Chris Coleman believes the hamstring injury that has ruled Aaron Ramsey out of Wales' opening 2018 World Cup qualifier on 5 September could "possibly" have been prevented.

Wales boss Coleman expected Euro 2016 star Ramsey to miss the season's start.
But the midfielder was injured in Arsenal's Premier League opener against Liverpool and will not face Moldova.
"It's disappointing he's got an injury. Could it have been prevented? Possibly, yes," said Coleman.
Ramsey's appearance in the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool came on 14 August with the player having last appeared for Wales in their 3-1 Euro 2016 quarter-final win over Belgium on 1 July.
Coleman added: "I think we all expected him to [miss the start of the season].
"So I don't know what happened between then and when he ended up on the pitch.
"Obviously only Arsenal can answer that. I think, to a man, if you were looking at [Arsenal's team-sheet], it was a bit of a surprise he started.
"I think Aaron said himself [in France] that he wasn't expecting to."
Coleman's comments have rekindled memories of a spat he had with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over Ramsey last year, when the roles were effectively reversed.
This summer, Wales reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals, where they were beaten by Portugal as Ramsey watched from the stands because of a ban for collecting two yellow cards during the tournament.
Speaking after announcing his squad to face Moldova, Coleman said: "If you look at Rambo's physical stats, they're higher than anybody on the pitch in terms of his high-intensity sprints and the kilometres he covers.
"But he's still a human being, and it's not like we were knocked out in the group stage, it was a long tournament for Aaron, after a long, hard season.
"So I don't know why he was treated differently.
"For me as a manager, when I'm missing one of my best players, I think anybody would understand my disappointment."
Coleman says he does not expect Arsenal to change their approach and will not use the Ramsey situation against the Gunners.
"I think Arsenal have a certain way of doing things," he said.
"A lot has been said about their injury list, they're doing the same things now as they've always done - they're not going to change now.
"That's up to them, Aaron's Arsenal's player. I've got to say that I look at it and I'm disappointed because we've lost a great player.
"I'm not going to say, 'in hindsight', because I'm doing a job myself and I make decisions and sometimes look back and think I shouldn't have made that decision.
"So I won't use that against Arsenal. It's disappointing that we haven't got him."


New proposals for a floating airport in the Thames Estuary have been unveiled.

Proposals for London Britannia Airport, designed by architects Gensler, include four floating runways tethered to the sea bed.
The architect said the design allowed for future expansion to accommodate six runways when required.
Project director of the latest proposal Ian Mulcahey, said: "This will be a national infrastructure project that can inject new pace and dynamism into our economy.
"The airport can be quickly manufactured in the ship yards and steel works across the UK and can be floated by sea and positioned in the Estuary.
"This isn't a London airport, it is a global airport, designed, manufactured and built in the UK."
But Willie Walsh, chief of International Airlines Group, which incorporates British Airways, told MPs that he could not see how you could make an economic case for a new hub airport.
The "massive" cost, as much as Â£60bn, would have to be recouped from charges which deterred operators from moving there.
"You would have plenty of capacity but nobody would ever want to use it," he said.
A spokeswoman for London mayor Boris Johnson said: "This will form, along with other significant submissions, an important part of discussions going forward."
The mayor has already backed the concept for a Thames island airport, for which there have been two other plans unveiled, one dubbed "Boris Island".
The airport would be connected to London by high-speed rail.
The mayor is setting up a new aviation policy unit to be headed by one of his deputies Daniel Moylan, who has been instrumental in pushing the idea of an airport in the Thames Estuary over the last two years.
The mayor said: "We must remain competitive, and to do that we need a coherent aviation strategy for 21st Century London. Daniel Moylan will help me deliver that."
Last week, the government announced a final decision on UK airport expansion will be taken after the next general election in 2015.
The new transport secretary Patrick Mcloughlin said earlier that the experts appointed to a new independent commission would ensure the best possible long-term solution was found.
He told MPs: "Airport expansion is a very, very difficult subject to address. It's very complicated.
"Even if we had a third runway at Heathrow it would take time to do. It's very controversial."


A council has said it has received a "number of offers" on land it claimed in return for an unpaid £10.25m loan for football stadium development.

Northampton Borough Council lent money to Northampton Town FC but work on the Sixfields Stadium stalled and the club has since been taken over.
The council was in talks with the new owner about land around the ground.
Mary Markham, Tory council leader, said: "The debt is still there and we will recover [it] through the land."
The council, which owns the stadium site, made the deal with former club chairman David Cardoza so parts of the stadium could be rebuilt.
Land around Sixfields was meant to be developed for leisure by the club to fund the repayment of the loan.
Read more on this and other news from across Northamptonshire
Construction work on the East Stand halted and the club said it could not repay the loan.
The Buckingham Group, which was constructing the East Stand, said it had carried out £3m of work for which it had not been paid.
It is in talks with the club's new owner Kelvin Thomas.
Mrs Markham said: "We will do all in our power to recoup the money and pursue the people involved."
A memorandum of understanding has been agreed between the council and Mr Thomas that would see Northampton Town's debt wiped out with the council acquiring the land around Sixfields for development in return.
The football club has been asked to comment.


The Scottish and UK governments have reached a financial deal enabling new powers for Holyrood.

Negotiations over the fiscal framework have been going on since March 2015, with a lengthy deadlock over the issue of Scotland's block grant.
Confirming a deal had been done, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said "not a single penny" would be taken from the Scottish government's budget.
Details of the deal will be published soon so Holyrood scrutiny can begin.
The deal, which is the financial basis for new powers to be devolved as part of the Scotland Bill, was settled after Chancellor George Osborne spoke to Ms Sturgeon on the phone.
He said the agreement created a "stronger Scotland in a stronger UK".
The MP told the BBC: "It delivers on the vow we made to the people of Scotland.
"It is fair to the taxpayers of all of the UK and it gives Scotland one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world."
Ms Sturgeon and Finance Secretary John Swinney had earlier informed MSPs that there was only one issue outstanding in the talks, the substance of a five-year review of the agreement.
The two sides had disputed a key line of the Smith Commission agreement on new powers, which said there should be "no detriment" to either the UK or Scottish budgets as a result of the deal.
Ms Sturgeon said the deal agreed would see "not a single penny of detriment" now or "at any point in the future".
Addressing parliament, she added: "There is now an agreement in principle that we can recommend to parliament.
"There will be not a single penny of detriment to the Scottish government's budget as a result of the devolution of powers during the transition period, for the next six years to March 2022."
She paid tribute to Mr Swinney over his role in the protracted negotiations, saying it had been much "harder work than it should have been" to stop the Treasury from carrying out a "cash grab" from Scottish budgets.
Prime Minister David Cameron said it was "a significant day of devolution", which would deliver a "powerhouse parliament" in Scotland.
He added: "We have reached a deal which is fair to Scotland and fair to the whole of the UK.
"It delivers accountability to the Scottish government and transforms politics in Scotland. It means May's Holyrood elections can be fought on the issues which matter most: how the Scottish government should use these extensive new powers, rather than what they are.
"I welcome this agreement which shows that Scotland's two governments can work constructively together for the benefit of Scottish people."
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale welcomed the deal, saying it was "a historic moment for Scotland". Her party had backed the Scottish government's position in the negotiations.
She said: "Scottish politics will never be the same again thanks to these new powers. We have entered a new and exciting era of devolution."
Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, who later gave evidence to the devolution committee on the matter, said he was "very pleased" that a deal had been reached.
He insisted he had "always been confident" an agreement would be reached because both the UK and Scottish governments had wanted what was best for Scotland and the whole of the UK.
The final sticking point in the talks revolved around how Scotland's block grant from Westminster would be reduced in light of new fundraising powers being devolved as part of the Scotland Bill.
Scotland's population is projected to grow more slowly than that of the UK's in the coming years, and the two parties disagreed over how to balance out the financial impact of this after the first five years of the deal.
A compromise was reached on how this would work for the first five years. However, if no deal could be reached at the review, the UK government wanted to revert to the original proposal, which Ms Sturgeon described as Scotland bearing the brunt of "population driven detriment".
The new deal will see the review carried out without any prior expectation of Scotland taking on an extra financial burden, and an independent study would be carried out to inform that process.


In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani travels to a Nigerian town split along ethnic and religious lines by Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency.

Long after the last militant has been annihilated and the final suicide bomb exploded, the effects of Boko Haram's terror tactics in Nigeria's north-east will still be seen and felt. And not just in the bodies maimed or the properties razed or the offspring of rape.
The insurgents are leaving behind in some communities a dense cloud of internecine hatred and suspicion.
Last month, I travelled to Michika on a mission organised by the Adamawa Peace Initiative (API), an interfaith attempt to reduce violence and build peace through a collaboration of local religious, community and business leaders.
Since 2012 it has been engaged in a number of joint peace-building programmes in the north-eastern state of Adamawa, working with the American University of Nigeria (AUN), and Michika is currently top of their list.
The town, one of the largest in the state, has a mixed Christian and Muslim population, with the former in the majority.
It borders Borno state, the heartland of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Although tensions have always existed between the two religious groups, they have managed to live in peace.
"When we were fleeing Boko Haram," one Christian woman in Michika recounted, "I saw two abandoned children who were about seven years old and took them with me to Yola.  They were Muslim but it didn't make any difference to me."
But all that has changed.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:
"The Christian and Muslim children exchange insults in the streets and in public transport, calling one another names and making hateful or snide remarks"
Boko Haram overran the town in September 2014.  For the next seven months, Michika was part of the militants' so-called caliphate, where they hoisted flags and defaced government signboards with Arabic inscriptions announcing the greatness of Allah.
After the Nigerian military liberated the town, the thousands who had fled gradually began to return.
But these days, the Christians and Muslims are at loggerheads.
"Because our Christian religion tells us to treat people well, the other side decided to take advantage of us," said one Christian man.
While a Muslim woman complained: "I heard two women whispering about my hijab, then one of them asked me to tell them what I had hidden underneath."
The Christian and Muslim children exchange insults in the streets and in public transport, calling one another names and making hateful or snide remarks.
The two religious groups now have separate market days - the most important day of the week in this agricultural community.
The Christians have chosen Saturday as their fixed big day for buying and selling produce from their farms, while the Muslims have theirs on Sundays - when the Christians are in church.
As a result, customers who used to come from far and wide to buy from Michika market now prefer to go elsewhere, leading to a further plunge in the fortunes of a town already economically devastated by the militants whose presence interrupted the yearly planting and harvesting cycle.
The different groups accuse each other of showing favouritism when relief materials donated by NGOs are being distributed, saying that who gets what, when and how is determined by the group to which the person in charge belongs.
With the poor agricultural output and the loss of other means of livelihood abandoned during the period of Boko Haram occupation, these relief materials are a major source of survival for the people.
"Christians in this town are in the majority so they deprive us of our rights," a Muslim man said.
Boko Haram at a glance:
'How I almost became a suicide bomber'
'Boko Haram took my children'
Surviving Nigeria's Boko Haram
But another resident complained: "There are no Christians holding top positions in the local government or House of Assembly."
The suspicion in Michika sometimes goes a little bit beyond religion.
For example, the professional game hunters and vigilantes, two groups that have taken upon themselves the role of protecting the community from further attacks, have been shooting one another dead, each accusing members of the other of being Boko Haram sympathisers.
The head of the hunters is Christian and that of the vigilantes is Muslim, but both groups memberships are a religious mix.
All these sordid experiences were recounted in detail by the residents of Michika, during dialogue sessions organised by the AUN-API initiative.
The town's leaders, women, men, youths, hunters and vigilantes, met in classrooms of the government secondary school, with academic staff and a respected imam and priest acting as mediators in a community where people no longer trust their own local leaders.
It was the first time that the people of Michika had been given the opportunity to discuss these deep issues openly.
Many described their experiences and regrets in tears. Others spoke with passionate anger and bitterness.
At some point while the chairman of the hunters was speaking, the vigilantes stood up and stormed out of the meeting.
But, overall, the consensus from the various dialogue sessions was the same: The people were glad for the opportunity given them to finally talk about these issues and begin the healing process.
"We had been carrying these grudges instead of tabling them," a man said. "We had been pretending as if they did not exist."
More from Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:


Manchester United winger Ashley Young has defended the club's style of play after West Ham manager Sam Allardyce accused them of long-ball tactics.

Allardyce said United employed "thump it forward and see" tactics to net an injury-time equaliser in Sunday's draw.
Former Hammers and Arsenal striker John Hartson said he had never seen a United team "just hoofing the ball".
"Lots of people are saying it's not our style, but we're happy with how things are going," Young, 29, told BBC Sport.
"The boys have fought back at West Ham and showed the team spirit to get the point."
The former Aston Villa winger, close to a return from a hamstring injury, added: "Everybody talks about United. That is normal. In-house, we talk about ourselves. We don't talk about others."
John Hartson: "With the talent that United manager Louis van Gaal has got in forward positions, I was expecting a lot more from them in front of goal this season. But, as we saw against the Hammers, the dynamic is not working at present."
Read more: 'Why Man Utd are toiling in attack'
Daley Blind scored United's late equaliser after substitute Marouane Fellaini's presence unsettled the Hammers back-line.
United manager Louis van Gaal said the tactics were necessary after a lacklustre first half from his side left him "disappointed" and "frustrated".
Van Gaal has been in charge for almost nine months.
United are currently fourth in the Premier League, a point behind Southampton and just a point ahead of Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Northern Irish defender Paddy McNair, 19, has signed a new contract until June 2017 with an option to extend for a further year.


County Down athletes Ciara Mageean and Kerry O'Flaherty will have high hopes of helping Ireland land another women's team medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Sardinia.

Twice champion Fionnuala McCormack is fancied to regain the individual title which she won in 2011 and 2012.
O'Flaherty and Mageean will hope to pack well in the team battle in Chia.
Holywood man Paul Pollock will also aim for an improved run from his fifth spot at last month's nationals in Dublin.
Pollock competed at Abbotstown after racing in a half marathon in India the previous weekend but should perform better in his first appearance in an Irish vest since his impressive 32nd place at the Olympic Marathon in Rio.
However, Irish medal interest is likely to be focused on the women's event.
McCormack's rivals in the individual race include Turkey's European 10,000m champion Yasemin Can and Norway's Karoline Grovdal, who pipped the Irishwoman for bronze at last year's championship in Hyeres.
Britain's 2014 winner Gemma Steel is likely to be another contender as may another Turkish competitor Meryem Akda.
McCormack's individual triumph in 2012 also helped Ireland land the team honours that year in Hungary and the Irish women have earned team bronze over the past two years.
McCormack, O'Flaherty and Michelle Finn all return after being part of last year's successful squad as they join surprise Irish champion Shona Heaslip, Mageean and Laura Crowe.
O'Flaherty and Mageean booked their spots in Chia on 11 December by finishing second and third at the the Irish Championships when McCormack missed the race as she was instead winning at the IAAF permit meeting in Alcobendas in Spain.
IRELAND TEAM FOR EUROPEAN CROSS COUNTRY
Senior Men: Mark Christie (Mullingar), Mick Clohisey (Raheny), Mark Hanrahan (Leevale), Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers), Paul Pollock (Annadale), Kevin Dooney (Raheny)
Senior Women: Shona Heaslip (An Riocht), Kerry O'Flaherty (Newcastle), Ciara Mageean (UCD), Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole), Laura Crowe (An Riocht), Michelle Finn (Leevale)
U23 Men: Karl Fitzmaurice (Ennis), Mitchell Byrne (Rathfarnham)
U23 Women: Bethanie Murray (DSD), Amy O'Donoghue (Emerald)
Junior Men: Jack O'Leary (Mullingar), Peter Lynch (Kilkenny), Darragh McElhinney (Bantry), Fearghal Curtain (Youghal), Barry Keane (Waterford), Charlie O'Donovan (Leevale)
Junior Women: Sophie Murphy (DSD), Amy Rose Farrell (Blackrock), Emma O'Brien (Inbhear Dee/Sli Cualann), Carla Sweeney (WSAF), Jodie McCann (DSD), Aisling Joyce (Claremorris)


The first new Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) show in a decade will "break the mould" of Chelsea and allow "revolutionary" designs to take centre stage, organisers say.

The show at Chatsworth, a Derbyshire stately home, will have eight "freeform" gardens, RHS said.
"Chelsea is a big event crammed into a small site - we'll have more freedom," Chatsworth's Steve Porter said.
"Predictability is being thrown out of the window," he added.
The RHS Chatsworth Show will run from 7-11 June and up to 80,000 visitors are expected.
Three new temporary pontoon bridges will be built across the River Derwent as part of the show to allow visitors to access displays on both sides.
All three will float on the water, with one being designed in classic Palladian style with a flower display inside it.
RHS spokesman Liz Patterson said artists of all genres including sculptors and visual artists will take part.
One installation, called The Wordless Cupboard, has two 3-metre high cubes and a "landslide of glacial boulders" that are meant to evoke "the oppression of powerlessness".
A garden designed by design students from Sheffield called the Path of Least Resistance will include weeds and wildflowers in "an urban wasteland".
Moveable Feast is a garden for the "Rent Generation" who want something that will move with them when they move from house to house.
"The sheer scale of the location, with the River Derwent running through it, allows designers to "break the mould and do something slightly different" Ms Patterson said.
"Our aim is to create a new show that champions the horticultural innovation of today and the future, and encourages exhibitors to be progressive and think outside the box," RHS director of shows Nick Mattingley added.


People in a village on the US island state of Hawaii have been evacuated from their homes as lava spills close to their homes.

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29 October 2014 Last updated at 08:33 GMT
Residents living in Pahoa have packed up belongings and moved out of their houses.
The lava is coming from the Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting since 1983.
In summer, the lava started pouring out from a new vent, prompting warnings from scientists.
Shelters have been opened up for people who've been forced to leave their homes.


Residents whose homes were severely flooded in the Basingstoke area have accused their long-standing MP of not providing any "support".

Denise Walker, from Buckskin, said she lost 44 years of memories when her house was flooded in February 2014.
She was among residents speaking to Conservative candidate Maria Miller at an election debate in Basingstoke.
Ms Miller, who has held the seat since 2005, said she had helped flood victims secure Â£2m of government funding.
Mrs Walker was unable to return to her bungalow, in Bodmin Close, on the Hampshire housing estate for nine months.
"I lost everything after 44 years of marriage," she said.
"Every day it doesn't go away... as soon as the rain comes down I think 'is it going to happen again?'"
Mrs Walker claimed she had not seen Mrs Miller in the aftermath of the flooding.
"I didn't see you around Buckskin or Bodmin Close at all," she said.
Ms Miller said: "What was really important was that we got central government help, so what I did was made sure that I went and spoke to the prime minister direct.
"I'm really pleased now that we've got Â£2m coming in to try to help stop this happening again."
Labour's Paul Harvey said: "We had to find emergency housing for people, we had to sort out emergency furniture. We had to look after those individual needs that everybody had. We want to see the soul in that community returned."
UKIP candidate, Alan Stone, said the area, which is built on a flood plain, needed better "surface drainage" such as "good old-fashioned ditches".
Liberal Democrat candidate, Janice Spalding, said experts needed to look at preventing water tables from building up and see if infrastructure was blocking them.
Independent candidate, Omar Selim, was not at the debate and there are no Green Party candidates for Basingstoke.
The candidates for the constituency are:


A Surrey school student has co-authored a paper investigating components that could be important for the future of flexible electronics.

The 18-year-old studied source gated transistors, an energy-efficient alternative to traditional transistors.
Their usability has been questioned due to some self-heating effects.
The new research, presented at the British Science Festival and published in Scientific Reports, shows that these effects are actually minimal.
Source gated transistors (SGTs) are more energy efficient and more electrically robust than traditional transistors - the fundamental building blocks of electronic devices. They allow the control of colour and brightness in the pixels on a screen, among a raft of other variables.
But it had been thought that SGTs self-heating would lead to device failures.
Thomas Burridge, a sixth-form student, co-authored the paper during a placement with the University of Surrey last summer, through the educational charity Satro.
He wrote computer code to simulate SGTs self-heating and processed the results, then checked them against data from real experiments.
Simple design changes to the geometry of the SGT, he found, all but eliminated self-heating and its damaging effects.
This year, Mr Burridge is going on to study engineering at the University of Cambridge.
"When you set the students a task, you never tell them that this is something that no-one has ever tackled before. They're not aware that this is at the edge of our knowledge, yet they deliver great work," said Dr Radu Sporea, Mr Burridge's supervisor and a research fellow at the University of Surrey.
Clothing, sensors and displays could benefit from this development, making wearable technology and flexible screens a reality.
But untapped potential remains, as Dr Sporea explained.
"I don't think we've found the true killer application of this, but the potential is immense because SGTs could be economic, robust, lightweight, and we can manufacture vast amounts of them in a similar way to newspapers being printed in a paper press."
As for Thomas Burridge - he found it all very rewarding: "I wanted to do this because I wanted to experience what it was like to do research. I did all this in four weeks; it's really surprising how much you can learn in a short amount of time. At the start I didn't think I would be able to do it, but it got easier as I went along."


A major scheme designed to prop up the UK housing market is no longer needed, the Bank of England has told the government.

The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme allows lenders to offer loans to people offering a deposit as low as 5% thanks to government support.
The scheme is set to be closed at the end of the year.
Use of the scheme has declined, while mortgage lenders have reported that business in general is up sharply.
Lending to people with a 5% deposit, at a similar if not cheaper price, is available outside of the scheme.
In a letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond, the Bank's governor Mark Carney said that closing the scheme as planned would not cause lending to dry up.
"Given the decreasing usage of the scheme over time, the [Financial Policy] Committee judges that the closure of the scheme would be unlikely, in current market conditions, to affect significantly the provision of finance to prospective mortgagors, including high loan-to-value borrowers," he wrote.
The move is unlikely to affect other Help to Buy schemes, which include equity loans to buy newly-built homes, as well as the Help to Buy Isa savings scheme which is aimed at those saving for a deposit.
In its review of the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said that the scheme accounted for 3% of total mortgage lending in the first quarter of the year. In 2014, it accounted for 6% of such lending.
It accounted for 25% of lending in the first three months of the year to those offering a deposit of less than 10% of the value of the home to be bought, compared with 70% in 2014.
There had been fears when launched that the scheme would create an unstable housing market bubble, but the FPC said that it had not posed a risk to financial stability.
It added that the scheme had not driven up prices in general, nor on the houses bought through the scheme.
There was a cap on loans which meant borrowers were only allowed up to 4.5 times their income. This, said the committee, had prevented a long list of highly indebted borrowers from building up.
The health of the mortgage market was stronger in August, separate figures from lenders have revealed.
Mohammad Jamei, senior economist for the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), said: "Widely voiced fears in recent months about the housing market have proved to be wide of the mark."
He said that there had been a post-referendum lull, but lending had rebounded in August, partly as a result of stimulus from the Bank of England - including a cut in interest rates.
The CML said that gross mortgage lending in the UK totalled Â£22.5bn in August. This was 7% higher than the previous month and 15% higher than the same month a year earlier.
It was the highest level of lending during any August since 2007, the CML said.
Where can I afford to live?


A policeman and a former policeman have been arrested in Brazil in connection with the murder of eight men at a football fan club in Sao Paulo.

The former policeman, named as Rodney Dias dos Santos, is the alleged mastermind of last month's attack.
Supporters of the Corinthians club were preparing banners ahead of a match when gunmen burst in, police said.
Police say the killings at the Pavilhao Nove supporters' group were likely to be drug related.
The attackers ordered seven fans to lie down before shooting them. The eighth man was hit as he tried to flee.
Rodney Dias dos Santos and the other man, who has not been named, were arrested on Thursday morning and taken into police custody, according to O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.
Witnesses say three gunmen stormed into the makeshift club in a working-class suburb of Sao Paulo on Saturday, 18 April.
Sao Paulo police suggested the Pavilhao Nove group may have had links to criminal gangs, saying the killings were probably more to do with a dispute over drugs trafficking than with football.
Violence in Brazilian football is a growing problem both directly and indirectly, with supporters of teams in several major cities using their club allegiances to organise criminal activity outside the stadiums, the BBC's Wyre Davies reports from Rio de Janeiro.
The victims were having a barbecue as they prepared for a Corinthians' match against their fiercest local rivals, Palmeiras, the following day.
Corinthians are one of the Brazil's most popular clubs, followed by millions of supporters across the country.
Rivelino, Socrates and, more recently, Carlos Tevez and Ronaldo, are among the big names who have played for the club.


Irish snooker player Leo Fernandez has been suspended pending a hearing into suspicious betting patterns.

Snooker's governing body, the WPBSA, opened an investigation after Fernandez lost 10-4 to Gary Wilson in qualifying for this year's World Championship.
Fernandez first turned professional in 1995 and has one non-ranking title win.
Meanwhile, England's Matthew Selt has been banned for two tournaments after he was ruled to have brought the game into disrepute on social media.
Selt, the world number 25, was reported by a member of the public after he "posted messages on social media that were offensive", according to a WPBSA statement.
The 31-year-old has been banned from the Riga Masters in Latvia in June and August's Paul Hunter Classic in Furth, Germany, although he has until 10 June to appeal.
"Matthew Selt put forward a defence that was not accepted by the committee," the statement added.
"The committee took into account that he had been previously warned about his posts on social media and reminded of the social media guidelines."
Regarding the suspension of 39-year-old Fernandez, the WPBSA said suspicious betting patterns were reported following his match against Wilson at the World Championship Qualifiers at Ponds Forge on 6 April.
Fernandez faces a formal hearing in front of a WPBSA disciplinary committee on a date to be determined. Wilson is not under investigation.
"The available evidence has been considered and in accordance with the disciplinary rules, [it has been] decided that there is a case for Leo Fernandez to answer in relation to a breach of the WPBSA members' rules, betting rules," a statement read.
Fernandez has been an intermittent presence on the professional tour over the years. He returned in 2015 to compete at Q School but failed to regain a tour place.


Former champion jockey Lester Piggott should be given a knighthood for his services to British horse racing, says Frankie Dettori.

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Piggott, 81, was made an OBE in 1975 but stripped of the honour after being sent to prison for tax evasion in 1987.
Dettori was speaking to BBC Sport on the 60th anniversary of Piggott riding Crepello to victory in the first of the rider's five 2,000 Guineas triumphs.
"He should be recognised for the sport. He's done tremendous," he said.
Piggott was champion jockey 11 times between 1960 and 1982 and clocked up 4,493 winners in Britain during his career.
Three-time champion Dettori said: "I think perhaps the young generation they don't [appreciate Piggott enough]. They haven't lived through it.
"You have to go back and look at the archives, the books and everything that has been written about him and the records. It puts him way beyond anybody else and I think for many, many years.
"In flat racing obviously Sir Gordon [Richards] achieved greatness. And he [Piggott] deserves a knighthood. He's been through thick and thin.  I'm proud to know him."


A former college principal should hand back some of his £304,000 severance pay, a committee of MSPs has concluded.

Coatbridge College head John Doyle was given the money after his institution merged with two other colleges.
Holyrood's public audit committee, which said the principal was paid "in excess of the guidelines", has passed its report to Police Scotland.
Mr Doyle told MSPs in October he had done nothing wrong and that his reputation had been unfairly "trashed".
In June, the Auditor General Caroline Gardner issued a highly-critical report of the severance deals paid out by Coatbridge College, which she said were overly-generous.
She claimed Mr Doyle and chairman of the former college - John Gray - had colluded in order to "achieve a certain outcome" by withholding important information from the remuneration committee.
The report by the Scottish Parliament's audit committee agreed with the auditor general.
Mr Doyle, who earned £116,000 a year by the end of his service, was given:
Six other college staff also benefited from the £850,000 pot of pay-off money.
Police Scotland said that officers had had discussions with Audit Scotland and the "matter is under review".
Following the report, the Scottish government said it would "carefully consider its [the report's] recommendations in the coming days".
Committee convener Paul Martin said: "There is a compelling moral argument for John Doyle to repay the tens of thousands of pounds extra he received from the college.
"The Scottish government provided more than £52m between 2011/12 and 2013/14 to support the college merger process and most of that money was used to fund voluntary severance schemes.
"It was not provided however to allow already highly-paid public servants to feather their own nests at the expense of their colleagues and of their students' education."
The report made key recommendations, including;
A Scottish government spokeswoman said the way in which "decisions involving hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money were made at Coatbridge College were completely unacceptable".
She added: "The events in question took place before April 2014 when colleges were reclassified by ONS and stronger financial controls came into effect."
By Glenn Campbell, BBC Scotland political correspondent
MSPs on Holyrood's public audit committee were unanimous.
Their report into bumper pay-offs for Coatbridge college bosses finds that the principal, John Doyle, was responsible for "serious failings in the governance of severance arrangements".
It says he colluded with the chairman, John Gray to secure "excessive" pay-offs for himself and six other senior managers by deliberately withholding information from those who signed off the deals.
The committee is urging Mr Doyle to pay back much of his £304,000 golden goodbye.
They say this request and their decision to copy their report to Police Scotland are without precedent.
Mr Doyle has previously refused to pay back any money arguing that he has "done nothing wrong". Mr Gray has also denied collusion.
The committee convenor, Paul Martin, says in these circumstances the charity regulator or the Scottish Funding Council should think creatively about how they could force a clawback.
The difficulty with these demands is that what MSPs find morally questionable may prove to be contractually correct.


A man who robbed a shopkeeper at knifepoint has been jailed for four years and recommended for deportation.

Jersey's Royal Court heard Polish national Pawel Dzielak slammed a knife with a 10-12cm (4-5in) blade onto a St Helier shop counter.
Dzielak, 32, left the shop with two mobiles phones and between £300-£400 which he spent on a hotel room, food, alcohol and cigarettes.
He had pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and threatening to use force.
The court heard Dzielak initially showed "no remorse" for the robbery that left shopkeeper Bruno Alves, of Temple Stores, in fear of his life.
Mr Alves told the court he had seen the defendant "acting suspiciously" outside his shop on the morning of the attack on 5 January.
That afternoon Dzielak went inside and threatened Mr Alves before taking the phones and the money.
The court heard Dzielak told a probation officer he had "got a buzz" from what he had done and he was "not sorry" for the robbery.
At his sentencing on Wednesday his defence advocate read out a letter of remorse from Dzeilak.
The court was told he had a high risk of reoffending and was a risk to the public because he has a history of mental health problems, was unemployed and suffering from depression.
Commissioner Julian Clyde Smith said in sentencing he had taken into account "aggravating factors" including the use of a weapon, how Dzielak had planned the attack and the impact on the victim and his family.
He recommended the defendant get treatment for his mental health problems and said, considering Dzielak had no ties to Jersey through accommodation, work or family, he should be deported.


The Channel Islands is to split with the Diocese of Winchester after the Archbishop of Canterbury intervened in a long-running dispute.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby said it was an interim arrangement.
Relations between Bishop Tim Dakin of Winchester and Jersey's Dean, the Very Reverend Bob Key, broke down over the handling of alleged abuse.
Mr Key said it ended the 500-year-old relationship between Jersey and Winchester.
The Bishop of Dover, the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott, will oversee the islands on behalf of Mr Welby.
Mr Key said: "That might not be a bad thing for island parishioners.
"Relationships sometimes reach a point where you need something fresh, new and different.
"There is a tinge of sadness that 500 years of being looked after by Winchester has come to an end but we are where we are."
In a statement the Archbishop of Canterbury said the interim arrangement had the full support of the Bishop of Winchester. He said it would be in place within a matter of weeks.
The Bishop of Dover is a former Bishop of Basingstoke in the Diocese of Winchester, and has knowledge of the islands.


A descendant of two of the first people from Wales to resettle in Argentina's Patagonia has visited the north Wales town where her relatives came from.

Patricia Alejandra Lorenzo Harris travelled from Rawson to Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd. a year after the towns were twinned to mark 150 years since the migration.
She said it was a "dream" to visit her great-grandfather's home country.
Next year a grant will allow someone from the town to visit Rawson.
The first Welsh settlers to reach Patagonia founded Rawson, which is the capital of the Province of Chubut.
Among the nearly 200 settlers who sailed south on the Mimosa in 1865, at least five were from Blaenau Ffestiniog, and the towns were twinned last year to help re-establish the link.
Historian Ms Harris, president of the twinning commission, travelled with her friend Marisa Conde to learn more about where her ancestors came from.
They visited the Welsh Highland Railway, Llechwedd Slate Caverns, took part in a Spanish lesson at Aberystwyth University and visited Ysgol Maenofferen where they presented gifts from children of 178 Suyay Hue School in Rawson.
Ms Harris said: "It's been my dream to come to Wales and see the country. When I was young, I spent a lot of time speaking to my grandfather and he told me about how his father had travelled from Wales with his family.
"I also feel a great responsibility to bring greetings from the whole of the community in Rawson and to re-establish the link between between Rawson and Ffestiniog."


Venezuela's opposition, non-government organisations and international bodies have accused the government of using military courts against its critics.

The courts have detained at least 50 protesters, according to a local human rights organisation.
The secretary general of the Organisation of American States (OAS) likened the country to a dictatorship.
Government officials have not confirmed the arrests or the military processing of civilian suspects.
Meanwhile, official figures show there has been a sharp rise in infant mortality and maternal death rates in the country as its economic crisis continues.
"The right and basic guarantees of due process no longer exist in Venezuela from the moment a civilian is forced to appear before a military court," said Luis Almagro, the Uruguayan head of the OAS, in a video statement on Monday.
Venezuela announced its withdrawal from the OAS last month, accusing the US-based group of meddling in its affairs.
President Nicolás Maduro said on Monday he planned to create a constitutional military assembly to deepen his revolution.
He wants to involve the armed forces in his new citizen's assembly, which he says is needed to restore peace as the country deals with daily protests that have claimed more than 30 lives in recent weeks.
His critics say the new assembly is being designed to neutralise the opposition-led legislature, the National Assembly.
"A regime that has violated the constitution in all of its fundamental principles."
The words used by Luis Almagro were strong, but not nearly has strong as those used by anti-government protesters marching in Caracas on Monday.
"Dictator, murderer, repressor," is what they called Mr Maduro, as they demonstrated against the president's plan to create a citizens' assembly to draw up a new constitution.
"We don't need a new constitution, we need a new president," one woman said as her fellow demonstrators cheered.
At a rival pro-government march, a speaker meanwhile tried to whip up enthusiasm for the citizens' assembly.
Waving a copy of the constitution, he asked the crowd to "give a cheer" for articles 347 and 348, which give the Venezuelan people the power to change the constitution.
The response was muted. Asked about the proposed changes, many struggled to explain why the constitution introduced under their beloved late leader, Hugo Chavez, needed changing.
The National Assembly is meeting on Tuesday, alongside various non-government organisations, to discuss what they see as serious government repression.
Citizen's meetings, arranged by the opposition groups, are also taking place across the country to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments.
Alfredo Romero, a lawyer for Foro Penal, told AFP news agency military hearings involving civilians had been taking place for several days.
"So far, 75 people have been brought before Venezuelan military courts," he said. "Fifty of those remain in custody."
Foro Penal said they were being held in Guarico state, south of Caracas.
In the first figures released since the start of Venezuela's economic crisis, which is fuelling opposition to the government, the health ministry said women dying in childbirth or within a month of giving birth had risen by 65%, while child deaths had climbed 30%.
There has also been an increase in cases of illnesses such as malaria and diphtheria, which had been eradicated.
Venezuela's acute shortage of almost all medicines has driven thousands to cross the country's borders in search of the drugs they need, while many doctors have emigrated, saying hospitals lack basic equipment.
The opposition blames the crisis on economic mismanagement by President Maduro, but he says medicines are being hoarded to encourage a coup against him.


Dozens of climbers have been taking part in an extreme litter pick - hundreds of feet above the ground on the crags and cliffs at Symonds Yat.

They have been removing litter, checking safety pegs and removing loose rock and invasive plants.
The famous crags in the Forest of Dean are owned by the Forestry Commission.
The YatFest 2017 team have been working with the commission to protect rare plant species which grow on the cliffs.


The life cycle of a honey bee has been captured on film by a beekeeper in north Wales over the course of a year and is being shown to schoolchildren.

The film made in the Ceiriog Valley aims to spread the message about their importance in pollinating plants.
Beekeeper Kirsty Williams, who has 50 hives and has been producing honey for 30 years, premiered the film to pupils at her village school, Ysgol Pontfadog.
Her free DVD has been sent to 150 primary schools across the region.
She received funding from economic development company Menter a Busnes as part of its Bee Co-operation Project to promote beekeeping and bee habitats in north Wales following their decline.


US President Donald Trump has reversed course in the space of 24 hours on an array of populist positions he adopted during the election campaign.

He declared Nato was "no longer obsolete" and dropped his pledge to declare China a currency manipulator.
Mr Trump also said he was no longer opposed to a federal exports agency he once dismissed as "unnecessary".
And the president signalled he was open to reappointing Janet Yellen as head of the Federal Reserve.
Meanwhile, his administration dropped a freeze on federal hiring that it imposed in January.
The about-faces suggest the mercurial Mr Trump may be favouring a more pragmatic, moderate approach to the hardline economic nationalism that helped elect him.
The startling series of flip-flops come amid reports of a titanic White House power struggle between chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
According to the Washington rumour mill, Mr Bannon - the former Breitbart News executive - has been sidelined after falling out with the president's son-in-law, Mr Kushner.
Mr Trump's decision not to label China a "currency manipulator" emerged in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
That U-turn follows his talks last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Mr Trump repeatedly pledged to label Beijing a "currency manipulator" on his first day in office, during an election campaign when he also accused the Asian powerhouse of "raping" the US.
But experts said a formal declaration to that effect by the Treasury Department could have led to US sanctions, which would have prompted retaliation from Beijing.
Mr Trump's last campaign ad depicted Janet Yellen, head of the Federal Reserve, as a member of a shadowy globalist cabal "who control the levers of power in Washington".
On Wednesday, he told the Wall Street Journal he "respects" the US central bank chief.
He also indicated he might consider reappointing her next year, saying she would not be "toast".
Mr Trump was once highly critical of the Fed, saying its low interest rate policy had hurt savers. Now he says he likes "a low-interest rate policy".
On his first working day in office, Mr Trump signed a presidential memorandum to suspend hiring of non-military federal workers, in a move that delighted small government conservatives.
The order mandated that "no vacant positionsâ€¦ may be filled and no new positions may be created".
But that policy was gone on Wednesday. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said: "It does not mean that the agencies will be free to hire willy-nilly."
He said they were "replacing it with a smarter plan, a more strategic plan, a more surgical plan".
In the Wall Street Journal interview, the president praised the Export-Import Bank, which he dismissed in August last year as an "unnecessary" agency with "a lot of excess baggage".
The bank, which provides taxpayer-backed loans for the purchase of US exports, is accused by conservatives of corporate cronyism and welfare.
Now he plans to fill two vacancies on its board.
"It turns out that, first of all," Mr Trump told the Journal, "lots of small companies are really helped."
Mr Trump repeatedly questioned the military alliance's purpose during the campaign.
But as he hosted Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Wednesday, the US president said the threat of terrorism had underlined the alliance's importance.
"I said it [Nato] was obsolete," Mr Trump said. "It's no longer obsolete."
CNN political pundit David Gregory says the shifts show Trump is willing to be a dealmaking president.
"He's flexible, perhaps unprincipled, with a pragmatic approach to government," he said.
But he warned that, although tacking back and forth is fine, it is dangerous to be "all over the map" because people stop believing what you say.
Where Trump stands on key issues
What has Trump done so far?


League Two club Grimsby Town have sacked manager Marcus Bignot after five months in charge.

The Mariners won nine of their 27 matches under Bignot, who left National League club Solihull Moors to become Grimsby boss in November.
His last game at the helm was Saturday's 3-1 win at Blackpool, which left them 14th in the table.
Michael Moore and Gary Whild, who worked under Bignot, have also left the club.
Former QPR full-back Bignot took his first managerial job in the English Football League with Grimsby when Paul Hurst, who had guided the Mariners to promotion from the National League earlier in the year, became manager of League One strugglers Shrewsbury.
Bignot had taken Solihull into the fifth tier of English football for the first time in the club's history seven months before his departure to Blundell Park.
"Following Grimsby Town's return to the EFL, there remains a strong ambition to build on last season's promotion," read a club statement.
"Therefore, it is with regret that the club has decided to release the current management team from their first-team duties."
Grimsby were eighth in the table when Bignot took over but the club sold 19-goal top scorer Omar Bogle to Championship strugglers Wigan Athletic in January.
Bignot's departure leaves Brighton's Chris Hughton and Carlisle's Keith Curle as the only managers from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds in the top four divisions of the English game.


Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has accused the Academy Awards of "moving in the wrong direction" amid controversy over lack of diversity.

For the second year running, no black or minority actors have been nominated in the four Oscars acting categories.
Star Wars actress Lupita Nyong'o also said she is "disappointed by the lack of inclusion" in the nominations.
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs vowed to review its membership as stars pledged to boycott the ceremony.
Clooney, who has won two Academy Awards, said: "We need to get better at this. We used to be better at it."
Nyong'o, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for 12 Years a Slave in 2014, wrote on Instagram that she stands with those "calling for change" and that the awards should be a "diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today".
And British director Steve McQueen, whose 12 Years a Slave won best film, has said black actors need to be given a "fair bite".
Speaking to Variety, Clooney said: "If you think back 10 years ago, the Academy was doing a better job.
"Think about how many more African Americans were nominated. I would also make the argument, I don't think it's a problem of who you're picking as much as it is: How many options are available to minorities in film, particularly in quality films?"
He said African Americans "have a real fair point that the industry isn't representing them well enough", arguing that Creed, Concussion, Beasts of No Nation and Straight Outta Compton should have received more nominations.
"I think around 2004, certainly there were black nominees - like Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman," said Clooney. "And all of a sudden, you feel like we're moving in the wrong direction. There were nominations left off the table."
He added: "By the way, we're talking about African Americans. For Hispanics, it's even worse. We need to get better at this. We used to be better at it."
Director Spike Lee, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in November, is among those boycotting the ceremony, saying on Instagram that he "cannot support" the "lily white" Oscars.
Jada Pinkett Smith has also refused to attend because of the number of white nominees, saying in a video message on Facebook that people of colour should disregard the awards.
McQueen told the BBC: "I think racism has a lot to do with it, but also the whole idea of people not being adventurous enough in thinking outside of the box as such, of what they possibly think is the norm.
"It can't be about box office, because I think black actors and stories along those lines have been doing very, very well, obviously.
"So it's about executives in cinema and film studios, television, cable networks, giving those storylines and those actors a fair bite."
Selma star David Oyelowo has been vocal about this year's Oscar nominations, saying - in reference to African American Boone Isaacs: "This institution doesn't reflect its president.
"I am an Academy member and it doesn't reflect me. It doesn't reflect this nation."
Boone Isaacs has said she is taking action to "alter the make-up" of their membership, saying: "As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. but the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly."
The 6,300 members of the Academy, made up of people from the film industry, vote on who is nominated for the Oscars each year.
Academy member Michael Moore, director of Bowling for Columbine, is among the latest to say he will boycott the 28 February ceremony.
He told The Wrap he supports Boone Isaacs' efforts to implement change, but added: "The idea that we could go two years in a row, where 40 actors could be nominated and none of them were black, is just crazy.
"So if it will help to lend my name to what Spike and Jada are doing, I'm hoping to be a symbolic participant in this [boycott]."
The profile of Oscar voters
In 2012, the LA Times conducted a study to find out how diverse the Academy membership is.
Reporters spoke to thousands of Academy members and their representatives to confirm the identities of more than 5,100 voters - more than 89% of the voting members.
They found that:
Read more.
Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr has told Variety: "You want it (the Oscars) to be diverse. You want the work to show. I wanted Straight Outta Compton to get something. But, you know, it's this conversation that makes people think harder when the nominations come around for next year."
Will Packer, producer of Straight Outta Compton, posted a long message on Facebook, saying: "To my Academy colleagues, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. Period.
"The reason the rest of the world looks at us like we have no clue is because in 2016 it's a complete embarrassment to say that the heights of cinematic achievement have only been reached by white people."


The FBI says it is gathering information about an alleged incident involving Brad Pitt and his children aboard a private flight last week.

It said it was evaluating whether to launch an investigation.
Pitt's wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce on Monday citing irreconcilable differences.
Jolie has asked for physical custody of the couple's six children, asking the judge to give Pitt visitation rights.
The FBI told the BBC: "In response to your inquiry regarding allegations within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States; specifically, an aircraft carrying Mr Brad Pitt and his children, the FBI is continuing to gather facts and will evaluate whether an investigation at the federal level will be pursued."
Pitt released a statement to People magazine after Jolie filed for divorce, saying he was "saddened", and adding: "What matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time."
Jolie's lawyer, Robert Offer, said the decision to divorce had been made "for the health of the family".
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services said it could not confirm or deny whether it was investigating Pitt because of confidentiality laws.
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has said it is not investigating actor Brad Pitt in connection with reports of allegations regarding his children, following claims they were looking into the matter.
They told the BBC: "The LAPD is not handling any report or allegations into child abuse for Mr Brad Pitt."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Charges of common assault against a Leicestershire county councillor have been dropped.

Councillor Tony Kershaw was suspended from the Conservative Group in May with a trial expected to take place in December.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the case had been discontinued in light of new evidence.
Mr Kershaw, who has represented Quorn and Barrow for 12 years, has now been readmitted to the party.
He is currently chairman of the council's environment and transport scrutiny committee and had previously sat as the cabinet member for waste.
A spokesman for the CPS said "further information, some of which was provided by the defence, came to light which has caused us to review the original decision to prosecute".
Conservative party leader Nick Rushton said he was looking forward to welcoming Mr Kershaw back to County Hall to resume his duties.


A police sniper shot and killed the gunman who carried out a spate of murders in southern France, prosecutors say, after a 32-hour siege in Toulouse.

Mohammed Merah, 23, who claimed to have al-Qaeda training, opened fire on police commandos after they stormed into his flat at 09:30 GMT.
Prosecutors said he was shot in the head as he tried to flee.
Merah carried out three separate attacks, killing four people at a Jewish school and three soldiers.
He had said he was acting to "avenge Palestinian children" and protest against French military interventions overseas.
By Richard GalpinBBC News, Toulouse
Mohammed Merah's violent brand of ideology is revealed in the gruesome video he recorded of the three attacks which began on 11 March.
As he shoots one of three soldiers who were murdered, he apparently says: "You kill my brothers, I kill you."
"Brothers" is presumably a reference to the Taliban in Afghanistan, where French troops make up part of the Nato forces in the country.
Like many militants inspired by the radical ideology of al-Qaeda and other groups, Merah seems to have believed he would be rewarded if he was killed.
Prosecutor Francois Molins confirmed in a news conference that a police marksman had killed Merah as he tried to jump out of the bathroom window.
"The examination of the body shows that he was shot in the head and that he was wearing a bullet-proof vest," Mr Molins said, "and had a gun covered by a pair of jeans."
"Material to make Molotov cocktails were found on his balcony."
Mr Molins said a Colt 45 handgun was found next to his body, and he estimated that Merah had fired 30 bullets as the commandos broke in.
The prosecutor also confirmed that Merah had filmed all three of the attacks that he carried out.
Earlier President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a televised address that everything had been done to try to bring Merah to justice, but it was decided that no more lives could be put at risk.
He also vowed a new crackdown on those who visited "hate or terrorism" web sites or travelled abroad to be indoctrinated in terrorism.
Interior Minister Claude Gueant said officers had thrown grenades and entered by the door and windows of the flat.
After surveying the scene and finding no sign of the suspect, they went towards the bathroom, moving slowly as they were wary of booby-traps.
When officers tried to find out if there was anyone in the bathroom, the suspect came out firing several weapons.
Mr Gueant said the suspect was "shooting very violently. The bursts of gunfire were frequent and hard".
He said one of the officers involved told him "he had never seen such a violent assault".
Two officers were reported wounded in the attack.
Before police went in, officials had warned that Merah was armed with a Kalashnikov high-velocity rifle, a mini-Uzi 9mm machine pistol, several handguns and possibly grenades.
The authorities set off several explosions overnight to intimidate Merah.
Street lights were switched off in the vicinity of the building on Wednesday evening and surrounding areas evacuated.
In his TV address, Mr Sarkozy announced an investigation into whether Merah had accomplices and into possible Islamist indoctrination practices in prisons.
"The French should not give free rein to anger," he said.
"Our Muslim compatriots have nothing to do with the crazy actions of a terrorist. We should not embark on any stigmatisation."
Merah, of Algerian descent, claimed to have received al-Qaeda training in Pakistan's Waziristan area, and also said he had been to Afghanistan.
Commentators have criticised the intelligence services for failing to track Merah closely enough.
But Mr Gueant defended their record, saying intelligence agencies track many extremists, but such isolated cases were very difficult to defend against.
"These so-called lone wolves are formidable opponents," he said.
The killings took place in and around Toulouse in three separate incidents earlier this month.
On 11 March, a soldier was shot and killed while waiting to see a man about selling his motorcycle.
Days later, two soldiers were shot and killed and a third was wounded while waiting at a cash machine.
Then earlier this week, three children and an adult were shot and killed outside a Jewish school.
Mr Molins said the authorities had recovered videos from Merah's apartment showing the attacks.
"These films are extremely explicit, as we were able to verify yesterday, in which evidently we see him during his encounter with a soldier who he shot twice, saying to him: 'You kill my brothers, I kill you'," said Mr Molins.
"Then we also see him killing the soldiers in Montauban in an extremely violent scene, fleeing on his scooter whilst shouting 'Allahu akbar' [God is great]."
Mr Molins said there was also footage of the school massacre, and added that all of Merah's conversations with negotiators during the siege had been recorded and would be used in the forthcoming inquiry.


International footballer Alan Pulido, who has been rescued after being abducted in Mexico, fought one of his kidnappers and used his phone to call police, officials have revealed.

Pulido, who plays for the Greek club, Olympiakos, cut his wrist when he punched a glass pane on a door as he tried to escape before police arrived.
Pulido, 25, was abducted at gunpoint on Saturday night in his home town of Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas state.
A 38-year-old man has been arrested.
Officials say the man had confessed to belonging to a local criminal gang. Police are searching for another three men believed to have been involved in the kidnapping.
State prosecutor Ismael Quintanilla said the masked gang had taken Pulido to a house in Ciudad Victoria where he eventually found himself alone with one of his abductors.
"They traded blows. He takes it [the phone] and calls [emergency number] 066. It all happened very quickly," Mr Quintanilla told Imagen radio.
An official report of the calls Pulido made to the emergency operator, obtained by the Associated Press, revealed that he threatened and beat the kidnapper while on the phone, demanding to be told where they were.
In one of the calls, Pulido said police were outside and starting to shoot so he described what he was wearing to avoid being mistaken for a kidnapper.
Pulido had been abducted when his car was surrounded by several vehicles as he was leaving a party with his girlfriend on Saturday night.
Masked men whisked him away, leaving his girlfriend unharmed.
Pulido's family received a phone call on Sunday demanding a ransom payment, Mr Quintanilla told reporters. No ransom was paid.
Pulido, with one of his hands bandaged, told reporters early on Monday: "[I am] very well, thank God."
Tamaulipas is one of Mexico's most violent states, and Mexico recently deployed more security forces to tackle cartels operating in the area.
The country has one of the world's highest kidnapping rates, with government figures saying some 1,000 people are abducted every year.
Pulido joined Olympiakos last July and finished the season with six goals in 15 games.
He was part of Mexico's squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but was not called up for the upcoming Copa America tournament.


Rangers beat Aberdeen to go second in the Scottish Premiership in a match that featured a red card for each side.

Jayden Stockley headed wide from Jonny Hayes' cross early in the second half and Rangers quickly capitalised on that miss when Kenny Miller tucked in.
A powerful Lee Hodson shot doubled the home side's advantage.
The hosts' Clint Hill and Aberdeen's Ryan Jack were each dismissed for two bookings, with Andrew Considine heading a late consolation for the Dons.
The Ibrox side had started the day level on points with Hearts but trailing them on goal difference.
However, with Hearts held to a draw by Ross County, Mark Warburton's side go two points ahead of the Tynecastle side and remain eight behind leaders Celtic.
Rangers had lost at Hearts in midweek while Aberdeen were coming off a 3-0 defeat by Celtic in Sunday's League Cup final, with the Dons aiming to end a 25-year wait for a win at Ibrox.
But that run continues with Warburton's side winning by the same scoreline that they lost by at Aberdeen's Pittodrie in September.
The visitors had their chances in Glasgow with James Maddison - who scored a stunning free-kick winner in the sides' last meeting - seeing a set-piece effort bounce wide.
Stockley got a foot to a Graeme Shinnie cross to draw a save from Wes Foderingham and came close to putting Derek McInnes' side ahead three minutes after the break.
Hayes got round his man to cross from the left but Stockley could not direct his header from six yards on target.
Maddison failed to get a hold of a couple of shots before Rangers' second but the midfielder did deliver the free-kick for Considine's goal.
Captain Lee Wallace fired wide in the hosts' best first-half advance and it was the composure of Miller that finally broke the deadlock.
Moments after Stockley's miss, 36-year-old striker Miller, deployed in midfield, latched on to Joe Garner's speculative cross and finished first time.
Barrie McKay had the vision to find Hodson inside the box amid a spell of pressure and the Northern Ireland international lashed a shot into the roof of the net for Rangers' second, having started ahead of regular right-back James Tavernier.
McKay's replacement Harry Forrester forced a save from Joe Lewis as the pressure continued.
Defender Hill had earlier escaped unpunished following a risky challenge on Shinnie inside his own box but bookings for fouls on Maddison resulted in the 38-year-old's dismissal.
Jack, 24, followed Hill up the tunnel after being cautioned in the wake of a lengthy spell of pushing following a Rangers foul, the Dons skipper having earlier been booked for impeding Michael O'Halloran.
And there were further bookings in stoppage time to take the tally to 11.
Rangers' Mark Warburton: "The players were more than irked by comments made about them, by comments questioning their battling qualities and their desire.
"But they responded really well, there was a lot of nonsense written about them and they more than answered those questions.
"First half nobody really controlled the game, it was pretty neutral. But, second half, we stepped on and won second balls and I felt we deserved to win."
Aberdeen's Derek McInnes: "From penalty box to penalty box I thought we were the better team.
"We really got after Rangers, we pressed them high, we were competitive, we were winning tackles, we were fully committed. I thought we really frustrated them.
"But we said to the players at half-time, it was important in the final third to carry more of a threat ourselves,. We got in good areas and rushed that last wee bit.
"We had more opportunities to apply pressure with the ball rather than just without the ball, and Rangers scored when we were having our best spell.
"We started the second half really on the front foot, got into good areas, still should be doing more with it, but Jayden's is clearly the one we all remember.
"It was a good stand-up from Jonny and Jayden would normally eat that type of service up, but he misses. It happens but unfortunately for us it was pivotal."
Match ends, Rangers 2, Aberdeen 1.
Second Half ends, Rangers 2, Aberdeen 1.
Second yellow card to Ryan Jack (Aberdeen).
Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!  Rangers 2, Aberdeen 1. Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by James Maddison with a cross.
Foul by Lee Wallace (Rangers).
Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card.
Lee Wallace (Rangers) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Jason Holt (Rangers).
Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Joe Garner (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Second yellow card to Clint Hill (Rangers) for a bad foul.
Foul by Clint Hill (Rangers).
James Maddison (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Joe Lewis.
Attempt saved. Harry Forrester (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Andy Halliday (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Niall McGinn (Aberdeen).
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Martyn Waghorn.
Foul by Joe Garner (Rangers).
Ash Taylor (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Rob Kiernan (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adam Rooney (Aberdeen).
Attempt missed. Joe Garner (Rangers) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is close, but misses to the right.
Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lee Hodson (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Joe Garner (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ash Taylor (Aberdeen).
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Rob Kiernan.
Clint Hill (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Clint Hill (Rangers).
James Maddison (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Mark Reynolds.
Substitution, Rangers. Harry Forrester replaces Barrie McKay.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Peter Pawlett replaces Graeme Shinnie.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Niall McGinn replaces Kenny McLean.
Jason Holt (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.


Britain's Johanna Konta was beaten 6-4 7-6 (7-1) by world number two Simona Halep to exit the Cincinnati Open in the quarter-finals.

Konta, who beat the Romanian in the last eight of Wimbledon, took an early lead in a first set that featured five breaks of serve before Halep triumphed.
The Romanian went 4-1 up in the second and, despite Konta saving five match points, took the match on a tie-break.
Nick Kyrgios beat Spaniard Rafael Nadal 6-2 7-5 in the last eight.
Nadal, 31, will return to world number one on Monday for the first time since July 2014, taking over from the injured Andy Murray, but he had little answer for his Australian opponent.
Kyrgios, 22, raced into a 4-0 lead with a double break and took the first set in 25 minutes, dropping only three points on his serve.
He served for the match at 5-4 up only for Nadal to break but it proved to only delayed his victory as he broke back and completed victory with his 10th ace.
Kyrgios will play Spain's David Ferrer, who beat Dominic Thiem 6-3 6-3 in the semi-finals, while the other last four match will see Grigor Dimitrov play John Isner.
Bulgarian Dimitrov eased past Japan's Yuichi Sugita 6-2 6-1, while Isner overcame fellow American Jared Donaldson 7-6 (7-4) 7-5.
The Briton had a break point in each of the Romanian's games in the opener but converted only two out of 10.
Konta then saved two match points at 5-3 down on her opponent's serve and three more from 0-40 down on her own serve when 6-5 behind.
But Halep easily claimed the tie-break to win a match that lasted one hour and 49 minutes and she will now face American Sloane Stephens in the semi-finals.
The other last four contest will see Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza face Karolina Pliskova.


Tens of thousands of homes are without power after Storm Desmond caused severe flooding and travel disruption across northern England and parts of Scotland.

Power at about 55,000 homes could be off for "days" following flooding at an electricity substation in Lancaster.
The Army has been evacuating homes in Cumbria and nearly 50 severe flood warnings remain in place.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the government was doing all it can to help people and prevent further damage.
Mr Cameron will chair a meeting of the Cobra contingencies committee on Monday to co-ordinate the emergency response.
"I would like to pay a huge tribute to all those emergency workers and troops who have worked tirelessly to respond to this weekend's events," he said.
"There has been a tremendous response from local communities too, with people taking in families affected by the flooding."
Follow live updates for Storm Desmond
Listen to live coverage from BBC Radio Cumbria
In Pictures: Storm Desmond
Provisional figures suggest more than 340mm of rain fell in 24 hours in the Lake District. The current record is 316.4mm of rain over the same time period at Seathwaite, Cumbria, in 2009.
In Cumbria, where a major incident was declared, emergency crews used boats to carry people to safety and eight rescue centres are open for those forced to leave their homes.
Rescue teams from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution evacuated homes in Carlisle, helping around 200 people.
In other developments:
Roger and Julie Scoon, of Keswick, put their furniture in a room that was safe during the 2009 floods - but this time around the water came in through the windows.
"We did what we could, we got flood gates, we put tiled floors down so we can mop out, but we never dreamt it would come up here," Mr Scoon added.
The couple, who had been due to sell their house when the flooding hit, said of where they would be for Christmas: "We can't think that far ahead... we'll just take it a day at a time really."
John Chadwick was helped from his home in Carlisle.
"I was evacuated as the River Caldew burst over the flood barriers.
"I live alone and have severe mobility problems including osteoarthritis and mild epilepsy - I just had time to grab some medication.
"I have nowhere suitable to stay as I need ground floor accommodation with disabled access. Social services informed me that they were inundated and I would just have to rough it out at a friend's place a short distance away.
"The waters were 2in deep and I got out by dinghy."
In 2010, a Â£38m flood defence scheme for Carlisle - which has seen some of the worst flooding - was completed in a bid to protect about 3,000 homes and businesses around the city.
Floods minister Rory Stewart said defences - which have been criticised - had given authorities more time to evacuate people and kept flood levels down.
The defences "held strong" but the huge levels of rain were too much for them, he said.
However, Mayor of Keswick Paul Titley said the defences had been "completely overwhelmed".
"The flood defences were designed for a one in 100-year event and since it's six years since we had the last one, we were sort of surprised that we got one so soon," he added.
The Met Office has issued fresh yellow warnings for rain next week for many badly affected areas.
Storm Desmond is the fourth storm to be given a name by the public in a project by the Met Office and Met Eireann in Ireland to help raise awareness of severe weather.
Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
View the flood map by tapping on the image below
Tap here for the interactive flood map.
Note: the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency display their flood alert data differently. While the Environment Agency highlights individual rivers only, in Scotland the entire region is coloured to indicate the level of alert.
This map and flood alert data are supplied to the BBC by third parties. The BBC is not responsible for its accuracy and you use it at your own risk.


Jeremy Corbyn has refused to single out the IRA for condemnation when pressed over his past campaigning activities.

The Labour leader said "all bombing is wrong", as he was repeatedly asked to condemn the IRA alone for its role in the Troubles.
He said he had worked hard to help secure peace in Northern Ireland.
But Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster launched an attack on the Labour leader, saying he was "beyond the political pale".
Mr Corbyn's campaigning during the Troubles has come under renewed scrutiny since his election as Labour Party leader.
He and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have been prominent supporters of Sinn FÃ©in; before the IRA ceasefire they controversially met the party on a number of occasions in Westminster during the 1990s.
The Labour leader has said the meetings formed part of his attempt to bring about peace in Northern Ireland at that time.
He has also been criticised over his activities with the Troops Out movement, which campaigned to end British military involvement in Northern Ireland in the 1980s.
In an exchange with interviewer Sophy Ridge on Sky News on Sunday, Mr Corbyn was asked to condemn the IRA. He replied that he "condemned all those that do bombing, all those on both sides".
Asked again, he added: "There were Loyalist bombs as well.  I condemn all the bombing by both the Loyalists and the IRA."
He added: "I recognised that you had to bring about a peace process in Ireland. I did my best to assist in that process and that is the way you bring about peace anywhere in the world".
Asked whether he had been backing "one clear side" in the conflict, he replied: "I worked with colleagues in parliament in the SDLP and the Labour party, I visited Northern Ireland on a number of occasions, I met people from right across the spectrum."
He said he had campaigned on behalf of people who had suffered miscarriages of justice, like the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, and added: "You have to talk to people with whom you don't agree and I did."
The Conservatives said people would be "outraged" that the Labour leader would not "unequivocally condemn the IRA".
But speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Peter Dowd said the comments had to be seen "in the context of Jeremy Corbyn for many years trying to move the peace process along".
Ms Foster, Northern Ireland's former first minister, is expected to attack the Labour leader in a speech in London on Monday.
"Political leaders from Northern Ireland understandably often remain neutral, at least publicly, about the outcome of a Westminster general election," she will say.
"But this election is different. While Theresa May is well within the political mainstream and has proven herself to be a solid and reliable unionist, Jeremy Corbyn is beyond the political pale.
"It is hard to take seriously the democratic credentials of a man who was so close to the political representatives of the IRA at the height of the Troubles."


A woman has been arrested on suspicion of fraud after dozens of One Direction fans who paid to see them in Liverpool were turned away.

About 40 fans who bought coach and concert tickets to see the band at the Echo Arena on Saturday 17 March found their seats had already been taken.
Parents said they bought the tickets through Halton Community Trips (HCT).
A 35-year-old woman behind HCT has been arrested and released on bail until June.
The firm arranges affordable trips for families in the Cheshire area during school holiday periods.
Echo Arena Liverpool said it had not sold 40 tickets for either of the shows to HCT.
Cheshire Police said: "Cheshire Police have been made aware of allegations of fraud regarding the selling of tickets for short breaks and concerts via social networking and online auction sites, particularly in the Runcorn area.
"Police are currently investigating the allegations and are speaking with the victims concerned who have come forward."
A spokesman for the venue said: "Echo Arena Liverpool is extremely concerned to learn that a number of individuals who believed they had acquired tickets via HCT for the One Direction show were left to discover on the evening of the event that this was not the case.
"As a result of this incident, Echo Arena Liverpool has suspended the future sale of tickets to HCT for all events."
HCT could not be reached for comment.


A man accused of murdering Surjit Singh Chhokar has been made a "scapegoat" for the killing, his QC has claimed.

Donald Findlay made the remark during his closing speech to the jury at the High Court in Glasgow, where his client, Ronnie Coulter, is on trial.
The 48-year-old, from Wishaw, denies murdering Mr Chhokar, 32, in Overtown, North Lanarkshire, on 4 November 1998.
He has lodged a special defence blaming his nephew Andrew Coulter, and another man,  David Montgomery.
The jury has already heard that Ronnie Coulter, his nephew Andrew and Mr Montgomery went to see Mr Chhokar on the night he died following a row over a Â£100 Giro cheque.
After an altercation, Mr Chhokar collapsed dying from stab wounds in front of his partner Liz Bryce.
The court has also heard how Ronnie Coulter was cleared of murder following a trial in 1999.
Andrew Coulter, who was convicted of stabbing and killing another man in 1999, and Mr Montgomery, were also cleared of Mr Chhokar's murder in 2000.
Both men have given evidence during the most recent trial and admitted being there on the night Mr Chhokar died, but they denied murder.
In his closing speech, Mr Findlay told jurors: "There is no justice if the wrong man is convicted and the man who did it is allowed to remain free."
He said: "People have rallied around Andrew Coulter and have lied at various stage, they have lied in this court, they have lied before you.
"They are trying to move the blame as much as they can onto Ronnie Coulter. They have their own agenda. Making Ronnie the killer at the expense of the real killer.
"Andrew Coulter killed Surjit Singh Chhokar. Ronnie Coulter didn't kill him. You should acquit Ronnie Coulter."
The QC described Andrew Coulter as "a young man who had a predilection for carrying knives".
He added: "We say he carried a knife that night, as he did when he killed Patrick Kelly."
Mr Findlay told the jury that Ronnie Coulter was prosecuted for the murder in 1999 and acquitted and was now being prosecuted again based on what he described as "wicked, self-serving and downright evil evidence".
He added: "It may be an attempt to bring closure to the Chhokar family. We never bring closure in these courts. You can't bring someone back to life, you can't take away the grief. It's not about closure, it's about justice."
As this was said several members of the Chhokar family, who had been sitting in the public gallery of the court, got up and left.
Earlier in his speech Mr Findlay accused many of the Crown witnesses of "lying".
He said Ronnie Coulter's sister Margaret Chisholm and former sister-in-law, Noreen McPolland, had lied "in a most evil and despicable way".
The QC also accused other witnesses of making up lies against Ronnie Coulter.
Mr Findlay said: "It is all very well for the Crown to say if they were going to invent something they would make a better job of it."
He added: "In the background there was this conspiracy that Ronnie was to be the scapegoat. There are examples of people making things up."
In his closing speech to the jury, judge Lord Mathews told the jurors to put aside all emotion when they finally retire to consider their verdict.
He told the jury: "You must consider the evidence coldly and dispassionately."
The judge added: "In order to convict Ronnie Coulter you must be convinced he used a knife and stabbed the deceased."
Lord Matthews will complete his charge to the jury on Monday.


Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said his government will wait patiently for international creditors to become "realistic", after talks on a debt deal in Brussels failed.

Mr Tsipras rejected demands for pension cuts, citing his country's dignity.
Time is running out for Greece to unlock bailout funds from the EU and IMF and a European Commission spokesman said "significant gaps" remained.
One European Commissioner said it was time to plan for an emergency.
Guenther Oettinger, who is also a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU, said if negotiations with Greece failed and its government rejected a deal on pension cuts, then on 1 July Greece would have to be considered an "emergency area".
Without a cash-for-reforms debt deal with the EU and IMF, Greece is expected to default on a €1.5bn (£1.1; $1.7bn) debt repayment to the IMF due by the end of the month.
The Athens government's bailout deal with the EU also runs out on 30 June and Mr Tsipras has been trying to unlock the final €7.2bn instalment.
Speaking to Greek newspaper Ton Syntakton, Mr Tsipras warned that "further cuts to pensions after five years of looting under the bailouts can only be viewed as serving political expediency".
"We will patiently wait until creditors turn to realism. We have no right to bury the European democracy in the land where it was born."
How close is Greece to Grexit?
Greece special report
Eurozone finance ministers will discuss Greece when they meet on Thursday. The gathering is regarded as Greece's last chance to strike a deal.
Europe wants Greece to make spending cuts worth €2bn (£1.44bn), to secure the final bailout funds.
IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard, in a blog post, explained that Greece needed to cut pension expenditure - which already accounted for more than 16% of GDP - by 1% of GDP. He also argued it could be done while protecting the poorest pensioners.
"Just as there is a limit to what Greece can do, there is a limit to how much financing and debt relief official creditors are willing and realistically able to provide given that they have their own taxpayers to consider," he said.
As pressure on Greece intensified, the Athens stock market fell more than 6%.
CDU figures in Germany lined up to criticise Greece's position, with deputy party leader Volker Bouffier condemning Greek demands as unrealistic and Julia Kloeckner from the party executive accusing Mr Tsipras of overplaying his hand.
Even the head of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) in Germany's coalition, Sigmar Gabriel, who has been seen as more sympathetic to the Greek position, has warned the Athens government that time is running out. "Everywhere in Europe, the sentiment is growing that enough is enough," he wrote in Bild newspaper.
€320bn
Greece's debt mountain
€240bn
European bailout
€56bn Greece owes Germany
177% country's debt-to-GDP ratio
25% fall in GDP since 2010
26% Greek unemployment rate
In a further sign of widespread German frustration, the head of the influential IFO Institute for Economic Research, Hans-Werner Sinn, said he believed the Berlin government should refuse further funding for the Greek economy.
A leading MP in Mr Tsipras's left-wing Syriza party, deputy speaker Alexis Mitropoulos, said if talks failed, the prime minister would have to consider either a referendum or fresh elections.
Mr Tsipras's Syriza-led coalition swept to power in late January, with an anti-austerity mandate.


Parts of Leeds city centre could be closed to traffic in a bid to make the city less "road heavy".

Councillors have discussed plans aimed at improving the city's transport network and changing its image as what a report calls a "motorway city".
City Square could be closed off to through traffic by 2021, as could Neville Street that runs past Bridgewater Place into the city centre.
The move forms part of the city's 2023 European Capital of Culture bid.
The plan was to get more people cycling and walking around the city, the report said.
Cycles, buses and taxis would still be allowed in City Square that lies close to the railway station.
Councillor Richard Lewis said: "It's about how me make the city both liveable and prosperous in the future."
An upgrade of Armley Gyratory, one of the busiest junctions in the city, was also in the council's plans, he said.
There were still many details to be worked out and there would be feasibility studies and consultations, Mr Lewis added.
The plans are part of a discussion on a 20-year vision for the city.
The HS2 high-speed rail network is planned to stop at a new city centre station in Leeds by 2032/33.
The council must register its capital of culture interest by December 2016 and submit a final bid in 2017. The winning bid is expected to be announced in 2018.


Adult mental health services in Wales are being boosted by more than £8m from the Welsh government.

More than half the cash will be spent helping dementia patients, including occupational therapy and activity support for older people which spot checks had highlighted as concerns.
Psychological therapies and women with postnatal depression will also be given extra funding.
An extra £7.6m for child mental health services was announced in May.
Health Minister Mark Drakeford said the investment showed the government's commitment to mental health services.
The announcement came as a row continued over failings in treatment on the Tawel Fan mental health ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital, branded in a damning report as amounting to "institutional abuse".


A drink-driver was pulled over when police spotted her car only had three tyres.

The woman was stopped near St Albans after driving "for miles" on three tyres and one wheel.
Officers said she "had no idea that she'd lost the tyre and thought her car had broken down".
"[The] discs were glowing bright red when stopped", they wrote on Twitter. She was later found to be almost three times over the legal alcohol limit.
Hertfordshire Police said a 46-year-old woman from Barnet was arrested for failing to provide a breath specimen, and was in police custody.
The woman initially failed to give a breath test at the side of the road, officers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire road policing unit said.
Latest updates on this story and more from Beds, Herts and Bucks
"Unfortunately the lady felt we should be doing more worthwhile tasks like arresting terrorists etc," they wrote on Twitter.
The legal alcohol limit for drivers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.


Brackley Town hat-trick hero James Armson had to change into his kit in his car before causing an FA Cup upset on Wednesday.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Armson, who is a college education examiner by day, guided Brackley to a 4-3 extra-time first-round replay win against Gillingham.
"I left the house to go to work at 6:30am," Armson told BBC Radio Oxford.
"I didn't finish until 4:30pm and then it was straight in the car to the game, eating my dinner out of a plastic pot."
National League North Brackley will travel to League Two Blackpool in the second round.
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Midfielder Armson, 26, was not the only one to juggle his work commitments before the game as striker Steve Diggin was busy surfacing roads in the build-up.
"That's what part-time football is all about," added Armson. "But, once you get to the ground, you just switch off from all of that.
"I thought we got what we deserved. It's brilliant to cause an upset and a great feeling we'll remember for a long, long time."


You may have heard of a snail trail but what about a slug tracker?

23 February 2016 Last updated at 15:44 GMT
Well tiny transmitters have been put under the skin of the slippery slugs to see where they go.
It's part of an experiment in Shropshire to help farmers stop the slugs eating their plants.
Hundreds of slugs have been tagged and their movements tracked to give the famers a better understanding of what they get up to at night.
See how it works.


Gillingham have signed former Charlton Athletic midfielder Ollie Muldoon on a deal until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old, who was a free agent after leaving the Addicks at the start of February, has been on trial with the League One side.
Muldoon made three appearances for the Gills during a loan spell in 2015.
Meanwhile, on-loan striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has returned to parent club QPR after 10 goals in 35 appearances for Gillingham.


Swimmer Yulia Efimova has been added to the 271 Russian athletes already eligible to compete at the Olympics.

The 24-year-old appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) after the International Olympic Committee ruled any Russian athlete who had been sanctioned for doping would be banned.
The 2012 bronze medallist will compete in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
She was banned for 16 months in 2013 after traces of an anabolic steroid were found in her system.
Earlier this year she was given a provisional ban after testing positive for meldonium, but the International Swimming Federation lifted the suspension after advice from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Cas has ruled that athletes cannot be banned from Rio on the basis that they have been previously sanctioned.


Graham Wagg belted another fine half-century to help Glamorgan fight back well against Leicestershire in Cardiff.

After choosing to bat, Glamorgan looked in trouble on 57-4 after Australian all-rounder Clint McKay claimed two early wickets for the visitors.
Despite the efforts of Chris Cooke (84), they were still in trouble when Wagg came in at 136-6, but he hit 94, blasting six sixes and seven four.
Replying to Glamorgan's 278, Leicestershire were 37-1 at the close.
The in-form Wagg, a double centurion against Surrey last week, helped steer Glamorgan to a second batting point, sharing a partnership of 44 with Cooke before putting on a further 78 in a spectacular stand with last man Andy Carter (10 not out).
Glamorgan batsman Chris Cooke told BBC Wales Sport:
"The day was pretty much in the balance. It wasn't easy batting early on but it got a bit easier as the ball got older.
"We've played some good counter-attacking cricket this season and that worked again today as Waggy played brilliantly.
"Hopefully we can knock them over now as we feel the wicket's only going to get worse."