David Cameron is spending the weekend finalising his first all-Conservative cabinet after his party won a majority in Thursday's election.

The PM has already reappointed Chancellor George Osborne, who has also been made first secretary of state.
Theresa May remains home secretary, Philip Hammond foreign secretary, and Michael Fallon defence secretary.
The Conservatives won 331 seats - five more than needed for a Commons majority - their first such victory since 1992.
Rival party leaders Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage all resigned on Friday after election disappointments, leaving their parties to consider who is best placed to lead opposition to the new government.
Mr Cameron, who promised to lead a government for "one nation", has already spoken to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, whose party won 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland.
The SNP is expected to press for even more devolved powers for the Scottish parliament, going beyond what was proposed by the Smith Commission after last year's independence referendum.
The new Westminster Parliament - which meets for the first time on 18 May - will see a record number of female and ethnic representatives, with 191 women (up from 143) and 42 from an ethnic minority (up from 27).
Meanwhile, the prime minster will need to replace Lib Dems who held cabinet posts in the coalition government - such as former Business Secretary Vince Cable, schools minister David Laws and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander - who all lost their seats in Thursday's vote.
The Conservatives' victory means they will be able to govern without the need for a coalition or a formal agreement with other parties.
Leading Eurosceptic backbencher Mark Pritchard told the BBC there would be no pressure for the prime minister to rush into discussions about an in-out referendum on the UK's future in Europe.
The prime minister pledged a referendum on EU membership in the event his party scored a majority.
Mr Pritchard said Mr Cameron would need time to try to negotiate new terms for the UK membership of the EU.
"The party will be 100% behind the PM as he goes off to Brussels to fight for Britain, and indeed fight for an improved European Union," he said.
In other election developments:
On Friday, Mr Cameron said he had spoken to both Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg, paying tribute to the latter's contribution to the coalition government over the past five years.
Speaking in Downing Street, Mr Cameron said: "We will govern as a party of one nation, one United Kingdom.
"That means ensuring this recovery reaches all parts of our country, from north to south, to east to west."
He said he would press ahead with devolution of powers to all nations as well as referendum on the UK's EU membership.
"I have always believed in governing with respect," he said "That's why in the last Parliament we devolved power to Scotland and Wales, and gave the people of Scotland a referendum on whether to stay inside the United Kingdom.
Analysis by BBC experts
Norman Smith on David Cameron's colossal achievement
Nick Robinson on the result no-one saw coming
Mark Easton on a nation divided
Jonny Dymond on how the Conservatives won their historic victory
Jonny Dymond on where next for Labour
Brian Taylor on what next for Scotland
Robert Peston on market reaction to the result
James Cook on the implications for the United Kingdom
Katya Adler on the reaction from Europe
David Cowling on how the pollsters got it so wrong
Newsnight reporters and producers' rolling election analysis
"In this Parliament I will stay true to my word and implement as fast as I can the devolution that all parties agreed for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland."
Chancellor Mr Osborne said the Conservatives had been "given a mandate to get on with the work we started five years ago" and would follow the "clear instructions" of the British public.
Speaking at Labour's London headquarters, Mr Miliband said he had phoned Mr Cameron to congratulate him on his victory.
He said he would step down as leader with immediate effect after Labour won 26 fewer seats than in 2010, adding that deputy leader Harriet Harman would succeed him pending a leadership contest.
Labour, he said, needed an "open and honest debate about the way forward without constraints".
Announcing his own exit as leader after more than seven years, Mr Clegg said the results - which saw his party reduced from 57 to eight seats - were the most "crushing blow" to the Liberal Democrats since they were formed in the late 1980s.
Elsewhere, Mr Cameron has been congratulated on his victory by a number of foreign leaders, including US President Barack Obama.
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, said he would work constructively with the new UK government and would consider "proposals, ideas or requests" about the UK's membership "in a very polite, friendly and objective way".
An  independent inquiry is to look at the accuracy of UK election polls, after they failed to predict the Conservatives' lead over Labour.
Full results service


A Surrey rugby club has started handing out branded condoms to attract new players in a bid to get its name better known.

The condom packets show the Warlingham Rugby Club logo with the slogan "join the family".
Club chairman Peter Mattison boasted the move was "bold" and "quirky" and described it as "a bit on the edge".
Players and members will give out the free condoms while socialising in local bars and clubs.
"In the past we've used posters and other advertising campaigns to recruit players," Mr Mattison said.
"But we really wanted to get the Warlingham RFC name out there and what better way than to use our brand to promote both the club and a socially-responsible attitude?"
He said as long as young men and women who may want to play rugby saw it as an amusing way to catch their attention - and join the Warlingham family - then "job done".
The club, which is in its 95th year, is training throughout the summer on Wednesday evenings and has said all are welcome to revive their playing or give the game a try.


London's Tube is to run 24 hours a day on Fridays and Saturdays on some lines from 2015.

The announcement of a new Night Tube service will support the city's "vibrant night-time economy" and boost businesses, jobs and leisure opportunities, Transport for London said.
Tube users largely supported the move praising increased convenience and a move away from a reliance on night buses, but some were concerned about safety late at night.
Charlotte Lindsey-Cook, 19.
I think it's wicked. They do it in Berlin and it makes going out so much easier. If you go out till one or two you are stranded and night buses aren't great. We went to Berlin on holiday and you didn't have to worry about the buses.
Helen Stansfeld, 56.
I don't use the Tube at night but my kids do. I think it's probably a good idea. We used to live in Hong Kong and they had night stuff happening much more than here. It's good to know your young people can get home safely.
Sam Olaleye, 32.
I don't go out much because I've got kids but when I did it was a case of 'how do you get home?'. It would be good for safety. One night I had to wait for a night bus in a not-so-nice area. Running Tubes at night will make it safer and quicker to get home.
Tim Ednie, 48.
I think it's a good idea. London is a 24-hour city so why can't the Tubes be? It should have happened years ago. I've never known why London doesn't when the clubs are all licensed to 2, 3 or 4am. The people I drive don't generally take the Tube. If they come into London at the weekend I'll be driving them.
Patricia Armario, 23.
I think you will have more independence. When I go out I have to take the bus. I live in the south so it's faster to get to the centre of London on the Tube. I think it might make things more dangerous though because people will be drunk and there might be strange people on the Tube. There are good things and bad things.
Here's some of your reaction to news that LU ticket offices are closing and Tube trains will run for 24 hours


Skincare brand Baby Dove has been criticised by mums who say the company's new adverts support those who oppose breastfeeding in public.

One advert says "75% say breastfeeding in public is fine, 25% say put them away. What's your way?"
The Advertising Standards Authority has received 151 complaints, including concerns the ad perpetuates a negative image of breastfeeding in public.
Brand owner Unilever said it aims to celebrate different parenting styles.
Another Dove advert shows a crying baby accompanied by text that reads: "36% are for feeding him when he cries, 64% are passionately against it. What's your way?"
While the brand's website also reads: "So whether you're among the 66% who think that breastfeeding in public is fine, or the 34% who think otherwise, whatever choice you make, we are with you every step of the way."
But "Unmumsy Mum" blogger Sarah Turner said in an open letter to Dove, posted on Facebook, that supporting the "dangerous" view that it was acceptable to criticise breastfeeding in public could put mums off.
"No woman should be made to feel ashamed for feeding their baby in public," she wrote.
"If you are standing with people who think breastfeeding in public is not okay, are you also with them if they ask a breastfeeding mum to cover up, or if they think she would be better off sat feeding in a restaurant toilet?"
Baby Milk Action, a non-profit organisation, called the "What's your way?" campaign "seriously misguided".
In a Facebook post, it said: "Please do not be intimidated by the Dove marketing campaign condoning those who object to breastfeeding in public.
"It is illegal to discriminate against anyone for how they feed their child in public."
Emma Pickett, from the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, said: "It's not anyone's 'way' to oppose it unless they fancy going to court or criminal action, and it's insulting to imagine that mums who formula feed automatically sympathise with people who dislike breastfeeding in public.
"This message intimidates new mums and that means increased isolation and greater risk of postnatal mental health issues."
Anna Burbridge, from support group La Leche League, agreed that women "need support and protection against unpleasant and aggressive comments, and advertising campaigns which ask what people think are unhelpful".
"Women do not have to 'put them away' and anything which implies they do contradicts the legal right of women to breastfeed."
Unilever responded to the criticisms in a statement, saying: "We believe there are many ways to be a great mum or dad.
"Our campaign simply aims to celebrate the different approaches and opinions around parenting, including whether or not mums choose to breastfeed in public, recognising that it's ultimately what works for you and your baby that matters the most."
Many have voiced their opinions on social media.
Bev Bevster said on Facebook she was "disgusted that Dove supports the discrimination of breastfeeding mothers" and "promotes child cruelty" by allowing babies to cry.
"What has any of this got to do with do with body products?"
Rhiannon Kendrick wrote: "I have just seen your ludicrous, sensationalist and downright upsetting Baby Dove advert. Who wants to see a picture of a crying baby for goodness sake?"
In England and Wales, it is illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.
Scottish law makes it an offence to deliberately prevent or stop a person from feeding milk to a child in their charge in a public place or licensed premises.
Northern Ireland ministers are considering legislation to protect mothers who breastfeed in public.
Last year, a study published in medical journal The Lancet found that the rates of breastfeeding in the UK were the lowest in the world.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the "general nature" of the complaints it had received were that it was not clear where the statistics were from.
The complaints said one advert encouraged a parenting style that was poor or neglectful, while the other perpetuated a negative perception of breastfeeding in public.
An ASA spokesman said the complaints were being assessed and no decision had yet been made on whether advertising rules had been broken.


A murder investigation is under way following an "incident" in a Carmarthenshire town.

Dyfed-Powys Police said it was called to Pleasant View in Felinfoel, Llanelli, on Tuesday afternoon.
Two men and a woman are currently in custody assisting police with their inquiries.
Police said they could not give any more details at this time.


Adebayo Akinfenwa's last-gasp equaliser kept Wycombe's quest for a League Two play-off spot alive at Morecambe.

The giant striker was in the right place at the right time to bundle home the loose ball, after Morecambe's defence failed to clear, earning what could be an important draw.
They dropped to 11th, but remain just a point behind Blackpool in the final play-off spot and within two points of sixth-placed Carlisle.
Gareth Ainsworth's side had fallen behind eight minutes earlier when Morecambe veteran Kevin Ellison scored a superb opener.
Ellison received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area but turned quickly and curled a delightful effort past Jamal Blackman from the edge of the box.
The first half saw no goals, but plenty of endeavour from both sides.
Blackman was the busier of the two keepers making three excellent saves from three different players.
His best was a flying effort to tip away Michael Rose's 30-yard drive which was heading for the top right-hand corner of the Wycombe goal
The on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper then did well to tip over Paul Mullin's drive and a low volley from Ellison that was destined for the bottom left-hand corner.
Match report supplied by the Press Association
Match ends, Morecambe 1, Wycombe Wanderers 1.
Second Half ends, Morecambe 1, Wycombe Wanderers 1.
Attempt missed. Kevin Ellison (Morecambe) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the left.
Corner,  Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Ryan Edwards.
Dean Winnard (Morecambe) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Myles Weston (Wycombe Wanderers).
Goal!  Morecambe 1, Wycombe Wanderers 1. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. Aaron Pierre (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Danijel Nizic.
Attempt saved. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner.
Substitution, Morecambe. Liam Wakefield replaces Aaron McGowan.
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Myles Weston replaces Garry Thompson because of an injury.
Goal!  Morecambe 1, Wycombe Wanderers 0. Kevin Ellison (Morecambe) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Aaron McGowan.
Substitution, Morecambe. Steven Yawson replaces Paul Mullin.
Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box.
Attempt blocked. Marcus Bean (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Alex Whitmore (Morecambe).
Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Aaron Pierre (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card.
Kevin Ellison (Morecambe) is shown the yellow card.
Corner,  Morecambe. Conceded by Michael Harriman.
Peter Murphy (Morecambe) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers).
Foul by Paul Mullin (Morecambe).
Sido Jombati (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Anthony Stewart replaces Joe Jacobson because of an injury.
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Paris Cowan-Hall replaces Paul Hayes.
Aaron McGowan (Morecambe) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Aaron McGowan (Morecambe).
Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Morecambe. Andrew Fleming replaces Peter Murphy because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Paul Hayes (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Foul by Kevin Ellison (Morecambe).
Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt blocked. Lee Molyneux (Morecambe) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Paul Mullin (Morecambe) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Aaron Pierre (Wycombe Wanderers).
Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.


Uganda skipper Geofrey Massa has been included in the final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations despite his misfiring form.

Cranes coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic has kept faith with the striker, who has not scored for club or country for almost eight months.
Goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan and Muzamil Mutyaba did not make the cut.
But Timothy Dennis Awany and Muhammed Shaban were included for their hard work and fighting spirit.
Uganda will be making a return to the finals after 39 years and will be based in Port-Gentil alongside Ghana, Mali and Egypt.
"We shall continue working hard and fine tuning the team ahead of the tournament," Sredojevic told BBC.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Salim Jamal (Al Merrikh, Sudan), Robert Odongkara (Saint George, Ethiopia), Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa)
Defenders: Timothy Dennis Awany (KCCA, Uganda), Joseph Ochaya (KCCA), Shafiq Batambuze (Tusker, Kenya), Denis Iguma (Al Ahed, Lebanon), Isaac Isinde (Unattached), Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), Nicholas Wadada (Vipers, Uganda)
Midfielders: Khalid Aucho (Baroka, South Africa), Mike Azira (Colorado Rapids, USA), Geoffrey Kizito (Than Quang Ninh, Vietnam), William Luwagga Kizito (Rio Ave, Portugal), Tony Mawejje (Thotur, Iceland), Hassan Wasswa (Nijmeh, Lebabon), Moses Oloya (Hanoi T and T, Vietnam), Godfrey Walusimbi (Gor Mahia, Kenya)
Strikers: Geoffrey Massa (Baroka, South Africa), Faruku Miya (Standard Liege, Belgium), Yunus Sentamu (Ilves, Finland), Geoffrey Sserunkuma (KCCA, Uganda), Muhammed Shaban (Onduparaka, Uganda)


Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga wants to be released from prison early to study the causes of ethnic conflict, he has told the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Lubanga, who led one side during fighting between two Congolese communities, was the first person to be convicted by the ICC, in 2012.
He was sentenced to 14 years for using child soldiers and raping girls.
He is eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
He has been in custody since being arrested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2005.
Lubanga told the hearing at The Hague that he wanted to return to DR Congo and pursue a doctoral thesis in the city of Kisangani, to identify a new form of sociology to help "tribal groups to live together in harmony".
He led a militia in the gold-rich Ituri region of DR Congo during a conflict between the Hema and Lendu communities, in which an estimated 50,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were made homeless.
His legal team argued that in general, "convicts are systematically  released once they have served two-thirds of their sentence" in international  justice.
Prosecutors objected to his request, saying he had been interfering with witnesses in another case linked to the conflict in DR Congo.
Lubanga denied the accusation.
The judges did not say when they would issue their decision.
Thomas Lubanga
•Leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), an ethnic Hema militia
•Head of the UPC's military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC)
•Accused of recruiting children under the age of 15 as soldiers
•Arrested in Kinshasa in March 2005
•Held by the ICC at The Hague since 2006
•Born in 1960, has a degree in psychology
Lubanga profile


A centenarian has watched every episode of BBC's Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm since 1974 - despite not speaking a word of Welsh.

Ceridwen Bumford, from Penygraig, Rhondda Cynon Taff, has watched more than 6,900 episodes, following the plot using subtitles.
Her family said everything stops when the programme is on and she has strong views on the characters and storylines.
Mrs Bumford celebrated her 100th birthday with members of the cast.
She and her family also had the opportunity to see some familiar sights of the fictional village of Cwmderi and enjoy a party at its pub, the Deri.
Mrs Bumford was said to be overjoyed to meet her favourite character in the soap, Dai Ashurst, played for many years by Emyr Wyn.
"It's a great occasion - it's not often someone gets to celebrate their 100th birthday," Wyn said.
"I think I was asked to say a few words at the birthday party because I'm the closest in age to Ceridwen."
Family friend Lynfa Morgan, who helped organise the surprise, said: "She cannot watch anything else, she absolutely loves it even though she doesn't speak Welsh."


Crusaders thumped Cliftonville 4-0 to go seven points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership as Linfield were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Glentoran.

Jordan Owens, Howard Beverland, Gavin Whyte and Declan Caddell scored for the Crues while Mark Haughey gave Linfield the lead, before Aaron Harmon levelled.
Glenavon came from two down to draw 2-2 at Portadown while Ballymena ran out 2-0 winners over derby rivals Coleraine.
Carrick Rangers drew 1-1 with Ards and Dungannon defeated Ballinamallard 3-2.
Re-live all the Boxing Day Premiership action as it happened here
At Solitude, Paul Heatley provided the assist for Owens to side-foot home his 13th goal of the season two minutes before the interval, then Stephen Garrett saw his penalty brilliantly saved by Sean O'Neill in the 48th minute after the referee spotted a handball in the area.
Beverland poked home from close range after Owens had hit the post and Whyte ran from the halfway line and drilled a shot low into the bottom corner to make it 3-0 on 73.
Caddell struck the ball on the rise into the top corner from 25 yards out with 10 minutes remaining, while Jay Donnelly was sent-off for a dangerous tackle in the closing stages.
Haughey gave Linfield the lead with a downward header from Niall Quinn's inswinging corner after 11 minutes at Windsor Park but Harmon restored parity by looping a magnificent header past Roy Carroll on the hour mark.
The Glens had Stephen McAlorum sent-off for a late challenge on Sean Ward with four minutes left but could have secured all three points when Carroll saved Nacho Novo's angled shot with his feet.
The result adds greater significance to Saturday's top-of-the-table clash between Crusaders and nearest challengers Linfield at Seaview.
Ballymena made it two home wins over Coleraine in the space of a fortnight thanks to Cathair Friel's diving angled header from a Tony Kane cross on 10 minutes and Kane's majestic right-foot effort into the top corner after Friel hit the post on 43.
Portadown looked on course for a second successive league triumph after Mark Carson tapped under Jonny Tuffey on 25 and Aaron Haire made it 2-0 by latching onto Stephen Hughes's through ball, holding off a defender and drilling into the bottom corner five minutes after the break.
Ciaran Martyn pulled one back in the 77th minute and Mark Sykes grabbed the equaliser three minutes into stoppage time with a long free-kick into the top corner.
Dungannon move above Glenavon into sixth place on goal difference thanks to prolific marksman Andy Mitchell's 87th-minute winner at Stangmore Park.
Jason McCartney beat Stuart Addis from an acute angle to nudge the Mallards ahead in the first half but Mitchell slotted in from the penalty spot midway through the second half.
Paul McElroy's six-yard header from Mitchell's pinpoint cross put the Swifts in front but Josh McIlwaine looked to have earned his side a point in the 85th minute.
After Mitchell's late winner, the Mallards had Liam McMenamin sent-off two minutes into added time at the end of the game.
Daniel Kelly toe-poked the ball into the net after being played in by Tiernan McNicholl to give Carrick Rangers the lead at home to Ards just after the half hour mark, but Emmett Friars headed in to salvage a draw for Colin Nixon's side on 49.


A grieving daughter received her mother's widow's pensions for 22 years after failing to tell administrators that she had died, a court heard.

Ruth Munro's mother Margaret McPartlin died in September 1993, aged 73.
A sheriff told Munro that being prosecuted for the two-decade long fraud had been punishment enough.
Alloa Sheriff Court was told that the Â£18,577 received by Munro had been repaid in full to the pension companies involved.
The court heard that Mrs McPartlin was the beneficiary of two small widow's pensions.
Between 1993 and May 2015, Munro pretended to administrators of both pension schemes that her mother was still living.
Forms purportedly signed by her mother were returned, and Munro allowed the pensions company to believe Mrs McPartlin was still alive.
Ruairidh Ferguson, prosecuting, said: "The offence came to light when the pensions company itself made a check on the Register of Deaths and discovered that the intended beneficiary had been deceased for a number of years."
Munro, 67, of Tullibody, Clackmannanshire admitted defrauding the pension schemes by inducing them to continue to make payments in the belief that Mrs McPartlin was still alive.
Defence solicitor Harry Couchlin said that it had been "a bizarre and peculiar offence".
He said: "The unusual feature of the situation is that the money wasn't spent, it was retained and it was returned."
Sheriff David Mackie told Munro: "In this case there's little call for retribution.
"You're not somebody who needs to be punished for this and this case is so unusual there's no question of imposing any kind of sentence that would act as a deterrent to anybody else.
"It's enough that you've been put through the process of prosecution."


A former soldier has been arrested by detectives investigating the events of Bloody Sunday in Londonderry.

Thirteen people were killed when British paratroopers opened fire on a civil rights march through the city in January 1972. A fourteenth died later.
The 66-year-old is a former member of the Parachute Regiment.
It is understood he is being questioned over the deaths of William Nash, Michael McDaid and John Young.
The man is the first person to be arrested as part of the Bloody Sunday investigation.
He is being interviewed at a police station in Belfast after being detained in County Antrim on Tuesday morning.
He is soldier J, who was one of the soldiers who appeared before the Saville Inquiry.
Kate Nash, whose 19-year-old brother, William, was killed on Bloody Sunday, said she welcomed the news.
"I had a call this morning from the police liaison officer that deals with our family," said Ms Nash.
"She said that they had arrested a soldier and that he was being questioned. She said she wanted the family to know first before it went out on the news.
"She said he was being questioned in relation to the death of my brother, William and two others: Michael McDaid, John Young and the attempted murder of my father.
"I started to shake. I couldn't believe it. I became very emotional.
"To see a soldier even being questioned has truly shocked me. I never thought it would get to this.
"There is a flicker of hope. It's a very positive step."
The officer leading the investigation, Det Ch Insp Ian Harrison, said the arrest "marked a new phase in the overall investigation which would continue for some time".
In a statement, Peter Madden of Madden & Finucane Solicitors, the firm that represents most of the Bloody Sunday families, said the arrest was "a very welcome development".
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) spokesperson said: "We are aware an ex-soldier has been arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in connection with their investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday.
"It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing criminal investigation at this stage."
The Northern Ireland Office said: "Criminal investigations and prosecutions are a matter for the police and prosecuting authorities who act independently of government and politicians.  The government cannot therefore comment on an individual case."
Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday, DUP MP Gregory Campbell said that the question for investigators is whether they are "extending their investigation beyond those who were serving in the police or army on that day".
He said his party are "totally unhappy" that the arrested soldier, if convicted, could "serve a much more lengthy sentence" than paramilitaries found guilty of Troubles-era crimes because of the Good Friday Agreement's early release scheme.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Lord Mandelson told Channel 4 News: "There are perils in going back so far into history.
"Perils over the evidence that is available, people's memories, people's ability to produce their own evidence and facts so long ago to present to some sort of tribunal or commission or court of law or whatever it is."
Bloody Sunday was one of the most controversial days in Northern Ireland's history.
In 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron apologised to the Bloody Sunday victims on behalf of the state, after a long-running public inquiry unequivocally blamed the Army for the civilian deaths.
The inquiry, led by Lord Saville, took 12 years to complete and exonerated those who died.
It concluded that soldiers fired the first shot and gave no warning before opening fire on the civilian marchers.
The Saville Report also found that some of those killed or injured were clearly fleeing or going to help the injured and dying.
Accepting the findings of the 2010 inquiry, Mr Cameron described the killings as "unjustified and unjustifiable" and said he was "deeply sorry".
The arrest was made by the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Legacy Investigation Branch.
The specialist police team was set up to re-investigate unsolved murder cases, dating from the beginning of the Troubles in the late 1960s, up to 2004.
The Legacy Investigation Branch replaced the Historical Enquiries Team (HET), shortly after an inspection report criticised the HET for treating state killings with "less rigour" than others.
The branch began work in January this year, taking over the Bloody Sunday investigation along with other HET cases.


A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape after a woman was dragged into bushes in Shropshire.

The attack happened as a 21-year-old woman was walking along a footpath off Whitchurch Drive near to Furrows Garage, in Telford, police said.
The man ran off when a couple appeared on the footpath coming from the direction of Princess Royal Hospital.
Police released CCTV images on Friday of a man they wanted to speak and said later arrested a 35-year-old man.
The incident happened at about 16:00 BST on Good Friday, 3 April, police said.


Ten children from the same mother have been taken into care over the last decade, a court has heard.

Three boys aged between five and nine were taken in by social services amid concerns over substance abuse, violence and neglect, a family court in Bournemouth heard.
The mother had seven children taken from her for similar reasons in 2006.
Some have been adopted, some placed into foster care and some placed with relatives, the court heard.
The mother, in her 40s, cannot be identified for legal reasons.


Defender Aarran Racine and striker Rhys Murphy have joined York City on loan from fellow National League club Forest Green Rovers.

Racine, 25, and 26-year-old Murphy have both signed initial loan deals until January at the struggling Minstermen.
Ex-Southampton youth player Racine has made 117 appearances for Forest Green and is their current club captain.
Murphy began his career at Arsenal and has scored seven goals in 17 league games for Rovers this season.
York, who are 23rd in the National League and without a win in 15 games, signed Newport striker Jon Parkin on loan with a view to a permanent move on Wednesday.


India's foreign minister has criticised online retail giant Amazon after its Canadian website was found to be selling doormats featuring the Indian flag.

Sushma Swaraj tweeted that Amazon should issue an "unconditional apology" and withdraw the "insulting" products.
Failing this, she said India would rescind current visas for Amazon officials and not grant any more.
Amazon said it had removed the doormats from its site.
In a series of tweets, Ms Swaraj asked the Indian High Commission in Canada to take up the issue with Amazon after it was brought to her attention by another Twitter user.
"Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately," she said.
"If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.
The doormats, which were being sold by a third-party and described as "personalised durable machine-washable indoor/outdoor items", were removed from the site on Wednesday.
"The item is no longer available for sale on the site," an Amazon spokeswoman said in an email.
Amazon sells doormats featuring flags of other countries but in India desecration of the flag is punishable with fines and imprisonment.
Last June Amazon found itself in a similar controversy over sales of doormats illustrating Hindu gods.
The row comes as Flipkart, India's biggest online retailer, is involved in a fierce battle with Amazon over market share.


United Utilities has said its profits will be hit by £25m after paying compensation to up to 300,000 homeowners in Lancashire whose water supplies were affected by a parasitic bug.

Customers had to boil their tap water after cryptosporidium, a microbial parasite was discovered.
The bug, which can cause diarrhoea, was found at a treatment works on 6 August.
United Utilities said it was "grateful" for the patience of its customers.
The company started sending out compensation, which will range from £50 to £60, earlier this month.
In a trading update, it said: "We deployed extensive additional resources, including enhanced UV treatment, to restore the water quality to the high standards expected as quickly as possible, and full service was restored in early September.
"We recognise the inconvenience this placed on many of our customers and are very grateful for their patience and understanding."
People in Blackpool, Chorley, Fylde, Preston, South Ribble and Wyre were all affected.
Analysts have said the group could also face regulatory performance penalties in addition to the costs announced on Wednesday.
United Utilities said its underlying operating profits for the six months to September were in line with expectations, although they were set to be lower than a year earlier as a result of new regulated price controls.
The company provides water and sewerage services for about seven million people in north west England.


The Queen is used to meeting world leaders and members of the public but came across a robot on a visit to Germany.

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25 June 2015 Last updated at 08:58 BST
She was introduced to it during a visit at Berlin's Technical University, where its friendly greeting brought a smile to the her face.
The Queen is in Germany on a four day state visit, which ends tomorrow.


The Northern Lights are seen on Earth as spectacular splashes of colour in the night sky.

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30 July 2015 Last updated at 12:40 BST
On Thursday experts say amateur star-gazers have the best chance in years of seeing them in all their glory.
The powerful rays can interfere with airline navigation systems, satellites and even NASA space crews - so they all had to be on high alert.
But if you're wondering what causes the night sky to glow, check out Leah's report to find out more...


Four cannabis farms have been found in flats at a tower block in Liverpool.

Merseyside Police were called to Crete Towers on Jason Street, Everton, on Tuesday morning after someone noticed a strong smell coming from the building.
It comes two weeks after one of the biggest ever cannabis farms in Liverpool was found on the same street.
Police estimate the total crop had a street value of more than £1.3m and described the farms "a sophisticated and industrial-scale criminal set-up".
Det Insp Lee Wilkinson said: "This was an elaborate series of cannabis farms spread across four separate flats.
"We discovered a total of 339 plants but believe much more could have been grown."


Mario Balotelli scored as Nice beat nine-man Paris St-Germain to leave Monaco firmly in the driving seat for their first Ligue 1 title for 17 years.

The former Liverpool striker fired the hosts into the lead before Ricardo Pereira doubled the lead.
Marquinhos pulled one back but Thiago Motta was dismissed for clashing with Paul Baysse before Anastasios Donis made it 3-1.
Angel Di Maria was shown a straight red for a challenge on Arnaud Souquet.
Victory for Nice sees them move three points behind second-placed PSG, who had won their previous eight league games to keep their title chances alive.
But Leonardo Jardim's Monaco, who have a game in hand over PSG, require seven points from their last four games to be crowned champions of France for the first time since 2000.
Florian Thauvin scored a hat-trick as Marseille won 5-1 away at Caen to keep alive their hopes of playing in next season's Europa League.
The French forward, who is on loan from Newcastle United, scored in the second, 63rd and 89th minutes against the relegation-threatened hosts.
The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals in 35 Ligue 1 games since moving to France last August.
Marseille are sixth in Ligue 1, one point behind fifth-placed Bordeaux with three games remaining.
A fifth-placed finish will secure a place in the Europa League third qualifying round.
Match ends, Nice 3, Paris Saint Germain 1.
Second Half ends, Nice 3, Paris Saint Germain 1.
Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain) is shown the red card.
Foul by Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain).
Arnaud Souquet (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Nice 3, Paris Saint Germain 1. Anastasios Donis (Nice) header from very close range to the bottom left corner.
Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
Foul by Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain).
Paul Baysse (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Mickael Le Bihan (Nice).
Thiago Silva (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ricardo Pereira (Nice).
Foul by Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain).
Mickael Le Bihan (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ángel Di María with a cross.
Substitution, Nice. Mounir Obbadi replaces Vincent Koziello.
Attempt missed. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Foul by Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain).
Jean Michael Seri (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Thomas Meunier tries a through ball, but Marquinhos is caught offside.
Corner,  Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Arnaud Souquet.
Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ricardo Pereira (Nice).
Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Lucas Moura replaces Julian Draxler.
Substitution, Nice. Mickael Le Bihan replaces Mario Balotelli.
Foul by Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain).
Paul Baysse (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Thiago Silva (Paris Saint Germain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Julian Draxler with a cross.
Substitution, Nice. Anastasios Donis replaces Valentin Eysseric because of an injury.
Corner,  Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Dalbert.
Attempt missed. Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Ángel Di María with a cross.
Attempt saved. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Arnaud Souquet.
Marquinhos (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mario Balotelli (Nice).
Foul by Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain).
Arnaud Souquet (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Dundee leaped off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership and leapfrogged visitors Inverness Caledonian Thistle with a dogged display at Dens Park.

Craig Wighton curled a precise low drive past goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams to put the home side ahead against the run of play.
Kostadin Gadzhalov headed the second after the break as confidence grew.
Carl Tremarco's back-post header meant a nervous last nine minutes before team-mate Lewis Horner was sent off.
Dundee's first win in 17 meetings since 2009 lifts Paul Hartley's side up to seventh place.
Caley Thistle drop to 10th, one point above bottom side Partick Thistle, as their run of games without a win extended to four.
It is just four wins in 15 games now for Dundee this season, but the most significant statistic is that three of them have now come in their last four league matches and they were also only seconds away from a point at Ibrox during that run.
Manager Paul Hartley has not had his problems to seek this season - losing his prolific goalscorers, Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings, as well as injuries to key defenders - but things are looking a lot brighter now.
For a start, they have a much better shape at the back, with Darren O'Dea playing between fellow central defenders Kosta Gadzhalov and Kevin Gomis, who has settled in well and is comfortable on the ball in tight situations.
Cammy Kerr is a threat pushing forward on the right, while fellow youngster Wighton showed why he was so highly rated when making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2013 with a well taken goal.
He glided into space in the penalty area and showed real composure to bend the ball round Fon-Williams to edge the home side in front in 25 minutes.
That was his first goal since getting the last-minute winner to confirm Dundee United's relegation in May and if the Dee can continue to play this well then all thoughts of dropping into the lower league themselves should be wiped out.
Caley Thistle started the game brightly in an attacking sense, but the home side always threatened to extend their lead playing down the Dens Park slope in the second half and Gadzhalov also scored his first since May to as good as confirm the win.
That came in 63 minutes, when Tom Hateley delivered the sort of inviting set-piece he used to do so regularly for Motherwell and the Bulgarian powered home a header from 12 yards.
It was enough to give Dundee their first league win against the Highlanders in 11 years and at the 20th time of asking.
By contrast, Caley Thistle manager Richie Foran needs to follow Hartley's example and find a way to make them harder to beat.
They certainly carry a threat going forward, with target man Losana Doumbouya a constant threat, Paul McGowan clearing one header off the line and another heading just wide.
Left back Tremarco got one back when he headed in Horner's cross from the right and that sparked a spirited last few minutes as they poured forward in a vain attempt to rescue a point.
However, the problem for the Highlanders is that they have conceded more goals than any other team in the top flight.
They will have to do without Horner next weekend as well as the right-back was red-carded in stoppage time for pulling down Wighton as the youngster was denied a clear goalscoring chance after racing clear from his own half.
Dundee manager Paul Hartley: "We were pleased with how we played at Ibrox even though we lost late on, but the players have shown real character and determination to get three wins in the last four games.
"We have got some good players here and the change of shape at the back and having Marcus Haber up front for young Craig Wighton has made a real difference as Craig's talent is there and he is now producing it.
"That win takes us off the bottom of the table and it just shows what a few wins can do for you, but we know that Inverness played better than us at times, so we have to be happy with the result, but we can play better."
Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Richie Foran: "We were the far better team, We played them off the park at times and that was our best performance of the season but lacked a cutting edge and we were a little bit too open at the back.
"I told the boys that was a great performance, but don't get me wrong, we have to start taking our chances when we are on top in games and stop conceding as many as we have been.
"That aspect of our game is not good enough and I have told them that we have to get better at the back to stop that happening and stick the ball in the net more ourselves.
"Dundee have gone up to sixth, which shows how the league is at the moment and if we go and score the goals from the chances that we are creating then we will be alright."
Match ends, Dundee 2, Inverness CT 1.
Second Half ends, Dundee 2, Inverness CT 1.
Attempt missed. Tom Hateley (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.
Lewis Horner (Inverness CT) is shown the red card.
Craig Wighton (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lewis Horner (Inverness CT).
Attempt blocked. Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Darren O'Dea (Dundee) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Darren O'Dea (Dundee).
Substitution, Dundee. Julen Etxabeguren Leanizbarrutia replaces Marcus Haber.
Darren O'Dea (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lonsana Doumbouya (Inverness CT).
Attempt missed. Ross Draper (Inverness CT) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Larnell Cole (Inverness CT) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Darren O'Dea (Dundee).
Larnell Cole (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Scott Boden (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution, Inverness CT. Larnell Cole replaces Iain Vigurs.
Goal!  Dundee 2, Inverness CT 1. Carl Tremarco (Inverness CT) header from the left side of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Lewis Horner.
Attempt saved. Paul McGowan (Dundee) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Tom Hateley (Dundee) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Tom Hateley (Dundee).
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Lonsana Doumbouya (Inverness CT) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Inverness CT. Scott Boden replaces Aaron Doran.
Attempt missed. Craig Wighton (Dundee) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Lonsana Doumbouya (Inverness CT) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Dundee. Conceded by Owain Fon Williams.
Attempt missed. Tom Hateley (Dundee) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick.
Craig Wighton (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gary Warren (Inverness CT).
Substitution, Inverness CT. Jake Mulraney replaces Billy King.
Substitution, Dundee. Danny Williams replaces James Vincent.
Attempt blocked. Lonsana Doumbouya (Inverness CT) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Inverness CT. Conceded by Kostadin Gadzhalov.
Attempt saved. Marcus Haber (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal!  Dundee 2, Inverness CT 0. Kostadin Gadzhalov (Dundee) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Tom Hateley with a cross following a set piece situation.
Cameron Kerr (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Carl Tremarco (Inverness CT).


Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander has been charged with alleged use of abusive language towards a match official by the Football Association.

Alexander, 45, is alleged to have 'used abusive and/or insulting language towards a match official, contrary to FA Rule E3'.
The charge relates to an incident at the end of the 3-2 League One defeat by Gillingham on 11 March.
He has until 18:00 GMT on Friday 17 March to respond.


Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says he wants to "make my family, friends and fans proud again" as he prepares for a July comeback.

Fury, who has not fought since he beat Wladmir Klitschko in November 2015, had his licence revoked in October as he dealt with mental health problems.
The 28-year-old is aiming to return on the Billy Joe Saunders-Avtandil Khurtsidze undercard on 8 July.
"I'm back training on a mission to put the record straight," he tweeted.
"I have had the height of success in my life and the lowest of lows to the point of not wanting to live," he added.
"I hit the drink and drugs trying to find a way out but it didn't help. I ballooned in weight.
"I'm sorry I let everyone down, it will never happen again. If I can change and beat my demons so can you."
Fury vacated his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles a day before his licence was suspended, saying he was unable to defend them because of his health.
He initially wanted to return in May but the British Boxing Board of Control told the BBC he was still suspended.
Fury would have to appear before the board to be given permission to fight.


Embattled carmaker Volkswagen said it is close to an approved fix for US cars with emissions-deceiving devices.

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Herbert Diess, head of the VW brand, said the company would have a fix in the coming weeks or months.
But the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was less certain, saying that Volkswagen "have not produced an acceptable way forward".
The EPA disclosed VW's use of "defeat devices" in diesel cars in September.
The devices disguised diesel cars' emissions levels that were, in fact, up to 40 times above the US legal limit.
The EPA has insisted that the German carmaker comes up with a solution that will not cost money for VW owners.
Mr Diess told the CES show, in Las Vegas: "I'm optimistic that we will find a solution. We will bring a package together which satisfies our customers first and foremost and then also the regulators."
Mr Diess said Volkswagen has reached an agreement with European regulators to fix 8.5 million cars affected there.
On Monday, the US Justice Department filed a lawsuit against VW for the use of the emissions devices, which involve computer software that can detect when cars are being tested.
The company and its executives could still face separate criminal charges, while a raft of private class-action lawsuits filed by angry VW owners are pending.


Manchester City will be without captain Vincent Kompany for at least a month after he injured a calf against Champions League opponents Dynamo Kiev.

The Belgium defender, 29, has started just 13 games in the Premier League this season and has had 14 calf injuries since signing in 2008.
"Vincent has again a muscle injury in his calf, the same problem he has had before," said Pellegrini.
Kompany is set for a scan on either Wednesday or Thursday.
But Pellegrini expects the player to be out for "a minimum of one month", adding: "Vincent must be very strong mentally.
"It's very difficult to accept but he has nothing else to do."
Kompany will sit out Sunday's derby against Manchester United and is likely to miss the Champions League quarter-final first leg on 5 or 6 April.
His importance to City is clear. This season, they have conceded a goal every 156 minutes when he is on the pitch and every 70 minutes without him.
Writing in the match-day programme before the game, he discussed his injury problems.
"I play for a club that has big expectations and one of those expectations is for me to immediately start pulling in performances that are worthy of this team," he said. "In that respect, I have had to hit the ground running.
"Normally you get a period to settle back in, perhaps play a couple of practice games, and get yourself 100% right.
"That hasn't been possible at this stage of the season. I haven't been eased back in. I have played in some very big games in the last few weeks but I am fit and focused. My preparations are absolutely right.
"My whole life at the moment is forgetting what has gone before…"
Media playback is not supported on this device
BBC Radio 5 live co-commentator Andy Townsend said Kompany's injury should be a serious concern for Manchester City.
"This is a recurring injury and it's becoming a chronic situation with his calf," said Townsend. "It must be seriously worrying for him now.
"The club have to seriously think about the lad's long-term career. This injury is such a persistent one that he is going to have a serious, serious issue if he's not careful.
"With players I've spoken to over the years who have had recurring problems, like Michael Owen, they say you run on the field and you're petrified that your body is going to let you down."
Pellegrini, who will leave the club in the summer to be replaced by current Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, said reaching the last eight for the first time is "a very important achievement for the club".
City will learn their quarter-final opponents in Friday's draw, with Barcelona the side to avoid according to Pellegrini.
Luis Enrique's side are not yet through to the last eight but hold a 2-0 lead over Arsenal ahead of Wednesday's second leg at the Nou Camp.
"The team that it is better than all the other teams is Barcelona," said Pellegrini. "I think all the other teams are at a similar level."
Barcelona have knocked City out of the Champions League in each of the past two seasons.
Despite City's progress, Rio Ferdinand is unimpressed.
"I think they've gone backwards," the former England and Manchester United defender told BT Sport.
"Have they got any real chance of winning the Champions League? No. They're further down than at any time since the money was injected."


Dozens of flood warnings remain in place in central England following heavy rain and disruption on Wednesday.

The worst-affected areas were in the Midlands, where roads flooded, rail passengers were stranded and many schools closed.
About 50 Environment Agency flood warnings - meaning "immediate action required" - are currently in place.
More than 160 lower-level flood alerts have been issued across much of England and parts of Wales.
Flooding continues to cause severe disruption on some roads, including sections of the A428 and A3400 in Warwickshire.
BBC forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker said Thursday's weather would be a "lot quieter", with "none of that heavy rain that we had first thing in the morning on Wednesday".
He said cloud would clear overnight, leaving a "few spots of rain" in central and eastern England by Thursday morning, with clear skies and low temperatures elsewhere.
On Wednesday, British Transport Police formed human barriers to hold back crowds at London Euston after trains between Rugby and Milton Keynes were cancelled.
In Warwickshire, 14 schools were closed and a number of people were rescued from cars by firefighters due to floodwater.
In Birmingham, a man was filmed using a ladder as a bridge to reach a van which was stranded.


After the NHS and social care, is the next funding crisis going to be in England's schools?

Like a snowball getting bigger as it rolls downhill, momentum is gathering around the warnings of school leaders about impending cash problems.
Head teachers have said a lack of cash might force them to cut school hours.
Ministers were forced by a Parliamentary question to reveal that more than half of academies lacked enough income to cover their expenditure.
And school governors - the embodiment of local civic worthies - have threatened to go on strike for the first time, rather than sign off such underfunded budgets.
Petitions and protest letters have been sent to MPs about cuts to jobs and school services - and warning letters from head teachers will have been sent home to alert parents.
Grammar school head teachers have gone a step further and warned that parents might to have to pay to make up the shortfall.
School leaders see themselves rather like look-outs on the Titanic shouting out that there's a great big iceberg ahead - backed by the National Audit Office's finding that schools face 8% real-term spending cuts, worth £3bn, by 2020.
The spending watchdog says costs for schools are outstripping the budgets allocated by the government.
The missing piece in this debate has been any real sign of movement from the government - other than to keep repeating that school funding is at record levels.
But plenty will be going on behind the scenes, and there is no shortage of "insiders" with views on what's happening.
It's claimed that ministers can't sign a birthday card without getting clearance from 10 Downing Street.
So education ministers are unable to give any indication of funding changes, in part because a consultation is still taking place and more particularly because it isn't in their gift to decide.
But there are options thought to be under discussion.
The government has announced a new formula for allocating funding to schools, responding to years of complaints about regional inequalities.
But a number of Conservative MPs in rural and suburban areas have been energetically lobbying that this slicing up of the cake is still too much in favour of the inner cities.
If the formula was shifted around a little, such as putting less emphasis on deprivation, it could shift funding from London and the big cities towards the shires.
This would not have much electoral cost for the Conservatives as their support is not in these inner-city areas.
But it would be a big call in terms of political purpose to cut funding from areas of deprivation.
Another approach would be to start including pupil premium money - targeted at deprived children - into the general funding equation.
This really would mark the formal detonation of the last pillars of the Cameron and coalition era, for which the pupil premium was a moral touchstone.
There are other more creative possibilities.
It was revealed that of the money earmarked for the ill-fated plan turn all schools into academies, £384m had been taken back by the Treasury.
This £384m has been claimed as being enough to make sure that there are no losers in the funding formula shake-up.
If this cash could be "rediscovered" in a virtual shoebox in the Treasury, it could come back into play, getting the government off a funding hook - without actually having to find new money.
The apprenticeship levy, about to be introduced, has also been seen as a potential pot of money. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says by 2019-20 it will be raising £2.8bn from employers - but only £640m is set to be spent on apprenticeships.
The Department for Education has so far not been able to explain where the rest of this money might be heading.
Of course, another option is that the government refuses to move and schools have to operate within their budgets.
What would this mean in practice?
To take a real-life example shown to the BBC, what happens when a secondary school faces a shortfall of £350,000.
The only way to make such savings is to cut staff - heads and governing bodies will be making such tough decisions.
Which subject should they stop teaching? Which teachers should they make redundant? Should they get rid of counsellors for mental health problems? Should they merge classes? And who gets to lose out on the quality of their education?
This has left head teachers furious.
There has always been a well-developed moaning culture in education, but there is no escaping the outrage among school leaders about the lack of political response to funding worries.
They were even more livid when they found that the government had found money to expand grammar schools - and have written angry letters asking which services they should cut in their own schools.
They see ministers and MPs rather like untrustworthy children who won't take responsibility for their decisions.
There is also brinkmanship on both sides. Will schools really send home children because of a lack of cash?
And the government will worry that if they crack over schools, it would start a feeding frenzy of other demands on public spending.
A Department for Education spokesman said that school funding is already at its highest level - more than £40bn for 2016-17.
And the department says that it has grasped the nettle of introducing a long overdue national funding formula.
"Significant protections have also been built into the formula so that no school will face a reduction of more than more than 1.5% per pupil per year or 3% per pupil overall.
"But we recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, which is why we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways, including improving the way they buy goods and services, so they get the best possible value."


Jack and Emily were once again the most popular baby names in Scotland in 2015.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) figures show that Jack and Emily were the top names for the last eight and two years respectively.
Leo, Brodie, Harrison, Georgie and Rosie all climbed 2015's list.
Leo climbed 11 places in the boys' list to 13th, Brodie moved up 12 to 31st, and Harrison was up 13 to 35th. Among girls, Georgia climbed 12 places to 27th, and Rosie was up 15 to 35th.
The births of 25,970 boys and 24,490 girls were registered in the period covered by the figures.
This year, the number of unique names chosen by parents were "well above" the levels of 10, 20 or 40 years ago, according to NRS.
1,977 boys and 2,714 girls were given first forenames that were unique this year.
Jack was the top boys' first forename in 15 council areas, Oliver was top in six areas, James was top in four, and Finlay and Noah were each top in two areas.
Emily was the most popular girls' first forename in nine council areas, Sophie was top in seven and Isla was top in five. Amelia was top in four areas, and Ava, Lily and Olivia were each top in two areas.
Several other names were top (or joint top) in one council area, including Muhammad which was  the most popular boys' name in Glasgow - for a third year.
The annual list of baby names reveals that John has slipped further down the top 100. It was consistently the second most popular name throughout the 1970s, but in 2015 it ranked 59th.
In numbers, here is its fall from popularity.
However, while it has faded away as a first name, in 2015 it was the second most popular middle name with 1,204 mentions.


Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is known for saying things that many would consider unsayable.

But his outspoken style and crime-fighting record have made him popular with many Filipinos.
Here are some of his most contentious statements:
For most political leaders, praising Adolf Hitler would be inconceivable. But not for Mr Duterte, who has compared his brutal campaign against drug dealers and users to the Holocaust, saying he will kill as many addicts as Hitler did Jews.
In comments that sparked global outrage, he told reporters he had been "portrayed to be some cousin of Hitler" by his critics.
"Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there is three million drug addicts. I'd be happy to slaughter them," he said.
"At least Germany had Hitler. The Philippines wouldn't."
Mr Duterte - who got his statistics wrong, as Hitler massacred six million Jews - said he wants to "finish the problem of my country and save the next generation".
With China and the Philippines engaged in a dispute over territory, it would be conventional for Mr Duterte to build close ties with the country's most powerful ally, the US.
But instead, ahead of a meeting in Laos he described Barack Obama as a "son of a whore" over suggestions the US president might challenge him on human rights issues.
He succeeded in avoiding the topic in one sense, at least. Mr Obama cancelled the meeting, saying he preferred "constructive, productive conversations".
When the EU also urged his government to investigate human rights abuses, Mr Duterte launched an obscenity-filled rant and showed Brussels his well-used middle finger.
"I have read the condemnation of the European Union," the president told businessmen in Davao on 20 September, before cursing.
Describing the EU as hypocrites, Mr Duterte said member countries like the UK and France had "the gall to condemn me" despite their colonial ancestors killing "thousands of Arabs".
He said the EU is simply trying to "atone" for its sins and "guilt feelings" over occupying other countries in the past.
The sharp increase in killings of alleged drug dealers and drug users under Mr Duterte's leadership is no surprise - he promised to do as much during his election campaign. But with thousands now thought to have been killed, he has still run into opposition.
Unsurprisingly, the man who once said he would kill his own children if they took drugs has not backed down.
"Do the lives of 10 of these criminals really matter? If I am the one facing all this grief, would 100 lives of these idiots mean anything to me?" he said.
When UN human rights experts said his encouragement of drug killings amounted to "a crime under international law", he responded with an expletive-laden tirade, branding the experts "stupid" and threatening to pull out of the UN. He later said his threat was a joke.
Mr Duterte won the presidency because of his success in reducing crime while mayor of Davao.
In a bid to tackle communist insurgents, Davao armed civilian militias, who went on to become death squads targeting others seen as a threat to public order. It was an approach Mr Duterte promised to replicate as president.
"Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because I'd kill you," he said at his final campaign rally. "I'll dump all of you into Manila Bay, and fatten all the fish there."
He also said he would give himself and members of the security forces immunity from prosecution when they leave office, saying: "Pardon given to Rodrigo Duterte for the crime of multiple murder, signed Rodrigo Duterte."
"I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first."
That was Mr Duterte speaking at a campaign rally about a prison riot in Davao in 1989 that resulted in inmates raping and murdering a female Australian missionary.
After saying it was just "how men talk", his office issued an apology, before he rowed back on that.
"We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the Pope. I wanted to call him: 'Pope, son of a whore, go home. Do not visit us again'."
Even swearing about the Pope in the strongly Catholic Philippines did not dent the presidential campaign of Mr Duterte, who then said he would travel to the Vatican to ask for forgiveness, before writing the Pope a letter instead.
"I will ride a jet ski while bringing the Philippine flag."
The Philippines is embroiled in a territorial dispute with China over islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
To help solve this, Mr Duterte once promised to ride alone to an airport built on reclaimed land by the Chinese, to plant a Philippines flag and say: "This is ours. Do what you want with me."
"He is a bigot and I am not".
Despite a mutual fondness for inflammatory remarks, the man dubbed "Duterte Harry" has rejected comparisons with US presidential candidate Donald Trump.
He is milder towards Islam, however, arguing that a stalled peace process with Islamist rebels in the Philippines should address injustices committed against Muslims.
"I was separated from my wife. I'm not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up."
As well as that insight into his sex life he also bragged about being a womaniser, saying that he had two mistresses.


The SDLP leader has urged the public to turn out for March's assembly elections in the same numbers as the EU referendum in June.

Colum Eastwood said if voter turnout was as high as it was for Brexit it could avoid the collapse of Stormont and a lengthy period of direct rule.
The referendum saw 63% of the electorate in Northern Ireland voting.
That was eight percentage points higher than the turnout for the Stormont election the previous month.
Mr Eastwood told the BBC he believed that a higher turnout on 2 March would increase the chances of a change to the status quo.
Speaking to the Inside Politics programme, he argued that his party and the Ulster Unionists had shown they could work together in a spirit of co-operation, but acknowledged they would need other parties to form an alternative power-sharing government together.
Mr Eastwood said that next month's election presented a "major opportunity" to change local politics.
"If you take the 90,000 people who voted in the Brexit referendum but didn't vote in the May election," he argued, "if those people came out, then you'd have a very different type of politics.
"We wouldn't be hurtling towards direct rule that we might not come back from. We'd be able to form a government on day one despite all the differences and all of the challenges."
The SDLP leader said he wrote some weeks ago to the Secretary of State James Brokenshire asking him to name a date for the publication of party political donations.
Previously the SDLP had opposed full transparency over donations, but Mr Eastwood said that in the wake of the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal it is right that the current rules should change.
The SDLP leader said it is unfortunate that the DUP has not revealed the identity of an English organisation which helped fund its Brexit referendum campaign.
Questioned about the Irish government's opposition to the idea of special designated status for Northern Ireland within the EU, Mr Eastwood said he didn't care about the "semantics" of what any special measures are called, but supports protection for citizens, businesses and communities who will be disadvantaged as a result of Brexit.
Meanwhile, the Alliance leader Naomi Long has said she will not base her decision on joining a future Stormont executive on whether Arlene Foster is nominated again as first minister.
Both Sinn FÃ©in and the SDLP have said they would not be prepared to participate in an executive led by Mrs Foster before she is cleared of responsibility by the public inquiry now examining the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.
However, if Alliance is approached to take a department it will not be taking a similar line as Mrs Long believes any decision "should not be about people or personalities, but rather about policy and practice".
On reforming the petition of concern, Mrs Long argued that neither the DUP nor Sinn FÃ©in had been genuine in their approach.
She told Inside Politics the assembly must continue to have protection mechanisms for minorities and she believes Arlene Foster's suggestion that the petitions of concern could be abolished is in order to have "no restraint on the DUP's ability, or unionists' collective ability to simply override nationalist opinion."
On the RHI scandal, the Alliance leader said the publication of the names of RHI recipients of the scheme would only be meaningful if it happened in conjunction with the release of the names of donors to political parties in Northern Ireland.


The BBC's Matthew Price reflects on his experience of travelling with migrants through Europe.

She woke slowly, rubbed her eyes, and sat upright on the sleeping bag. She stared into the mid-distance and pushed back her brown hair from her eyes.
I was up at street level, looking down into the underpass where she had slept, as the rush hour vehicles stopped and started at the traffic lights.
She wore a light-pink T-shirt and electric-pink leggings. She turned her head towards her parents, but both were still asleep, curled up on the concrete, so she shifted her gaze to the others gathered around her.
All along the concourse, leading towards the station, men and women and their children slept.
Commuters picked their way through the masses. Riding escalators up and down to trains and buses.  And this little girl, no more than seven years old, just sat patiently, and waited.
Later that day, she was on the move - with more than a thousand others. They had had enough of waiting at Budapest's railway station, from where the trains to the border had been stopped.
They had taken matters into their own hands. Roused by men and megaphones, they had moved off. Through the city centre, and then onwards in an audacious effort to march to Austria, to Germany, beyond.
And that is where I found them again - on the hard shoulder of the main motorway to the border.
The sun was, thankfully, warm, hot even during the middle of the day. They walked in good spirits - hour after hour, mile after mile. And still the children did not complain.
Men led the group. From Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, they told me. The traffic filed past, slowed by the Hungarian police. And then, the group stopped. Some sat on the Tarmac, others on the crash barrier. The families with their pushchairs and babes in arms caught up, rested a while, and then the group moved on.
I have witnessed many tricky humanitarian situations around the world over the years - none, though, like this one.
Here, in the slow lane of the highway, as dusk came and the lights of the vehicles flickered by, human need and human response came together.
Hungarian families, who had watched the drama unfold on their television screens, read in their newspapers about how their country could not, would not help these people, parked up on the side of the road and opened the boots of their cars. They handed out water, and food, and clothes. One man came with a pushchair, and searched up and down the road for a family who needed it.
Twice, I saw vehicles drive by, the occupants swearing abuse at the marchers, telling them where to go - but only twice.
It got dark, really dark - no streetlights along this road. The police had warned people not to walk after dark, yet still they did. One man pushed past, his son on his shoulders fast asleep.
The group became strung out. One woman and her three children ground to a halt. The boy, in tears, could not go on. His mother also cried. So they stopped, with hundreds of others, on the grass verge. The boy, clutching a teddy bear, fell fast asleep.
And there they stayed, until the buses came. It was just as well they did. By now, it was well after midnight and the rain had begun to fall - a deep penetrating rain that got under my coat and into my shoes, a rain that, as the buses dropped them at the border with Austria, also dampened the children filing across into yet another country.
It was cold that night, you could feel autumn in the air. And, as dawn broke over Austria, the driver who had taken me across the border, a man who had started the day before uneasy about this great migration, slowed and stopped.
He asked a young couple, from Syria, if they would like a lift to the station where others were congregating. So they climbed in, their one-year-old wrapped tightly against her mother, wide-eyed.
You could not but be moved. At the station, dozens of Austrians came to hand out food - so many the people arriving often politely refused the help
And the help lasted on, to Germany. As we drove there, we passed buses with more people on, slumped against the windows, sleeping after weeks on the move, and then over the border - and to Munich.
Many have asked me how they can help these people. The majority, I would say.
But there has also been a sizeable minority of people who are concerned about this great migration. Some have questioned my objectivity.
But I do not think you lose balance just because you care about another human being. Surely, we can empathise with someone while still acknowledging there are difficult questions that need to be answered about how Europe and the rest of the world should deal with this.
One more person sticks in the mind - a young man in his 20s travelling on his own, like so many other single men in this mass movement. He did not want his photo taken.
A musician from Raqqa, in northern Syria, the stronghold of the group that calls itself Islamic State. "They said they would surely kill all musicians," he told me. "So I left."
He hoped to make it to Amsterdam. Would he ever return to Syria? "It is a paradise," he answered. Yes, one day, he would go back.
See more of Matthew Price's tweets charting the journey of migrants travelling through Europe.


T-Mobile US is to offer about 10 million of its customers free shares as the fast-growing company attempts to take on its larger rivals.

Pay-monthly customers can get one share - now worth $43.07 - with the chance of more for referring new customers.
"This has never been done before," by a public company, claimed chief executive John Legere.
T-Mobile, the third biggest US network after Verizon and AT&T, has a reputation for innovative promotions.
It styles itself as the "uncarrier", offering customers free video-streaming options, gifts, tie-ups with ticket agency StubHub, and customer-friendly data plans that have been copied by rivals.
The oversaturated US mobile market has sparked a price war with providers fighting for market share.
T-Mobile customers qualifying for a free share will be able to earn up to 100 more if they refer new subscribers.
The company said in a statement that some long-term customers will qualifying for two extra shares per referral.
Mr Legere, known for his boisterous presentations and love of social media, said: "Get ready for a gratitude adjustment, America. This Un-carrier move is all about giving you a good thanking! No strings. No gotchas. Just 'thank you for being a customer'".
T-Mobile US chief marketing officer Andrew Sherrard told the Reuters news agency: "Some [free offers] will cost us some money but over time we think it will be a really good investment."
The company, controlled by Deutsche Telekom, said it added 2.2 million customers on a net basis in the first quarter ending 31 March.


Nato defence ministers are meeting in Brussels to agree their next steps in dealing with the renewed threat from Russia.

The US Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, arrived in Europe saying he was not looking to start a new Cold War.
But, in reality, both Nato and Russia are stepping up their rhetoric and strengthening their military posture.
Last week President Vladimir Putin announced he was adding another 40 long-range ballistic missiles to his nuclear arsenal.
In return, Nato accused Moscow of "sabre rattling".
The 28-member alliance is doing a bit of that too.
On a barren plain in northern Poland, Nato has been testing its new rapid-reaction, or spearhead, force for the very first time.
Its proper title is the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VHRJTF) -  it is meant to be more nimble than its name.
It is a direct response to the crises in Ukraine, with the aim to have boots on the ground within 48 hours.
In the past, it would have taken the best part of a month to mobilise Nato forces to defend its own borders.
Military units from nine Nato countries have been taking part so far - including Dutch and German forces from the west, and Norwegian and Lithuanian troops from the north.
After dozens of military convoy moves - by road, rail and air - they converged on Poland to carry out the first "live fire" exercise. Called Noble Jump, it is clearly designed to send a signal to Moscow.
Officially, the "enemy" could be anyone. In reality, there are similarities with what has happened in Ukraine.
In the exercise scenario, they are fighting a militia, not a conventional army.
It is not that dissimilar to the "little green men" who appeared in Crimea to help Russia annex it from Ukraine.
First Special Forces are sent in to capture or kill the militants, followed by helicopter gunships and tanks.
The spearhead force is meant to be just the tip of Nato's combined firepower.
Britain is promising to commit at least 1,000 troops to the 5,000-strong VHRJTF from next year, while the US will contribute soldiers, surveillance drones and fast jets.
Gen Philip Breedlove, the most senior Nato military commander, says: "We need to be ready because of provocation."
Like many Nato officers and officials, he seems reluctant to mention Russia.
The alliance does not want to take the blame for fanning the flames, but at the same time it wants to talk tough.
Gen Breedlove is also keen to emphasise the difference between Nato's own exercises and those carried out by the country he does not name.
He says: "Remember our exercises are open and transparent and are sized not to be provocative.
"Put that against their snap exercises, with  large forces moving unannounced that in one example turned into an invasion that changed the shape of the land." That is a clear reference to what happened in Crimea.
True, Russia has been conducting large-scale military manoeuvres involving tens of thousands of troops.
But by the end of this year, Nato will have conducted more than 300 combined military exercises, 100 more than last year.
It is still being pushed to do more by its newer member states, those that feel more vulnerable on Nato's eastern flank.
As we watched his special forces in action on exercise Noble Jump, a Lithuanian general told me the Baltic states could be Russia's next target.
He said: "Just on the other side of our border, we see large military units that can mobilise at short notice."
Old Warsaw Pact countries want reinforcements - especially from the US.
This week, the US defence secretary has announced plans to pre-position US military equipment in Europe.
After pulling out all of its tanks two years ago, The US is sending them back in.
A US armoured brigade - with 250 armoured vehicles, including Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles - will be in Europe by the end of the year.
Some will end up in Poland and the Baltic States.
Nato has already set up new military bases in those countries along with Romania and Bulgaria.
Poland's Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, says: "Pre-positioning US military equipment seems like a very good idea to us because it means increasing our security."
He reminds me that, given its history: "Poland thinks very seriously about threats."
Where will this all end?
1949: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK, US
1952: Greece, Turkey
1955: West Germany
1982: Spain
1999: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland
2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
2009: Albania, Croatia
Already, there is talk the US might seek to strengthen its own nuclear posture in Europe to counter any threat from Russia's new missiles.
For now, that seems unlikely.
But the US has made a calculation that it needs to park the tanks near Russia's backyard, even if they are relatively few in number.
But how does this help "de-escalate" tensions?
While Nato insists this is not a new Cold War, it is starting to look and sound remarkably similar.


League Two promotion hopefuls Wycombe Wanderers will travel to League One's bottom club Coventry City in the semi-finals of the EFL Trophy.

Wycombe are unbeaten in 16 games, while Coventry are seven points from safety.
In the other semi, Luton or Yeovil will host either Oxford or Bradford after both quarter-finals were postponed on Tuesday due to frozen pitches.
Oxford's game with Bradford will take place on Tuesday, 31 January, and Luton host Yeovil on Tuesday, 7 February.


The brother of a 15-year-old girl raped and murdered on a beach in Goa in 2008 blamed himself for her death, an inquest has heard.

Halloran Keeling - known as Hal - died in Newquay last August, aged 28.
His sister Scarlett Keeling's body was found on Anjuna beach in 2008, during a six-month "trip of a lifetime".
The Cornwall coroner said Mr Keeling's death was drug related, but it could not be proved if he meant to kill himself.
Scarlett, from north Devon, had been left in the care of her 25-year-old tour guide boyfriend while the rest of her family went travelling.
Goan police initially said Scarlett drowned accidently, but a second post-mortem examination revealed she had numerous injuries and had been drugged and raped before drowning in seawater.
Two men were arrested within weeks and charged with culpable homicide and grievous sexual assault, but both were acquitted last year.
Mr Keeling, the eldest of Fiona MacKeown's nine children, did not to go to India with the rest of the family and was told of his sister's death while he was in hospital in Plymouth recovering from serious injuries sustained when he was knocked down two days before Scarlett died.
Ms MacKeown, 52, said her son could not go because he did not have his passport, and he felt directly responsible for Scarlett's death.
She said he believed he could have protected her from harm if he had been on the trip.
"He was very close to Scarlett - he couldn't have done anything and was not to blame at all, but he didn't accept that," she said.
"He just never got over his sister's death."
In a written statement to the inquest, she said: "He became depressed around the age of 15 and they prescribed anti-depressants and Valium.
"A year later he was self-medicating with cannabis."
The inquest also heard Mr Keeling took other illicit substances and had been hospitalised for overdosing unintentionally on prescription drugs.
In a statement, psychiatric nurse Susie Theobald told the inquest Mr Keeling had been deeply affected by the death of his sister.
"He had a significant life event trauma when his sister was sexually assaulted and murdered in 2008, she said, adding that he had experienced "physical abuse from his mother's partners from the age of four".


The sense of satisfaction oozed out of Lewis Hamilton after the Spanish Grand Prix, in which he took a thrilling victory in the best race of a season that is already heading towards becoming a classic.

The Mercedes driver's 55th career win meant he matched title rival Sebastian Vettel on two wins each in the five races so far this season and closed the points gap at the top of the championship to just six heading into the next race in Monaco on 28 May.
Just as importantly, it was a victory to boost the confidence of both Hamilton and his team. They did it the hard way after losing the lead to Vettel on the first lap, and it required both brilliant driving and inspirational strategic thinking to get back past the Ferrari.
The effort it took from Hamilton was apparent by the unusual breathlessness of many of his radio messages as he and his Mercedes engineers worked to turn the race back around in their favour against the odds.
And in doing so they answered many of the questions that have arisen over them in the course of a first quarter of the season in which Ferrari have pushed them right to the limit.
Those panting radio calls from Hamilton - some of them betraying so much effort that he was unable to even finish the sentence he was trying to construct - were caused, he said afterwards, by the sheer physical and mental effort he was having to put into the race.
"[The] intensity of the fight, how much I was on the edge," Hamilton said. "I was very much on the edge. It is hard to really explain it. I was pushing. I couldn't push any more. And that was every lap for 66 laps, well, 63."
This could not have happened last year, or indeed any of the years from 2011-16, when the Pirelli tyres would not have sustained such demands.
But the harder compound introduced for this season has allowed drivers to push much closer to the limit for much longer and the result has been a series of terrific races that are really testing the drivers.
Later in the race, Hamilton found himself behind Vettel but on a faster tyre. Overtaking is notoriously difficult on this track.
After being barged off the track as they disputed the lead when Vettel returned to the track from his final pit stop, Hamilton spent six laps tracking Vettel closely while they negotiated traffic, before using the extra grip of his tyres to get him close enough to use the DRS overtaking aid - now Vettel did not also have it - to blast past on the straight.
It was still asking a lot to make his 'soft' tyres last the 30 laps required to finish the race but he played the life out with excellent judgement, extended his gap, and when Vettel tried to close in again in the final laps, posted the fastest lap of the race with two to go to emphasise how much he was in control.
"What I loved about the race with Sebastian is I love tennis and I love watching [Roger] Federer and [Novak] Djokovic in the final and what I really admire is consistency," said Hamilton.
"I admire their concentration and how they are so awesome and stay at the limit. I felt I had that battle. That is the only way I can explain it."
During the race, Hamilton had told his team that Vettel's defence of the lead when they came together at Turn One on lap 38 was "dangerous".
Afterwards, they had a brief chat in the pre-podium room. "I didn't say anything bad, just, 'be careful, that was very, very, very close'," said Hamilton.
"But I enjoyed it and I'm glad I was able to have a battle, didn't damage anything and there's nothing lost between us. The respect stays the same.
"He was tough and hard, just to the edge and no more - if he'd hit me that would have been a bit different."
The respect will doubtless stay through the season no matter what happens, the two men have too much regard for each other's talent for it not to. But this is turning into a titanic scrap between two of the greatest drivers of their generation and it is not hard to imagine that the spiciness is going to go up a few notches as the season goes on.
Hamilton kept his counsel after the race not only because he acknowledged that Vettel had not done anything wrong but also because he knows full well he would have done the same himself.
This was the first intense mano-a-mano combat between the two on track this year, but it's unlikely to be the last. One suspects Hamilton will be more than happy to return the favour if the roles are reversed next time.
Good as Hamilton's drive was - undoubtedly one of his very best - he could not have done it without a superb collective effort from Mercedes team, from head of strategy James Vowles and Hamilton's engineer Peter Bonnington on the pit wall to his team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
In Bahrain, Mercedes were caught flat-footed on strategy, taking far too long to move Bottas out of Hamilton's way, and it arguably cost them a strong chance of victory. In Barcelona, though, they got everything perfect.
Track position is so important at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya that Hamilton, who started on pole position, already knew he was in for a tough afternoon from the moment he was passed by Vettel on the run down to the first corner.
But he managed to hang on to within about 2.5 seconds of Vettel, despite the fact that until this weekend the Mercedes drivers have tended to lose more performance in the dirty air behind other cars than the more-flexible Ferrari.
Holding that margin was critical, because it forced Ferrari to pit Vettel early in the first stint to avoid the risk of being 'undercut' by Hamilton - when a team stops first and uses the extra grip of new tyres to gain enough time on the driver who stops second to be ahead when both stops are finished.
That done, Mercedes then adjusted their strategy to run a longer first stint - a full seven laps longer than Vettel - and then pit for the harder 'medium' tyres.
Mercedes then left Bottas out even longer than Hamilton, and used him strategically to block Vettel who was closing fast on the old-tyred Mercedes on his fresh tyres. It only took Vettel two laps to pass the Finn, despite his valiant defence, but in that time he lost nearly five seconds to Hamilton.
Mercedes' decision to run Hamilton long in the first stint and then fit medium tyres turned out to be critical.  In theory, depending on how things worked out, Hamilton could now run to the end on those tyres.
This meant that when the virtual safety car was deployed mid-race following a collision between Felipe Massa's Williams and Stoffel Vandoorne's McLaren, Ferrari could not risk pitting Vettel because it would have put him behind Hamilton. The German's tyres would have been fresher, but of the same compound, and there was no guarantee he would have been able to pass over the rest of the race.
That freed up Mercedes to make the strategy call that won Hamilton the race. To avoid Ferrari responding, they waited until it was clear the VSC period was about to end before pitting Hamilton for fresh tyres.
The fact that some of his pit stop was done while Vettel was being controlled to VSC speeds meant the Ferrari driver's lead was cut from eight seconds to nothing and they were side by side as Vettel emerged from the pits and they headed to the first corner.
That's 12 seconds Mercedes bought Hamilton in his battle with Vettel by two clever strategic plays.
Hamilton very nearly took the lead there and then, only to be barged aside. But he bided his time on his grippier tyres - he was on the much-faster softs by now and Vettel on the mediums - and got it done a few laps later.
The other positive for Hamilton and Mercedes in this race was technical. Not only could Hamilton follow Vettel closely twice, when in previous races that might not have been possible, but the car also had noticeable better tyre usage than in some races this year, despite the hot weather.
Hamilton said he believed the dramatic-looking aerodynamic upgrades on the Mercedes may have been partly responsible for this.
"I was on a different tyre to him at the end, particularly when I was close," he said. "That was a large part of it.
"The upgrades have helped. The experience we've had in the last couple of races, understanding the tyres and where to put them we are starting to see the benefits of that.
"It is still hard to overtake, but it was an unusual weekend where we were quick in the last sector and they were slower but they were very strong in the first two. I was surprised I was able to follow. I can't tell you why but I think ultimately we were quicker today."
There was actually some debate after the race about whether the Mercedes or the Ferrari was the quicker car in Spain. Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff both said they thought that was the case; others - including Vettel - believed it was the Ferrari.
What that underlines is just how close this battle is, that races are being decided by the tiniest margins, by strategy, intelligence and driving skills are coming to the fore. Neither team can get away with mistakes - Mercedes made them in Bahrain and lost; Ferrari were out-thought in Spain.
"The car was good, nothing to blame there," Vettel said. "I think our weekend was a bit scrappy overall."
Next comes Monaco, the most prestigious race of the season. Both men will want a win there, but both are aware it is just one more battle in a much longer war.
"In my mind, it is not the most important thing," Hamilton said. "For me it is about consistency. You can get ahead for one race and behind the next.
"It is about trying to perform as I have this weekend every single race we have left. Whoever is the most consistent [will win]."
If he can keep driving as well as he did in Spain, and Mercedes go with him, Hamilton will take some stopping.


Liverpool Football Club has fallen into the red despite posting record revenue.

The £19.8m pre-tax loss for the year to May 2016 was largely due to cost of signing big-name players and a payoff for Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked as manager in October 2015.
Liverpool signed 12 players in the period, spending £32m on striker Christian Benteke, who has since left, and £29m on Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino.
Revenue rose £3m to £301m.
The loss compared with a £60m profit for the previous year, which was largely due to the £75m sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
The club also made £49m from the sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City.
Commercial revenue fell £700,000 to £116m, but match day income increased by £3.4m to £62m following a pre-season tour to Australia and Asia. The team also reached the League Cup and Europa League finals.
Media revenue increased by £1m to £124m.
Chief operating officer Andy Hughes said the club, which has been owned by US firm Fenway Sports  Group since October 2010, continued to make "solid financial progress".
"We have seen continued investment in the playing squad, the expanded Main Stand, the new flagship retail store opening later this year, fully refurbished retail stores in Liverpool and Belfast, and we are consulting on a proposed development at our academy in Kirkby to bring together the first team and our young players," he said.
The club said it expected "significantly improved" results for the current financial year.
It has hired Peter Moore, chief competition officer at gaming firm Electronic Arts, to take over as chief executive in June.
The club hopes the 61-year-old - an avid Liverpool fan - can draw on his marketing expertise to boost commercial income.