert.
Stevenage should have levelled after 39 minutes, when Dean Lyness produced a great save with his feet to deny King from six yards, before the defender then blasted over from the rebound.
But the visitors were grateful to Luke Wilkinson after 43 minutes, as he produced a superb goalmouth block to keep out Colin Daniel's close-range strike.
Stevenage, who had won eight of their previous nine, started the second half well and Ben Kennedy tested Lyness within two minutes.
Chances continued to come at both ends as Cullen was denied a second when his goal-bound prod from close range was blocked on the line by Kennedy after 62 minutes.
The Seasiders should have extended the lead 10 minutes from time, but Jamille Matt hit the post with a sitter from six yards after Ian Black's strike was parried by Chris Day.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Blackpool 1, Stevenage 0.
Second Half ends, Blackpool 1, Stevenage 0.
Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ian Black (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage).
Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card.
Connor Ogilvie (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jamille Matt (Blackpool).
Attempt missed. Ian Black (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Blackpool. Conceded by Tom Pett.
Attempt saved. Jack King (Stevenage) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Stevenage. Conceded by Andy Taylor.
Colin Daniel (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Ian Black (Blackpool).
Charlie Lee (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Tom Pett (Stevenage) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jack Payne (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tom Pett (Stevenage).
Foul by Andy Taylor (Blackpool).
Kaylen Hinds (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Jack Payne (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Jack Payne (Blackpool).
Tom Pett (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Jamille Matt (Blackpool) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Attempt saved. Ian Black (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. Tom Pett (Stevenage) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Matt Godden (Stevenage).
Substitution, Blackpool. Jamille Matt replaces Mark Cullen.
Foul by Fraser Franks (Stevenage).
Mark Cullen (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner,  Stevenage. Conceded by Colin Daniel.
Foul by Colin Daniel (Blackpool).
Fraser Franks (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Stevenage. Josh McQuoid replaces Jobi McAnuff.
Attempt blocked. Connor Ogilvie (Stevenage) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Ian Black (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Steven Schumacher (Stevenage).
Substitution, Blackpool. Ian Black replaces Brad Potts because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Tom Pett (Stevenage) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.


The City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, is "not going soft on the banks", its interim chief executive Tracey McDermott has said.

In December the FCA said it had shelved plans for an inquiry into the culture, pay and behaviour of staff in banking.
Critics say the Treasury successfully put pressure on the FCA to be more "light touch" with financial firms.
But Ms McDermott insisted the FCA was taking action, including a Â£72m fine imposed on Barclays in December.
Speaking to the BBC she said: "We're not going soft on the banks, we're not being told what to do by the government.
"We have objectives which are set for us by parliament and statute, and we are determined to deliver on those."
Ms McDermott, who took over the role after Martin Wheatley left the organisation in September, gave examples of the regulator's action on Libor and Foreign Exchange Trading, and the FCA fine on Barclays over poor handling of financial crime risks.
"If you look at what I've been doing in the last six months since I've been in the role as chief executive you'll see that we have continued to take action against the industry," she said.
However, critics have pointed to recent decisions by the FCA which they say show it is taking a lighter touch to regulation.
On New Year's Eve the authority announced it was scrapping its inquiry into whether pay, promotion or other incentives had contributed to scandals involving banks in the UK and abroad.
The FCA also decided to take no further action against HSBC after allegations it helped customers of its Swiss subsidiary avoid tax.
Former business secretary Sir Vince Cable told BBC News he was among those who believed the FCA was going soft on banks.
"It was very clearly signalled when the chancellor effectively got rid of the tough regulator Martin Wheatley as head of the organisation.
"And the organisation has been in something of a turmoil since.
"We've had a whole series of measurers, a weakening of legal sanctions, which suggests that the regulators are expected now to soft pedal."
Similarly, Peter Hamilton, who is a barrister whose cases involve the financial services market and FCA regulation, also said the FCA had softened its stance since Mr Wheatley was forced to step down.
Other critics have highlighted the decision not to publish a report on how firms offer inducements to some staff to encourage them to make sales.
The FCA decision to consult on whether to impose a time limit beyond which customers could no longer put in a Payment Protection Insurance claim has also attracted criticism, along with a move to set up an expert panel to consider whether to allow commission-based selling of investment products again.
Banking and the failure of policing
Banking reform: What has changed since the crisis?
Moneybox: 'We are not going soft on the banks'
The FCA said a focus on the culture in financial services firms remained a priority.
"We have decided that the best way to support these efforts is to engage individually with firms to encourage their delivery of cultural change, as well as supporting the other initiatives outside the FCA," a spokesman said.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands said changes introduced by the Conservatives had made the FCA "fundamentally stronger than it was a few years ago".
"From April, reckless bankers will face up to seven years in jail and we have introduced the toughest system of bankers' pay of any major financial centre in the world," he added.
Ms McDermott pulled out of the race to permanently run the City watchdog earlier this month.
She said she withdrew from the recruitment process to become the permanent chief executive for personal reasons and she has not decided whether to stay on at the regulator when her successor is appointed.
Mark Garnier, a Conservative member of the Treasury Select Committee, said the new FCA chief would have to both protect consumers and keep good relations with the banks.
"It's a very difficult tight rope to walk. The next chief executive may feel that they have to do what they think is the will of the Treasury," he said.
"We have to make sure we don't create an impossible environment for the new chief executive who will go into a job which they will be set to fail at," he said.
Chris Philp, also a Conservative member of the Treasury Select Committee, told BBC Radio 4 he was "personally concerned" about the FCA dropping its inquiry into banking culture, but he denied there had been any political interference.
Ms McDermott is due to appear before the committee along with FCA chairman John Griffith-Jones later this month to answer questions.


Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen will not appear in the next X-Men film.

Speaking on an American chat show, Sir Patrick Stewart, 74, told host Larry King:
"It is going to be looking very much at the earlier lives of all our characters. And so I don't think we'll be making an appearance. Nor Sir Ian McKellen, either."
X-Men: Apocalypse is due for release in 2016.
It's expected to focus on the cast of X-Men: First Class, which included James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence.
Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen have played the roles of Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men series since 2000.
2014's installment X-Men: Days of Future Past featured a time travel plot that meant those original stars could appear alongside their younger counterparts from X-Men: First Class.
The film had a cliffhanger ending which some have suggested could leave the door open for the veteran actors to appear in future X-Men films or one of the upcoming X-Men related films, Gambit or Deadpool.
There have been seven films in the X-Men franchise so far, including two Wolverine spin-off movies.
X-Men: Apocalypse, which will be directed by Bryan Singer, is due for release in 2016.
It is an adaptation of the popular comic book storyline of En Sabah Nur and his Four Horsemen.
Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen have a long history of working together in both film and theatre, dating back to the 1970s.
In 2013 Sir Patrick Stewart married jazz singer Sunny Ozell. McKellen conducted the ceremony.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


With his suave good looks and impeccable dress sense Robert Vaughn was an elegant presence in film and television for more than 50 years.

His best-known role, and the one that made him an international name, was as Napoleon Solo in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The somewhat implausible, but extremely popular NBC series originally ran between 1964 and 1968.
He starred in more than 150 films, many of which have been completely forgotten both by audiences and, as he once candidly admitted, by Vaughn himself.
Robert Francis Vaughn was born into a theatrical family in New York City on 22 November 1932.
His mother, who was a stage actress, was often out on the road so Vaughn spent much of his childhood with his grandparents in Minneapolis, where he went to school.
He started off studying to be a journalist but quit after 12 months and moved with his mother to Los Angeles where he took a Masters degree in Theatre at California State University.
Even when his acting career took off he continued to study, gaining a PhD in 1970 with his dissertation on show business blacklisting during the McCarthy era  which he eventually published as a book.
He made his first TV appearance in 1955 with a role in the US TV series, Medic and followed this up a year later with an uncredited screen appearance in the biblical epic, The Ten Commandments.
His film breakthrough came in 1959 when he was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the legal drama, The Young Philadelphians, where he appeared alongside Paul Newman.
A year later he was cast as the dapper, black-clad gunfighter, Lee, in the John Sturges western, The Magnificent Seven, itself a remake of an earlier Japanese film, The Seven Samurai.
Although now seen as a cinema classic, the film had a chaotic start which was not helped by a writers strike in Hollywood.
Vaughn later described how he arrived to discover that there was no script and that Sturges had only cast two of the characters, those played by Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner.
"So when Sturges met me, he actually asked if I knew any other good actors. I called my best friend James Coburn, who was hanging out with a chick, smoking dope in Greenwich Village, and told him: 'Get out here fast!' He had no money, and had to borrow some from his parents. But he made it."
Despite the misgivings of the entire cast who, according to Vaughn spent most of the time on set playing poker and waiting for the day's scripts to be written, The Magnificent Seven became a massive hit.
He then went back to television, playing a number of now forgotten roles before he was offered the title role in a new spy series, Solo which had been created, in part, by the author Ian Fleming.
Renamed as The Man From U.N.C.L.E, the first episode, shot in black and white, aired in September 1964 with Vaughn playing secret agent Napoleon Solo alongside David McCallum as the Russian born Illya Kuryakin.
The series, with its tongue in cheek approach to espionage ,brought some much-needed relief to a world deep in the Cold War and became an international hit.
It was especially popular in Britain, where schoolboys enthusiastically sent off for U.N.C.L.E. identity cards while their sisters gave Vaughn a screaming pop star style welcome when he arrived in London on a publicity tour in 1966.
Serious actor that he was, Vaughn had no regrets about taking on the role.
"Not only was it a great deal of fun, it changed me from being a working actor to a negotiating actor. After U.N.C.L.E., I never accepted the first offer: if I wanted more money, I asked for it."
By the third series a misguided attempt to introduce humour into the show resulted in excruciatingly embarrassing scenes such as Solo dancing with a gorilla. Audience numbers nosedived and the series was cancelled half way though its fourth season.
In 1968, Vaughn's former co-star, Steve McQueen, offered him the role of the ambitious and conniving politician, Walter Chalmers, in the film Bullitt, for which he received a Bafta nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Over the next three decades Vaughn appeared in a string of films, including The Towering Inferno and Superman III, as well as countless TV programmes.
Between 1972 and 1974 he spent a somewhat acrimonious time playing Harry Rule in the ITV series, The Protectors.
The plot featured three wealthy individuals getting together each week, usually in exotic locations, to solve crimes and protect the innocent.
It was described by Vaughn in his autobiography as "tasteless junk", and there were rows with the producer, Gerry Anderson, who accused Vaughn of behaving like a prima donna.
Nevertheless the show proved extremely popular and was only cancelled when a major sponsor pulled out at the end of the second series.
After years of mainly forgotten parts and guest appearances his career was re-energised when he was invited to play Albert Stroller in the BBC television series, Hustle.
Taking its inspiration from films such as, The Sting, Vaughn played an elderly con man responsible for setting up potential targets for a younger generation of grifters.
The format proved an immediate success particularly after the BBC brokered a lucrative deal with the US cable channel AMC.
"Hustle is wonderfully enjoyable, because all my life I've made an effort to be with people who can make me laugh. That original cast - Marc Warren, Jaime Murray, Robert Glenister and Adrian Lester - are all funny. So I know every day I'll have a few good laughs."
While filming in London, Vaughn took the time to narrate and appear in a BBC Radio 4 drama on the making of the film The Bridge at Remagen, in which he had starred back in 1969.
Off screen, Vaughn was a committed political activist who had joined the Democrats in the early 1950s while at college in Minnesota.
Firmly on the liberal wing of the party, he became close friends with Senator Robert Kennedy and played a major part in opposition to the Vietnam War but denied rumours he had ambitions to run for political office himself.
Vaughn's acting career never reached the heights achieved by some of his contemporaries, possibly because he devoted time to his political activities.
But he had no regrets. "With a modest amount of looks and talent and more than a modicum of serendipity," he wrote, "I've managed to stretch my 15 minutes of fame into more than half a century of good fortune."


Liverpool Ladies have signed Netherlands captain Mandy van den Berg from Norwegian side Lillestrom SK.

The 25-year-old defender captained the Dutch team at the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, where they reached the last 16 stage of the competition.
"Once I heard of Liverpool Ladies' interest there was only one place I wanted to move to," she said.
"It is a massive club with real ambitions for the 2016 season and I cannot wait to get started."
Van den Berg is Liverpool's third signing in as many days following the arrivals of Scotland midfielder Caroline Weir and Sweden international Emma Lundh.
"I am delighted to have signed Mandy who I believe will be a key player for us this season," manager Scott Rogers said.
"Mandy has proven for Netherlands what a top class defender she is and I am looking forward to working alongside her," he added.


Technology stocks boosted Wall Street on Monday, lifting the Nasdaq index to another record, though weaker economic data muted gains in other areas.

The Nasdaq jumped 43.99 points or 0.73% to 6,091.6.
The S&P 500 added 4.13 points or 0.17% to 2,388.33, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 29.05 points or 0.13% to 20,913.46.
Shares in tech firms, such as Apple and Microsoft, traded up more than 1% ahead of announcements on Tuesday.
Apple is scheduled to report its quarterly profits with investors and Microsoft has scheduled a press conference in New York about education.
Netflix and Amazon stocks also climbed. The two companies could benefit from a threatened strike by the union representing US screenwriters.
If topical television shows are disrupted, more people may turn to online video and television services.
Shares of home goods stores, such as Kohl's, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Home Depot, felt the pinch, trading lower on Monday.
Somewhat weak economic data weighed down the indices.
The Commerce Department said US construction spending in March declined 0.2% from a  February. The fall came in government and non-residential building.


Six people have been arrested following counter-terrorism investigations into online fraud.

A Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command-led operation resulted in two men - aged 35 and 32 - being held in north Manchester and Bury respectively.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said two men and two women have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.
In the Met-led operation, officers searched two properties, as well as another house and a business address in Manchester.
Both men arrested were detained for questioning.
GMP said the other arrests were part of a separate investigation, and would not reveal the ages or addresses of the four being detained.


The trial of a Dublin man held in an Egyptian prison for more than two years has been adjourned again until 9 January.

Ibrahim Halawa was 17 when he was arrested during a siege on the Al-Fath mosque in Cairo in 2013.
The 20-year-old could face the death penalty.
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he was disappointed by this latest delay.
"I remain very concerned about the length of time that Ibrahim has spent in detention and I have conveyed this concern directly to the Egyptian government," he said.
On Thursday, the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution calling on the Egyptian government to immediately release him.
However, Egypt's foreign ministry rejected the request as a "violation of the independence" of its judiciary, the Associated Press reported.
Mr Flanagan said the case was a high priority for his department, and the Irish government was represented by embassy officials at Saturday's hearing in Cairo.
"While the lengthy nature of the trial and the many adjournments are clearly frustrating for Mr Halawa and his family, and for all of us who wish to see Ibrahim home in Ireland, the government is resolutely focused on achieving a positive outcome for this citizen at the earliest time possible," he said.
Mr Halawa faces a mass trial along with more than 400 other defendants.
Egyptian authorities have alleged that Mr Halawa attended two illegal protests in August 2013.
He has denied the charges and said he was taking refuge from violent clashes between security forces and protestors in the Cairo mosque.
Mr Halawa was on a family holiday to Egypt when he and his three sisters were arrested during a crackdown on protestors in the country's capital.
His sisters were allowed to return to Dublin in November 2013.


Views are being sought on plans to convert the country's busiest high street into the "world's best outdoor shopping experience".

London's Oxford Street must be changed because of poor air quality, congestion and overcrowding, Westminster City Council and Transport for London said.
They added international competition was putting its future at risk.
The plans include reducing traffic, improving public spaces and improving residential areas and accessibility.
It is hoped more jobs would be created as a result of the plans.
The consultation will last for eight weeks and once the results are known, a further consultation may follow in the autumn on a detailed scheme.
The changes have come about as a new railway, the Elizabeth Line, which will have stations at Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road open in December 2018.
It also comes after it was recently announced that bus routes on the street will be cut by 40%.
Val Shawcross, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: "Oxford Street is iconic as a shopping destination, but there is far too much pollution and we have a huge opportunity to make it cleaner and safer for the millions of people who use the street every year.
"We need to make the transformation the very best it can be - ensuring it benefits local residents, businesses, and people who rely upon transport links in the area."
In his election manifesto last year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan promised to remove traffic from Oxford Street by 2020.


A serial child abuser has been jailed for the attempted rape of a teenager 31 years ago.

Balaclava-clad Philip Spriggs, 52, jumped out of bushes and grabbed the 13-year-old as she walked home near Pullens Lane, Oxford, in January 1986.
He dragged her to woods nearby and attempted to rape her, but she escaped.
Spriggs, who was jailed for 17 years in 2015 for sex offences against two children, was given another 12-year term.
His latest sentence will run consecutively.
A jury at Oxford Crown Court found him guilty of one count of attempted rape.
He was serving at HMP Wood Hill when Thames Valley Police reopened the investigation into the 1986 attack.
Susan Krikler, senior crown prosecutor, said the result was down to "scientific developments and the courage of the victim".
She added: "I commend her for her bravery. Time has not diminished the effect this incident has had on the victim's life. She has waited 31 long years for today's result.
"I hope that the conviction and today's sentence will offer some comfort to her after all these years."
Pete Beirne, head of the Thames Valley Police major crime review team, said: "Following the emergence of new DNA evidence last year, officers were able to identify Spriggs as a suspect.
"I hope the victim feels that justice has been done now that this dangerous offender will have no prospect of freedom for many years."
Spriggs was previously found guilty of a total of 20 charges, including 11 counts of rape committed over seven years between 2007 and 2014.


US high-speed trading firm Virtu has renewed efforts to make its stock market debut, after it was forced to delay plans due to a controversial book.

In a filing with US regulators, the firm said it planned to raise $314m, valuing it at nearly $2.6bn.
Virtu is one of the biggest so-called high-frequency trading firms that rely on algorithms to execute trades.
The practice came under fire after a "flash crash" in 2010.
The crash wiped 700 points off the Dow Jones index in a matter of minutes, and was attributed to a cascade of sales by computer trading programs.
High frequency trading is where traders create complicated algorithms programmed into computers to buy and sell stocks in milliseconds, faster than any human.
It has grown in popularity in recent years, but has also come under scrutiny for supposed risks.
Journalist Michael Lewis wrote a book on firms that engage in high frequency trading, Flash Boys, which was published in 2014.
The book, which questioned whether or not flash traders rigged markets in their favour, received wide attention, and several US Congressional hearings were called to look into regulations regarding flash trading.
In the wake of the negative press, Virtu was forced to delay its public share offering in March 2014.
Founded by former New York Mercantile Exchange head Vincent Viola, Virtu would be the first high-speed trading firm to become a publicly-listed company.


A car driven too quickly by a Belfast man mounted a kerb and knocked down five members of a film crew "like a bowling ball", a court has heard.

A documentary was being shot in the city in November 2015 when Hugh McGrattan lost control of the vehicle.
The collision caused life-changing injuries to some of those who were hit.
Twenty-five-year-old McGrattan, from Whiterock Drive, has admitted five counts of causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving.
The crash happened on Apollo Road, just off Boucher Road in the south of the city, where the speed limit is 30mph.
Belfast Crown Court was told on Thursday that CCTV footage showed McGrattan driving at a "grossly excessive" speed of between 52mph and 69mph in the moments before the crash.
His car struck a group of up to 15 people on a footpath, who were filming a programme for Irish national broadcaster RTÃ‰.
One woman sustained a spinal cord injury, suffered paralysis from the chest down and now requires a wheelchair.
McGrattan admitted at the scene that he had been speeding and told a police officer that he thought he was going to "tip over".
A prosecutor told the court that some of those who were injured were stuck under McGrattan's car and the fencing it had brought down.
Witnesses described seeing his car fail to negotiate a bend due to its excessive speed.
One woman said she saw McGrattan drive straight at the pedestrians and said the car was "like a bowling ball" when it struck the group.
Another woman said the car was "like a snow plough with people being swept away".
The prosecutor told the judge that some of the injures suffered by the victims were so severe that they still required medical treatment.
A defence barrister said McGrattan had not driven since the crash, had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and suffers nightmares, after which he wakes up believing he has killed someone.
McGrattan deeply regrets the incident and "struggles with the enormity of it", he said.
But the barrister added that McGrattan was not showing off with his driving and instead had made a "very significant misjudgement".
He also said McGrattan remained at the scene and offered assistance to the people he had injured, and gave a roadside confession to police.
Forensic evidence, the barrister said, suggested that McGrattan's speed when he hit the kerb was about 25mph.
The judge said she wanted time to reflect on the case and would pass sentence next week.
McGrattan was released on continuing bail.


If I had any doubts about the dire state of the Greek banking system, and why it matters so much for the Greek government to reach an agreement with creditors today to escape default, those doubts were dispelled in an interview with the chairman of Greece's fourth-biggest bank, Nikolaos Karamouzis.

Mr Karamouzis confirmed to me that the European Central Bank (ECB) has agreed to keep Greek banks alive today.
But he warned there was a genuine risk of Greek banks being forced to close their doors tomorrow and cease dispensing cash for days, if the Greek government led by Alexis Tsipras fails today to convince eurozone finance ministers and government heads that it is taking credible steps to balance its books.
He said that because of the pace of withdrawals of cash from Greek banks by anxious savers - which he said was running at â‚¬700m (Â£501m) a day - all the banks can only keep going thanks to life-saving loans to them made by the Bank of Greece, with approval of the ECB, under the Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) scheme.
There was a serious risk, he said, that the governing council of the ECB would end ELA, and terminate Greek banks' full access to the eurosystem payments arrangements, if there was no sign today that Greece is back on a path to solvency.
In that dire eventuality, all the banks would have to cease trading, as soon as tomorrow. And they could only reopen as and when the Greek government passed legislation to restrict cash withdrawals, or introduce capital controls, which - he said - would take days.
Mr Karamouzis said the imposition of capital controls in that way would inflict desperate misery on Greece.
Which is why he is hoping upon hope that there is a deal in Brussels later today to rescue his country.


Former Treasury minister Liam Byrne has said he felt ready to leave public life after a light-hearted note he left for his successor was used to criticise Labour after the 2010 election.

The note said: "Dear chief secretary, I'm afraid there is no money. Kind regards - and good luck! Liam."
His successor, Lib Dem David Laws, broke with tradition and made the note public, accusing Mr Byrne of flippancy.
Mr Byrne said he had been following a tradition dating back to Churchill.
And he had never expected his attempt to be humorous would become a "centrepiece" of the Conservative Party's victorious 2015 general election campaign.
The Birmingham MP, 46, told a Cheltenham Literature Festival "business breakfast" audience  a combination of his father's death from alcoholism and the furore over the note had left him feeling "completely" ashamed.
And although he had never seriously contemplated suicide, he had sought solace with his uncle in Dorset.
"I had not been able to save my dad from drinking, and I had written this note that was now being used to hammer the Labour Party," he said.
"So I, in my desperation, in a real moment of anguish, took myself to my uncle, who is the wisest man I know.
"He walked me up to the cliff at the back of his house in Dorset, and I was kind of ready to throw myself off.
"I said, 'What am I supposed to do?'
"And he gave me a brilliant line from Samuel Beckett: 'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.'"
In 2010, Mr Byrne admitted it had been "a foolish letter to write."


A Public Enemy fan had to drive the band to an arena gig in his Ford Focus shortly before they were due onstage.

Kevin Wells went to a Sheffield record store to meet the band at a signing on Saturday, but ended up becoming their driver when the group's taxis abandoned them.
Highlights of the journey included singing along to Queen with Flavor Flav and Chuck D, and a selfie at the venue.
Mr Wells said the photo had gone "ballistic" after posting it online.
The 50-year-old, of Killamarsh, said the rap group were at the Record Collector store, in Broomhill, to sign albums ahead of their gig with the Prodigy at Sheffield Arena.
Updates on this story and more from South Yorkshire
He said: "By the end of the signing, due to a mix-up the taxis did not wait and had driven off.
"They asked, 'anyone got a car to take us to the gig?' I replied, 'I will take you, I've got a Ford Focus down the road'".
Mr Wells said they left the record store with about 45 minutes to spare, with their management calling the band in the back of the car asking them where they were.
"I know Sheffield pretty well, so we took a few back streets", he said.
The photographer said Bohemian Rhapsody came on his car stereo "and they all started head banging in the back like in the film Wayne's World".
He told The Sheffield Star: "Everyone was singing the words and rocking out in the back of my car.
"I was looking in the rear view mirror thinking, 'is this actually happening?'"
Mr Wells added: "After getting to the arena car park, I told security that I had the band in the car. He just said, 'yeah, yeah', but the band then showed their AAA passes out of the window."
The band thanked him for getting them there with 15 minutes to spare, "gave hugs" and offered him a guest list place to the gig.
Mr Wells said he had friends who didn't believe the hype about his unusual Saturday night, so he posted the photo on social media.
He said: "I thought to myself, did that really happen? I had to pinch myself."
Public Enemy, founded by Flavor Flav and Chuck D, are considered one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.


Harlequins flanker Chris Robshaw has returned to non-contact training less than eight weeks after having an operation on a shoulder injury.

The 30-year-old England international had surgery on 9 January which ruled him out of the Six Nations.
Quins hope that Robshaw, who has won 55 caps for England, will return to first-team action at the end of the month.
"We are taking things day by day with Chris," director of rugby John Kingston told the club website.
"He has been going very well in his rehabilitation and training and I'm looking forward to his return."


Egyptian Islam El Shehaby refused to shake the hand of Israeli opponent Os Sasson after losing in the men's judo at the Rio Olympics.

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El Shehaby was roundly booed by the crowd and was called back to the stage for his failure to bow to his opponent as it contravenes judo rules.
"El Shehaby backed off after Sasson went over to him," said BBC judo commentator Mark Doran. "That is very disappointing. That is what the Olympics is not about. To his credit, Sasson just moved on."
Sasson later revealed his coaches had warned him El Shehaby might refuse to shake his hand. The Egyptian had come under pressure from some conservative voices in his homeland to withdraw from the bout.
"I knew he would do it, so it wasn't a surprise for me," Sasson said.
The International Olympic Committee said it was looking into the incident.
"The Olympic movement should be about building bridges, not erecting walls. There's absolutely no excuse for it," a spokesman said.
You can catch up on the judo here.
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Tony Andreu was at the heart of Dundee United's win in Jack Ross' first game in charge of St Mirren.

The Frenchman created United's first with a neat flick for Scott Fraser, who calmly slot into the far corner.
In the second half Andreu scored the second with a wonderfully measured chip from the edge of the box.
United lost Mark Durnan late on to a second booking and St Mirren were unfortunate not to convert one of several chances.
While most of the Buddies' first half opportunities were from long-range, in the second half both Lawrence Shankland and Tom Walsh had goal-bound chances cleared off the line.
Lewis Morgan was especially creative on the wings for the hosts - who are now without a win in their opening nine Championship matches.
Ray McKinnon's United are now four games unbeaten and the opening goal in Paisley was a great move, culminating in Tope Obadeyi finding Andreu at the edge of the box and the former Hamilton man skilfully setting up Fraser's assured finish.
Andreu's season-long loan from Norwich appears to be a brilliant piece of business with the 28-year-old on seven goals for the campaign already.
St Mirren goalkeeper Jamie Langfield had done well to block Simon Murray's effort after a poor backpass but the ball rolled to Andreu, who produced a deft chip of serious quality to find the back of the net from 18 yards to double United's lead.
Durnan's bookings were for shoving with Rocco Quinn and a foul on Shankland, but the Tangerines went down to 10 men too late for Saints to properly capitalise.
Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon: "It was a well deserved victory.
"The first goal was fantastic; we moved it from left to right side and back into the middle for Tony Andreu to play a lovely ball to Scott Fraser who finished well.
"The second one was a lovely to finish from Tony to dink the goalkeeper. He's a very, very talented footballer.
"There were four or five Premiership clubs (interested in Andreu) but we told him how we wanted to play and that he'd be hugely important to us. It's so important to have someone in your team that's got that little bit of quality."
St Mirren manager Jack Ross: "There were a lot more good things than negative things.
"There's a way I like to play and they are still adjusting to that. United were more clinical but we created more opportunities.
"If we produce a similar performance in weeks to come and we add a couple more things then we'll be okay."
Match ends, St. Mirren 0, Dundee United 2.
Second Half ends, St. Mirren 0, Dundee United 2.
Foul by David Clarkson (St. Mirren).
Blair Spittal (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Jason Naismith (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Cammy Bell (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Attempt saved. David Clarkson (St. Mirren) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Second yellow card to Mark Durnan (Dundee United) for a bad foul.
Corner,  St. Mirren. Conceded by Paul Dixon.
Substitution, Dundee United. Coll Donaldson replaces Tony Andreu.
Mark Durnan (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Rocco Quinn (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jason Naismith (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tony Andreu (Dundee United).
Attempt blocked. Tom Walsh (St. Mirren) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
John Sutton (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by William Edjenguele (Dundee United).
Attempt saved. Lewis Morgan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. David Clarkson (St. Mirren) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Foul by John Sutton (St. Mirren).
Frank van der Struijk (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, St. Mirren. David Clarkson replaces Gary Mackenzie.
Attempt blocked. Lawrence Shankland (St. Mirren) header from the right side of the box is blocked.
Corner,  St. Mirren. Conceded by Mark Durnan.
Goal!  St. Mirren 0, Dundee United 2. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner.
Corner,  St. Mirren. Conceded by Cammy Bell.
Attempt saved. Lawrence Shankland (St. Mirren) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the left wing is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Charlie Telfer (Dundee United).
John Sutton (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, St. Mirren. Tom Walsh replaces Ryan Hardie.
Substitution, Dundee United. Blair Spittal replaces Tope Obadeyi.
Substitution, Dundee United. Simon Murray replaces Nick van der Velden.
Corner,  St. Mirren. Conceded by Paul Dixon.
Attempt blocked. Gary Irvine (St. Mirren) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the right wing is blocked.
Substitution, St. Mirren. Lawrence Shankland replaces Stephen Mallan because of an injury.
John Sutton (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by William Edjenguele (Dundee United).
Foul by Mark Durnan (Dundee United).
Stephen Mallan (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Willo Flood (Dundee United).


As a member of a famous construction dynasty, Alistair McAlpine had a household name from birth.

His grandfather Sir Robert, known as "Concrete Bob", founded the firm, which remains one of the biggest builders in the UK, responsible for the London 2012 Olympic stadium among many other projects.
But Lord McAlpine, who has died aged 71, blazed a long and impressive trail of his own in public life - as an art collector, property developer, author, fund raiser and loyal political servant to Margaret Thatcher.
He hit the headlines again in 2012, when he was wrongly implicated in the sexual abuse of boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
Known as a jovial, cultured character, with a love of modern art, he was at one time one of the most powerful figures in the Conservative Party.
He was made a director of the family firm at 21, five years after dropping out of public school Stowe with three O-levels.
He went on to make a fortune of his own as a property developer in Australia. He was particularly identified with the town of Broome in Western Australia, where he won praise for developing tourism and the local pearl industry and restoring historic buildings, though he had to sell his interests in the town in the 1990s.
He was awarded the Freedom of Broome on his last visit there in 2012.
It was at a dinner party in 1975 that Lord McAlpine discovered his political vocation.
That was when he first met Margaret Thatcher, recently elected leader of the Conservative Party.
He became one of her closest and most devoted advisers and Conservative Party treasurer throughout her period in office, from 1979 to 1990.
She made him a life peer, Baron McAlpine of West Green in Hampshire, in 1984.
He is remembered as perhaps the most effective political fund raiser of his generation, helping to bankroll three successful general election campaigns.
But he also faced controversy after accepting donations from disgraced tycoon Asil Nadir's Polly Peck firm.
He later told the Daily Mail the Conservative Party should return the money.
"It is tainted money and it shames the Conservatives if they hang on to it. They have a moral duty to give it back," said the peer.
In parallel with his political career, Lord McAlpine became a leading art collector and gallery owner, with an interest in artists such as Mark Rothko, Morris Louis and Jackson Pollock.
The peer took Lady Thatcher's rejection by her MPs in 1990 hard, remaining loyal to her in the difficult years that followed her departure from Downing Street and funding her private office.
The dedication of his book The Servant - an update of Machiavelli's The Prince - says: "To the most magnificent, Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, Prime Minister of Great Britain 1979- 1990, from one of her many Servants, who believes she could have been better served."
He turned his back on the Conservative Party at the 1997 general election, campaigning for Sir James Goldsmith's eurosceptic Referendum Party, although he returned to the fold some years later.
He was forced to slow down, and stop smoking, in 1987, after a seven hour heart bypass operation, complications from which led to him having a tracheotomy and difficulty speaking.
In recent years, he had largely disappeared from public life, opening a bed-and-breakfast in an old monastery in Puglia, Southern Italy with his third wife.
He had not sat in the House of Lords since 2010, following a change in law which meant that peers and MPs had to be tax resident and domiciled in the UK in order to remain in Parliament.
However, in 2012 he was again in the news when he was wrongly implicated by the BBC's Newsnight programme in allegations that politicians sexually abused boys in the care of the Bryn Estyn children's home in Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.
The report did not name Lord McAlpine but he was then wrongly identified on the internet.
The BBC apologised unreservedly and settled his defamation claim for Â£185,000.
The peer then pursued some of those who had named him on Twitter, including the wife of the Speaker of the Commons, Sally Bercow.
The High Court ruled her tweet was libellous, and she agreed to pay Lord McAlpine Â£15,000 in damages.
Other people who had tweeted his name avoided legal action by making donations to charity.
Lord McAlpine has three children, two from his first wife.
In a statement, they said: "It is with great sadness that the family of Lord McAlpine announce his peaceful death last night at his home in Italy."
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said his thoughts were with the family and he praised Lord McAlpine's dedication to Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative party.


The globe is facing a "tidal wave" of cancer, and restrictions on alcohol and sugar need to be considered, say World Health Organization scientists.

It predicts the number of cancer cases will reach 24 million a year by 2035, but half could be prevented.
The WHO said there was now a "real need" to focus on cancer prevention by tackling smoking, obesity and drinking.
The World Cancer Research Fund said there was an "alarming" level of naivety about diet's role in cancer.
Fourteen million people a year are diagnosed with cancer, but that is predicted to increase to 19 million by 2025, 22 million by 2030 and 24 million by 2035.
The developing world will bear the brunt of the extra cases.
Chris Wild, the director of the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, told the BBC: "The global cancer burden is increasing and quite markedly, due predominately to the ageing of the populations and population growth.
"If we look at the cost of treatment of cancers, it is spiralling out of control, even for the high-income countries. Prevention is absolutely critical and it's been somewhat neglected."
The WHO's World Cancer Report 2014 said the major sources of preventable cancer included:
For most countries, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. However, cervical cancer dominates in large parts of Africa.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause. It is thought wider use of the HPV and other vaccines could prevent hundreds of thousands of cancers.
One of the report's editors, Dr Bernard Stewart from the University of New South Wales in Australia, said prevention had a "crucial role in combating the tidal wave of cancer which we see coming across the world".
Dr Stewart said human behaviour was behind many cancers such as the sunbathe "until you're cooked evenly on both sides" approach in his native Australia.
He said it was not the role of the International Agency for Research on Cancer to dictate what should be done.
But he added: "In relation to alcohol, for example, we're all aware of the acute effects, whether it's car accidents or assaults, but there's a burden of disease that's not talked about because it's simply not recognised, specifically involving cancer.
"The extent to which we modify the availability of alcohol, the labelling of alcohol, the promotion of alcohol and the price of alcohol - those things should be on the agenda."
He said there was a similar argument to be had with sugar fuelling obesity, which in turn affected cancer risk.
Meanwhile, a survey of 2,046 people in the UK by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggested 49% do not know that diet increases the risk of developing cancer.
A third of people said cancer was mainly due to family history, but the charity said no more than 10% of cancers were down to inherited genes.
Amanda McLean, general manager for the WCRF, said: "It's very alarming to see that such a large number of people don't know that there's a lot they can do to significantly reduce their risk of getting cancer.
"In the UK, about a third of the most common cancers could be prevented through being a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet and being regularly physically active.
"These results show that many people still seem to mistakenly accept their chances of getting cancer as a throw of the dice, but by making lifestyle changes today, we can help prevent cancer tomorrow."
It advises a diet packed with vegetables, fruit, and wholegrains; cutting down on alcohol and red meat; and junking processed meat completely.
Dr Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, said: "The most shocking thing about this report's prediction that 14 million cancer cases a year will rise to 22 million globally in the next 20 years is that up to half of all cases could be prevented.
"People can cut their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices, but it's important to remember that the government and society are also responsible for creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyles.
"It's clear that if we don't act now to curb the number of people getting cancer, we will be at the heart of a global crisis in cancer care within the next two decades."


Luton Town have made forward Elliot Lee their seventh addition of the summer after signing him on a two-year deal following his release by Barnsley.

The 22-year-old ex-West Ham youngster made only six appearances for the Tykes after joining last summer.
He previously played for the Hatters on loan from West Ham, scoring three goals in 11 matches during a loan in 2014-15.
The son of former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee joins his brother Olly, who is already at Kenilworth Road.
"I'm looking forward to playing with Olly. He was a big factor in me coming here. Having been here and known all the lads, I'm really looking forward to it," he said.
"Olly and I spoke about it and we realised it would be a great experience to play together and something we'd enjoy. It's something special for the family."
Lee makes the opposite move to midfielder Cameron McGeehan, who left Bedfordshire to join Barnsley last month.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


England Test captain Alastair Cook made his third century in four matches this season, backed by a ton from Tom Westley, as Essex continued to build a big first-innings score at Worcester.

Resuming on 144-1 after a rain-hit first day, Essex were again hampered by the weather, progressing to 335-2.
Westley, 70 overnight, moved on to complete his second Championship ton of the season before going lbw for 125.
But it was again the only wicket of the day, Cook finishing on 130.
No play was possible because of bad light and rain from 12:20 BST onwards in a truncated morning and they then lost the entire second session.
When they then resumed after tea for the final 28 overs of the day, Essex lost England Lions man Westley after he had put on 222 with Cook.
It was a second wicket for Worcestershire's new signing, New Zealand international Matt Henry, 29 hours and 50 minutes after his first when he had Nick Browne caught behind the previous morning.
But all-rounder  Ravi Bopara came in to make 48 in a so far unbroken third-wicket stand of 97 with his former England team-mate Cook.
This will be Alastair Cook's last game for Essex before the forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
The series start at Headingley on 19 May and he will not play for Essex in next week's three-day game against the tourists.
But he will go into the series in fine form, having so far plundered 453 runs in four matches. Prior to this, Cook made 105 and 35 not out against Gloucestershire, then 1 and 127 not out against Sussex, followed by 65 against Northamptonshire.
His 17th first-class century for Essex is still some way short of his record 28 for England.
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester:
"Cook has been magnificent. He has got his third century of the season, 450 runs in four games and has looked fantastic.
"That's a good sign for England. He is one of the few players these days who knows how to bat for a day. He stuck to his game plan.
"He played some nice drives later on as well as showing great concentration, so that made life difficult.
"I don't think we bowled that badly. We've gone for about three and a half runs per over. If we'd bowled badly we would be staring down the barrel of 400 already."
Essex century-maker Tom Westley:
"It is a fantastic start to the season for me. It is nice for me to continue this.
"Sometimes in the past I've had a couple of good games and then just drifted a little bit in the few games after that.
"It might be something as I've got older and more mature that I'm better equipped to deal with.
"It's been a brilliant start for me and Essex, obviously top of the league, so things are going well."


The US economy grew at an annualised rate of 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared with the same quarter a year ago, official figures show.

The rate of growth marks a sharp slowdown from the 2% growth recorded in the previous quarter.
The US Commerce department said one reason for the slower growth was a slowdown in consumer spending.
Export growth was also slower as the strong dollar made US goods more expensive outside the country.
Energy sector investment continued to plummet, with spending on mining exploration, wells and shafts down 38.7%, a slightly less dramatic fall than the 47% drop seen in the third quarter.
Overall, investment in the sector was down 35% in 2015, the largest drop since 1986.
Unseasonably mild weather held back some consumer spending, with another brake on growth from manufacturers who needed to run down surplus stock rather than make new goods.
Both factors are seen as temporary.
Overall, the US economy grew by 2.4% in 2015, and is expected to pick up steam to give a similar growth figure this year.
On Wednesday, the US central bank the Federal Reserve said that growth had "slowed late last year" but that employment had picked up.
At the end of last year the Fed was sufficiently confident in the strength of the US economy to raise rates for the first time since 2006.
Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said the drop in growth of consumer spending would sustain fears that the US economy was "reaping few benefits from the oil price rout while paying the cost as oil sector revenues plunge".
He said the figures could put off the timing of the next rise in US rates: "The slowdown adds more pressure to the Fed to reconsider the timing of future rate hikes, and suggests that policymakers may pare back their current expectations of a further four quarter-point hikes in 2016."


Stanley Gibbons, the 160-year-old rare stamp and collectables business, has put itself up for sale.

The company has identified the Middle East and Asia as new markets for potential growth, but said expansion would require further investment.
It said that it would therefore examine its options, which could include the sale of part or all of the business.
The firm was set up by Edward Stanley Gibbons in 1856 and is the world's longest established rare stamp trader.
It opened its first shop in 1891 on The Strand in London where it continues to trade from today. It also has overseas sites in Hong Kong and Singapore.
The company also sells coins and antiques, but is best known for its rare stamps business.
In April, it achieved a record for Indian stamps when a set of four featuring the portrait of Gandhi was sold for £500,000.
The company said it had undergone a major restructuring recently and had cut costs by more than £10m.
Commenting on exploring new global markets, Stanley Gibbons said: "Unlocking this incremental long-term value is likely to require further investment and the directors believe that it is likely therefore that such value is best delivered either within a larger group or alongside a strategic investment."
On Friday, Stanley Gibbons said it had received an approach regarded as a possible offer by Disruptive Capital Finance.
Disruptive is led by City financier Edi Truell, a former pensions adviser to Boris Johnson when he was mayor of London.
On Monday, however, Disruptive said it was not making an offer for Stanley Gibbons.
Disruptive said that on 31 May it had been informed by Stanley Gibbons "that an email we had sent them was interpreted by them as an approach" under the UK's Takeover rules.
It added that it had been in discussions with Stanley Gibbons's management "for some time".
Sfell 12.38% to 11.5p, after having jumped nearly 18% on Friday.