It has been claimed the sacked chairman of Sport Wales was warned by the Welsh Government he was entering a "toxic environment" and a "dysfunctional" organisation when he started the job.

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies challenged First Minister Carwyn Jones over the case of Paul Thomas, who had been suspended pending an inquiry.
Mr Davies said the review had cleared him of all allegations against him.
Mr Jones said action had to be taken due to a "clash of cultures".
Sport Wales - which spends Â£22m a year promoting elite and grassroots sport - saw the activities of its board suspended in November.
Mr Thomas and vice-chairwoman Adele Baumgardt were suspended in February and then sacked by the Welsh Government last week.
Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said there had been "an irretrievable breakdown in relationships" in the board's leadership.
During First Minister's Questions on Tuesday, Mr Davies asked: "Why did the Welsh Government decide last week to sack the chair of Sport Wales given that upon his appointment, the then incoming chair was told by a Welsh Government representative that he was entering a toxic environment, that he was tasked with tackling a dysfunctional and insular organisation?"
The first minister said: "Sport Wales was facing great difficulties, that much is true.
"There is an independent review of Sport Wales which is continuing.
"It was quite clear that the relationship between the chair and the board and the vice chair had broken down and therefore action had to be taken so the organisation could be rebuilt."
Mr Davies said the Welsh Government's second most senior civil servant, James Price, dismissed all the allegations against Mr Thomas in a letter dated February 13, which offered him a range of options which involved a continued role within the organisation.
"What happened in the very short intervening period which altered the situation and resulted in the sacking of Paul Thomas?" the Conservative leader asked.
The first minister responded: "As is known on the 14th February, the minister made a statement to assembly members on the headline findings of the review.
"One of those findings was that a clash of cultures had developed between the chair and the other board members.
"It was clear that action needed to be taken in order for the board to become fully functional in the future."
Since the sacking, Mr Thomas has hit out for being "hung out to dry" by the Welsh Government as a whistleblower.
Ms Baumgardt accused Mr Thomas of not being fit to hold senior public office, an allegation he rejected.


A police officer has been shot on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast.

They were hit twice in the arm after a number of shots were fired from a car. A 36-year-old man has been arrested.
The incident happened close to a petrol station at about 19:30 GMT. The officer is in a stable condition in hospital.
Police have said their main line of inquiry is "violent dissident republicans".
Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire and the NI Justice Minister Claire Sugden have described the attack as "sickening".
Police say the Crumlin Road is closed as they investigate the shooting. It is expected to remain sealed off on Monday morning.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said on Sunday night that the attack was "reckless madness" and warned that there could have been "multiple deaths".
"This was a very concerted attack on our officers - a very concerted attempt to murder them," he added.
"Our main line of inquiry at the minute is violent dissident republicans. One arrest has already been made."
Mr Brokenshire said in a tweet that he had spoken to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable George Hamilton and had been briefed about the "active investigation".
He added that his personal thoughts "were for the injured officer and appreciation of all PSNI officers who put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe".
The chief constable tweeted that "brave officers" had been "attacked by faceless people with gunfire".
Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said it was "an appalling act".
"This attack on the life of an officer is a stark reminder of the determination on the part of terrorists to murder and maim police officers," he said.
"They believe that by causing great grief to a family they are somehow advancing their warped and outdated plan. The wider community will be outraged by this attack on one of their police officers.
"The police serve the entire community and wounding one individual is an attack on the entire community.
"This attempted murder underlines the fragility of our peace."
DUP leader Arlene Foster condemned the shooting and said it was "the work of cowards". Her colleague, North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, said it was "deeply disturbing".
Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly said those responsible had "absolutely nothing to offer society and need to call a halt to these activities immediately".
The Social Democratic and Labour Party's Nichola Mallon said those involved in the attack were "calculating criminals intent on destabilising a community which continues to make strides toward reconciliation".
Alliance Leader Naomi Long said she believed they "intended to kill" and that "using guns in a residential area shows a callous disregard for the entire community".
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said his thoughts were with the officer for "a full recovery".
"We must find a way to end this," he added.
The leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), Jim Allister, said the incident was a "reminder of the wickedness and criminality of all terrorism".


The Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director says he is "absolutely certain" he knows who is behind an acid attack that left him badly injured last month.

Sergei Filin told the BBC he would not name names until investigators are ready to make an announcement.
He said he was sure the aim of the attack was to remove him as artistic director and destroy the prestigious Moscow ballet company's reputation.
Mr Filin is due to fly to Germany next week to continue his treatment.
His eyes were badly damaged in the 17 January attack in Moscow, and he said he had already undergone five operations and was under constant monitoring.
The 42-year-old said he knew that some people had disliked the way he was taking the ballet company, which is known for its infighting and rivalries, but believed he had no "obvious enemies".
He also said he wished he had taken more seriously the months of threats and harassment he had suffered, accepting now that it was "leading up to the tragedy to come".
How's the treatment going?
The treatment's going well.  I'm pleased. But the most important thing is whether the doctors are satisfied. Overall, it's going ok. I feel well. My body is full of strength and energy. The priority now is my eyesight. Because the biggest and most serious problem remains my eyes.
How is your eyesight?
I can't say. I've had four operations already and today I had another small operation which wasn't planned. My eyes are being monitored constantly. One eye was more damaged than the other. The left eye was damaged a little less, the right eye was damaged more. So there's a lot of work going on to treat them.  It wouldn't be right for me to comment on my condition, I think it's up to the doctors to do that. But I can say this. Based on what I feel, when the doctors give me the opportunity to sort of open my eyes and try to see something, I think that there's a chance that I will be able to see my children again. I really want to believe that.
Had you been threatened before?
I've said many times that what happened was connected solely with my work in the Bolshoi Theatre. Of course, I had received threats. I think I had brushed them aside too easily. I ignored the advice of my friends to take on a driver and a bodyguard. Because the intimidation I was encountering - the mass attacks on my mobile phones, that kept ringing constantly, the hacking of my email accounts, my messages were totally rewritten in a negative way and posted on Facebook - I see now that all of this was leading up to the tragedy to come. I think that if I'd taken this more seriously and seen it as a sign of an attack, if I'd at least taken on a driver, then this never would have happened.
Were there concrete threats, like "If you don't do this, we'll do thatâ€¦"?
No, no-one threatened me face-to-face.
What do you think the aim of the attack was?
I think there was a double aim. What's clear here is the psychosis of one or more people who were in a hurry to cause me a lot of pain to fulfil their own personal ambitions. That's the first thing. The second aim was to remove me as the Bolshoi's artistic director for a long period, and to damage the reputation of the Bolshoi Ballet. Because I think we've done a lot, and we're doing a lot, we're moving in the right direction there. And someone really doesn't like what I've been doing there, perhaps they don't like the fact I've been successful.
Why do you think someone wanted to get rid of you from the Bolshoi? Did you make enemies?
When I get on with life and work, I don't have time to think about whether I have enemies. I don't have any obvious enemies. I've had an interesting and a sparkling career. And throughout that there was never a moment when I feared going outside, or when I was looking over my shoulder. I'm a very honest person.  I have my opinions on things, I take tough decisions. I was a manager, the manager of a very serious collective, the Bolshoi Ballet. Perhaps there are people who didn't like that, or who thought I shouldn't be, or who consider themselves hard done by. But I can't call them my enemies. Why did they want to get rid of me? I'd like to wait before answering that. I think the investigators will provide the answer to that.
I don't expect you to name any names, but do you have an idea who could have done this?
Yes, I not only have a suspicion about who did this, but I'm absolutely certain I know who did this. But I will only speak about this when investigators are ready to announce this.
What measures have you taken to protect yourself and your family in the future?
I haven't had time for this, because in hospital, every day, I have had to undergo dozens of medical procedures, several operations, first on the skin of my face, then my eyes. Every day, eyes, skin, eyes, face. As for my family's safety, the whole family is now being guarded.
What are your plans now? Will you be going to Germany for further medical treatment?
Yes. If I'll be stable today and tomorrow, without serious problems, then on Monday I will fly to Germany for further treatment.
What message would you send to the people who organised this attack?
You know, I invited a priest to the hospital to talk about this very subject. He took my confession. I told him that I forgive everyone connected to this terrifying crime. And I sincerely want them to understand that I have forgiven them. Because the Lord will judge them.


A burglary suspect called 999 when he became trapped by a security device at a filling station.

The man dialled 999 on a mobile phone, was put through to Essex Police and was heard shouting "Basildon, near petrol garage, help me".
The call cut out but other 999 calls were made as people heard a man screaming for help inside the Eastgate petrol station at about 04:35 BST.
A man in his 40s was treated for leg injuries and arrested.
Police officers, Asda security staff, a fire crew and paramedics went to the garage to help free the man, who was taken to hospital.


A paving stone dedicated to a rugby league star who was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross (VC) has been unveiled.

John "Jack" Harrison, who had a successful career with Hull FC, was given the VC in 1917 for actions under fire in France during World War One.
The stone will go on display in Hull History Centre before being placed at Sutton War Memorial on 7 May.
It is part of a scheme to recognise World War One recipients of the VC.
Live updates and more stories from East Yorkshire
The display at the history centre will tell the story of Mr Harrison's life and the circumstances of his death in the 1914-18 war.
He was born on 12 November 1890 in east Hull and later became a teacher.
After joining Hull FC he scored 106 tries in 116 matches, including one in the 1914 Challenge Cup Final that the team won.
He played his final game for the team on 26 December 1916, having joined the 11th East Yorkshire Regiment (Hull Tradesmen).
Mr Harrison, who was known as Jack, was awarded the Military Cross in February 1917 after leading a patrol to the German trenches on the Western Front during World War One.
His brigade was then involved in the attack at Oppy Wood on 3 May 1917 during which he lost his life, it was for this action he received a posthumous VC.
"This gallant officer... made a dash at the machine gun, hoping to knock out the gun and so save the lives of many of his company. His self-sacrifice and absolute disregard of danger was an inspiring example to all. "
Read: Rugby hero silenced WW1 machine gun


Natalie Bennett has defended her leadership of the Green Party of England and Wales - saying membership had soared since she took on the role.

She spoke out after the Greens lost four councillors in local elections across England and failed to make significant gains in Wales.
Ms Bennett said they had lost "great councillors" in Oxford and Norwich.
The best Green showing came in Scotland where the separate Scottish Green Party now has six MSPs.
The results pushed the Lib Dems into fifth place after the most successful showing for the Scottish Greens since 2003.
The Green Party secured its best ever result in the London mayoral election, with candidate Sian Berry coming in third with 5.8% of the vote - up from 4.48% in 2012.
It also claimed third place in the London Assembly elections, equal to UKIP and ahead of the Lib Dems, with two London Assembly members, Caroline Russell and Ms Berry.
Elsewhere in England the Greens held six seats on Oxford City Council, but lost two, while numbers in Norwich have fallen from 14 to 10.
Ms Bennett told the BBC: "I'm very disappointed to lose some really great councillors obviously, in Oxford and Norwich, but if you look around the country, there are really positive stories, particularly in the West Midlands.
"In Solihull, Chris Williams got 75% in the vote in his seat, which is what you could call a ringing endorsement.
"More broadly, Worcester Council... fell from Tory to no overall control and there Louis Stephen fought a brilliant campaign with the Tories throwing everything but the kitchen sink at it and he won that seat... with some great ideas."
"We're very much looking to the Scottish Greens who have had a good night, doubling their representation in Holyrood, electing some great people - Andy Wainwright, a real campaign reformer - and also Ross Greer [aged 21], who's going to be the youngest MSP in the Scottish Parliament."
Voting system
The results for London were "looking very good", following Green candidate Sian Berry's "very positive campaign" compared with that of Zac Goldsmith, which Ms Bennett said had been "99% Lynton Crosby and 1% ecologist".
This was a dig at the Australian election strategist who ran the Conservative candidate's London mayoral campaign.
Asked if her role as leader had impacted on the results, Ms Bennett argued that since she took over as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales three and a half years ago, membership had increased from 12,000 to 60,000, and the party was now standing in 90% of seats, up on her aspiration of 75%.
She said also cited the first past the post voting system as being "no longer fit for purpose" and a hindrance to smaller parties.
Tap here to search for election results in your area.


Saturday saw the fifth round of the FA cup, with championship clubs holding their own against the bigger sides.

Here's a round-up of the day's results:
Arsenal made Hull City's goalie work hard - he had to make 11 saves to help his side finish with a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium.
The two sides face a replay to decide who will progress to the quarter finals.
There was a surprise result when Championship strugglers Reading came back from one nil down to beat Premier League team West Brom by three goals to one.
Watford reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007, after Scott Wootton's own goal gave them victory over Leeds.
Strikes by Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku saw off Bournemouth, taking Everton into the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five seasons.
On Sunday, Blackburn will take on West Ham, Tottenham face Crystal Palace, and Chelsea will battle Man City.


Four France players face disciplinary action for their behaviour at Euro 2012, the French Football Federation (FFF) has announced.

Samir Nasri insulted a reporter while Jeremy Menez did the same with captain Hugo Lloris.
Hatem Ben Arfa rowed with Laurent Blanc and Yann M'Vila did not shake the coach's hand when substituted.
FFF president Noel Le Graet said individual bonus money of £80,000 due to the entire squad had been "frozen".
"Hatem Ben Arfa, Yann M'Vila, Samir Nasri and Jeremy Menez are summoned to appear before the disciplinary committee," said Le Graet.
And he added: "I don't like to punish by nature and I don't like to deliver a hasty opinion, but our players should be punished or sanctioned.
"I don't want them thinking they are victims. They are not."
In July 2010, the French Football Federation suspended all 23 World Cup squad members after a fractious campaign in South Africa.
Manchester City's Nasri insulted a reporter after the 2-0 quarter-final defeat to Spain while Menez was involved in a row with Lloris.
Newcastle's Ben Arfa was involved in a dressing-room argument with Blanc, 46, and M'Vila ignored the coach when he was replaced by Olivier Giroud in the game with Spain on 23 June.
Blanc has since has since left his job as manager of the French national team after his contract came to an end.
Like his predecessor Raymond Domenech, Blanc endured infighting between players which he admitted had been a distraction before their Euro 2012 quarter-final defeat against Spain.
Didier Deschamps, who has left his job as Marseille boss, is the early favourite to replace Blanc.
But the French Football Federation has revealed Deschamps has asked for time to think about taking over from Blanc as France coach.
Deschamps has until the end of the week to make his decision, added Le Graet.
Individual bonus money of 100,000 euros due to the entire squad for reaching the last eight in Poland and Ukraine had been "frozen", said Le Graet.
After the end of France's 2010 World Cup campaign, the French Football Federation suspended all 23 members of the World Cup squad for their next game.
France failed to win any of their three group games in South Africa.
The campaign included players boycotting training in support of Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home for insulting coach Domenech.


A PSNI officer who tried to arrest one of Northern Ireland's most senior judges has been sentenced to three months in prison.

Thomas Anthony Carlin attempted to arrest Lord Justice Gillen during a trial last month.
The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, ruled that the 43-year-old had acted with premeditation and determination.
He has been sentenced for contempt of court.
Mr Carlin's alleged outburst came at the end of a ruling in a house repossession case last month.
He had been representing himself in the legal battle with Santander over a property in County Antrim.
At the end of that High Court hearing, he allegedly got up and moved towards the bench, claiming he was going to arrest Lord Justice Gillen.
Security and court staff intervened before he was led from the courtroom.
He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of common assault, but subsequently released without charge.
Mr Carlin is alleged to have interrupted proceedings without justification, refused to resume his seat, approached the presiding judge, threatened to arrest him without lawful excuse and physically interfered with a member of court staff.
Mr Carlin rejected offers of legal representation and declined to apologise for his actions.
Speaking in court the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, said: "We are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that (Mr Carlin) was a man driven by self-importance and attention seeking."
Mr Carlin was told that if he seeks to apologise after 28 days, the rest of his sentence will be set aside.
The Police Ombudsman has also launched an investigation into the incident.


(Close): The UK market closed lower as tobacco shares fell following a court ruling in Canada, and with worries persisting over the Greek debt crisis.

Shares in British American Tobacco (BAT) fell 2.5% lower after a Canadian court ordered one of its subsidiaries to pay billions in damages.
BAT subsidiary Imperial Tobacco Canada is one of three firms ordered to pay a total of $12bn to smokers in Quebec.
Rival firms also saw their shares fall, with Imperial Tobacco down 3.02%.
The FTSE 100 index was down 25.31 points at 6,928.27 with Greece continuing to hit sentiment.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday the government had submitted "a realistic proposal" to its international creditors in an attempt to secure a deal over its debts.
"Traders' patience is at breaking point, and without a deal on the table for Greece the prospect of a default is growing," said David Madden, market analyst at IG.
"The spotlight is shining extra bright on Athens this week, with no agreement announced yet, and more dealers are exiting the market because they can't stand the heat."
Shares in plumbing supplies firm Wolseley rose 1.87% after it reported a 12.4% rise in underlying revenues to Â£3.3bn for the three months to 30 April.
AO World saw its shares drop 3.52% to 170p after the online retailer of items such as washing machines and fridges reported a full-year pre-tax loss of Â£2.9m.
On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.86% against the dollar to $1.53310 but fell 1.03% against the euro to â‚¬1.37740.
The euro was boosted against other currencies by the latest figures from Eurostat which showed eurozone inflation rose to a stronger-than-expected 0.3% in May.


President Barack Obama will become the first sitting US President to visit Hiroshima, the site where an atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.

26 May 2016 Last updated at 12:00 BST
The Hiroshima bombing on 6 August 1945 killed 140,000 people.
Along with a second bombing on Nagasaki, it led to Japan's surrender and the end of World War Two.
BBC News looks back at the events of August 1945 and the years that followed.


A man who raped a teenage boy in East Lothian and sexually abused another youth has been jailed for six years.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the boy was aged 14 when Graham Borthwick started abusing him in 2010.
Borthwick repeatedly sexually assaulted the teenager over the next two years, and on one occasion raped him in a house in Musselburgh.
He was also convicted of sexually abusing another boy in Edinburgh between 1999 and 2009.
Borthwick, 50, was convicted last month following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. When he appeared for sentencing, Lord Summer ordered him to be supervised for three years following his release from custody.
Borthwick is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence after being jailed in 2012 after being convicted of abusing three young boys.


A former councillor who denies 13 charges of shining lights at RAF jets will stand trial in November.

John Arthur Jones, 65, of Parc Cefni, Bodffordd, denies offences of recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft or persons in an aircraft.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard the offences took place between November 2013 and September 2014.
Mr Jones was released on bail until his trial starts on 16 November.


Universities should show students' achievement with points scores, as well as the existing degree grades, says a higher education advisory group.

A group of university experts is proposing a system giving more detailed information alongside grades such as first or upper second class degrees.
There have been 21 universities piloting such points-based measurements of student performance.
Graduate employers have backed the call for more detailed university grades.
The system being proposed is a "grade point average" (GPA), which would show students' achievement through their time in university. This would reflect results from work throughout a degree course.
The GPA advisory group, in a report published by the Higher Education Academy, says it would add another layer of detail to the current system of first, upper second (2:1), lower second (2:2) and third class degrees.
It responds to concerns from employers that it is hard to distinguish between job applicants when more than half of all degrees awarded in the UK are now upper seconds.
The proposed system would provide a scale from 0 to 4.25, so for instance work marked as a C would have a grade point of 2.5, while a C+ would be a 2.75. An A- would be 3.75, while an A+ would be 4.25.
The intention is to provide a much more "granular" detail of students' achievements than a broad brush grade.
Sir Bob Burgess, the former vice chancellor of Leicester University, who has headed the advisory group, says adopting such a points-based system would "meet the vital need for a more precise indicator of degree grades and to provide students with a more internationally recognisable measure".
A grade point average system is used by universities in the United States.
Each individual university would still be able to decide how they would award points, so that a 2.5 grade in one institution could not necessarily be compared with the same score at another.
As well as deciding on their own marking, universities could choose whether or not to include first year exam results or to give extra weighting to final exams.
But the proposers say that it would provide more transparency than the current system.
"It's a scale based on evidence and not thought up in an armchair," said Prof Graham Curtis, part of the Higher Education Academy advisory group.
Employers backed the principle of more detailed grades.
Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said it would provide "more information for employers to make a decision".
He said students would also "benefit from a fairer representation of their grades".
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said the current degree grading system was recognised as a "blunt instrument".
And he said the proposals "provide a good platform now to test the value of GPA with the whole higher education sector".


The Lions are 80 minutes away from a series win against world champions New Zealand that would cause ripples around the sporting world and echo in rugby folklore for decades to come.

This is the climax of the class of 2017's existence and it will determine how they will be remembered. Everything has built to this.
After coming within three points of the tourists in the second Test in Wellington - despite playing with 14 men for most of the match - the All Blacks will be confident of revenge and victory, however.
It has been a tough, tight and enthralling tour so far, with the sides level at one-Test apiece going into the decider. I expect its final act to be the same.
Since a stuttering win over the Provincial Barbarians five weeks ago in their tour opener, coach Warren Gatland says his Lions side have been on a steep curve of improvement.
He spoke of the team having "another level" within them and has shown faith in the same line-up that won the second Test for Saturday's third Test at Eden Park.
These guys deserve another crack at it.
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The main question mark was over loose-head prop Mako Vunipola. He gave away four penalties and was sin-binned in an undisciplined performance.
Gatland has claimed the Saracen was unlucky, but I'm sure he will have been told in no uncertain terms to clean up his game.
The coach may have reasoned that, at this level, front-row replacements are essential as heavy legs tire towards the end of the game.
Vunipola may be just as much as a liability in the final 25 minutes as he would have been in the previous 55 minutes and the Lions would be running the same risk in the decisive phases of the game.
Second row Alun Wyn Jones and flanker Sam Warburton both returned steady, rather than spectacular, individual stats from the second Test, but their experience and consistency is keeping them in the side and, on balance, deservedly so.
Both will be key in stopping the All Blacks on the gain-line, if not before it.
Before the second Test, the coaching staff essentially questioned the qualities of their side as characters, as much as players.
Defence coach Andy Farrell said that the tourists had to "man up" and win the collisions. It was personal.
They were physically dominated up front  in the first Test and the coaches knew that if that happened again the series was gone.
Yet, again that will be key.
Instead of travelling straight from Wellington to Auckland after the second Test, the Lions headed to Queenstown, nearly a thousand miles away from the venue of the decider, Eden Park, for a few days' rest and relaxation that included bungee jumping and power boating.
The All Blacks, by contrast, were straight back into the gym, working out the kinks from their second-Test defeat and focusing on the third.
Hindsight is 20:20. If the Lions get hammered in the third Test, there will be questions about it. But people are always wise after the event.
Gatland did similarly in 2013 in Australia, when the squad headed off for a few day's surfing in Noosa and promptly romped to victory in the third Test.
He has always been focused on short, sharp training sessions. I'm sure there will have been a bit of rugby stuff fitted in around the fun.
Going straight to Auckland would have meant spending a long time next to the belly of the All Black beast as well.
The All Blacks have not lost at Eden Park for 23 years and right now, with the whole of Auckland bursting with patriotic pride in the wake of the victorious Americas Cup sailing campaign, it would be a pretty intense place to spend the whole week.
There is also the fact that the two teams are at opposite ends of their seasons. The Lions are at the tail-end of long club and country campaigns. The All Blacks are just getting started.
This time last year Jordie Barrett was playing in the under-20s World Cup in England, playing in front of a few hundred people at venues that included Manchester City's training ground,
This Saturday, the 20-year-old makes his first international start in New Zealand's biggest game since the 2015 World Cup final, if not before.
That sort of meteoric rise might go to some youngsters' heads, but he is a typically grounded, low-key Kiwi; not a lot of razzmatazz or celebrity, they just want to play the game they love.
It almost goes without saying, considering the production line of New Zealand talent, but he is a superb all-round footballer.
He is not as frighteningly quick as his fly-half brother Beauden, but he is a better goal-kicker, clocking up a 75% success rate in Super Rugby.
At 6ft 5in, he has an obvious advantage under the high ball and his understanding with both his brother and fellow Hurricanes Ngani Laumape and Julian Savea will help him settle.
I don't think the Lions are going to try and change tactics particularly to focus on him, but the doubt will be whether his excellent Super Rugby form will survive the heat of a Lions series decider.
He made a few mistakes - knocking on early on and then catching Jack Nowell with a high tackle - when playing for the Hurricanes against the Lions.
The change the All Blacks have had to make for Saturday is in midfield after Sonny Bill Williams was banned for four weeks in the wake of his red card for a shoulder to the head of Anthony Watson last weekend.
The All Blacks have decided that the future is Laumape.
The other, more experienced, option was Malakai Fekitoa.
But there is so much talk of him heading to Europe and a rumoured deal with Toulon as he comes to the end of his Highlanders contract, that the selectors decided to go with some of the wealth of talent that lies behind him on the All Black production line.
Like Barrett, it will be Laumape's first international start.
However, he has had a stellar season for the Hurricanes, is the joint-top try scorer in Super Rugby and in their game against the Lions he ran for yards and yards.
You know what is coming with him. His game is about smashing through defences with cannonball power rather than slicing them open with stealthy angles. He will be running full bore down that inside centre channel, testing the tackling of Owen Farrell.
Some of his defensive decisions were criticised in the wake of the second Test as he got out of the defensive line looking for a big hit. But, that was him coming into the game as a replacement for Sonny Bill Williams - a tricky situation for anyone.
Savea has come in on the wing with both Waisake Naholo and Reiko Ioane out, and what a squad option for Steve Hansen to have up his sleeve.
The 26-year-old has 46 tries in 53 Tests.
He has not been at his usual high standard this season, and was notably quiet in the Hurricanes game against the Lions.
But at his best he is thunderous, running onto the ball and blasting players out of the way to score.
If finds form and space, the Lions are in trouble no matter who he is up against.
The team-talks will be very emotional this week in the Lions' camp. It will be deep and meaningful because there is nothing left for them beyond this match.
Next month, the All Blacks play Australia.
In September, they take on South Africa and Argentina.
In a couple of years' time, they will be defending their world title.
For the Lions, the only thing left is this match - the team may have existed since 1888, but each incarnation is only as a snapshot in time.
It is simultaneously very serious, and slightly surreal, to be defined by one match.
You have so many doubts as a rugby player, and those are magnified on a Lions tour, where you have locals wishing you well with one breath and predicting your defeat with the next.
I'm a confident individual, but even I had to work on that. I had to deal with the doubt by finding the rational evidence against it. That helped keep it from affecting me and causing me to hesitate on the field.
As a Lion, you find that evidence in the dressing room. It wasn't about the hyperbole, the history or, as nice as they were, the messages of support from back in Britain.
I just looked around at the players around me as we were preparing to go out.
That collection of talent, that wealth of character, outweighed any doubts I had. I genuinely believed that we could and would win.
I'm sure that when the Lions will feel the same things when look each other in the eyes in the depths of Eden Park on Saturday, the 2017 Lions will feel the same thing.
I would love them to win and they definitely can become only the second Lions team to win a series in New Zealand but, on the balance of probabilities, unfortunately I think the All Blacks are more likely to.


What is the one thing you care most about that our politicians could - and should - be sorting out?

Living, earning, studying, playing, buying, travelling, staying, leaving - Westminster has powers over it all.
And on 8 June voters will choose who they want to represent them in parliament and, ultimately, run the UK.
Before that though we want your guidance and for your specific views to shape a live and interactive debate show we're producing for Facebook.
Using the form below please tell us what the most important issue is to you. Maybe you want more police or hospital staff employed, more reassurance about life post-Brexit, or less tax to pay and less confusion over immigration.
Send a message to those in power by highlighting your concerns and your questions about your future.
On Wednesday 7 June, at 7.30pm, we're live-streaming an interactive show to explore your submitted political concerns.
We will be hearing from voters across the West and you will be invited to interact with the studio presenter and live audience via social media or even video calling into the show.
Young adults across Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Via our Facebook accounts for:


The Scottish Football Association has resumed drug testing after a nine-month period in which no tests were carried out.

The programme has already landed one positive test, from Jamie Insall, on loan at East Fife from Hibernian.
The case is being processed by UK Anti-Doping and could result in a ban.
A BBC Scotland report in February revealed a lack of testing within Scottish football, which drew criticism from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Ukad provides no funding for testing in Scottish football, but since the governing body began allocating its own funds, 64 tests have been carried out over 16 matches.
Those began in March, with Insall testing positive after a League One game against Livingston on 11 March.
The SFA has deliberately tested across all four divisions in the Scottish Professional Football League, rather than concentrating on the top two leagues as was previously the case when Ukad funded testing in Scotland.
Ukad is not expected to provide "public interest funding" to the SFA for the foreseeable future, which means Scottish football's governing body will continue to have to finance testing if it wants to maintain current levels.
That funding is in place for at least the remainder of 2017.


Conservationists believe they have identified the cause of a decline in numbers of a rare duck.

In the UK, common scoters breed at only a few locations in the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland and lochs in the hills and glens near Inverness.
A key cause is now thought to be rising numbers of trout which eat the ducks' main food source, freshwater insects.
RSPB Scotland and others have raised concerns the bird could become extinct locally because of poor breeding.
The charity suspects declining angling on the lochs has helped boost brown trout populations.
Dr Mark Hancock, from the RSPB's Centre for Conservation Science said: "Of all the lochs we investigated during this work, scoters bred most often at those with the shallowest water and the most large, freshwater invertebrates.
"It soon became clear that there were more insects where there were fewer brown trout, so it looks like scoters are being limited by a lack of food in places where the fish are eating it all."
"We're now using these results to design new ways of helping scoters.
"For example, in areas of the north Highlands where angling activity has dropped off and fish numbers have increased, more trout angling is potentially one way to boost freshwater insect life."
The common scoter project was supported by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and The Conservation Volunteers (TCV).
Dr Andy Douse of SNH and co-author of the study, said: "Scotland is the only part of the UK to have breeding scoters, many of which nest in legally-protected nature conservation sites.
"This study highlights promising management options for restoring populations of this declining species."
Another of the co-authors, Hannah Robson, of WWT, added: "Scoters are amazing birds: an arctic species finding a haven in remote Scottish lochs.
"This research points to the ways in which we might be able to save them as a fascinating part of our Scottish wildlife heritage."


Reported crime in Scotland has fallen by 22% in the past four years, according to official figures.

However, one in six adults in Scotland was the victim of at least one crime in the year to the end of March 2013.
The Scottish Crime and Justice survey (SCJS) showed that theft or damage to property was the most widely reported crime, making up 71% of the figures.
The SCJS also reported the risk of crime in Scotland to be lower than that in England and Wales.
The survey showed there was a total of 815,000 recorded incidents of crime over the past year. The new figures showed a 22% drop from the 1,045,000 recorded incidents in 2008-2009.
The risk of being a victim of crime also dropped from 20.4% in 2008-2009 to 16.9% in 2012-2013, a drop described as "significant" by the report.
Those living in the most deprived areas were more likely to be a victim of crime.
Violent crime continued to fall, with a 25% drop in recorded incidents since 2008-2009.
However, the public's fear of being the victim of a violent crime such as mugging has increased, with the perceived risk being almost 20% higher than the actual one.
The statistics also showed that public confidence in the police and justice system had increased, with 61% of people saying they believed that their local police were doing a good job.
Over three quarters of people surveyed also believed that the level of crime in their areas had stayed the same or reduced.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "This survey confirms what we already know. Crime is falling, the risk of being a victim of crime is falling and more people are feeling safer in their communities.
"The chance of being a victim of crime continues to be in lower in Scotland than in England and Wales and violent crime in Scotland has fallen by a quarter since 2008-2009. It is also reassuring to see that confidence in the police and the criminal justice system continues to improve.
He added: "These statistical trends are consistent with recorded crime statistics which show crime in Scotland is at its lowest level in almost 40 years with the 1,000 additional police officers that this government has put in communities protecting the public."
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont questioned the effectiveness of the survey by saying that many victims of crime did not report it.
He said: "There are a number of areas of concern within these findings. It's clear far too many people are victims of crime, and a significant amount don't even bother reporting it because they don't believe it will be solved.
"There is a big difference in what victims want and what actually happens, and one way the SNP could deal with this is facing up to justice matters and dropping its soft-touch approach."
He then added: "It is extremely rich of the SNP to be bleating about crime and policing rates when it has closed 60% of Scotland's police stations."
Scottish Labour's Community Safety spokeswoman, Elaine Murray said: "While any reduction in crime is to be welcomed, the fact that violent crime is up and only a fraction of crime is reported to the police gives cause for concern.
"The figures also won't reflect the closure of police counters, nor the police officers being taken off our streets to backfill staff roles left empty by SNP cuts.
"I fear that with the loss of local, accountable policing we will see the potential for the overall figures to begin to move the other way and for confidence in our police to fall back", she added.


The salary bill for ministers' special advisers has risen by £1m in the last year, according to official figures.

So-called "Spads" are appointed by ministers to provide political advice over and above the impartial work carried out by civil servants.
The Cabinet Office put the increase down to the "unusual" pressures caused by coalition government.
But Labour said David Cameron's pre-election promise to limit the number of special advisers was in "tatters".
A leap from 85 to 98 in the number of special advisers - who work directly to ministers and often speak for them - contributed to a 16% rise in the total wage bill in 2012-13.
According to the Cabinet Office, the total salary bill was £7.2m last year, up from £6.2m in 2011-12 and more than the £6.8m the previous government spent in its final year.
To David Cameron
To Nick Clegg
Source: Cabinet Office
Special advisers played "an important role... advising ministers and contributing to the smooth running of government", a spokesman said.
"This is particularly important in a coalition and the number of special advisers reflects the unusual circumstances of this government - the first coalition government for more than 60 years."
He added that special advisers represented 2.2% of the senior civil service.
Labour accused the government of double standards and said it came against cuts across the rest of the country.
And Labour MP Phil Wilson accused the prime minister of breaking his 2010 manifesto pledge to "put a limit on the number of special advisers".
"While he tells the rest of the country to accept cuts, he's happy to spend more and more on his own spin doctors. It's more evidence of how out of touch he is that he thinks the rules don't apply to him," he added.


Up to 800 tonnes of metal and plastic is ablaze at a recycling plant in Birmingham with huge plumes of smoke visible across the city.

More than 100 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire at EMR in Saltley, West Midlands Fire Service said.
Power supplies to 4,000 homes were cut off at 19:45 BST because the site of the fire is underneath pylons.
Emergency services were alerted at about 14:00 BST. Residents were advised told to keep doors and windows shut.
National Grid staff is also at the scene because of concerns about a gas main next to a nearby canal.
The fire service said it believed the blaze started accidentally.
A spokesman for Western Power Distribution, which supplies power in the area, told BBC News initial fears that 40,000 homes could be affected were allayed after it temporarily re-routed power around the network.
More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country
Properties in the Nechells and Saltley area were affected, but by 20:50 BST, only five properties were left without power, the spokesman said.
There are now 10 fire engines at the scene in Clarel Avenue. Seventeen were needed at the fire's peak.
BBC WM producer Kevin Pashby tweeted video of smoke billowing into the sky.
West Midlands Fire Service tweeted: "The guys and girls are working really hard to stop this spreading. In dangerous conditions, lots of pops and bangs."
The fire service urged people to stop calling after receiving more than 100 999 calls.
Staff from the Environment Agency, which regulates the site, are at the scene because of initial concerns over pollution.
Neil Johnston, West Midlands Fire Service station commander, said he expected crews to remain at the scene for several days because of the severity of the fire.
From the scene: BBC Midlands Today's Elizabeth Glinka:
There are huge flames and plumes of black smoke coming from the fire with more fire engines arriving at the scene every few minutes.
I believe there are over 100 firefighters here now along with other emergency crews and Network Rail as there are two rail lines nearby.
I've seen a train approach very, very slowly as it has gone through the smoke, although we believe services are managing to get through.
Public Health England has also been called to the scene.
There are no reports of injuries.


Shares of messaging app Line, popular in Japan, have surged by 31% in its Tokyo trading debut, making it the biggest technology listing of the year.

The stock closed at 4,345 yen ($41; Â£31), well above the offer price of 3,300 yen.
It also did well in the US, rising by 26.6% in its New York trading debut to close at $41.58 on Thursday.
Line, the most popular messaging app in Japan and Thailand, raised more than $1.1bn (Â£819m) in its dual listing.
The company set its flotation price at 3,300 yen ($33; Â£25) per share which was the top end of the expected range.
The shares jumped to 5,000 yen in early trading.
Line: A guide to Japan's messenger giant
Line has about 218 million monthly active users and is famous for selling cute virtual stickers, games and various merchandise.
It is wholly owned by South Korea's Naver Corporation, which is looking to raise funds to expand into more Western markets.
However, analysts say the app faces stiff competition from other messaging services provided by Facebook and Google.
In Japan, Line has a strong following and claims more users than Facebook or Twitter. However, in markets such as South Korea, it lags far behind rival app Kakao Talk, and it is blocked in China.


A man who died after getting into difficulty off the Swansea coast entered the water because he thought his children were in danger.

Jason North, 42, of Macclesfield, Cheshire, was on holiday on Gower with his wife and two children when he drowned on Saturday.
South Wales Police said he entered the water at Three Cliffs Bay because he feared his children were in difficulty.
His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Mr North was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital, where he later died. His death is being investigated on behalf of the coroner.
A number of people who were on the beach helped to get his children, a boy and a girl, out of the water.


An RAF plane carrying UK aid supplies and British army troops, including Gurkha engineers, has left for Nepal.

Dozens of British and Irish people have still not been traced following Saturday's devastating earthquake.
The Red Cross had said 90 Britons were missing, but 30 have been located and the UK Foreign Office said it was not aware of any deaths or injuries.
The UK's leading aid agencies have announced a joint appeal to raise money to help survivors.
More than 4,300 people died and almost 8,000 were injured in the quake.
Eighteen of the dead were killed in avalanches on Mount Everest.
The RAF C-17 flight, commissioned by the Department for International Development, left RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, carrying more than 1,100 shelter kits.
The plane also contains more than 1,700 solar lanterns to help families who have had to sleep outside because their homes have been demolished or through fear of further aftershocks.
BBC correspondent Jon Kay said it took ground crew nearly six hours to load the 30 tonnes of emergency supplies.
About 15 sombre-faced Gurkhas, who are synonymous with Nepal, were among the troops who had left on the flight, he added.
An RAF Hercules aircraft is also expected to leave the UK on Tuesday carrying additional kit.
The International Committee of the Red Cross had released a list of 90 missing British and Irish people, but the BBC understands more than 30 have since been accounted for.
However, there could still be additional missing Britons not on the Red Cross list.
Patchy mobile telephone and email communications have made it difficult to locate people.
The Disasters Emergency Committee, comprising the UK's leading aid agencies, has also announced an appeal to raise money to help survivors.
The appeal is to launch on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky on Tuesday. A donation line and website has already opened ahead of the broadcasts.
The UK government has also promised to match the first £5m of public donations.
The government has already given £5m to help people affected by the earthquake. It said it had released £3m to address immediate needs and £2m would be given to the Red Cross.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said "we would expect there to be several hundred British nationals in Nepal".
"British embassy staff have helped over 200 British nationals who've presented at the embassy directly," he said.
The Foreign Office said teams had also been scouring hospitals, hotels and areas popular with tourists looking for Britons that might need help.
A spokesman said: "The situation on the ground is highly challenging. Basic telephone communication and infrastructure are severely disrupted."
The UK Foreign Office has released an emergency number - +44 (0) 207 008 0000 - for people worried about loved ones who may have been in the area at the time.
It advises against all but essential travel to Nepal.
Britons in a safe place have been advised to remain there until it is safe to leave, but Britons able to leave Nepal safely have been encouraged to do so.
The Department for International Development (DfID) has already deployed a team of more than 60 search and rescue responders and medical experts to support the relief effort in Nepal.
A plane from London has been sent to Kathmandu, carrying seven search and rescue crews, four search and rescue dogs, a medical support team and a hazardous materials specialist.
The plane contained more than 11 tonnes of kit, including torches, axes, rope, search cameras, stretchers and tents.
A Foreign Office rapid deployment team to provide further consular assistance for British nationals was also on board, along with experts from leading aid agencies including the British Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Map Action - an international disaster mapping charity.
Some 67 British firefighters from the International Search and Rescue Team (UKISAR) are also among those helping.
The team is trained to provide specialised technical search and rescue assistance in collapsed buildings.
Salisbury-based charity Serve On has sent eight volunteers from its international rescue team. They reportedly arrived in Nepal on Monday and have begun search efforts after liaising with UN co-ordinators.


A footpath unveiled by Sir David Attenborough has been forced to close just three days after opening, because a bird has made its nest there.

The oystercatcher liked the new "Attenborough's Walk" in Norfolk so much that it decided to move in.
All wild birds in the UK are protected by law, so the path has been closed to protect its nest and eggs.
Experts say that the chicks will probably hatch in a couple of weeks, and the footpath will be reopened then.


The leader of Taiwan's ruling party and Chinese President Xi Jinping have held the highest level talks between the two sides in six years.

Nationalist Chairman, Eric Chu, was in Beijing for the meeting, a sign of warming relations between the sides.
But any rapprochement is controversial in Taiwan, which has seen protests over the prospect of closer ties.
Chinese nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 after a brutal civil war with the communists.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will ultimately return.
But many Taiwanese oppose reunification and fear that growing economic dependency on Beijing could be the first step towards that outcome, correspondents say.
Mr Xi said during the meeting that China and Taiwan should settle political differences through consultation, but with Taiwan's acceptance that it is part of China, according to Xinhua state news agency. He also said Beijing will make greater efforts to open up to Taiwan and help it to develop economically.
"The two sides can consult with each other on equal basis under the principle of 'one China', and reach a reasonable arrangement," Mr Xi said.
Some believe Beijing wants to show Taiwan's voters that Mr Chu is someone it can work with, and that voting for his party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is a vote for stable relations with China.
While Mr Chu has said he will not run in next January's presidential race, he is considered the KMT's best chance for defeating the pro-independence opposition party's candidate.
As a result, he is also Beijing's best hope at keeping the momentum of the past seven years of hard-won improved ties on course.
The KMT has seen its popularity decline and protests at home, dubbed the "Sunflower Movement", over its warming ties with the Chinese Communist Party.
In March last year, hundreds of students occupied parliament for weeks to demonstrate against a trade pact that the KMT signed with China. Thousands rallied on the streets against the mainland.
Mr Chu's party is nevertheless currently pushing to join China's new development bank. Taiwan's initial application to the bank was rejected by Beijing because of the name under which it applied, which implied it was an independent nation.
However Beijing said it would welcome an application by Taiwan under an "appropriate" name.
The KMT had its worst-ever performance in local elections in November and the President Ma Ying-jeou stepped down as party chief, to be replaced by Mr Chu.


The US will no longer subsidise the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, a senior state department official has told the BBC.

The decision means that Pakistan will have to pay more than $700m (Â£480m) - two-and-a-half times the original cost - if it wishes to buy the aircraft.
It comes after Congress refused to approve funding for the deal.
Some US lawmakers had accused Pakistan of not doing enough to fight militants. India also objected to the sale.
However, Pakistan has argued that the jets are needed for anti-terror operations, and so the US should help with funding the purchase.
People close to the deal say it is highly unlikely that Pakistan will be willing to pay the full cost of the fighter jets, so it seems to be off for all practical purposes.
A spokesman for the Pakistan embassy in Washington, Nadeem Hotiana, told the BBC that arms sales were a long process and that he would not comment on the deal's current status.
"F-16s provide precision strike capability to Pakistan's ongoing campaign against militancy," he said.
"Pakistan believes that the threat from terrorist networks requires continued capacity building and both governments continue to work together towards this objective through a range of measures including the sale of these aircraft."
The senior US state department official, who asked to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, says the Obama administration is still very much in favour of selling the fighter jets to Pakistan as it believes it is in the national interest of the United States.
However, Pakistan would have to bear the full cost of the F-16 fighter jets if it wished to proceed, he said.
The original arrangement had been that Pakistan would pay close to $270m, with the US foreign military financing budget paying for the rest.
However, top US lawmakers have expressed concerns over the US government's decision to sell the jets to Pakistan, saying they could be used against India rather than for combating terrorism.
Speaking on Wednesday, Congressman Matt Salmon said: "India-Pakistan tensions remain elevated, and some question whether the F-16s could ultimately be used against India or other regional powers, rather than the terrorists as Pakistan has asserted."


Researchers from Swansea University have joined forces with a Ceredigion food company to find new uses for shellfish waste.

Quay Fresh and Frozen Foods, in New Quay, produces 800 tonnes of crushed whelk shell waste each year.
In December 2016, it was granted a licence to dump some of it into the sea, despite complaints from residents.
Its collaboration with the university's Seacams 2 project aims to find commercially viable uses for the waste.
Researchers are looking into several possibilities, including water filtration media, soil conditioners and the potential for creating an environmentally friendly alternative to microbeads.
Quay Food's director Mandy Andrews said: "We want to ensure that we have a sustainable and stable fishing industry.
"We hope that by exploring options to maximise the efficient use of all parts of the shellfish, we can contribute to a better future for our family of employers here and for the fishermen that our business supports."


A digger driver was so angry when he was sacked by text he caused £100,000 damage to the road he had just made, a court has heard.

Rory Doyle, 41, went on a 24-minute wrecking spree at the site at Chivenor Cross, near Braunton, north Devon.
He ripped up the road surface, demolished lampposts and dug up drains.
Doyle, who admitted criminal damage, has been given an 18-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay £2,500 in compensation.
More on this story, and other Devon news
Exeter Crown Court heard he was angry about the manner of his sacking, following a dispute with his foreman, in April 2016.
Doyle, of Waterloo Road, Torquay, said his foreman was bullying him and paying him less because he was a contract worker.
He told a workmate: "I swear blind I will come back and tear the place up. They don't realise things swing both ways."
Doyle has also been handed a five-month curfew and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid community work and to attend anger management sessions.
Judge Mrs Justice May said: "It would appear he was trying to undo all the work he had done in the previous week."
The total cost of the wrecking spree was estimated at just over £100,000.
This included a £22,000 penalty payment the contractors incurred for overrunning.
Greg Richardson, defending, said Doyle was a hard-working man and the only breadwinner for his family, who would suffer if he went to jail.
He said: "He would like to express his regret for letting his anger get out of control and get the better of him in a serious way.
"He felt that as an agency worker he was bullied in the workplace and particularly put upon by the foreman."


The UK's vote to leave the European Union has stunned most Romanians who live here, sowing confusion and doubt in a community that has grown dramatically since the country's accession to the EU in 2007.

Levels of anxiety in the community were heightened by headlines in Romania itself such as: "All Romanians to be kicked out of Britain after the referendum".
Many have felt increasingly vulnerable and disorientated, although the surge of xenophobic abuse directed at Poles has not been reported by Romanians.
Romanians tend to keep their heads down and are less likely to report such incidents, although there have been examples of children at school being told by classmates to go back to Romania.
The talk is of little else but Brexit among parents gathered at a Romanian Saturday school in north London, while their children aged four to 12 sing, dance and learn Romanian language and culture.
Gabriela Segal, who arrived in Britain in 2004. was shocked by the lack of awareness among her compatriots.
"On Friday at 8am, the day after the referendum, several people called and asked me: 'If I go on holiday now, will I be allowed back in when I return?' or 'Should I go to Israel to work because we can't work here anymore?' or 'We have relatives back in Romania, should we bring them here now?'".
223,000
Population in 2015
179,000 National Insurance number registrations (highest nationality in UK  2015-16)
2007 Romania and Bulgaria join European Union
2014 Work restrictions lifted
Maria, who has lived in the UK for 10 years and is one of the many Romanian cleaners in London, is more philosophical.
"I am calm, I am not stressed out," she says. "I hope things continue to go well, so we can work and mind our own business.
"I want to stay here because in Romania I could not find any work at my age of 55. Not even youngsters can find work there, never mind people like me."
The north-west London suburb of Burnt Oak has become something of a Little Romania in recent years, widely pronounced as "Bontoc".
At his patisserie, businessman Ovidiu Sarpe, a 37-year veteran of the UK's Romanian community, is sanguine about the future.
"I don't see a great impact, although Romanians are scared. Once you have a National Insurance number, you have a job, you are a worker, you provide for your family here, you have children here, let us see who can kick you out" he said.
The Romanian community has been one of the fastest growing in the UK, reaching an estimated 223,000 in 2015, and more National Insurance numbers were issued to Romanians than any other nationality in the year to March. An NI number enables you to work and, potentially, claim benefits in the UK.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of Romanians in the UK was 128,000 in 2013, but that rose dramatically with the full opening of the UK labour market to Romanians and Bulgarians on 1 January 2014.
The growth in net migration for 2015 from EU countries came largely from Romanians and Bulgarians, and Romanians made up by far the biggest group of EU citizens requesting NI numbers in the past year.
The biggest job market for Romanian men is in construction and it is virtually impossible to pass a building site in London without hearing Romanian spoken.
Some argue that such building sites would grind to a halt without them. Equally, if the housing market stalls, many would risk losing their jobs, with a predicted knock-on effect on livelihoods.
Cristina Irimie, director of a recruitment agency for Romanians in north London, says that even after the 23 June referendum there has been strong demand for bricklayers and plumbers, but also for doctors or nurses.
And yet the fall of the pound has also made Britain less attractive for highly qualified professionals, including doctors.
Amid the anxiety and confusion at the north London Saturday school, organiser Veronica Costache retains some optimism.
"Brexit is a challenge and an opportunity. We must look at the positives. We have to finally improve our English, to sort out our papers and to improve ourselves," she says.
"There are so many courses for qualifications, there are so many opportunities the British state offers immigrants that we have to take advantage of them and acquire legal status."


The value of the pound has fallen to a two-month low against major currencies after Prime Minister Theresa May signalled the UK would pursue a so-called "hard Brexit" from the EU.

Sterling fell about 1% across the board. The only currency against which it gained ground was the Turkish lira.
The Prime Minister told Sky News on Sunday that she wanted the best possible deal for leaving the EU.
However, she dismissed the idea that the UK could "keep bits of membership".
She added: "We're leaving. We're coming out. We're not going to be a member of the EU any longer."
Commentators interpreted this as meaning that Mrs May would not seek to keep the UK in the EU's single market, with radical consequences for the country's economy.
By Monday evening, the pound was down 1.05% against the dollar at $1.2155, while against the euro, it was 1.41% lower at â‚¬1.1501.
"Sterling is on the back foot on Monday after Theresa May's comments were taken as a sign the UK government would prioritise immigration controls over single market access," said Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital.
"Domestic populist politics trumps the trade card for now, it seems, and that is weighing on the pound."
Mr Wilson predicted "more volatility" in the sterling exchange rate, adding that it could easily "bounce back" as the tone of political discourse shifted.
HSBC currency strategist Dominic Bunning agreed: "[Mrs] May saying that it's not about keeping 'bits' of the EU suggests it's not going to be about keeping access to the single market.
"She said we will have full control of our borders, and given what the other side of the debate - the EU - has said, that's not compatible with full access to the single market, free movement of capital, free movement of goods and services.
"That's the direct trade-off that the [foreign exchange] market is looking at."
Paresh Davdra, chief executive of RationalFX, said: "The looming fears that the UK might exit the single market continue to weigh down on the pound, and we expect the volatility to continue until further and actual on-ground clarity emerge.
However, he added: "All is not lost for the UK, as the fall in the pound's value has attracted international market activity and simultaneously boosted the country's export figures."
The pound fell sharply in the immediate aftermath of the UK's June 2016 vote to leave the EU.
The weaker pound makes UK goods cheaper for buyers overseas, but increases the cost of imported goods.
Analysts expect UK inflation to pick up this year as the impact of higher import costs feeds through to the economy. Last week, a string of economic surveys indicated that companies were facing rising price pressures as import costs increased.
November's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate was 1.2%, up from 0.9% in October and the highest since October 2014, when it stood at 1.3%.


A man has been charged in connection with a police operation on the M62 in which an officer shot a man dead.

Moshin Amin, 30, from Broomer Street, Dewsbury, has been charged with firearms offences related to a loaded semi-automatic handgun.
Yassar Yaqub, 28, from Huddersfield, was shot when police stopped a car near junction 24 of the M62 on Monday.
Mr Amin has been detained in custody and will appear before Leeds magistrates on Friday morning.
He was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause of fear of violence, possession of a sound moderator and possession of ammunition, said West Yorkshire Police.
Mr Yaqub was in the front seat of a white Audi stopped by police. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has said a gun was found in the car.
Earlier, the IPCC said post-mortem tests showed Mr Yaqub died of gunshot wounds
Five men were arrested in total during the police operation in West Yorkshire on Monday.
Two other men aged 37 and 26 have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
Two men, aged 26 and 30, have already been released on bail.
The police operation is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).


One man has died and two people have been seriously injured in a collision between a car and a bus in North Ayrshire.

The 53-year-old driver of a Mercedes car died at the scene of the crash on the A78, near Hunterston Roundabout.
The male bus driver and a female passenger were taken by helicopter to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
Both are being treated for serious head injuries.
A further eight bus passengers, six women and two men, were taken by ambulance to either Inverclyde Royal Hospital or Crosshouse Hospital for treatment.
Police said the driver was the sole occupant of the Mercedes car.
The road between Hunterston and the Clydeport roundabout was closed for several hours while emergency crews were at the scene. It re-opened shortly before 18:00.
A spokesman for Stagecoach West Scotland said: "We can confirm that a car was in collision with one of our vehicles operating the 585 service near Largs.
"Our first thoughts are with the people who have been involved in the incident. The safety of our passengers and staff is our highest priory and we are assisting the police fully with their investigation into the circumstances."
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "We received an emergency call shortly after 10am this morning for a road traffic accident involving a bus.
"We responded with multiple vehicles, including six ambulances, one paramedic response unit, a full special operations response team, area services managers, the EMRS (Emergency Medical Retrieval Service) and two helicopters.
"This was a serious road traffic accident. We worked with our colleagues from Police Scotland and the fire service.
"We conveyed 10 patients to multiple hospitals, including Inverclyde, Crosshouse and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital."


Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland's right to hold an independence referendum is at the heart of the election.

Speaking in Aberdeenshire, the SNP leader also said only her party could stop Theresa May having a "free hand".
Meanwhile, former Better Together head Alistair Darling urged voters to reject calls for a second referendum.
And the Conservatives repeated their calls for Ms Sturgeon to "focus on the day job".
During a visit to Dreams Daycare nursery in Insch on Monday, the first minister said: "The issue at the heart of this election is, whether you support independence or oppose independence, surely that decision should be taken by people in Scotland, by the Scottish people and the Scottish Parliament, and not by a Tory government at Westminster".
Ms Sturgeon, who was campaigning alongside Alex Salmond, highlighted the "stark contrast" between her party's investment in childcare and the prime minister's cuts to child tax credits.
The Scottish government currently provides 16 hours a week of free childcare for three and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-years-olds, and has pledged increase this to 30 hours by 2020.
Ms Sturgeon said: "We've got to make sure that there's a check on the Tories, that there's strong opposition and strong voices for Scotland standing up for progressive policies like this one, and that in Scotland can only come from the SNP."
The nursery visit came after Prime Minister Theresa May visited the north-east of Scotland at the weekend, when she issued an appeal to Scottish voters who oppose independence.
Mrs May said: "We want to ensure that we build a more secure and united nation. That means taking action against the extremists who would divide us and standing up against the separatists who want to break up our country."
Ms Sturgeon warned the Conservatives to "watch their language" and accused Labour of focusing on independence due to a lack of positive policies, after Lord Darling called on the SNP to rule out a second referendum.
Lord Darling, who served as chancellor in Gordon Brown's Labour government, was campaigning in the Edinburgh South seat which was won by Labour's only Scottish MP, Ian Murray, at the last general election in 2015.
The visit came on the 20th anniversary of Labour winning the 1997 election under Tony Blair - and ahead of the forthcoming general election on 8 June.
Lord Darling highlighted Labour's achievements in government, including lifting 120,000 children out of poverty in Scotland, introducing the national minimum wage and introducing tax credits for those on low pay.
He said: "Labour's proud record shows what can be achieved when a government focuses on the day job.
"The priority of a Labour government is always to grow the economy, create jobs, lift people out of poverty and give everybody a fair chance in life, not seeking to divide the country."
But he conceded that the best result Labour can realistically achieve in the general election is to be a "sizeable opposition" to the Conservatives.
Asked if he endorsed Jeremy Corbyn, Lord Darling said: "Well, he is the leader. He's the leader for the next, you know, right up until the general election.
"You know where I stand on that. My view is we need to get on. We're fighting in a general election campaign. You know, leaders come and go."
Lord Darling also called on voters to back Labour on 8 June in order to "send Nicola Sturgeon a message that Scotland doesn't want or need another divisive referendum".
He added: "The choice in British politics now isn't the old left-right, it is now dividing along nationalistic lines, whether it is Brexit nationalists and Scottish nationalists, against the majority who I believe want to see a sensible outcome."
The Scottish Conservative candidate for Edinburgh South West, Miles Briggs, said that Labour was hoping to "sell pro-UK Scots down the river" by doing a deal with the SNP after the election.
Mr Briggs said: "Labour may think wheeling out Alistair Darling will convince voters they are strong on Scotland's place in the union.
"But they know Jeremy Corbyn is itching to do a deal with the SNP that would sell pro-UK Scots down the river.
"Labour would return the UK to chaos, and turn their back on the two million Scots who voted No in 2014."
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson was at St Abbs lifeboat station in the south east of Scotland, where she repeated her calls for the SNP to forget about an independence referendum and instead focus on the "day job" of running schools and hospitals.
Ms Davidson said: "This week marks 10 years since the SNP came to power in Scotland. Yesterday, we had Alex Salmond unable to explain why one in five children leave primary school functionally illiterate, and we had senior doctors in the NHS saying the SNP had failed to plan for the future,
"So today we are saying to the SNP - give up this divisive independence referendum idea and get back to your day job."
Elsewhere, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie joined some of the party's council election candidates and activists in Perthshire and Bridge of Allan.
During the visit, Mr Rennie highlighted the "great work" that Liberal Democrat councillors do to help their local communities.
Mr Rennie said: "Alistair Darling knows that Jeremy Corbyn is incapable of providing a strong opposition to this Hard Brexit Conservative government.
"It is only the Liberal Democrats who stood up when it counted, Labour cowered in the corner."
He also said education, the health service and Brexix were all merely "convenient vehicles" in Ms Sturgeon's quest for independence.


The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland has called on all political parties to support a move to appoint a mental health champion.

In a pre-election manifesto, the college said such an appointment would provide a clear voice of support to implement a mental health strategy.
It also asked parties to give the issue a "specific political focus" ahead of the assembly poll on 2 March.
It is estimated that one in five people in NI have a mental health problem.
In fact, with referral numbers increasing, mental health charities say funding has not matched the numbers seeking help.
The chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland, Dr Gerry Lynch, said the legacy of the Troubles had contributed to a "serious mental health crisis" in Northern Ireland.
"It is estimated that the prevalence of mental health problems in Northern Ireland is 25% higher than that in England and we also have the highest general population suicide rate within the UK", he said.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists' election manifesto contains 'five asks', the first of which is the appointment of a mental health champion.
It also calls for sufficient funding for patients' needs; legislative reform and the provision of multidisciplinary, evidence-based care for patients with severe mental illness.
The fifth request is the introduction of a minimum price of 50p per unit for alcohol.
Dr Lynch added: "The feedback we are getting from our members is that there is a sense of drift within mental health, together with a lack of clarity as to where mental health service provision and planning is heading in Northern Ireland.
"There is an urgent need to put mental health at the core of our health and social care system and we are calling on political parties to support fully and implement the demands within our manifesto."


Legendary Italy and AC Milan footballer Paolo Maldini has qualified for a professional tennis tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour.

The 48-year-old, capped 126 times by his country, won a qualifier in Italy with doubles partner Stefano Landonio.
Landonio, 46, was once ranked 975 in the world and has coached Maldini since he retired in 2009.
The pair will compete at the Aspria Tennis Cup, a Challenger Tour event in Milan which begins on 29 June.
The Challenger Tour is the tier below the top-level ATP World Tour, which features the best players in the world.
Maldini spent 31 years with AC Milan, 24 of them as a professional, winning seven league titles and the Champions League five times.
He will be 49 on the day the Aspria Tennis Cup begins, with 16 doubles pairings competing on clay.


Nasa has released new, close up, images of the surface of Pluto, revealing a landscape that has stunned experts.

11 September 2015 Last updated at 15:14 BST
The pictures show potential dunes, mountainous regions and even networks of valleys.
They're based on high-resolution images from Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft which has been sending back data since late July.


Two Russian cosmonauts are preparing for a spacewalk to install experiments on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS).

Sergei Volkov and Yuri Malenchenko are expected to exit the Pirs docking compartment at 13:10 GMT, for the second spacewalk of 2016.
The cosmonauts are set to work outside for an estimated five-and-a-half hours.
A spacewalk on 15 January by Briton Tim Peake and American Tim Kopra was halted when water was found in Kopra's helmet.
Lt Col Volkov and Col Malenchenko will don their Orlan spacesuits and head out to install and retrieve several experimental packages on the Russian Zvezda and Poisk modules.
They will also deploy devices called gap spanners on the hull of the station to facilitate the movement of crew members on future spacewalks.
Among the experiments to be installed is Vinoslivost, which will test how various structural materials are affected by the harsh environment of space.
The Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) crew members will also test the Restavratsiya experiment, which could be used to glue special coatings to external surfaces of the station's Russian segment.
The veteran cosmonauts will also retrieve the European Space Agency's (Esa) Expose-R experiment, which investigates how cosmic radiation, microgravity and temperature extremes affect a variety of microbes and organic molecules divulged to the vacuum of space.
This will be the sixth spacewalk for Malenchenko and the fourth for Volkov - whose father Aleksandr was also a cosmonaut.
Col Malenchenko is one of the most experienced spacefarers in the world; during his stay on the ISS, he should become only the third person to have spent more than 800 cumulative days in space. The current record holder is fellow cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who has spent 879 days in orbit.
Investigators have been studying data from the spacewalk on 15 January, which had to be stopped early due to the water in Tim Kopra's helmet. The event was another reminder that spacewalking remains the riskiest activity undertaken by astronauts and cosmonauts.
A similar, but much more serious, water leak nearly drowned Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano on a spacewalk on 9 July 2013. Col Kopra was wearing the same spacesuit used by Parmitano on that occasion; it was apparently given a thorough overhaul after the 2013 incident.
On 15 December, Yuri Malenchenko had to pilot the Soyuz spacecraft to a manual docking with the space station after the failure of the vehicle's Kurs radar (which determines the relative distance of the capsule and its target).
The Soyuz eventually docked safely, allowing the Russian, along with Col Kopra and Major Peake to join the crew of the ISS.
On Tuesday, British astronaut Tim Peake spoke to hundreds of children from across England and Wales in a live video chat - the first of its kind since he arrived on the orbiting outpost.
Follow Paul on Twitter.


Worcester chief executive Jim O'Toole says giving head coach Carl Hogg sole charge of the first team was necessary because players "weren't getting" the dual-management structure.

After former director of rugby Dean Ryan's exit on 30 June, Hogg and high performance director Nick Johnston initially shared duties.
But Warriors have opted to change things after a run of poor results.
"Giving Carl sole leadership is now right for us," O'Toole told BBC Sport.
"It all goes back to Dean Ryan's departure in the summer. When he left, aside from his considerable experience and rugby intellect, what we in effect lost at short notice just before the start of the season was his level of management.
"Carl, as head coach under Dean, was responsible for the first team. Nick was responsible for the athletes and their preparation.
"We took a decision at the time to pioneer a duo-management system, which I've heard (England boss) Eddie Jones talk about as being how the southern hemisphere does it. He's a big advocate of that type of structure.
"After six months, we reviewed it. My view, shared with my fellow directors, was that the players weren't getting it.
"Nick continues in his role, but streamlining the management by giving Carl sole leadership is the right thing to do. Ultimately, the players have to be clear about what they're here to do."
Injury-hit Warriors have won just twice in 14 matches this season, picking up only one victory and two draws in the Premiership.
Following Sunday's 26-12 home defeat by Wasps, they are 11th in the table, six points above bottom club Bristol, where they will travel on Boxing Day.
Having twice before suffered relegation since first reaching the Premiership in 2004, their current woes, although exacerbated by a large injury list, have led to criticism from frustrated fans.
O'Toole has addressed that by arranging a meeting with 40 of the club's more regular critics, and sees handling disgruntled customers as a major part of his job.
"Modern communication channels are open to everybody," he said.
"I have daily communication with supporters on Twitter, on club forums, on e-mail, telephone and text messaging. I've even had messages sent to me on Facebook Messenger from people who I'm not friends with, who insist on getting their message across and like to tell me how things can be improved.
"I didn't come to run a rugby club to hang around with the players. For me, it's about the excitement and passion of dealing with a large number of committed supporters and the environment that creates.
"People like to give their opinions and I'm here to receive them. If people come to me and communicate politely, I take it all on board. It's the old point about 'the customer is king'.
"They're not always right and some people get a bit carried away but people aren't unpleasant just for the sake of it. You know it's only because they care."


Two men have been arrested over the death of a woman who was stabbed multiple times near a railway level crossing.

The 21-year-old woman was found on Pitsea Hall Lane in Pitsea, Basildon, Essex at about 20:15 BST on Friday.
She was flown to hospital but died of her injuries overnight.
A man, 22, from Basildon was arrested at the scene and is being questioned on suspicion of murder. A 20-year-old man is also being questioned.
Essex Police said there were reports of a man and a woman fighting before the stabbing.
It said a knife had been recovered nearby and forensic teams were on site.
The railway crossing has been closed to traffic and an area near the horse sanctuary has been cordoned off.
Det Ch Insp Marina Ericson said: "This is a tragic incident where a young woman has lost her life in horrific circumstances.
"We have arrested two men and our inquiries are continuing today, but if anyone does have any information that they think may help us then I would urge them to get in touch."


Republic of Ireland footballer Anthony Stokes has pleaded guilty to assaulting an Elvis Presley impersonator outside a nightclub in Dublin.

The striker, who plays for Blackburn Rovers, admitted a charge of assault, causing harm to Anthony Bradley.
The incident took place outside Buck Whaleys nightclub on 8 June 2013.
Stokes, 28, of Claremont Terrace, Glasgow, will be sentenced on 20 December.
The case had been listed to go to trial on 22 November but Stokes pleaded guilty at an arraignment hearing on Thursday.
The former Celtic player, who has nine caps for the Republic of Ireland, was released on continuing bail.
Stokes began his career at Arsenal and also played for Sunderland and Hibernian.


A 67-year-old driver has died in hospital after he crashed his car in Gillingham.

Kent Police said the man, from West Sussex, sustained a serious injury when his Ford Focus came off the road in Hoath Way on Friday.
He was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital but died on Saturday evening.
Police said the car left the carriageway before mounting a grass verge and overturning. No other vehicles were involved.
It is not yet known why the man lost control of his car.


Two Australian men managed to bluff their way into an 18-hole international tournament in North Korea by posing as world-class golfers.

Morgan Ruig and Evan Shay, both 28, were on a polo trip in Beijing when they heard about the competition.
They successfully applied to play as the Australian team and wore green blazers bearing the national logo.
The men, who do not play professionally, left North Korea without problems after the event.
The two-day tournament brought 85 participants from around the world to North Korea's only golf course in Pyongyang.
The Australian pair were chaperoned throughout their five-day trip which included a tour of the capital, where they placed a bouquet at a monument to the country's leaders.
"We were very nervous handing our passports over at the border. There are stories of people not coming home," Mr Ruig told the Courier-Mail newspaper.
North Korea's late leader Kim Jong-il opened Pyongyang golf complex in 1987. It is claimed he shot 11 hole-in-ones on his first attempt at the sport.
Mr Ruig and Mr Shay, who became friends at Brisbane Boys' College, did not come close to beating the Supreme Leader's supposed world-record 38 under par.
"I hit 120 and my caddy told me I had bought great shame to my family," Mr Ruig said.
"We played very poorly... but we met some very interesting people."
Mr Ruig told Yahoo Sport that officials "thought it was quite funny", and that they had no problems leaving the country afterwards.
Despite their poor show, he said the whole trip was "character building".
"I wouldn't recommend it to a light-hearted traveller. It was pretty hardcore but it was an amazing experience."


For the surfers enjoying the waves off the coast of Chile, this sighting was a double whammy!

8 August 2013 Last updated at 18:20 BST
Not only had they spotted a pair of rare Southern Right Whales - one of them was an albino whale.
The completely white calf was closely following its mum as they swam around the shores of the Chile, which is unusual as the creatures are normally found near Argentina hundreds of miles away.
As you can see it was a real treat for these guys - who said it was a dream come true!


Volkswagen has agreed a draft $4.3bn (£3.5bn) settlement with US authorities over the emissions-rigging scandal.

The German car maker also said it would plead guilty to breaking certain US laws.
VW said it was in advanced discussions with the Department of Justice and US Customs about the deal.
The final agreement has yet to be approved by VW's management and supervisory board, which could happen later on Tuesday or Wednesday.
VW said it had negotiated a "concrete draft" of a settlement with US authorities that included criminal and civil fines totalling $4.3bn, as well as appointing an independent monitor for the next three years.
The $4.3bn fine means that the total costs associated with the emissions cheating scandal are set to exceed the $19.2bn the company has set aside to deal with the issue.
VW has already agreed to a $15bn civil settlement with environmental authorities and car owners in the US.
The scandal erupted in September 2015 when the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that many VW cars sold in America had a "defeat device" - or software - in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested and adjust the performance accordingly to improve results.
The German car giant subsequently admitted cheating emissions tests in the US and many countries throughout the world, including the UK.
Arndt Ellinghorst, head of global automotive research at Evercore ISI, said the draft settlement was good news for VW and would "draw a line under all remaining US-related legal risk".
It was important that VW had "managed to come to an agreement that allows the company to move on", he said, adding: "It's a major relief that this doesn't get dragged into the new US administration."
Mr Ellinghorst expected the company to increase its provisions for diesel-related costs by up to €3bn to as much as €21bn.
On Monday it emerged that VW executives knew about emissions cheating two months before the scandal broke, but chose not to tell US regulators, according to court papers.
The bosses involved include Oliver Schmidt, who was in charge of VW's US environmental regulatory compliance office from 2012 until March 2015.
On Monday he was charged with conspiracy to defraud and has been remanded ahead of a court appearance on Thursday.


The woods around the Forth Valley Royal Hospital near Falkirk are to be made into a "green oasis" for patients and staff to "destress".

Forestry Commission Scotland, who are paying for the £101,000 project, said it would "transform" the woodlands.
The commission is planning to create new paths and cycle tracks, as well as planting more trees.
The woods, opposite the Larbert hospital, are also be opened to the local community.
Work has already begun to clear vegetation around the loch, which was largely hidden by rhododendrons, the Forestry Commission said.
The grant of £101,000 was one of 30 projects announced by Scottish Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson.
Officials at the hospital said research had shown that "green exercise" could have a positive impact on mental health.
Gordon Harper, the forest ranger based at the hospital, said: "Woodlands are great places to destress and simply get away from it all. If we give the woodland a makeover and improve access it will be more inviting and more people will use it.
"This is great news for patients needing gentle exercise or for anyone else wanting to just get a bit more active. We've lots planned for the woodland and we want to local community to get more involved."
The Forth Valley Royal Hospital opened to patients in August 2010.


Releasing sky lanterns from all council-owned and managed property in Powys has been banned.

They were described as "virtual incendiary" devices which were a danger to people, farm animals, wildlife and property.
After agreeing the ban, the council's cabinet expressed a desire for lanterns to be banned across Wales.
Powys is the 14th Welsh local authority to ban their use on its property.
Cabinet member for environment and sustainability John Powell said there is "widespread concern" about the impact of Chinese lanterns.
"They are a virtual incendiary device consisting of a candle or a fuel cell filled with paraffin wax suspended inside a frame, capable of reaching heights of 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) and drifting for miles," he said.
Mr Powell added they are a fire hazard.


New Rangers arrival Ryan Jack insists he is relishing the challenge of facing former club Aberdeen next season.

The 25-year-old midfielder acknowledged a "hatred" between fans of the Premiership rivals but is not nervous about meeting his old team.
"It will probably be one of the first ones I look out for when the fixtures do come out," said Jack, who signed a three-year deal at Ibrox.
"But there is no fear or dread, it is just going to be excitement."
The former Dons skipper added: "I look forward to going back to the club that I was at since I was eight years old and the club that got me where I am today."
Jack, who lost the captaincy before last month's Scottish Cup final, was jeered by a section of Aberdeen's support once news of his imminent move was revealed in the media.
"I knew there would be a backlash and I knew that there is that hatred maybe, if you say, between Aberdeen and Rangers," he said.
"But that never affected me one bit in my decision and what I wanted to do with my career.
"When I spoke to the manager here, straight away I thought this is the right place to come and try to progress my career.
"I am not interested in what anyone says apart from my new team-mates, my family and friends and the manager."
Aberdeen finished second behind Celtic in last season's Premiership and nine points clear of Rangers.
Ibrox boss Pedro Caixinha has been busy, with five new signings already confirmed.
Meanwhile, Dons manager Derek McInnes and his assistant Tony Docherty are to hold talks with Sunderland over their managerial vacancy.
Along with Jack, Niall McGinn and Ash Taylor have left Aberdeen under freedom of contract and Dons winger Jonny Hayes has been widely linked with a move to champions Celtic.
"Everyone has their own ambitions and Derek McInnes will be no different," added Jack.
"He is a great manager and I am sure that if the right club and the right moves come up for him there is no doubt that he is going to look at it, that's the way football works.
"But whoever goes in I know for a fact that they are going to get a great group of players and a great bunch to work with because I have played with them."


The Football Association has advertised for a new under-21s head coach to succeed Gareth Southgate - with the goal of helping the country win the 2022 World Cup.

The position is vacant following Southgate's appointment as manager of the senior team on a four-year deal.
U20s coach Aidy Boothroyd had replaced Southgate on a temporary basis.
On the job advert the FA say its goal is to "win the World Cup in 2022 and sustain success thereafter".
Then-FA chairman Greg Dyke targeted winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when he took over in 2013, but that was then softened by Dyke's replacement Greg Clarke.
Ex-Coventry and Watford boss Boothroyd was temporarily in charge after Southgate was made interim England manager following Sam Allardyce's exit.
The team qualified for next summer's European Championships in Poland with a game to spare.


Mark Robinson has been appointed head coach of England's women.

He takes over from Paul Shaw, who stepped down as England women's head of performance in September.
Robinson, 48, was first-team coach at Sussex and scheduled to start his new role at the end of the year, in time for the South Africa tour in February.
"To have the chance to play a part in the next chapter for the England women's team is a great honour," the former right-arm seam bowler said.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had wanted someone with "first-class or international playing or coaching experience" as the women's set-up underwent a restructure.
"He has a superb coaching record with Sussex, experience of working with England teams, a reputation for getting the best out of players, and is highly regarded as one of the best coaches working in the men's professional game," ECB head of women's cricket Clare Connor said.
"The next 18 months are hugely important for the England women's team and the players must quickly get back to winning ways in South Africa."
England, who lost this summer's multi-format Ashes series to Australia, are second in the International Cricket Council's women's team rankings.
Sussex have appointed Mark Davis, 44, as Robinson's successor.
"Robinson has pedigree and is a well-respected coach within the English game, having won two County Championships at Sussex - but they were relegated last season," BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said.
"He has no international experience - that was something Clare Connor said was a key attribute for any successful candidate.
"But Robinson led an England Lions tour to South Africa at the start of 2015, apparently impressing the ECB during the trip.
"This is a step up for the England women with a coach with vast experience at a high level in the men's game, but the pressure is on with success expected at next year's World Twenty20."