"Incontrovertible" test results show sarin gas or a similar substance was used in the chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this month, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) says.

Samples from 10 victims had been analysed at four laboratories, OPCW head Ahmet Uzumcu said.
The attack on rebel-held Khan Sheikhoun killed at least 87 people.
The Syrian military denied using any chemical agents.
Its ally Russia meanwhile said an air strike hit a rebel depot full of chemical munitions - but this suggestion has been widely rejected.
The US responded to the attack by launching air strikes on a Syrian military airfield.
Footage following the incident showed civilians, many of them children, choking and foaming at the mouth.
Mr Uzumcu said samples had been taken from three people who died in the attack and were analysed at two OPCW designated laboratories.
Another set of samples from seven people being treated in hospitals were also analysed in two other laboratories.
"The results of these analyses from four OPCW-designated laboratories indicate exposure to sarin or a sarin-like substance. While further details of the laboratory analyses will follow, the analytical results already obtained are incontrovertible," Mr Uzumcu said.
An OPCW fact-finding mission was ready to deploy to the town if the security situation meant it was possible, he said.
The team was continuing to conduct interviews and collect samples, he added.
Syria had been obligated to give up its chemical weapons arsenal under the terms of a deal agreed between the US and Russia in 2013 following a deadly chemical weapons attack in Damascus earlier that year.
The UN said sarin had been used in the attack which killed hundreds of people in the Ghouta agricultural belt to the west and east of the capital.


The "unknown" of leaving the EU could help stimulate Britain, according to Hargreaves Lansdown co-founder Peter Hargreaves, who backs the UK's withdrawal from the union.

He told the Today programme a fresh start could help Britain innovate.
Demand for UK fashion and cars, as well as the attractiveness of the UK as a market for the EU, would ensure good trade deals, he said.
The Stronger In campaign said the EU supported jobs, growth and low prices.
Mr Hargreaves founded stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown in 1981 with business partner Stephen Lansdown.
He stepped down from the board of the company last year, but still owns a stake of more than 30%, worth just under Â£2bn.
"I'm firmly convinced, that day - hopefully - we decide to leave, that little bit of insecurity, that little bit of unknown will be an absolute fillip to everyone," said Mr Hargreaves.
"It will be a great incentive for us to go out and prove that it's right."
"When Singapore became independent from Malaysia, that little insecurity that they were no longer part of Malaysia, it was an inspiration," he said. "I honestly think that would be good for us too."
Mr Hargreaves said he was speaking on his own account and not for the company.
He said concerns about leaving the EU and the impact it would have on the financial sector, particularly in the City of London, were overblown.
"We raise money for the Russians; we raise money all over the world, for countries that are not in Europe," he said. "They've got to use London. London can raise billions on a few phone calls."
He said bankers would not want to move to Paris or Frankfurt because of higher taxes, and London's attractiveness as a place to live.
But Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks and co-treasurer of the Stronger In campaign, said: "Being in the EU means British businesses like Innocent, the company I co-founded, can trade more freely - both with the EU itself and with the more than 50 other countries we have trade deals with through the EU."
"That supports jobs, growth and low prices for Brits at home."
Mr Hargreaves said demand for goods in and from the UK would spur quick and favourable trade deals, and the popularity of British fashion and brands such as Rolls-Royce and Jaguar would help the UK flourish after an exit.
"Can you imagine if they put up a trade barrier - and we would reciprocate immediately - just imagine the three phone calls [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel would get the following day, the chief executive of [Volkswagen], the chief executive of Mercedes and the chief executive of BMW."
He said his main objection to the EU relates to rules and regulations. He added that the free trade element was "marvellous".
Keeping 28 members happy made trade deals outside the EU cumbersome, he argued. The UK could look to the Commonwealth for more trade, free of prior deals that may favour other European nations.
His views contrast with those of many other business leaders. Earlier this week, Britain's biggest business lobbying group, the CBI, said 80% of members questioned in a survey want to stay in the EU, although it declined to join a campaign to stay.
The Stronger In campaign's Mr Reed said: "We'd be faced with having to first renegotiate a trade deal with the EU, then our trade partners we already have deals with now," which would take "years" and would mean losing negotiating power within the bloc.
Earlier this month, the possibility of Britain leaving the EU was cited as the "biggest domestic risk to financial stability" in the short term by Bank of England governor Mark Carney, although he emphasised the Bank was not taking sides in the EU referendum.


A fire has broken out at a furniture warehouse in Merseyside.

About 40 firefighters are tackling the blaze at the single-storey unit in Strand Road, Bootle.
Residents have been advised stay inside and shut their doors and windows due to the high volume of smoke in the area.
Plumes of black smoke could be seen for miles from the Livnstyle Furniture business unit.


Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola says a dressing-room mole is "damaging" the 25-time German champions, after details of an alleged row were made public.

German newspaper Bild claims Guardiola was angry with Bayern's medical team after Tuesday's Champions League semi-final exit to Atletico Madrid.
The Spaniard is alleged to have accused his physiotherapists of taking too long to get his players fit after injury.
"Whoever has spoken has done it to hit me," said Guardiola.
The former Barcelona boss is leaving Bayern in the summer to take over at Manchester City.
Bayern will win a third successive Bundesliga title under the 45-year-old if they win at Ingolstadt on Saturday.
When asked at his news conference on Friday, Guardiola did not deny a row had happened.
"Usually what happens inside the dressing room remains inside the dressing room," he said.
"But I'm not here next season anyway so it's not my problem, but Bayern's.
"It's happened plenty of times over these past three years.
"It's normal for me to talk to my players and staff and give them my opinion, but there are people here who are talking because they want to hurt me.
"Maybe this person will still be here next season and clearly they haven't realised that they are not damaging me, but the club and the team."
Guardiola won the Champions League twice with Barcelona - in 2009 and 2011.
"I've done my best here," he said of his time at Bayern. "But if you say that I had to win the Champions League, then I have failed.
"Go ahead and write that I have failed."


Volunteers at an amateur rugby league club say they are "heartbroken" the clubhouse has been badly damaged in a suspected arson attack.

More than 40 firefighters tackled the blaze that caused extensive damage at Leyland Warriors in Moss Side Way, Lancashire, at about 02:00 BST.
The repairs will take months, the club says, affecting more than 200 players.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said no-one was hurt, but it is believed the fire was "started deliberately".
Head coach Phil Roberts said everybody was "in a state of shock" after the fire.
Leyland Warriors play in the second division of the North West Men's League.


Traffic restrictions previously deemed "unenforceable" have been reintroduced on a city centre street.

Coppergate in York can only be used by buses, taxis and permit holders between 08:00 and 18:00.
Drivers breaking the rules will receive a penalty notice of up to Â£60.
In 2015, City of York Council was forced to pay back fines after a tribunal ruled errors in the signs on Coppergate meant the restrictions were not enforceable.
More on this and other York stories
Penalty notices totalling more than Â£385,000 which were given to 12,000 drivers in Coppergate were refunded after the council abandoned the scheme in 2014, less than a year after it was introduced.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be used to enforce the new restrictions while the previously criticised signage has been improved.
Drivers who enter the restricted area will be sent warning letters for the first two weeks of its operation.
After that, a letter will be sent for a first offence, with a fine for a second one.
From July, all offences will attract an immediate fine.
Conservative councillor Ian Gillies said the scheme was designed to enforce traffic restrictions in place on Coppergate since the 1960s which were "only enforced infrequently".
He said: "The reintroduction of the restriction along with a substantial amount of clearer and more robust signage will hopefully help reduce the number of people wrongly entering the street and help traffic to flow better in the area.
"This will hopefully in turn help the city's bus services to run more efficiently."


Giselle Dye says poor hospital food left her weak and delayed her recovery from surgery by weeks.

Ms Dye, from Portobello in Edinburgh, went into the Western General in the city in April 2015 for surgery on a benign brain tumour.
She was in hospital for a month after the operation but thinks she could have been home in half the time if she had been fed properly.
She told BBC Scotland: "Obviously I was very weak after the surgery but I felt I was not getting enough of all the right things to eat."
Her comments come after the BBC learned some Scottish hospitals are spending just 94p per patient meal.
For the first three days , Ms Dye said she was on a "soft" diet which means her food was pureed.
She said: "They'd obviously taken a plate of food and pureed it, so I was given a plate of pink goo."
Ms Dye said she became extremely weak and kept fainting.
"After three or four days I realised I was fainting because I was hungry," she said.
"The care I got was fantastic but the food was frankly disappointing.
"There often wasn't enough of it and when it came it was quite unappetising."
She says her husband started to take boiled eggs to her each morning on his way to work.
"Within three days I was stronger and better and getting up and moving," she says.
"I think I was in hospital a lot longer than I needed to be because I was not getting the right kind of food and I wasn't getting enough food.
"I found it difficult to get any fruit.
"My husband brought in other things like peanut butter and toast, things that were easy to eat and enjoyable. One night I sent him out for fish and chips because I was so hungry."
Ms Dye says: "I think I was probably in hospital two weeks longer than I needed to be because I was weak.
"I was weak because I was not getting enough and the right kind of food to eat."
A recent Scottish Care Experience Survey said food and drink played "an important part in a patient's recovery and consequently they are subject to national standards for food, fluid and nutritional care in hospitals".
It said food was an area where a "substantial percentage of people reported a negative experience".
The survey also noted "considerable variation between NHS boards" with positive responses ranging from 56% to 91%.
A number of people contacted BBC Scotland to say they had a positive experience of hospital food.
NHS Lothian told BBC Scotland that the kitchen at St John's hospital in Livingston provided its cheapest meals "but is widely recognised for the high quality meals served".
It said food at the Western General was currently a hybrid of food produced in the hospital kitchen and "frozen meals purchased through national contracts".
A spokeswoman said the health board was moving towards local production for the whole menu.
Ms Dye said staff at the time of her hospital stay told her the food was prepared off-site and brought to Scotland from south of the border.
"I was surprised because Scotland's got a great reputation for food and drink," she says.
"I think the only food that was prepared on site was baked potatoes and soup and actually that was the nicest food I got the whole time I was there."


Money to subsidise an Isles of Scilly helicopter link has been ruled out by the government, the St Ives MP Andrew George has been told.

Liberal Democrat MP Mr George made the comments following a meeting with Transport Minister Norman Baker.
The current service is being axed at the end of the month.
Mr Baker said millions of pounds would be spent improving St Mary's Airport as well as the harbours on the islands and in Penzance.
Mr George said he was talking to various companies to find a replacement helicopter service to start next year.
British International Helicopters (BIH) will stop its service on 31 October after running into financial problems.
The Scillonian ferry runs for only seven months a year and the only other link, Skybus, is weather-dependent.
Mr George said: "This is a time of very deep austerity. [Mr Baker] reminded me they were under budgetary pressure from the Treasury."
Marion Bennett, from Friends of Isles of Scilly Transport (FRIST), says it will cost millions to create a new helicopter service from scratch.
She is also holding a meeting with Mr Baker at the end of October.
Mrs Bennett said: "We will re-iterate the criteria required for our transport which is affordable, all year round, and reliable."
Mr George said: "I have been arguing for the past 15 years to make the case along with the Scottish islands which have substantial subsidies to assist both ferry and air services."


China is stepping up its efforts to contain the spread of a new strain of bird flu which has killed six people in the country.

The authorities in Shanghai, where four deaths were recorded, have closed three poultry markets and banned the import of all live birds into the city.
China has now identified 16 domestic cases of the H7N9 virus.
The World Health Organization says there is no evidence yet that the virus is being transmitted between humans.
The human cases of H7N9 have all occurred in eastern China, in Shanghai and its neighbouring provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang.
The latest death was a 64-year-old man who died in Zhejiang, the second death there, state media report. There was no sign of infection in anyone who had had close contact with him, said officials.
On Thursday, officials began the slaughter of at least 20,000 birds in Shanghai after the virus was detected in pigeons sold in Huhuai market.
The trading of live birds - how poultry is traditionally sold in China - has also been halted at a market in the Zhejiang city of Hangzhou, after the virus was detected in quail being sold there.
"People are worried," Yan Zhicheng, an elderly Shanghai resident, told AFP news agency.
"Shanghai people eat a lot of duck and chicken. Now we can't touch them."
Another Shanghai resident, Shao Linxia, said she would not longer be buying food from traditional markets, but instead using large supermarkets.
"I don't think it is safe to visit the wet markets anymore," she told Reuters.
The authorities in Hong Kong are also bringing in extra precautions, including heightened checks at immigration points, while other countries in the region have boosted their own influenza responses.
The H7N9 is a form of avian flu not previously been found in humans. The WHO says information about it is still limited, but that all the victims have had severe pneumonia, with symptoms including a fever and shortness of breath.
It is also not yet known how all the infections occurred, with the WHO unable to confirm any cases of human-to-human transmission.
The Chinese government has promised to openly share information about the virus, after being accused of trying to cover up health crises in the past.


Egypt's president has said he will not "interfere" with the judiciary over the sentencing of al-Jazeera journalists in Cairo, which triggered global outrage.

"We must respect judicial rulings and not criticise them even if others do not understand this", Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said.
A court in Cairo found Australian Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed guilty of spreading false news.
The trio had denied the charges and are expected to appeal.
Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the BBC that Canberra would work with the Egyptian government to try to secure Mr Greste's release "as soon as possible".
"We support Egypt's transition to democracy, but that also includes freedom of speech and press."
Who are the al-Jazeera journalists on trial in Egypt?
Egypt press rejects Al-Jazeera verdict critics
Ms Bishop also ruled out imposing sanctions on Egypt, saying it was "not helpful at this stage".
Mr Sisi was elected last month, vowing to tackle "terrorism" and bring security.
The retired field marshal overthrew President Mohammed Morsi last July amid mass protests against his rule.
He has since been pursuing a crackdown on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which urged a boycott of the 26-28 May elections. Liberal and secular activists also shunned the poll in protest at the curtailing of civil rights.
Monday's jailing of the reporters has been condemned by media organisations and politicians around the world.
In London, BBC staff were joined by colleagues from other news organisations in a one-minute silent protest outside New Broadcasting House in London.
The protest took place at 09:41 BST (08:41 GMT) - exactly 24 hours after the sentencing in Cairo.
"The verdict is unjust, the case is unfounded," the BBC's News Director James Harding told the gathering.
He added that journalists around the world "have to stand together" for reporters being imprisoned for simply doing their job.
Mr Harding added that journalists would be sending a letter to the Egyptian president, calling him to intervene.
The father of Mr Greste told reporters in Brisbane that the family was "devastated" and "shocked" by the verdict.
"This is a very dark time, not only for our family but for journalism generally," Juris Greste said, describing the ruling as a "slap in the face" to "all fair-minded people around the world".
"Journalism is not a crime, or you should all be behind bars,'' he added.
But Mr Greste's parents were reluctant to criticise the Egyptian judicial system, reports the BBC's Jon Donnison in Sydney, aware that might hinder the ongoing diplomatic efforts to put pressure on the Egyptian government.
The BBC's Bethany Bell in Cairo says that while the case has been condemned around the world, it has been presented differently by the Egyptian media.
While reporting the verdict prominently, the traditional media have not criticised it, and, echoing the official line, have expressed rejection of "foreign interference" in Egypt's affairs.
However, the story has been met with shock and outrage on social media.
Al-Jazeera, which is based in Qatar, was banned from operating inside Egypt after being accused of broadcasting reports sympathetic to former President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Jazeera has consistently denied the allegations.
Eleven defendants tried in absentia, including three foreign journalists, received 10-year sentences. Two of the journalists convicted in absentia are British.


Police say they are treating the death of a man at Divis Tower flats in west Belfast as murder.

The man who died was 62-year-old Jim Hughes.
His body was discovered in a flat on the 14th floor on Sunday night.  A 42-year-old man arrested on Sunday remains in custody.
Police have appealed for anyone who was on the 14th, 15th or 16th floors of the flats and heard anything suspicious on Saturday or Sunday to contact them.
Earlier, Sinn Féin MLA Fra McCann said he believed two floors of the flats were evacuated late on Sunday night while a forensic search was carried out.
Mr McCann, who lives close to the scene, added: "I know the man personally, he was a very kind and well-liked person.
"He was a very spiritual man, always had a good and kind word for people
"He lived in this tower block for many, many years and got on well with everyone in the tower."
John Leathem, chairman of the Divis Residents' Association, paid tribute to Mr Hughes.
"James would have been a very loving person, a very caring person," Mr Leathem said.
"If somebody was sick, or he could assist you in any way, he would have."


Five men will contest the two remaining seats on the Isle of Man's Legislative Council, the Manx government have said.

MHKs David Anderson and Tim Crookall are nominated along with Phil Braidwood MLC, Thomas Moyle and Adrian Tinkler.
The council is the upper chamber of the Manx Parliament and consists of eleven members including the President of Tynwald, the Bishop of Sodor and Man, and the Attorney General.
The election will be held at the House of Keys on Monday 22 June.
Mr Anderson, Mr Crookall and Mr Braidwood all failed to gain the backing of at least 13 MHKs in last month's election.
Glenfaba MHK David Anderson came the closest to being elected, securing 11 votes.
Tynwald is said to be the oldest continuous parliament in the world dating back more than 1,000 years.


A petition against a school's "extortionate" new uniform policy has been signed by hundreds of parents.

All pupils at Redhill Academy in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, must wear trousers and skirts with the school logo on from September.
It said some clothes sold as schoolwear were not "appropriate" and pupils should look "consistent" in appearance.
But the new garments cost between £16 and £19 each, and parents say they will struggle to afford them.
Sharon Turton, who has a son and daughter at the school, said the change was going to cost her "a fortune".
"It's more than double what we are currently paying for one pair," she said.
"You don't buy just one pair of school trousers. You always buy two or three pairs to allow for dirt, damage or whatever."
The petition has been signed by about 500 people.
It states: "Not all children will conform to the sizes but most importantly the price is extortionate.
"Lower income families currently struggle with uniform costs.
"The board cannot expect these families to pay more, just for a logo."
The skirts and trousers can only be bought from one approved supplier, which already supplies the school's blazers and ties.
The school said the new skirts and trousers were better quality than items sold on the high street.
"They have already been adopted in some of our other Redhill Trust schools and feedback from parents has been extremely positive on the issues of durability and value for money," the school said in a statement.
"Retailers are not always helpful to parents in this regard by promoting a wide array of styles and fabrics as 'schoolwear' when in our opinion they are not necessarily appropriate for school for any number of reasons."


A team of researchers says it has identified a new species of humpback dolphin.

Physical and genetic evidence suggests that cetaceans found in waters off northern Australia are distinct within the humpback family.
This general group grows up to 2.4m in length and inhabits coastal waters from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The evidence for the distinct species in northern Australia is outlined in the academic journal Molecular Ecology.
"Based on the findings of our combined morphological and genetic analyses, we can suggest that the humpback dolphin genus includes at least four member species," said co-author Martin Mendez, from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Latin America and the Caribbean programme.
Dr Mendez added: "This discovery helps our understanding of the evolutionary history of this group and informs conservation policies to help safeguard each of the species."
The authors analysed physical data gathered mostly from beached dolphins and museum specimens. Specifically, the team examined features from 180 skulls covering most of the distribution area of the group in order to compare features across the region.
The researchers also collected 235 tissue samples from humpback dolphins, stretching from the eastern Atlantic to the western Pacific Oceans, analysing both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA to study variation.
Dr Nicholas Higgs, a marine biologist from Plymouth University, told BBC News: "It is an interesting and significant finding and has important conservation implications, namely that the Australian population is  a distinct species and should be given conservation status on its own.
He added: "We knew that there were humpback dolphins living off Australia, but didn't realise that they were a separate species from that living in the rest of South-East Asia."
Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter


"I go from one catastrophe to another," declared Peter Foster, the serial conman behind Britain's "Cheriegate" scandal, after being released from prison in Vanuatu in 2007.

With his customary disingenuous charm, the Australian added: "I don't know how I do it. I'm going to have to learn eventually, I suppose."
A decade on, there is no sign that Foster - who once dated the Page Three model Samantha Fox - has altered his ways, despite serving further jail terms for more of the scams for which he has long been infamous.
Now the 54-year-old is back behind bars, charged with yet another alleged fraud: conning at least one investor in an online betting agency, the Sports Trading Club (STC), and funnelling up to A$32m (Â£20m; $24m) offshore.
Foster, who had been on the run for nearly a year, will face court this month after being arrested in a cafe on Queensland's Gold Coast in February and extradited to New South Wales. Last month, he was denied bail despite insisting to a magistrate that he was a changed man.
The STC affair is the latest episode in the long-running soap opera that is Foster's life - a drama that embroiled and embarrassed the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in 2002, when it was revealed that the Australian had helped Mr Blair's wife, Cherie, to buy two cut-price flats in Bristol.
Downing St initially denied Mrs Blair's association with the convicted fraudster, but she was then forced to deliver a tearful public apology on TV. The pair had met through Foster's then partner, Carole Caplin, who was Mrs Blair's "fitness guru".
Under threat of deportation, Foster left Britain in 2003, and since then has divided his time between Australia and Fiji, allegedly continuing to fleece the gullible while portraying himself as a lovable rogue.
In Fiji, he was arrested in his underpants after diving into a river to evade police. He also tried to blacken the name of a rival property developer in that country, and was even credited with a part in one of its numerous coups.
His latest brush with the law comes after he allegedly swindled one STC investor out of A$1.5m, using an alias, Mark Hughes. The Perth-based man became suspicious after receiving a text message from an STC director which mentioned Peter Foster by name. He realised Foster and Hughes were allegedly one and the same.
Appearing by video link in Sydney's Central Local Court, Foster pleaded for bail, claiming he was at risk of being killed in jail for informing on a Gold Coast businessman, John Chardon, accused of murdering his wife.
The garrulous Australian, who shared a cell with Chardon in 2015, also promised the magistrate he would not abscond. "My past is bad, and I'm the first to admit it, but even God can't change the sins of the past," he declared.
Foster, who is close to his elderly, sick mother, added: "I'm not the person I was 20 years ago or 10 years ago. I don't want to run away from my own family. I don't want to be an orphan travelling the world."
Unimpressed, the magistrate refused to grant bail, deeming him a flight risk - particularly in light of an "escape kit", including a fake Irish passport, which police previously found buried in his backyard.
As a teenager, Foster promoted nightclubs and boxing matches on the Gold Coast. He made a fraudulent insurance claim in relation to a cancelled match when he was just 20.
Over the years, many of his scams have involved bogus weight-loss products, including the notorious Bai Lin tea, which he persuaded Ms Fox and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, to promote during the 1980s.
The tea and other products - including so-called "slimming granules", Ageless Ageing jelly, the TRIMit diet pill and a thigh reduction cream - saw him fined and jailed in Britain, the US and Australia during the late '80s and '90s.
Given bail in Fiji after his watery arrest in 2006, Foster absconded and crisscrossed the South Pacific, eventually wading to shore in Vanuatu, carrying his belongings in a plastic bag. He was imprisoned for immigration offences but freed early, apparently after a long lunch with police and prison officers.
In 2011, he was arrested at his mother's hospital bedside, managing to stuff his mobile phone under her pillow before being led away.
In 2013, he went on the run yet again - and it was during this period, holed up in Byron Bay, on the northern NSW coast, that he allegedly conducted the betting fraud.
Arrested and jailed in 2014 following a tussle with police during which his underpants fell down, Foster was later fined A$660,000 for conning 90 investors in his SensaSlim "weight loss spray" out of A$6 million. The judge described him as "beyond redemption".


Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a cancer patient who campaigned for better access to cancer drugs in Wales.

Irfon Williams from Bangor, Gwynedd, had moved to England to access the drug Cetuximab to treat his bowel cancer but died on 30 May.
The drug is now available in Wales following his campaign.
Bangor Cathedral was at capacity and hundreds more watched the proceedings on a screen outside.
He left his wife, Becky, and five children.
Leading the service, the Dean of Bangor, the Very Rev Kathy Jones, told the mourners Mr Williams "had not set out to be a hero .... but that's what he became".
She added: "He was unassuming, but his impression was immense. He was determined to make right what he saw as unfair."
There were performances from Britain's Got Talent finalists Cor Glanaethwy and singer Rhys Meirion.
Mr Williams' friend, the former rugby international Robin McBryde, gave a reading.


Tens of thousands of South Koreans have marched through the streets of Seoul - many dressed as Santa Claus - calling for the immediate removal of their president.

The festive protest marks the ninth week of rallies against Park Geun-hye.
Parliament has voted to impeach Ms Park over a corruption scandal, but that decision has to be confirmed by South Korea's constitutional court.
The demonstrators want her to resign at once.
Organisers say more than 550,000 people joined the ranks marching towards the presidential Blue House, the prime minister's office and the constitutional court. Police figures were not available.
The crowd chanted "Arrest Park immediately!" and sang along to Christmas songs whose lyrics they had changed to mock Ms Park.
"This is a special Christmas Eve as it gives me a chance to show my children what democracy is all about", Yoon Ki-Seung told the AFP news agency, as his son and daughter held up banners.
Park Chans, a 25-year-old office worker in a Santa costume, said the aim was to ensure those accused of corruption are held accountable.
"I hope that in the new year, this country will be a better place to live for the youth," he said.
Between 200 and 300 young people in Santa outfits handed out books and Christmas cards to children at the demonstration, chanting: "Gifts to children and handcuffs to Park!"
The scandal which has engulfed Ms Park centres on her relationship with a long-time friend, Choi Soon-sil, who faces charges of coercion and abuse of power.
It is alleged that after Ms Park became president in 2013, Ms Choi, 60, used their friendship to pressure top firms into donating to foundations she controlled, and then siphoned off funds for her own gain.
Prosecutors are also investigating new allegations that Ms Choi sent dubious assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars overseas.
The president's one-time ally has been in custody since October, and was brought to a special prosecutors' office to be questioned on Saturday.
Korean corruption suspect Choi in court
What is South Korea's presidential scandal?
The friendship that shocked South Korea
Samsung tells corruption inquiry of 'gift horse'
"We will question her to confirm her earlier statements and investigate other allegations," a spokesman for the special prosecutor told reporters.
Ms Park has been suspended from her duties since the impeachment vote on 9 December, but insists she will wait "calmly" until the constitutional court delivers its decision.
If it confirms her impeachment, she will be permanently removed from office, and elections will be held within 60 days.


Warrington have signed forward Joe Westerman from Hull FC on a three-year contract for a £150,000 transfer fee.

Westerman scored 29 tries in 128 appearances for the Black and Whites after signing from Castleford in 2010.
The 25-year-old made his England debut against Samoa in 2014, but was left out of the squad for the upcoming series against France and New Zealand.
"Hopefully next year we can win some silverware and compete at the top of the table," he told the club website.
"That's my ambition, it's a good enough club and there's no reason why we shouldn't be contesting for medals.
"When I was younger and with England I worked under [Warrington head coach] Tony Smith and I learnt a lot then, so I am looking forward to learning from him again."


A woman has admitted smashing a window at music mogul Simon Cowell's west London home with a broken brick.

Leanne Zaloumis, 29, of Catford, south-east London, attacked his Holland Park mansion on 24 March, Isleworth Crown Court heard.
She was granted bail but forbidden from contacting Mr Cowell or going within 300 yards of his home.
Zaloumis admitted intent to damage or destroy property but denied two other counts of affray and burglary.
The not guilty pleas were accepted by the Crown.
The court heard Mr Cowell, 52, was watching television in his bedroom when he heard a "loud bang" from his bathroom.
When police arrived they found Zaloumis hiding inside a walk-in wardrobe at the mansion.
Zaloumis was also said to have stood on Mr Cowell's roof, yelling at him and hurling items at his bathroom window.
The music mogul called his staff for help and was taken back to his bedroom during the incident, which happened at about 22:30 BST.
Judge John Denniss did not sentence Zaloumis because of administrative delays.
Bail was granted because she has already served three months in custody.
Zaloumis must stay at her home address and remain inside between 19:00 and 07:00.
She was also ordered to wear an electronic tag.


German investigators believe a dispute over Ramadan meals led to a fire that gutted a shelter for 282 asylum seekers in the western city of Duesseldorf.

They say a group of men who were not fasting had complained that their lunch portions were too small.
Two North African men, aged 26, have been arrested and charged with arson.
The hall was destroyed at a major Duesseldorf convention centre close to the city's airport. Damage has been estimated at €10m ($11m; £8m).
The hall was acting as an accommodation hub for men mainly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa who were waiting to be sent elsewhere in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Both Muslims and Christians were living there. Some 7,000 refugees and migrants are currently being housed in Duesseldorf, officials told Germany's DPA news agency.
Germany saw an influx of more than 1.1 million refugees and migrants in 2015 and although the number of arrivals has fallen, officials face a huge task in processing hundreds of thousands of asylum claims.
The mood at the hall was already poor, according to Red Cross workers cited by German media. Police are said to be looking at earlier reports of attempted arson.
When Ramadan started the situation reportedly became worse, and staff at the site were spat at and pelted with shoes.
A late evening meal was introduced for Muslims observing Ramadan and one group of men not taking part in the fast complained that their meals were not big enough. "We're looking at this as the motive," an investigator said.
Fire broke out on Tuesday and smoke from the centre was visible across the city.
Eight men were arrested and two were remanded in custody accused of setting fire to the hall.
One of the suspects told reporters: "We had to do it so that things would change."
Although everyone staying at the hall was brought to safety, a number of men suffered from smoke inhalation.


Ghana's capital Accra has a reputation for poor waste management, but is trying to turn this to its advantage - recycling human waste into cooking fuel.

1 December 2015 Last updated at 00:22 GMT
Accra has been numbered among the world's most polluted places because of an unregulated dump that now forms part of a sprawling slum.
And with no proper drainage or sewage system, the city's four million residents are also left to rely on a series of open sewers and polluted waterways. These drain the toxic sludge back into the sea.
A lack of toilets and indiscriminate disposal of waste are partly to blame.
In Paris, the UN is hosting a major conference seeking ways to limit climate change. But 6,500km away, in Accra, an enterprising team is taking these matters into its own hands - turning human excrement into cooking fuel. The BBC's Sammy Darko reveals a small scale scheme that has ambitions to go country-wide.
COP 21 - the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties - will see more than 190 nations gather in Paris to discuss a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the threat of dangerous warming due to human activities.
Explained: What is climate change?
In video: Why does the Paris conference matter?
More: BBC News special report (or follow "UN Climate Change Conference" tag in the BBC News app)


Children's mental health care services in Dorset must be improved if their safety and welfare are not to be put at risk, a health watchdog has said.

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection found "concerns" with some areas of Dorset HealthCare's mental health services for young people.
Inspectors found staff did not assess risks to children waiting for assessment or treatment effectively.
Vacant posts and sick leave also meant waiting time targets were missed.
The report into standards at The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), run by the Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, criticised services in Weymouth and Portland and in Bournemouth and Christchurch.
In east Dorset inspectors found the mental health crisis service was struggling to provide a night-time telephone helpline due to staffing problems and its home treatment service was also affected.
The report also highlighted problems at Weymouth, Portland and Bridport minor injuries units where a clearer assessment system was needed and low numbers of staff were also an issue.
The trust said it was working hard to make improvements
The trust's chief executive, Ron Shields, described it as "a fair assessment".
"It provides us with a platform to take all our services from where they are to outstanding," he said.
The CQC said inspectors found "outstanding" care and treatment in both acute inpatient mental health services and the forensic community services.
It said inspectors would return to check improvements in the 10 areas identified had been made.


First-born children's thinking skills outperform their siblings because they receive more mental stimulation in  early years, a study has suggested.

First borns score higher than siblings in IQ tests as early as age one, the Edinburgh University study found.
Although all children received the same levels of emotional support, first-born children received more support with tasks that developed thinking skills.
Nearly 5,000 children were observed from pre-birth to age 14.
Researchers said the findings could help to explain the so-called birth order effect when children born earlier in a family enjoy better wages and more education in later life.
Economists at Edinburgh University, Analysis Group and Sydney University looked at data from the US Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a dataset collected by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Every child was assessed every two years.
The tests included reading recognition, such as matching letters, naming names and reading single words aloud and picture vocabulary assessments.
Information was also collected on environmental factors such as family background and economic conditions.
Researchers applied statistical methods to economic data to analyse how the parental behaviour of the child was related to their test scores.
The researchers then used an assessment tool, the Home Observation Measurement of the Environment, to look at parental behaviour, including pre-birth behaviour, such as, smoking and drinking activity during pregnancy, and post-birth behaviour, such as, mental stimulation and emotional support.
The findings showed that advantages enjoyed by first born siblings start very early in life - from just after birth to three years of age.
The differences increased slightly with age, and showed up in test scores that measured verbal, reading, maths and comprehension abilities.
Researchers found parents changed their behaviour as subsequent children were born.
They offered less mental stimulation to younger siblings and also took part in fewer activities such as such as reading with the child, crafts and playing musical instruments.
Mothers also took higher risks during the pregnancy of latter-born children, such as increased smoking.
Dr Ana Nuevo-Chiquero, of Edinburgh University's school of economics, said: "Our results suggests that broad shifts in parental behaviour are a plausible explanation for the observed birth order differences in education and labour market outcomes."
The study is published in the Journal of Human Resources.


Kraigg Brathwaite became the first opener to end not out in both innings of a Test as West Indies sealed a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Sharjah.

Brathwaite made an unbeaten 60 to go with his first-innings 142 not out as West Indies chased 154 to win.
It is their first away win against a team other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe since 2007 and their first win of any kind since beating England in May 2015.
Despite losing the third Test, Pakistan still take the series 2-1.
West Indies had slipped to 67-5 on the fourth day, but Brathwaite combined with wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich in an unbroken stand of 87.
It sealed a first win in 12 attempts as captain for Jason Holder and also gave West Indies their first victory in an away Test against Pakistan since 1990.
"If I could sum up my feelings in one word now, I'd say 'proud'," said Holder. "Proud of the character the guys showed, proud of the fight they showed.
"We have the ability to win Test matches, it is just about stringing together the complete game.
"For the fans back home, and West Indies fans in general, just keep supporting us, keeping giving us that love, and hopefully this team can turn things around."
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A 16-year-old boy has been given a life sentence after he admitted murdering Leeds teacher Ann Maguire.

Will Cornick stabbed Mrs Maguire, 61, seven times in the back and neck at Corpus Christi Catholic College, then sat down and said "good times".
Leeds Crown Court heard he had told other pupils he hated Mrs Maguire.
The judge said he had shown a "chilling lack of remorse" and ordered him to serve at least 20 years, saying he might never be released.
Mrs Maguire's family said they were "looking to the future with a fragile hope".
Cornick, who was 15 when he killed Mrs Maguire in April, had not been named because of his age but judge Mr Justice Coulson lifted an order banning his identification.
Earlier the teenager stood in the dock flanked by two prison officers as the clerk read out the charge.
He looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as he admitted murdering Mrs Maguire. The Spanish teacher suffered seven stab wounds to her back and neck.
Mr Justice Coulson said it was "quite possible" Cornick would never be released.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC told the court the boy had "psychopathic tendencies" and had derived pleasure from the public nature of the killing, something the judge referred  to as "truly grotesque".
He told the court pupils had noticed disturbing aspects to Cornick's personality.
Cornick told other children he hated Mrs Maguire and wanted her dead, writing on Facebook that she "deserves more than death, more than pain and more than anything that we can understand".
The prosecutor said: "Late on the night of Christmas Eve 2013, and into the early hours of Christmas Day, the defendant exchanged messages with a friend on Facebook.
"In those messages he spoke of 'brutally killing' Mrs Maguire and spending the rest of his life in jail so as not to have to worry about life or money."
The court heard Mrs Maguire had been leaning over her desk helping a girl with her work when the boy attacked her from behind after winking at another pupil in the classroom.
"The defendant approached his teacher and began to stab her in the neck and back," said Mr Greaney.
"Ann Maguire was 61 years of age, 5ft 2in in height and of slim build.
"The defendant was a full foot taller and was armed with a large kitchen knife.
"To describe his attack as cowardly hardly does it justice."
The prosecutor said Mrs Maguire fled but was chased by Cornick, who was "stabbing her as she sought to escape".
Mrs Maguire was stabbed seven times before colleague Susan Francis, alerted by children screaming, rushed her friend into a work room and held the door shut.
Mr Greaney said: "She was able to see the boy through a glass panel in the door. His face was emotionless and he then walked away."
Cornick went back to the classroom and sat down "as if nothing had happened", the prosecutor told the court.
"He said that he had stabbed Mrs Maguire," said Mr Greaney. "He added that it was a pity she was not dead.
"He said to the entire class 'good times' and spoke of an adrenaline rush."
The boy told a psychiatrist after the killing that he had a "sense of pride" in killing Mrs Maguire, the court heard.
Mr Greaney said when the expert asked about the impact on Mrs Maguire's family, Cornick replied:  "I know the victim's family will be upset but I don't care.
"In my eyes, everything I've done is fine and dandy."
"It's kill or be killed. I did not have a choice. It was kill her or suicide."
But the prosecutor said the teenager's actions were still "inexplicable".
"The parents are decent people and responsible parents," he said. "They are at a loss to understand how and why their son has turned out as he has and they have co-operated fully with the police and with the prosecution.
"It follows that this is not one of those cases in which a defendant's actions may find a degree of explanation in his family circumstances."
Ch Supt Paul Money, of West Yorkshire Police, said no person acting in authority could have foreseen the "cold-blooded" and "cowardly" murder.
Mrs Maguire had worked at the school for more than 40 years and had been due to retire.
In a statement read to the court, Mrs Maguire's widower Don described the attack as a "monumental act of cowardice and evil".
Her sister Denise Courtenay said: "We will never recover from this pain and anguish.
"No amount of punishment can compensate us for what we have lost."
Speaking after Cornick had been sentenced, Nigel Richardson, head of children's services at Leeds City Council, said everyone's thoughts were with Mrs Maguire's family, friends and colleagues.
He said her "lasting legacy" would be felt across the local community and throughout Leeds.
Steve Mort, head teacher of Corpus Christi Catholic College, said:  "I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all our staff and students, present and past, for the way that they have coped and continue to cope with this shocking and unprecedented incident.
"I would also like to say thank you for the amazing tributes and messages of sympathy and support that we have received in school from across Leeds, from around the country and from far further afield.
"We have drawn great strength and comfort from these and from our shared faith, and we continue to remember Ann and her family in our prayers."


Mae disgwyl i ganlyniadau TGAU mathemateg, Cymraeg a Saesneg fod yn is eleni na'r blynyddoedd diwethaf.

Dyna rybudd Cymhwysterau Cymru, y corff sy'n goruwchwylio arholiadau yng Nghymru.
Yn ôl y corff mae hyn o ganlyniad i gynnydd yn nifer y disgyblion sy'n sefyll yr arholiad ym mlwyddyn 10, flwyddyn yn gynt na'r bwriad.
Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Addysg, Kirsty Williams, wedi dweud wrth raglen Sunday Politics BBC Cymru ei bod yn ystyried rhwystro caniatáu sefyll arholiad yn gynnar.
Gwnaeth bron i ddau draean o holl ddisgyblion blwyddyn 10 Cymru sefyll arholiad TGAU Iaith Saesneg eleni, flwyddyn yn gynt nag y dylen nhw.
Mae'r Ysgrifenydd Addysg, Kirsty Williams wedi dweud wrth BBC Cymru ei bod hi'n poeni bod rhai o flwyddyn 10 yn ennill gradd C a ddim yn ail-sefyll yr arholiad. Ar ôl dwy flynedd gallai yr un disgyblion, meddai,  ennill gradd A serennog, A, neu B.
Dywedodd: "Dwi am i blant i gyrraedd eu potensial yn yr ysgol.
"Rwy am i'r plant allai elwa o sefyll arholiad yn gynnar yn unig gael y cyfle. Pan dwi'n clywed sôn am  niferoedd mawr fel hyn yn sefyll arholiad, dwi'n bryderus."
Dywedodd y byddai'n ystyried gwahardd ysgolion rhag caniatáu i ddisgyblion sefyll arholiadau TGAU yn gynnar, ond ei bod yn gyntaf am aros am adroddiad swyddogol fydd yn ei chyrraedd yn yr hydref.
Eleni am y tro cyntaf bydd disgyblion yng Nghymru wedi sefyll arholiadau TGAU Saesneg a Chymraeg sy'n unigryw i Gymru.
Dywedodd Ms Williams wrth Sunday Politics bod y cymhwysterau newydd yn fwy trylwyr ac y gallai hynny hefyd gael effaith ar y canlyniadau.
Fis hydref y llynedd cysylltodd Cymhwysterau Cymru gydag ysgolion am y cymhwyster newydd gan fynnu bod yna drefniadau i gynnal sefydlogrwydd pan fydd arholiadau TGAU neu Safon Uwch newydd yn cael eu cyflwyno.
"Y prif fwriad," meddid, "yw sicrhau bod myfyrwyr sy'n sefyll y cymhwysterau newydd ddim yn cael mantais nac o dan unrhyw anfantais i'r myfyrwyr wnaeth sefyll yr arholiad o'r blaen."
Yn gynharach eleni roedd Cyfarwyddwr Addysg Llywodraeth Cymru, wedi dweud bod rhai ysgolion yn "chwarae'r system" arholiadau drwy gael disgyblion i sefyll arholiad yn gynnar.
Dywedodd Steve Davies wrth ACau fod swyddogion yn "bryderus" am nifer y disgyblion oedd yn ymgeisio yn gynnar.
Roedd hyn yn dilyn beirniadaeth gan yr Ysgrifennydd Addysg, Kirsty Williams, fod plant yn "bancio" cymwysterau is.


Workers paid hourly at General Motors in the US will receive bonuses of $12,000 (Â£9,700) after the firm made a profit of $12bn in North America.

The United Automobile Workers union negotiated a profit sharing deal in 2011.
It is worth up to $1,000 per $1bn of profit the company makes in the continent.
However, net profit for the whole of GM dropped 2.7% last year to $9.43bn after foreign exchange losses.
A jump in sales in mid-size pick-up trucks and SUVs aided sales in the US. Chevrolet was the fastest growing US GM brand in 2016, increasing its share of the US retail market by 0.5 percentage points.
A year earlier, payments of up to $11,000 were awarded to union workers after $11bn of North American profits were posted. The award is based on working more than an average of 35 hours per week during the year.
In Europe, the company reported a narrower loss of $257m, compared with $813m in 2015, as sales rose.
GM sold a record 10 million vehicles in 2016, up 1.2% from 2015, with 3.04 million vehicles sold in the US.
In China, deliveries rose 7.1% to a record 3.87 million vehicles and in Europe, its Opel and Vauxhall marques posted a 4% sales increase.
GM said fourth-quarter net profit fell partly because of $500m in currency losses, mostly from the decline of the pound.
The carmaker forecast profit per share in 2017 would be the same or slightly better than last year.


Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara and former fiance Nick Loeb have spoken out about their frozen embryo battle on duelling morning TV show appearances.

Vergara told ABC's Good Morning America that her ex was taking advantage of her.
"I don't think it's fair," she said.
Meanwhile on NBC's Today Show, Loeb spoke of "moral, legal, ethical concepts" concerning lives "that we've already created".
Loeb has taken legal action to gain control over two embryos he and Vergara created in 2013 through in vitro fertilisation, before they split up.
He wants a surrogate to carry and give birth to them, and to raise the children himself.
However, a contract the couple signed states the embryos can be brought to term only with both parties' consent.
"I really want to make this like the last time I talk about it," the 42-year-old actress said.
She blamed the media for bringing attention to Loeb, saying that it allowed "somebody to invent things and create press for himself."
She added, "he's not an actor. He's not a celebrity."
She added: "It shouldn't be out there for people to give their opinion when there's nothing to talk about. There's papers signed."
Loeb retorted that "two lives have already been created."
"I wouldn't just toss them aside no different than a child that had been born,'' he said.
Loeb also wrote an op-ed column about the issue in the NY Times.
"When we create embryos for the purpose of life, should we not define them as life, rather than as property?" the businessman wrote.
He said he had offered to pay all expenses and take full responsibility for raising the children.
"A woman is entitled to bring a pregnancy to term even if the man objects," he said.
Vergara, who is currently promoting her new film Hot Pursuit, is the highest paid TV actress in the US.
She has earned Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for her role as the fiesty Gloria in the sitcom.


Nursing job applicants are being offered two months free accommodation in a bid to quell staff shortages at a hospital trust.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has 285 full-time vacancies across three sites, which cover Surrey and Berkshire.
The high cost of living in the south of England is said to be a factor affecting recruitment.
Each successful applicant will receive a maximum of £1,340 in subsidies.
Nurses will be offered accommodation at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Frimley Park near Camberley and Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot.
Marko Novosil moved from Croatia to become a nurse at Wexham Park after hearing about the incentive.
"The crucial thing for coming here was the support. I realised that when I started I would get the free accommodation which helped me settle in", he said.
Wexham Park Hospital matron Helen Noakes said: "Rental prices are higher in this area, which means people do struggle and the one thing that we can offer people is the free accommodation when they start.
"Longer term we would look to help them find somewhere in the local area to live."
Currently the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom property in Slough is £897, whereas the average for the same sort of property in Camberley is £930.
The average cost for a room in both areas ranges from £500 to £550.


Time limits on police bail in England and Wales have been announced by Home Secretary Theresa May.

Under the plans, a senior police officer would have to authorise police bail for longer than 28 days and a magistrate for more than three months.
There is currently no time limit and no need for police to seek approval to get bail extended before charge.
The plan to reform the law on police bail would have to be taken forward in the next Parliament, Mrs May said.
She said it was "simply not acceptable" that pre-charge bail could last "months or years".
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the bail system needed to be "efficient and proportionate".
Earlier this month, broadcaster Paul Gambaccini backed a limit on the use of police bail.
He told MPs how officers and prosecutors "sat" on him for 12 months before telling him he would not be charged in relation to an allegation of historical sex abuse.
It had previously been proposed that police would have to gain approval from a court for a bail extension after 28 days.
But the Home Office said under the new plans extensions could be approved by a superintendent at 28 days, although this would only be allowed up to a total of three months in exceptional circumstances.
Mrs May said alongside the measures would be a "new presumption" to release without bail at all, which she said would drive down the "inappropriate use" of pre-charge bail and ensure that suspects were released under bail conditions "only where it is necessary or proportionate".
Other plans for the production of guidance and the collection of data on the use of police bail did not need legislation and could be progressed straight away, she said.
An Acpo spokesman said: "Pre-charge bail is an essential tool in securing justice. The police have been clear that we want and need a bail system that is efficient and proportionate, both for victims and those suspected of committing crimes.
"Each and every investigation follows a different path. Less than 2% of arrests result in a person being on bail for more than six months. However, in an increasingly globalised and digitised world some cases are complex... and cannot be rushed."


A man has been released on bail after two people died when a car and a lorry crashed in Stoke-on-Trent.

The suspect was detained on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving following the crash on the A500, at about 04:45 BST on Saturday.
Police said two men, who died at the scene, were both aged 22 and from the north Staffordshire area.
The man, 23, has been released until next month while the investigation continues, Staffordshire Police said.
Part of the road, around Cliffe Vale, was closed for seven hours.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said it quickly became apparent to crews arriving at the scene "that nothing could be done to save two men that were in the car".
Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.


RBS has asked law firm Clifford Chance to investigate claims it forced firms to close so it could make a profit.

Two reports published on Monday criticised the bank for its treatment of small firms, claims which Chancellor George Osborne described as "shocking".
Clifford Chance will look into the allegations contained in reports by Sir Andrew Large and Lawrence Tomlinson.
RBS said in a letter to Sir Andrew that the bank had in many areas fallen short in its treatment of customers.
Andrew Tyrie MP, chairman of the Treasury Committee, said: "The reports published today make clear that there is a fundamental cultural problem with RBS's lending to and treatment of SMEs [small and medium enterprises].
"This is unwelcome but not wholly surprising. It confirms what my parliamentary colleagues and I have been hearing for a number of years and which was, at various times, vigorously rebutted by RBS."
Sir Andrew Large's report, commissioned by RBS, looked into the bank's lending to small businesses. It said that the bank must tackle some "serious allegations" by a small number of firms.
The Tomlinson report, set up by Business Secretary Vince Cable, said there was evidence that the bank deliberately put some "good and viable" businesses into default so it could make more profit.
Mr Cable has passed the Tomlinson report to City regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Ross McEwan, RBS chief executive, said in his letter to Sir Andrew that the report by the former Bank of England deputy governor had "been a tough read".
He said that RBS had already put in place new procedures to improve lending to small firms and halt "the reckless lending practices that broke this bank five years ago".
By Robert PestonBusiness editor
"Your report also highlights that when times are tough for our customers, some have said they were angry about the treatment they received," the letter said.
Although Mr McEwan did not refer directly to the Tomlinson report, the company added later that the allegations were not "something that Clifford Chance would ignore".
Mr Cable told the BBC that the evidence compiled by Mr Tomlinson looked "solid". In a television interview with ITV, Mr Osborne said the allegations were "shocking" and would not be "brushed under the carpet".
The Tomlinson allegations centre on the bank's Global Restructuring Group (GRG) lending division, which specialises in handling loans seen as being more risky.
The Tomlinson report says that putting a business into the GRG generated revenue for the bank through fees, increased profit margins and the purchase of devalued assets by their property division, West Register.
The practice of removing a bad debt from a bank's books is not an unreasonable one, particularly as major lenders have been trying to move away from riskier assets.
But Mr Tomlinson told the BBC that there was a perception among small businesses that they were being "purposefully distressed" in order to get them into the GRG, which, even if wrong, should be addressed by RBS.
Mr Cable said his department would not take the report at "face value", but added: "We are pretty confident that the evidence is solid."
But he added: "I am, however, confident that the new management of RBS is aware of this history and is determined to turn RBS into a bank that will support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses."
Mr Tomlinson, an entrepreneur, acted independently of government in producing the report, and did not set out to look solely at RBS.
High-speed career for Ginetta owner
But he said what he had uncovered through talking to businesses had put RBS and its GRG into focus.
He also said conversations with affected businesses had made a big impact on him.
"I feel really sick sometimes. It is really disturbing," he said.
"It is ruining people's businesses for sure, and in some cases having a huge impact on their personal lives too, even leading to family breakdown."
He told the BBC later that he had uncovered some "horrific stories" suggesting that the conduct at RBS was "systematic and institutional".
The report found:
'Distress'
The bank said in a statement: "In the boom years leading up to the financial crisis, the overheated property development market became a major threat to the UK economy.
"RBS did more than its fair share to fuel this and commercial property lending was one of the key drivers of our near collapse as valuations rapidly plummeted.
"Facing up to these mistakes has been a difficult, but essential part of making RBS a safe and strong bank once again."
The shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, said: "The claims made by Lawrence Tomlinson against RBS' Global Restructuring Group are extremely serious indeed."
Sir Andrew Large's report said there had been confusion over RBS's lending objectives and strategy.
The bank must "ensure clear and simple lines of responsibility, and reduce organisational fragmentation," the report said. Currently, lending is split across several divisions.
RBS, 81%-owned by the government, is the UK's biggest lender to small firms. Mr McEwan pledged in his letter that RBS would write to thousands more businesses setting out how much more the bank was willing to lend them.
It had already offered £4bn in this way, and this would go up to £10bn, he said.


Like a man walking a tightrope across shark infested waters, Mark Carney knew that one mis-step could drop the independent governor of the Bank of England into dangerous waters.

Yes, sometimes he wobbled - particularly when the issue of political pressure came up - but he did manage to navigate his way to the other side of the pond without losing a limb.
On short term risk, the Bank is clear - the economic uncertainty created if Britain were to leave the European Union (EU) could be significant.
Indeed, such a decision could be the largest "domestic risk" to the UK economy. Though Mr Carney was careful to point out that global risks, such as the economic slowdown in China, could well be more significant.
Of course, Mr Carney was careful to tie up every point he made with the carefully nuanced use of "coulds" and "maybes"  (Mr Carney rarely uses the word "will").
So, what are the dangers of "out", as Mr Carney sees it?
He said if Britain did leave the EU, the value of sterling could fall, foreign direct investment could decline, that there could be upward pressure on inflation and that there was likely to be "some relocation" of financial services sector jobs to other financial centres in the EU - although the level would depend on the type of trade agreements Britain was able to sign with the EU.
He also said that David Cameron's deal with the 27 other member states on protections for the City, deepening the single market and the recognition that the euro was not the only currency of the EU was likely to improve competitiveness.
But - and it is a significant but, carefully honed by a governor who says that it is not his job to make the case for either side in this hotly political debate - Mr Carney said that over the longer term there can be no "conclusive answer" to the question whether it would be good or bad for the economy if the UK left the EU.
He also made it clear that the Bank had a number of monetary tools (such as the provision of liquidity for banks) which could be used to calm markets in the event of an exit.
And that the biggest risk of staying in the EU was "associated with the unfinished business of European monetary union".
So, staying in is not danger free.
As he considered the shark infested waters he would face this morning, Mr Carney knew two things.
First, that the pro-remain camp would grab all his negative comments about Brexit and trumpet them as a victory for them.
And they will.
Second, that he was likely to be attacked by the pro-leave campaign for being deliberately partisan in his approach to the value or otherwise of the EU to the British economy.
And he was.
It was the only moment Mr Carney appeared to bridle, responding to Jacob Rees-Moggs' "beneath the Bank's dignity" attack with a testy "I cannot let that stand".
That's about as close as a central bank governor comes to blowing his top.
Both the Remain and Leave camps can take some succour from the governor's appearance.
For him, the key message did get through. The short-term risks of Brexit are apparent and the Bank is ready to deal with them.


Up to 20 dogs seized by police were kept in kennels without ever being exercised, the BBC has been told.

The animals were kept in 3ft by 9ft cages and former kennel staff say they were under instruction not to let them out or interact with them.
Devon and Cornwall Police said every seized dog had its own care plan and claimed only one, a pit bull called Stella, had a specific no-walk policy.
However, ex-kennel staff said there were no facilities to walk seized dogs.
The privately-run kennel has so far declined to comment.
On Monday it emerged Stella had been caged for two years without exercise.
Then on Thursday we reported how a former kennel worker had released a video showing both Stella and a seized Rottweiler named Vinnie who had also been caged for two years without exercise.
Since these revelations, Devon and Cornwall Police has said: "We will be requesting an independent assessment from the RSPCA regarding how dogs initially in our care are then being cared for in private kennels."
David Clark, who worked as the kennel manager from March 2010 to June 2013, said during that time there were up to 20 seized dogs with signs on their cages stating "Do Not Enter".
He said staff understood that to mean they should never exercise the dogs and he never saw those dogs taken out.
Mr Clark said: "Stella is not an individual case at all. None of the dogs brought in by Devon and Cornwall Police are exercised. Some dogs were there for a matter of weeks, for others it was a matter of years.
"For a dog to spend two to three weeks in kennels with exercise while their family are away is difficult, for a dog to spend two years in kennels with no human contact, no exercise and limited stimulation is torture.
"When the dogs are taken out for court assessments they've got so much pent up energy and aggression it all comes out in the assessment, which isn't a fair reflection of them."
Another whistleblower, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "We were told under no circumstances were we allowed to exercise or even go in with a dangerous dog or police-seized dog.
"They were fed and cleaned regularly but deprived of human interaction. Any dog shut in a small kennel, no matter how sweet, will show uncharacteristic signs after long periods.
"There were a few dangerous dogs I would not have felt comfortable going in with, but there were also some that appeared to show no dangerous behaviour."
Devon and Cornwall Police Ch Supt Jim Nye told the BBC: "Vinnie is the one that's been talked about in the last 24 hours. That dog was visited by my officers on 28 separate occasions.
"Vinnie the dog bit three members of the public and that's why the dog was seized and the owner was deemed not capable of holding a dog.
"The court ruled that for 10 years the owner couldn't have the dog back or any other dog. In fact we actually wrote to the court trying to re-house that dog but the court ruled that it should be destroyed.
"That was the same for Stella, she was visited 33 times.
"When we visit them we check on their demeanour, on their health, on their coat, and on their weight, to make sure they are being truly and properly looked after."
But Mr Clark questioned the ability of the kennels to properly accommodate seized dogs.
"Even if we wanted to there is no space to exercise the dogs in anyway, nor the time, or experienced staff," he said.
"The staff consist of young girls in their late teens or early 20's who receive no training to help them cope with powerful dogs.
"The staff care, they love these dogs, many many tears are shed over these dogs, but being a boarding kennels, there is no-one there who has been specifically trained in behaviour modification. We were not equipped to be altering the behaviour of the dogs.
"It's heartbreaking. We would see them every day and just watch them deteriorating before your eyes. A few of us did break the rules to go into the kennels to spend some time with the dogs."
He added management at the kennels were concerned about something going wrong or a worker being injured.
The RSPCA has created a guide to good practice for all police forces, which states: "Dogs must be provided with the opportunity to exercise away from their kennel at least once a day and this should be for a total of at least 30 minutes."
The guide says euthanasia should be considered if the dog is considered too dangerous to exercise.
In a statement the charity said: "We have spoken further with Devon and Cornwall Police force and we have agreed with their request for us to review the way in which dogs seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are cared for in kennels.
"The RSPCA remains very concerned about the welfare needs of seized dogs and particularly those which are kennelled for extended periods of time.
"To help those enforcement agencies meet the welfare needs of dogs in their care, and to comply with the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, we have developed a good practice guide and we strongly recommend all agencies to apply this guidance when caring for seized dogs.
"We are writing to the Minister of State for Animal Welfare to ask for Defra's support of the guidance and to encourage consistent compliance with the guide across the police."


Celtic's Stuart Armstrong says manager Brendan Rodgers has inspired him to produce the best form of his career.

The midfielder was named the Premiership player of the month for March having scored against Inverness, Rangers and Dundee.
Armstrong also marked his Scotland debut with a man of the match display in the 1-0 win over Slovenia.
"I'm playing the best I've ever played. I'm very lucky to be playing under Brendan Rodgers," Armstrong said.
"The influence he's had in such a short space of time is phenomenal," the midfielder added.
"I could speak for a long time about the different aspects of my game he has influenced. Not just me, for other players in the team and the team as a whole. We're a much better outfit."
After battling to earn a place in the side in the opening months of the campaign, Armstrong has become a key component of the team, playing in his favoured central midfield position.
Much of his early Celtic career under Ronny Deila was spent on the left side of midfield, and Armstrong believes the positional switch has been the biggest factor in his recent goal-scoring streak that has seen him net four goals in his last five league games.
"Playing in midfield and having that licence the gaffer gives me to go forward, goal-scoring opportunities arise and it's about taking them when they come," he explained.
"I always talked about scoring more goals. I was disappointed with my contribution last season, so to get back to scoring goals is what I enjoy most.
''I always knew I could score goals. I had done that with Dundee United. I get into a lot more goal-scoring positions naturally when I play in the middle. That definitely helps."
Talks are continuing between Armstrong's representatives and Celtic on an extension to his contract, with his current deal due to expire at the end of next season. The player stressed that he is "very happy" at the club and believes the new deal "will take care of itself".
After an impressive showing against Slovenia at Hampden, Scotland manager Gordon Strachan described Armstrong's performance as the best debut he had seen for the national team.
'It was a very nice compliment," Armstrong continued.
"It being my first appearance I wanted it to be good, to do well and to take something from the game. I managed to achieve that so it was a very nice debut."


In our series of letters from African journalists, Nigerian novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani asks if using poorer relatives as domestic workers is helping them or exploiting them.

As African societies walk the tightrope between tradition and international law, some cultural practices which might be considered philanthropic at home can take on a very different complexion if transferred to the West.
They can even violate anti-slavery and human-trafficking laws.
Like many African countries, Nigeria does not have a developed welfare state to look after its most deprived citizens.
An estimated 67% of the country's 170 million people live in poverty and they often rely on the generosity of relatives and philanthropists to provide their basic needs.
As a result, families with reasonable incomes immediately take on extra financial responsibilities to help out members of their extended family.
They will pay school fees for their grandmother's cousin's younger sister's nieces, medical bills for the stepsons of their uncle's wife's younger sister, and send money back to their home villages to fund classrooms, healthcare centres, or communal boreholes drilled to access drinking water.
Also, many poor families in the villages send their children to live with more comfortable families in the cities - usually as a "house help", who will clean, do laundry, cook, babysit and whatever else brawn can accomplish.
In exchange, the helps are fed, housed, clothed and if they're lucky, educated, with their parents sometimes receiving a fee.
But it is this ad-hoc welfare system that has been behind numerous allegations of human trafficking in Nigeria.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:
"It remains difficult for many Nigerians to agree that the arrangements they have with their domestic helps could be considered a crime"
During my childhood, my mother depended on the recommendations of people she knew in villages for those willing to become house helps - often they were teenagers sent by the their parents to earn extra money whilst attending school in the city.
Today, there are "agents" who supply boys, girls, men and women, sometimes from poorer countries beyond Nigeria's borders, such as Benin and Togo.
Agents usually demand between six months' to two years' worth of the worker's salary in advance, a percentage of which is sent to their families.
The typical wage is between 5,000 ($25, Â£16) and 15,000 naira per month. At those rates, the average middle-class Nigerian could afford to hire as many as they wanted.
But in the UK and US, where many Nigerians have made their homes, domestic staff have to be paid a minimum wage and all sorts of benefits.
As a result, some Nigerians abroad resort to importing domestic staff from "back home", sometimes with disastrous consequences.
In June 2011, Nigerian-American lawyer Bidemi Bello was convicted of human trafficking for bringing two Nigerian women to the US and "forcing them to work in her lavish home like slaves".
The court heard that Bello beat the women and failed to pay their wages.
She was sentenced by the Georgia court to 11 years in prison.
At the time the story broke, I was in charge of the opinion desk at a local newspaper, and keen to raise awareness of the issue back in Nigeria.
I approached a number of potential contributors whom I felt could tackle the topic insightfully.
None was willing to write.
But some people were prepared to comment in private. They disapproved of Bello's conviction.
How, they asked, could these girls turn on Bello so viciously, after she had extended them such a huge favour of not just taking them in as her staff, but bringing them to the US?
How could they repay her generosity by plotting her ruin?
A number of people shared experiences of those they knew in the UK or US, whose imported "help" had either got them in trouble with the law or almost done so.
They informed me that it was common for such workers to take advantage of the system in developed countries when their eyes opened to the laws of the new land, and of a way to free themselves from the snare of charity.
It was, their critics told me, their clever plan to exchange servitude for asylum, by becoming legitimate migrants who could then provide directly for their families.
In Nigeria, with no local laws to govern the house-help industry, domestic staff can work from dawn till dusk, Monday to Sunday.
Many suffer abuse, of varying intensity, depending on their employer's temper.
Local newspapers have published stories of domestic workers who were drenched with boiling water or struck with a pestle.
There have also been allegations of sexual abuse of both male and female workers.
Nevertheless, it remains difficult for many Nigerians to agree that the arrangements they have with their domestic helps could be considered a crime.
They believe that the disadvantaged ones would have little hope without them, that the so-called slavery these people endure is simply a small price to pay for a chance at survival.
More from Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:


Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has refused to divulge "operational details" of what happened during a Trident test last June.

It is reported that a missile went off course, but the government has not confirmed or denied this.
Theresa May was told about the test when she became prime minister in July, shortly before MPs voted overwhelmingly to renew Trident.
Sir Michael told the Commons he had "absolute confidence" in the system.
Labour and the SNP have urged the government to explain whether the test firing from HMS Vengeance went wrong.
The Sunday Times reported an unarmed missile had been set off from the submarine off the coast of Florida but, rather than head towards Africa, had veered towards the US.
CNN quoted an unnamed US defence official on Monday as saying the missile did deviate from its intended trajectory as part of an automatic self-destruct sequence.
Sir Michael was asked several times by MPs to say whether or not the test missile had gone off course as reported.
He said: "I can assure the House that the capability and effectiveness of of the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent is not in doubt.
"The government has absolute confidence in our deterrent and in the Royal Navy."
For Labour, shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said: "This is just not good enough."
She added: "At the heart of this issue is a worrying lack of transparency and a prime minister who's chosen to cover up a serious incident, rather than coming clean with the British public. This House, and more importantly the British public, deserve better."
Another Labour MP, Mary Creagh, said a White House official had confirmed to the US broadcaster CNN that the missile did "auto-self-destruct" off the coast of Florida. She asked why people in the UK were "the last to know".
The Defence Select Committee chairman, Conservative MP Julian Lewis, urged the government to be frank about what happened, while the SNP said it was "absolutely outrageous" that information had been deliberately withheld from MPs.
But Sir Michael said: "We do not give operational details of the demonstration and shake-down operation of one of our submarines conducting a test with one of our Trident missiles"
The Ministry of Defence said submarine HMS Vengeance and its crew had "successfully tested" last June, with Sir Michael repeating this.
He cautioned people against "believing everything" they read in newspapers and said: "I am not going to respond to speculation about the test last June."
By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor
It's one of the simplest questions in politics, and one of the most troublesome.
At the start of a critical political week, Theresa May finds herself under pressure for refusing to answer it.
Did she, or did she not know that something had gone wrong with our nuclear weapons, when she asked MPs to vote to renew the costly Trident system?
Read Laura's blog
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a long-standing opponent of Trident, whose submarines are based at Faslane on the River Clyde, called the apparent misfire a "hugely serious issue".
BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said the Royal Navy had carried out half a dozen such tests since 2000 and in the past had publicised successful launches, but this time had not.
Sir Michael told MPs that decisions on publicity were made "on a case-by-case basis" and were "informed by the circumstances".
HMS Vengeance, one of the UK's four Vanguard-class submarines, returned to sea for trials in December 2015 after a Â£350m refit, which included the installation of new missile launch equipment and upgraded computer systems.
According to the Sunday Times, the unarmed Trident II D5 missile was intended to be fired 5,600 miles (9,012 km) from the coast of Florida to a sea target off the west coast of Africa - but veered towards the US.
In July, days after Mrs May had become prime minister following David Cameron's resignation, MPs backed the Â£40bn renewal of Trident by 472 votes to 117.
During the debate, Mrs May told MPs it would be "an act of gross irresponsibility" for the UK to abandon its nuclear weapons.
But 52 SNP MPs voted against it, as did 47 Labour MPs including party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Questioned by the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday, Prime Minister Theresa May refused four times to say whether she had known about the test firing ahead of the vote.
Speaking on a visit to Cheshire on Monday, she said: "I'm regularly briefed on national security issues. I was briefed on the successful certification of HMS Vengeance and her crew."
She added: "I have absolute faith in our independent nuclear deterrent. I believe we should continue to have that for the future, the House of Commons voted for that."
The Trident system was acquired by the Thatcher government in the early 1980s as a replacement for the Polaris missile system, which the UK had possessed since the 1960s.
Trident came into use in the 1990s. There are three parts to it - submarines, missiles and warheads. Although each component has years of use left, they cannot last indefinitely.
The current generation of four submarines would begin to end their working lives some time in the late 2020s.
A guide to the Trident debate
Earlier, Julian Lewis said Mrs May had been "handed a no-win situation" by her predecessor as Prime Minister, David Cameron, whose "spin doctors" had been responsible for a "cover-up".
He told Today that the government usually released film footage of the "99%" of missile tests deemed a success and that ministers could not "have it both ways" by not announcing when this had not been the case.
But a spokesman for Mr Cameron said: "It is entirely false to suggest that David Cameron's media team covered up or suggested a cover-up for the Trident missile test."
Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, called for "full disclosure", adding: "A missile veering off course is deeply concerning. Imagine such a failure occurring in a 'real-world' situation - it could lead to the slaughter of millions of people in an ally's country."
Kate Hudson, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: "There's absolutely no doubt that this would have impacted on the debate in Parliament."
But former nuclear submarine commander and Ulster Unionist Party assembly member, Steve Aiken, told Today that any fault "would have been sorted out".
"There is a convention that we don't talk about the deterrent... because that is the nature of the deterrent - it is about the security of this nation and I would fully support the prime minister in avoiding those questions," he said.


The Ministry of Defence has announced that it will close all three of its sites in Bath and relocate 1,400 staff to Abbey Wood in Bristol.

The MoD said closing its Ensleigh, Foxhill and Warminster Road sites in the city would save it ??39.5m over the next 15 years.
Bath and North East Somerset Council, trade unions and local MPs had hoped the Ensleigh site would remain open.
The MoD said its "complete vacation of Bath" would be complete by March 2013.
The decision to close Ensleigh was made by the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan at the end of an extended consultation period.
He said: "In these difficult times the MoD must continue to drive down support and estate costs wherever possible.
"This is why, after fully considering the concerns expressed to me, I have decided that, on balance, relocation from Bath to Abbey Wood represents the most cost effective and efficient solution for the department."
Bath's Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster said he was "bitterly disappointed" that the decision had been taken to close the Ensleigh MoD site.
"Today is a very sad day and the move ends a proud relationship between Bath and the Ministry of Defence that has lasted 72 years," he said.
"Despite lobbying from all parties in Bath and North East Somerset Council, local trade unions and both local MPs, compelling arguments to keep 1,500 MoD staff in Bath have been overlooked by the government.
"From the outset, I have argued that a full relocation to Abbey Wood is bad for Bath, bad for the MoD and most importantly bad for the staff."
The move to the large Abbey Wood complex in Filton is due to begin in autumn 2012 and be complete by March 2013.
The staff will join a further 1,200 Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) employees from Bath who are already in the process of relocating to Bristol.
Staff involved in the transfer are the remaining non-DE&S staff based in Bath, including the People, Pay and Pensions Agency, Military Aviation Authority, Defence Analytical Services Agency, Defence Internal Audit, Defence Academy and Financial Management Group.
The MoD said the three vacated sites in Bath would be offered to other government departments before being put up for sale.
Mr Foster said that he was working to ensure that the Ensleigh site would be used for affordable housing.


Immigration has brought huge changes to Northern Ireland over the last decade, and religious life has been impacted as well.

Migrants are not only joining local congregations, but setting up their own churches too. The number of churches in Northern Ireland led by migrants has risen to more than 30 in recent years.
These new churches are not only attracting people from ethnic minorities, but intriguing locals.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God is a Nigerian-based church, but has become the fastest growing denomination in the UK and Ireland.
They have set up three churches in Northern Ireland within the last eight years. The congregation includes people from a variety of African nations, the Caribbean, and both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Chris Ifonlaja, who runs one of their Belfast churches with his wife, says it appeals to people because it is a "neutral place".
"We did not experience the Troubles," he said. "We see that as a blessing because we don't see all of the division, we just see people."
The couple said they were conscious of the possibility that migrants joining their church may be slower to integrate into Northern Ireland.
Angela Ifonlaja said "we didn't come to run a church for migrants, it's just a church".
"But I think what happens is when you go into a place where you are new in that place, it's natural that you gravitate towards those that you identify with, at least on a physical level," she added.
Other churches have decided to make a permanent physical commitment to Northern Ireland.
Iglesia Ni Cristo or Church of Christ, are headquartered in the Philippines. They began meeting in a house in Belfast 10 years ago with only a handful of people. In 2014, they purchased an old church on University Avenue and refurbished the whole building.
The converted church has only been open a few months.
Brother Philip Velasquez is the minister, and he said that his church is reversing the traditional flow of mission.
"It is very rare for a religious organisation which began in the far east - in an impoverished country - to actually spread its mission throughout the whole world to first world countries," he said.
"We're not only growing because of the immigration of Filipinos but also because of the conversion of many people who belong to those first world countries."
These new churches may still be small in number, but they are seeing growth at a time when many traditional churches are losing members, and are challenging the old divisions in Northern Ireland.
There will be more information on the new churches on BBC Newsline on Thursday and Friday at 18:30 BST.


Kraft Heinz says it has dropped its plan to buy Anglo-Dutch rival Unilever.

Marmite-maker Unilever rejected the US food giant's bid on Friday, saying it saw "no merit, either financial or strategic" in Kraft's offer, worth about $143bn (Â£115bn).
"Unilever and Kraft Heinz hold each other in high regard," the companies said in a joint statement.
The deal would have been one of the biggest in corporate history, combining dozens of household names.
Unilever owns Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Dove soap, and Hellmann's mayonnaise, while Kraft's range includes Philadelphia cheese and Heinz baked beans.
"It would appear that Kraft Heinz have underestimated both the intrinsic value of Unilever and the challenge of acquiring control of a Dutch company whose stakeholders would have opposed such a move vociferously," said Martin Deboo, a consumer goods analyst at Jefferies International.
More than half of the company's shares are in the Dutch-listed entity, he told the BBC.
Michael Mullen, a spokesman for the company, said by email: "Kraft Heinz's interest was made public at an extremely early stage.
"Our intention was to proceed on a friendly basis, but it was made clear Unilever did not wish to pursue a transaction. It is best to step away early so both companies can focus on their own independent plans to generate value."
UK Prime Minister Theresa May had asked officials to examine the deal before it was scrapped, the Financial Times has reported.
The takeover of Cadbury by Kraft in 2010 was controversial enough to prompt a revamp of the rules governing how foreign firms buy UK companies.
Just a week after promising to keep open Cadbury's Somerdale factory, near Bristol, Kraft backtracked and said it would close the plant.
The Panel of Takeovers and Mergers reviewed the laws and, in September 2011, strengthened the hand of target companies, and demanded more information from bidders about their intentions after the purchase, particularly on areas such as job cuts.
In July last year, shortly after becoming prime minister, Mrs May promised to have a "proper industrial strategy" that could be used to block takeovers.
By Joe Lynam, BBC business correspondent
Kraft Heinz is jointly controlled by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Brazilian private equity group 3G. The latter has a deserved reputation for taking a scythe to costs - irrespective of how that might impact jobs and factories.
Unilever, on the other hand, has a reputation for doing the right thing in terms of corporate social responsibility and the environment - even if that eats into the bottom line.
I understand that Kraft Heinz was shocked with the vehemence with which its "friendly" merger offer was rebuffed.
The bosses of both consumer giants spoke over the weekend and it was clear that if Kraft really wanted Unilever it would have to launch a hostile takeover bid that could have ended up being very expensive.
The higher the price, the less worthwhile the deal. So the bid was withdrawn within 55 hours of it being announced.
Shares in both companies rose sharply on Friday, as investors welcomed the news. A merger often aims to combine sales while cutting costs, flattering profits.
The combined group might have had more power to raise prices through a bigger share of the branded food market.
Unilever clashed with UK supermarket Tesco in October over its attempts to raise prices to compensate for the steep drop in the value of the pound.
The consumer goods giant has over a dozen sites across the UK, including three major plants in Liverpool, Norwich and Gloucester.
If the deal had proceeded, it would be the second biggest ever, behind Vodafone's $183bn takeover of Germany's Mannesmann in 2000, according to Dealogic.
Kraft's offer was at an 18% premium to Unilever's closing share price on Thursday, Unilever said. Unilever shares, however, rose just shy of that, by 13%. Kraft shares rose 11% on Wall Street.
"Unilever shares might be rough going tomorrow," said Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital. The chance of other bidders emerging may be slim because of Unilever's size, he added.
"For the government there must be a lot riding on defending British jobs and that's going to make the hurdle for future foreign acquisitions all the higher, even if the pound's weakness makes some companies appealing," he added.


Eleven new MPs are representing Wales, with three seats won by the Tories and others taking up the role from Labour and Plaid Cymru colleagues.

Davies is the most common surname among the new Tory politicians with Byron, Chris and James winning seats for Gower, Brecon and Vale of Clwyd.
Stephen Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil, has become an MP after Labour held on to Aberavon.
And Plaid's first female MP Liz Saville Roberts held Dwyfor Meirionnydd.
Here's a list of the new MPs by constituency:
Stephen Kinnock and wife, Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, arrived at the Aberavon count in Neath under the glare of media on Thursday night as Danish journalists were among those interested in the result.
The Conservatives' Chris Davies gained the Brecon and Radnorshire seat from the Liberal Democrats.
He took 16,453 votes against Roger Williams from the Liberal Democrats who received 11,351.
Jo Stevens gained Cardiff Central for Labour from the Liberal Democrats' Jenny Willott.
The Tories held Cardiff North but the party has a new MP in Craig Williams as Jonathan Evans stepped down.
Liz Saville Roberts has become Plaid Cymru's first female MP to take over from Elfyn Llwyd at Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the party's outgoing parliamentary leader in March.
The Conservatives have won the constituency of Gower - a seat Labour has held for more than 100 years.
Following two recounts, AM Byron Davies gained the seat with 15,862 votes - a majority of just 27.
Labour held the ward with Gerald Jones who has taken over from Dai Havard who was elected in 2001.
Announcing his plan to retire last September, he said given the debate over further devolution and any constitutional change, it would be "best" for a new representative to become directly involved from the start.
Christina Rees takes over the Labour held seat of Neath from stalwart Peter Hain.
During his lengthy career, Mr Hain served in the cabinet under the former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, with stints as Northern Ireland Secretary, Welsh Secretary, Work and Pensions Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons.
Labour held on to Swansea East with Carolyn Harris who takes over from Sian James - first elected in 2005 - who wanted to "pursue other opportunities and other campaign interests".
Nick Thomas-Symonds takes over at Labour-held Torfaen from Paul Murphy after 28 years in parliament.
With just 237 votes in it, the Conservatives' Dr James Davies took the Vale of Clwyd constituency from Labour's Chris Ruane, who had represented it for 18 years.