A schoolgirl who almost died in a freak bicycle accident has been reunited with the paramedics and police officers whose quick actions saved her life.

Alanna Casement ripped an artery when she landed on top of her bike and the handlebar gouged into her leg.
The 12-year-old suffered severe blood loss after the crash in Castlewellan Forest Park, County Down, in July 2014.
Doctors believe that without the first aid Alanna received at the scene, she may not have survived.
Now, at a special event in Belfast one year on, the schoolgirl has thanked her friend's father Raymond Rice and the emergency services staff who helped her and flew her to hospital by helicopter.
Alanna, from Annacloy in County Down, also got to take another trip in the police helicopter, but this time in much happier circumstances.
"It's just really a huge thank you to every single one of them who participated in me being here today," she said.
"I can't really thank them enough for it. They helped me be here today."
Mr Rice said he still had nightmares about what he saw when he rushed to the crash scene.
"There was blood everywhere, I grabbed my hands around her leg and held as tight as I could until the paramedics came along," he said.
"Things didn't look too good then but fortunately today she's here to tell the tale and we are all glad it has turned out the way it has."
Rapid response paramedic Brian Lynn said it was one of the worst injuries he had ever seen sustained by a child.
"In 30 years' experience, dealing with traumas through the Troubles and stuff like that, it was quite a bad, serious wound."
He recalled an emotional exchange he and Alanna shared as they flew in the helicopter to hospital in Belfast.
"At one point she just turned up and looked at me and said was she going to die. I said: 'Not today.'"
Ronan Moore, of the PSNI's air support unit, said Alanna's case showed the importance of being able to transport a patient by air.
"Whilst the helicopter took approximately 10 minutes to transport Alanna to hospital, the same journey by road would have taken 45 minutes. That 35 minutes has made the difference," he said.
"Everyone saw that big beaming smile today, it makes it all worthwhile."
Alanna's mother Colette said her daughter had travelled a "long road" to recovery.
"She was in hospital for three weeks and left hospital in a wheelchair.
"We didn't know if she would ever walk again, but now thankfully she is back on her feet after a lot of hard work and determination," she said.
Mrs Casement said the event was an opportunity for Alanna to say thank you because she did not have the chance to do that last year.
"Hopefully this day will be the memory that lasts in Alanna's memory and not the memories of 19 July last year."


Five men have appeared in court charged with kidnapping a man who was badly beaten before being driven 70 miles away.

The victim, 27, suffered injuries including broken ribs and a suspected broken jaw when he was attacked at his home in Mutley in Plymouth on Sunday.
He was then driven to Cornwall, where he was abandoned in Hayle.
The men appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court also accused of grievous bodily harm with intent.
They are: Luke Coley, 27, from Chapmans Way, St Austell; Barry Wright, 26, from Dovedale Road, Birmingham; Mark Reeves, 24, also from Dovedale Road; James Prideaux-Hamilton-Bing, 28, from Hendra Prazey, St Austell; and Mark Bird, 27, from Morcom Close in St Austell.
No pleas were entered and the case was transferred to Plymouth Crown Court for a hearing on 3 May.


A German of Somali origin is suspected to have been the suicide bomber who struck in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday, a Somali intelligence officer has told the BBC.

The male bomber was believed to have come from Bonn city, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity as investigations were continuing.
The attack on the five-star Jazeera Palace Hotel killed 15 people.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, said it carried out the bombing.
A number of people from the US and Europe are known to have previously travelled to Somalia to join the group.
US President Barack Obama, who is visiting neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya, condemned the attack.
Ali Khalif Galayd, former Somali prime minister, told BBC Focus on Africa:
I was present in Westgate [shopping centre in Kenya's capital, Nairobi when militants attacked on 21 September 2013] in the Art Cafe, and I was staying in this Jazeera hotel... I was about to leave my room before 4pm when all hell broke loose.
Somebody was teasing me saying that I'm like a cat and I have nine lives - I didn't like that, but I was pleased, thank God, to be alive.
I was standing when the explosion happened and I fell and then about three doors and probably two windows blew into the room.
The door that led to the balcony fell on my chest and my left thigh - I have a few cuts and bruises but, thank God, I'm alive.
Westgate was more troubling because there was shooting everywhere. Here it was a massive explosion, so if you survived that, there was nothing else.
It will probably be part of my emotional baggage to carry round in terms of trauma - but I'm very happy and thank God it was not as destructive in terms of human lives.
The BBC Mohamed Moalimu in Mogadishu says that foreign experts are at the site of the blast to help with investigations.
The Somali intelligence officer also at the site told him the bomber was a Somali-German.
Germany has not yet commented on the allegation.
The officer said they were still trying to establish how the bombing was masterminded, our reporter says.
A lorry was used to carry out the attack on the hotel near the heavily secured airport - and the blast was one of the largest to have hit the city in about eight years, he says.
It is the third time the Jazeera Palace Hotel, which was opened by a Somali who returned from the US, has been the target of al-Shabab militants.
It is popular with international diplomats and also accommodates several embassies including those of China, Qatar and Egypt.
A Chinese embassy worker was among the dead as well as three members of the hotel staff, our reporter says.
Who controls Somalia?
Profile of a suicide bomber
Sun surf and grenades
Who are al-Shabab?
Al-Shabab is battling Somalia's government for control of the country. While security in Somalia has improved, the group still attacks Mogadishu regularly.
On Saturday, a member of the Somali parliament and an official from the prime minister's office were killed in separate attacks in the capital claimed by al-Shabab.
In recent days the group has lost two of its remaining strongholds - the south-western town of Bardere and the south-eastern town of Dinsor. Both had been under al-Shabab control since 2008.
The militants have also targeted neighbouring countries, killing almost 150 people in an assault on Garissa University College in Kenya in April.
In 2013, four of its fighters killed 67 people in an attack on the upmarket Westgate shopping centre in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.


For the first time, a British police force will recruit people directly to become detectives without them working as beat officers in uniform.

The Metropolitan Police hopes the scheme will fill some of the 600 detective vacancies in the force.
It also hopes to attract people with different skills and backgrounds who might otherwise not want to join.
Up to 80 detectives will be taken on initially, with further recruitment rounds likely to follow.
Earlier this year, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said there was a policing "crisis" across England and Wales because of a "severe shortage" of detectives.
Among the reasons given were the high workload in CID units, a lack of support for trainees and the intense scrutiny detectives face.
To help plug the gaps, some forces have begun recruiting specialists in cyber-crime and fraud to help with investigations.
Scotland Yard is now going a step further by allowing people to join as trainee detective constables, with full police powers.
Unlike other recruits, they will not have to spend any time in uniform doing street patrol and response work.
They will undergo an assessment involving tests, exercises, and interviews. If selected, they will undergo 18 weeks' training.
The training will be partly classroom-based, and partly based in boroughs. It will be similar to a constable's training, but with an investigative focus.
The initial salary will be just under Â£30,000.
The training will start in January. If successful, there will be another recruitment campaign during autumn.
David Tucker of the College of Policing, which sets standards of training and ethics for police in England and Wales, said: "We are aware of the difficulties in recruiting officers and staff into investigative roles, and we are working with colleagues, including the national policing lead, to support our members.
"The College and the NPCC are looking at the extent of this issue and we are currently working with a number of forces to develop a range of initiatives to address the problem."
The Met has 5,500 detectives out of 31,000 police officers.


Goals from Niall McGinn and Jonny Hayes ended any Aberdeen anxieties as they made it through to the Europa League third qualifying round.

After a sterile first half Rijeka threatened a miracle recovery from their 3-0 aggregate deficit when Marin Tomasov scored with a sublime strike.
Substitute Zoran Krvzic then netted with the aid of a deflection.
But McGinn raced clear to fire in and Hayes drove home as the Dons progressed to face Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan.
Manager Derek McInnes made it clear Aberdeen would need to do a professional job to see out the tie despite the impressive 3-0 first-leg win in Croatia.
Kenny McLean was preferred to Peter Pawlett in the starting line-up as an indication that the manager was as keen to keep a clean sheet in the return as he was to add to their aggregate lead.
David Goodwillie was once again the lone striker with everyone in a red jersey apart from him quick to get back into a good defensive shape whenever Rijeka were in possession.
As a result, the visitors, who had made the group stages for the last two years, often ran into dead ends when they tried to find the space in the first half.
Andrew Considine and Graeme Shinnie in particular impressed when called on to make important interventions while Ryan Jack controlled the midfield and the pace of Hayes on the counter attack always carried a threat.
Hayes carved out Aberdeen's first real chance with a great run and cross that goalkeeper Simon Sluga could not cope with and McLean was inches away from what would have been a back-post tap-in.
Croatia Under-21 cap Sluga was brought in after Ivan Vargic's poor performance in the first leg and justified his selection on the stroke of half-time when McGinn threatened a breakthrough.
The Northern Ireland international cut into a central position before hitting a shot from the edge of the box that Sluga brilliantly parried just when it seemed destined to nestle in the corner of the net.
But, in a rather surprising start to the second period, the visitors finally found a cutting edge with Tomasov producing a bit of magic.
The former 1860 Munich winger eased past two challenges at the edge of the box before curling a shot beyond Danny Ward into the bottom right hand corner of his net.
Even then the Dons looked comfortable but a speculative shot from Kvrzic took a big deflection off a defender to loop into the net and put the tie back in the balance.
Only for seconds, though, as McGinn, who scored the vital away goal in the previous round, latched on to Goodwillie's pass in to score.
And then Hayes, who previously missed a sitter, made amends by finishing from another fine pass by Goodwillie.
The 5-2 aggregate win was built on an impressive win in Croatia achieved in the most difficult of circumstances but, logistically, things will be even tougher for McInnes's men in the next round.
They will face a 9,000-mile, 15-hour round trip across five time zones to face Kairat after the Kazakh side defeated St Johnstone's Europa League conquerors Alashkert of Armenia 4-2 on aggregate.


A Turkish leftist group has said it carried out a suicide bombing outside a police station in Istanbul which killed a policeman and injured several people.

A security source told Reuters news agency the claim by the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (Dev Sol) was plausible.
An attacker hurled a grenade before blowing himself up at the station in the western suburb of Sultangazi.
The group is deemed a terrorist organisation by both the US and Turkey.
Active since 1978, it has been fighting to set up a socialist state in Turkey and is opposed to both the existing establishment and the US.
Four other policemen and three civilians were injured in Tuesday's attack, police said.
Images broadcast on Turkish TV showed damage to the main entrance of the building
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet named the suicide bomber as Ibrahim Cuhadar, said to be a Dev Sol member who had previously served eight months in prison for participating in illegal demonstrations.
The policeman who was killed, Bulent Ozkan, reportedly managed to fire two shots at the attacker but was unable to stop him detonating explosives strapped to his body.
Suicide bomb attacks are rare in Turkey. However, a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) group reportedly blew himself up earlier this month during an attack in the south-eastern province of Sanliurfa.


A BBC/National Geographic film crew have captured rare footage of humpback whales intervening in a hunt by a pod of killer whales.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
9 May 2012 Last updated at 15:54 BST
Gray whales migrate north along the west coast of the USA in the spring and although it is known the vulnerable young are often targetted by killer whales, it is rarely captured on film.
In this clip the end of the killer whale attack can be seen, followed by the "agitated" humpback whales trumpeting.
The gray whales are being followed for the Planet Earth Live series, known as 24/7 Wild in the US, which continues on Wednesday 1930 BST on BBC One in the UK.


In Zimbabwe, some 1.5m people are facing hunger, according to the UN's World Food Programme.

2 February 2016 Last updated at 11:48 GMT
The BBC's Taurai Maduna reports from the north-western district of Hwange.


STV election counts in Northern Ireland feel a bit like a ride on a big dipper.

One day politicians are cresting peaks and plummeting into troughs.
But the next, as the end approaches, the ups and downs smooth out and the riders finish their journey, badly shaken up, but perhaps not so very far away from where they started.
Despite the drama of DUP gains in South Belfast and UUP gains in Lagan Valley, within unionism we have ended up exactly where we were in 2011, with the DUP on 38 seats and the Ulster Unionists on 16.
On the nationalist side, however, there has been slippage, with both the SDLP and Sinn Féin losing seats.
The winners were the new kids on the block, the anti-austerity People Before Profit, and the Greens, both of whom will give a new flavour to the Stormont Chamber's so called "naughty corner".
NI Assembly election: The full results
Anti-austerity party picks up seats
Pictures from the counts across Northern Ireland
There were times when the SDLP looked like they might fall below the threshold for the power sharing coalition.
That threshold has increased due to the reduction in the number of Stormont departments.
But by clinging on in places like West Belfast and East Londonderry and taking a seat from Sinn Féin in Fermanagh South Tyrone, Colum Eastwood's team is still 12 strong.
That's two down on 2011, but still enough to qualify for a Stormont ministry, should the new leader decide he wants to join the Executive (which remains open to question).
Sinn Féin knew privately that they were never going to replace the DUP as the biggest party, despite all the speculation during the campaign.
However they must be disappointed not to reach the 30 mark which would have enabled them to launch their own petitions of concern.
Instead, with 28 MLAs, they are one down on 2011, and will be rueing self-inflicted wounds like running too many candidates in Fermanagh South Tyrone.
Whilst the broad headline so far as unionism is concerned is "no change", that conceals a lot of drama.
Last year, when Mike Nesbitt pulled his party out of the Executive, it looked as if he might have the DUP on the run.
As the crisis over IRA activity unfolded, Peter Robinson was vilified for adopting his rolling resignation tactic.
It certainly brought Stormont into a degree of disrepute with the public.
But it kept the Executive afloat, buying time for the Fresh Start deal and Mr Robinson's hand over to Arlene Foster.
Mrs Foster has reason to feel satisfied not only with her own poll topping performance, but also with halting the UUP's sense of momentum.
Mr Nesbitt will be depressed he didn't achieve his own 18/19 seat "sealed envelope" prediction.
But at least he is returning to Stormont with a team just as strong as the one elected in 2011 (which he may hope will be less susceptible to defections).
If all the parties entitled to a department participate, the new power sharing coalition will include a DUP First Minister, a Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister and a Justice Minister elected on a cross community basis (probably an Alliance MLA).
Then the DUP will have three ministries, Sinn Féin two and the Ulster Unionists and SDLP one each.
What we don't know at this stage is who our new ministers will be and, for example, whether a unionist might take the education department.
The 2011 Assembly consisted of 56 unionists, 43 nationalists and nine others.
The new one still has 56 unionists, but now there are only 40 nationalists, whilst the others will increase to 12.
That may prove significant in some circumstances, but if nationalists feel strongly about an issue they can still protect their position by using their cross community voting veto.
The new MLAs will move into their offices in Parliament Buildings from Monday onwards.
We expect the election of a new Speaker to replace Mitchel McLaughlin soon (probably on Thursday 12th May), but the timetable for the election or appointment of new ministers will depend on how the planned negotiations on a Programme for Government unfold.


At least six children have been killed and several others injured in a bus crash in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The bus, carrying schoolchildren aged five to 10, crashed at about 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Monday.
Photos from the scene showed the bus wrapped around a tree, with its metal roof split in two.
"Speed is being investigated very very strongly as a factor in this crash," said Chattanooga police chief Fred Fletcher.
He said it was a complicated crime scene, but conditions "appeared to be clear and dry".
Investigators believe the bus may have hit a utility pole before colliding with the tree, the police chief added.
The driver, who survived the crash, was being questioned and was co-operating with investigators, police said.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney said five children were found dead on board the bus after the crash, and another child had died in hospital.
She said 35 children had been on board the bus. Chattanooga Fire Department also said 23 children had been taken to hospital by ambulance.
Local blood bank Blood Assurance called for blood donations following the crash.
A reporter for the local news channel tweeted that queues to donate were "out the door" and the office was taking appointments for the following morning.
The mayor of Chattanooga, Andy Berke, asked concerned parents to go to the elementary school for information, and not the crash site.
"Please pray for the families of those affected by this horrible accident," he said in a tweet.


A peregrine falcon chick could be in rehab for "up to a year" after it crash-landed having fledged from its nest at the top of the 23-storey block of flats.

The chick was one of five fitted with identification rings in May, having hatched in a man-made nestbox built into The Mill on Ipswich's waterfront.
The bird was found "almost emaciated" with an injured chest in a churchyard.
The other chicks and their parents are flying and feeding around the docks.
The chicks all fledged about two weeks ago from The Mill, which is 233ft (71m) high and has a nesting box fitted into the parapet on the flat roof.
The injured chick was found in the neighbouring St Peter's churchyard on 17 June.
Steve Piotrowski, from the Suffolk Ornithologists Group, said: "The bird had a bruised sternum and was very weak and almost emaciated from a lack of food - it's not strong enough to be returned to its family, who might even kill it.
"It can feed itself, but the question of whether it can successfully be taught to hunt could take up to a year to be answered - it can be a very long rehabilitation."
Mr Piotrowski said a pair of peregrines had bred three chicks at a nest on the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich, but all three had been killed after flying into traffic.
A pair of adult birds were at the derelict sugar beet factory in Ipswich, while another pair laid eggs at Felixstowe docks, but these did not hatch.
A pair of juveniles have since arrived at Felixstowe, but Mr Piotrowski said it was a mystery where they had come from.
180mph (290km/h)
the top diving speed of a peregrine falcon
1,400 the number of breeding pairs in the UK, according to the latest figures
365 the number of breeding pairs in the UK back in 1961
3-4 the number of eggs a hen would usually lay in a year


The police had to be called to deal with two "noisy and rowdy" police officers who had been on a hen do, a misconduct panel heard.

Essex PCs Jason Munns and Luke Salmon refused to leave Norwich Travelodge after being asked to go for being "rude and aggressive", the hearing was told.
It was said they had been on a "big night out" for a colleague's hen party and had been drinking since 14:30 BST.
Both are accused of conduct breaching standards of professional behaviour.
The hearing was told how the police had to be called to the hotel in June 2016 as the officers were being "noisy and rowdy" and "verbally abusive" to the night receptionist, who had asked them to leave.
Four police officers attended the scene and PCs Munns and Salmon, who are based in Colchester, are accused of being "obstructive" and pretending to be asleep when the officers tried to get them to answer their hotel door.
They are also accused of saying they were not leaving as they "knew the law and were police officers".
PC Munns's solicitor said he recognised his behaviour amounted to misconduct and was "ashamed of himself".
The hen party consisted of seven police colleagues, one of whom had been sick and another who said his recollections of the night were "hazy at best", the hearing was told.
PC Munns also allegedly told PC Salmon to tell the night manager to "do one".
PC Munns's solicitor denied his actions amounted to aggression and said he did not intend to be threatening or intimidating.
The situation calmed when PC Munns revealed he was a police officer, the panel was told, and the officers all shook hands before they left after 40 minutes.
The hearing continues.


A lottery player who won £1m on a ticket bought in Leicester has failed to claim their prize.

Lottery organisers Camelot said the window for claiming the Euromillions winnings closed at 23:00 BST on Sunday.
Camelot said unclaimed money would be added to the money in the National Lottery Good Causes fund.
Leicester's lord mayor Abdul Osman started a countdown timer to the deadline near the Haymarket clock tower last week but the prize went unclaimed.
A spokesman for Camelot said: "Unfortunately, I can confirm that the ticket-holder did not come forward within the deadline to claim their prize and has now sadly missed out on this substantial amount of money.
"I would urge all National Lottery players to check their tickets on a regular basis."


A giant bra designed to raise awareness of breast cancer, which failed to sell on the auction website eBay is to be relisted, its makers say.

The 6.2m (20ft) bra was crocheted by the Swindon Bitch and Stitch knitting group to raise funds for the charity Against Breast Cancer.
Despite attracting about 200 views, the bra, listed as "used", did not sell.
Tracey Major, from the group, said: "It's very heavy, each cup weighs about 5kgs so it could be used as beanbags."
Measuring 6.2m wide and 2m high, the giant bra took around four months to create.
Along with bras belonging to Honor Blackman, Barbara Windsor, and Twiggy, it is currently on display at the Brunel Centre in Swindon.
Ms Major said they had been hoping to find a "good home" for it and raise "a giant amount of money".
"I listed it as used because so many people were touching it and doing selfies with it and I thought I can't sell that as new," she said.
"But if it doesn't sell, I'm not too fussed because we can donate it to the charity and they can use it and take it around to exhibitions with them."


DUP MP Sammy Wilson has criticised James Brokenshire for a lack of clarity about how money secured for Northern Ireland through a DUP deal with the Conservatives can be spent.

Last month, the DUP negotiated an extra £1bn in spending in exchange for backing the Tories at Westminster.
On Wednesday, Mr Brokenshire stopped short of ruling out that it could be dependent on restoring devolution.
The DUP has always insisted the money is not subject to that condition.
Mr Wilson accused the secretary of state of not being able to "give a straight answer", and said it had been made clear to his party that the money was available to Northern Ireland as long as the DUP support the government on certain measures at Westminster.
Under the 'confidence and supply' arrangement the two parties reached last month, the DUP guarantees that its 10 MPs will vote with the government on the Queen's Speech, the Budget, and legislation relating to Brexit and national security.
"As long as we do that, the money is there," said the East Antrim MP, adding that Mr Brokenshire was "pussyfooting around" on the issue.
"If the assembly isn't up and running, then assembly members will not have a decision on how it is spent, it will be direct rule ministers," he added.
"I'd prefer the assembly would have input but if that's not going to happen then why can't he just say it rather than trying to speak on both sides of his mouth?"
The East Antrim MP said the secretary of state needed to make his position clear and said if direct rule is implemented, the DUP will be in a "major position for consultation then" about how the extra funding is spent.
On Wednesday, the secretary of state allocated an extra £131m to health and education in Northern Ireland, as part of a reallocation of funds known as a monitoring round.
It was his second intervention in Stormont's finances in the absence of a functioning executive.
Speaking to BBC Newsline, Mr Brokenshire said the latest funding allocation was not a long-term solution.
"What we're saying is that this money is for a new executive to see that we get local politicians making decisions, there will be a whole host of decisions to take should that not happen," he said.
"I recognise the specific financial needs Northern Ireland has, but the point is that things like infrastructure, roads, investment in hospitals - that requires political decision-making and that why we need to see the parties coming back together again and getting an executive in place."
Asked if the money would be available if there is no restoration of power-sharing at Stormont by 2018, Mr Brokenshire said he would not "hypothesise or speculate" as to what would happen.
The region has been without a functioning executive since January, when the coalition led by the DUP and Sinn Féin collapsed over a green energy scandal.
Talks in both the spring and summer aimed at restoring power-sharing at Stormont failed, with the parties remaining deadlocked over a number of issues.


Australian Open champion Roger Federer suffered a shock defeat by Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy in the Dubai Championships second round.

Federer lost 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-5) to the world number 116.
Federer had three match points in the second set, served for the match at 5-3 in the third and led the deciding tie-break 5-1 but Donskoy fought back brilliantly.
Earlier, Britain's Andy Murray beat Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-0.
The world number one, 29, is playing his first tournament since his fourth-round defeat at the Australian Open in January.
Murray, who won in one hour and 12 minutes, will face Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the last eight.
British number two Dan Evans was beaten 6-4 3-6 6-1 by fourth seed Gael Monfils of France.
The 26-year-old, at a career-high ranking of 43, lost the opening set but levelled as Monfils held serve only once in the second set.
But Monfils raced through the decider to complete victory in one hour and 35 minutes.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.


Just after their cage is opened, four hesitant howler monkeys take their first steps inside Tijuca National Park, in the heart of Rio de Janeiro.

Soon they are feeling confident enough to climb trees and eat fruit.
This species had been absent from Tijuca National Park for about 100 years, according to estimates from researchers.
This forest is famous for being the home of Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue and also as one of the world's largest urban forests.
However, due to poaching and deforestation, many of the animals from the park have disappeared, making it an "empty forest".
Now scientists want to change that.
"Tijuca is a starting point for techniques in reintroducing fauna to forests," says Fernando Fernandez, a researcher from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), which runs the project with funding from the private foundation Grupo Boticario.
Some of these animals are important for spreading seeds, helping big trees reproduce.
But howler monkeys particularly help the forest through their faeces, which are a source of nutrients to the soil.
The monkeys were taken to the forests on 3 September, after spending eight months being prepared in a UFRJ lab.
There they were medically tested, given ankle bands (for monitoring purposes), and learned to live together as a group.
"That's very important, as howler monkeys need social groups to live in the forest," says Mr Fernandez.
There were initially five monkeys, but one of them did not get along with the dominant male - and was therefore expelled from the group.
Mr Fernandez hopes to bring three more groups - comprising five monkeys each - to Tijuca in the next few years.
The goal is that the population becomes self sustaining.
The project began in 2010, when the scientists started to repopulate Tijuca with local rodents (called cutias) that are also cherished for their seed-spreading abilities.
Now there are 35 of them inhabiting the park.
In the future, the plan is to populate Tijuca also with native boars, kinkajous, native sloths and the famous - and endangered - golden lion tamarins.
"Our goal is to reconstruct the fauna in the long term," says Mr Fernandez.
Millions of annual visitors to Tijuca National Park now have a chance to spot the howler monkeys in the middle of the jungle.
Soon enough visitors might be able to hear them as well: howler-monkeys' screams can be heard from kilometres away, but they only shout with such enthusiasm during territorial disputes - which might take a while, since there are too few monkeys in the forest for the time being.
Mr Fernandez is both excited and concerned about how the monkeys will respond to humans.
"I hope people react well, because these animals are really charismatic," he says.
"But I do recommend that people keep their distance - avoid interacting with them and please do not feed them, as it can be harmful. Watch and enjoy, because they are really cool, but from a distance.
"Many people visit Tijuca National Park to visit the Christ the Redeemer but there will be more and more animals there. It is an opportunity to appreciate the fauna and learn how to preserve it."


The Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said the Northern Ireland political process faces its greatest challenge since the Good Friday negotiations.

In a statement on Friday, the Louth TD criticised the unionist parties and the British government.
He accused them of failing to engage positively in political negotiations.
Mr Adams said their stance meant there was no likelihood of negotiations resuming in September on the past, flags and parades.
He also claimed that anti-agreement unionists had been allowed to set the agenda.
As a result, Northern Ireland's power-sharing government was being undermined.
Mr Adams said Sinn Féin were in government because they wanted to be and unionists were in government because they had to be.
He said there had been an absence of consistent positive leadership from unionists.
"It's been stop start, stop start and now the negative elements are setting the agenda," Mr Adams said.
He again reiterated his party's opposition to welfare reform and said the changes should be opposed by a united executive.
"We will oppose welfare reform - and it isn't welfare reform, it's cuts in the entitlement of citizens, it's led by a very narrow Tory ideological position," Mr Adams said.
"The way to oppose it is for the executive to be united. We're not and should not be in dispute with the DUP, the SDLP, the Alliance Party or anybody else on this island or in this state on this issue."
Last week, it was confirmed that Stormont departments, excluding health and education, were to have their budgets cut by a total of £78m.
Finance Minister Simon Hamilton also warned that further cuts, amounting to £87m, would be required if a deal on welfare reform was not agreed.
Mr Adams also warned Secretary of State Theresa Villiers about the demand from unionists and the loyal orders for a parading inquiry.
Unionists and Orange Order leaders made the call following a determination from the Parades Commission that prevented members of Ligoniel Orange Lodge from returning along a stretch of the Crumlin Road that separates unionist and nationalist communities on 12 July.
The Sinn Féin president said if such an inquiry was established  it would damage the integrity of the Parades Commission, and further undermine the Haass proposals.
The DUP's Gregory Campbell said Sinn Féin was running away from the reality of welfare reform.
"We fought welfare reform in the House of Commons, when Sinn Fein was absent, they absented themselves because they don't attend," he said.
"When that went through, against our wishes, we did get some consensus in the assembly about our DSD minister Nelson McCausland going to the government and negotiating a flexible arrangement to that our vulnerable people would be sheltered from the worst excesses of welfare reform.
"But here's the key, the absolute fundamental point that Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein seem to want to run away from, to absent themselves from, that the money tap from London, the £10m subvention we get from London, it has been reduced.
"So the £87m that we should have got we're not going to get because of welfare reform."
Justice Minister David Ford, of the Alliance Party, described Mr Adams' comments on welfare reform as "nothing but nonsense".
"In a couple of years time, if we don't deal with welfare reform then Northern Ireland will have to set up its own entirely separate welfare system," he said.
"That is a cost that will run into hundreds of millions of pounds to set up and the net result is that Sinn Féin will have to face up to reality.
"Why they can't accept reality at this point, I can't fathom."
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said: "In his most recent comments it is quite clear that Gerry Adams is blustering. The fact is that there are big issues which we need to face up to, not least welfare reform.
"However, rather than address them by bringing legislation to the floor of the assembly, Sinn Féin are instead effectively saying 'Brits out, but please leave your open chequebook behind you.' This is clearly not the politics of the real world."


This is Prince Philip acting on his own advice, nearly six years later.

When he turned 90 he told the BBC it was "better to get out before you reach your sell-by date".
From the autumn, he will follow a path into retirement which is trod by many non-royals once they are in their sixties.
Today's announcement is a significant moment in the recent history of the British Royal Family.
A prince of Greece - with Danish, German and Russian blood - he has served the ancient institution, very publicly, for seven decades.
As an outsider - who was viewed with suspicion by the aristocracy - he struggled at first.
To his critics, he is a gaffe-prone prince.
His many supporters argue that this nonagenarian senior royal has played a crucial role sustaining the monarchy.
It's little wonder then, that the Queen once called him her strength and stay.


British Olympic champion Liam Heath defended his K1 200m title at the Canoe Sprint European Championships.

Heath crossed the line in 33.38 seconds ahead of Hungary's Bence Horvath and Marko Dragosavljevic from Serbia.
Heath, 32, who took gold at the Rio Olympics, will be hoping to add the world title to his collection in the Czech Republic in August.
Britain's Hannah Brown and Angela Hannah were fourth in the K2 200m in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.


West Brom are to investigate crowd disturbances during Chelsea's title-clinching 1-0 win at The Hawthorns on Friday, after nine fans were arrested.

Some Baggies supporters ignored a warning not to sell tickets in the home section to opposing fans.
Crowd trouble occurred after Michy Batshuayi's late winner.
West Brom chief executive Martin Goodman said any supporters "who could be traced selling on tickets to visiting supporters faced sanctions".
He added: "Naturally it is a matter of great disappointment for all at Albion and our thousands of genuine fans that a tiny minority would put profit before backing their team.
"We will also co-operate fully with police to help identify anyone clearly guilty of disorder offences during the disturbance."
West Midlands Police said seven of those arrested were charged with pitch invasion. They are due to appear before Dudley Magistrates' Court later this month.
A 35-year-old man from Solihull was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and a man from Suffolk, 32, was detained over suspected criminal damage and assault. Both have been bailed.


Aston Villa were held to a draw for the third Championship home game running as John Egan's scrambled late equaliser earned Brentford a point.

Villa looked on their way to a comfortable win after Jonathan Kodjia's stunning first-half left-foot curler, his first goal for the club.
But Dean Smith's Bees stayed in the game and had the character to hit back.
From Sullay Kaikai's neat chip to the far post, Villa failed to clear their lines and Egan stole in to equalise.
Having been denied victory on Sunday only by the woodwork and the brilliance of Nottingham Forest keeper Vladimir Stojkovic, Villa appeared eager to make amends.
But it still took a flash of brilliance from new signing Kodjia to get them on their way on 19 minutes.
The striker took a pass from Mile Jedinak down the right, worked his way to the edge of the area and hit a left-foot shot which curled beautifully into the far-left corner.
Josh Clarke then fired over the bar from close range for Brentford in a flurry of chances for the Bees.
But, for all the hard running and tackling in midfield, epitomised by former Shrewsbury Town midfielder Ryan Woods, they lacked a cutting edge.
By contrast, Villa did have chances, as Kodjia got on the end of Jordan Ayew's cross, Ayew shot over with a left-foot curler and Kodjia brought a save out of keeper Daniel Bentley.
But the introduction of Crystal Palace loan man Kaikai brought its rewards for boyhood Villa fan Smith.
Kaikai had already caused concern in the home ranks before he cut back onto his right foot to curl over a cross in the 88th minute, from which Egan managed to force the ball home.
Aston Villa manager Roberto di Matteo told BBC Sport:
"We need to be more clinical in front of goal, we could have scored five on Sunday. But most of all we also need to see games out.
"We allowed them to get too much of the ball in the second half and we got a bit nervous in the last 10 minutes. We just need to win. Win ugly, or attractive. It doesn't matter.
"Jack Grealish could not play as he had a problem with his hamstring, Ross McCormack has knock on his knee and Richie de Laet got a knock clearing the ball at the far post. He is in a lot of pain and we will have to see about him."
Brentford boss Dean Smith told BBC Sport:
"It was the least we deserved. We'd have been very disappointed to go away without getting something.
"I was disappointed with their goal. But I suppose that's what £15m gets you and it was a good finish.
"Everyone knows I was a Villa fan growing up in Great Barr as a boy and to come here as a manager was a great experience but, if we'd lost, it would have meant nothing. My mates who are all Villa fans asked me if I'd celebrate and I think I gave them the answer."
Match ends, Aston Villa 1, Brentford 1.
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 1, Brentford 1.
Harlee Dean (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa).
Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lasse Vibe (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa).
Foul by John Egan (Brentford).
Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Harlee Dean (Brentford) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Romaine Sawyers following a corner.
Corner,  Brentford. Conceded by Pierluigi Gollini.
Attempt saved. Ryan Woods (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lasse Vibe.
Attempt blocked. Lasse Vibe (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sullay Kaikai.
Goal!  Aston Villa 1, Brentford 1. John Egan (Brentford) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sullay Kaikai with a cross.
Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sullay Kaikai (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa).
Substitution, Brentford. Josh McEachran replaces Nico Yennaris.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Gary Gardner replaces Rudy Gestede.
Attempt saved. Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Romaine Sawyers (Brentford).
Ashley Westwood (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Brentford. Lasse Vibe replaces Lewis MacLeod.
Attempt missed. Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Foul by Romaine Sawyers (Brentford).
Tommy Elphick (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordan Ayew with a cross.
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Maxime Colin.
Ryan Woods (Brentford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Woods (Brentford).
Jordan Amavi (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Romaine Sawyers (Brentford) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Leandro Bacuna replaces Ritchie de Laet because of an injury.
Delay in match Ritchie de Laet (Aston Villa) because of an injury.
Harlee Dean (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Rudy Gestede (Aston Villa).
Foul by Sullay Kaikai (Brentford).
Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.


A student who died at an anti-government protest in Caracas last month was killed by a tear gas canister fired by the National Guard, Venezuela's chief prosecutor says.

Juan Pablo Pernalete died of cardiogenic shock after being hit by an object in the chest.
A number of government officials had said he had been killed by hooded men with a bolt gun.
Venezuela has seen almost daily anti-government protests since April.
The country's deepening economic and political crisis has led to triple-digit inflation, a high crime rate and clashes between protesters and security forces.
In a news conference, Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega said witness statements and forensic evidence showed that Juan Pablo Pernalete had been hit by a tear gas canister.
She said she hoped to be able to identify the officer who fired the canister "in the coming days".
Firing tear gas canisters directly at protesters could be lethal and was banned by both international and national regulations, she said.
Juan Pablo Pernalete's parents welcomed Ms Ortega's announcement, describing it as a "positive first step".
Jose Gregorio Pernalete and Elvira Llovera told BBC News Online it was "one of the first acts of justice for our son".
Officials including Information Minister Ernesto Villegas, Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and deputy leader of the governing socialist PSUV party Diosdado Cabello had previously denied the National Guard was responsible.
Mr Cabello had blamed "gunmen in the service of the bourgeoisie" and insisted there were no National Guard personnel in the area at the time.
Ms Ortega, once considered an ally of President Nicolas Maduro, has in the past months distanced herself from the government.
In March she said a Supreme Court ruling stripping the opposition-controlled National Assembly of its powers broke the law.
She has also been critical of President Maduro's plans to convene a citizens' assembly to rewrite the constitution.


When you think of endangered species, you usually think of pandas and tigers.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
8 September 2014 Last updated at 09:31 BST
But scientists in Scotland are worried about another type of creature, Natterjack toads.
Their numbers are falling, and researchers are looking into new ways to make sure they survive.
We sent Ayshah on a mission to track down the rare amphibians.


Commonwealth Games silver medallist Stephanie Inglis has opened an eye for the first time during her recovery from a serious accident in Vietnam.

The 27-year-old judo athlete from Inverness was placed in an induced coma after suffering head injuries in the motorbike taxi accident on 10 May.
Since being flown to a hospital in Thailand, doctors have begun the process of waking her from the coma.
On Sunday, she opened her left eye and followed a light shown into it.
Her family joked in a Facebook post that Ms Inglis opened her eye in shock at hearing her father, Robert, singing by her bedside.
In the same message, her family added that her temperature was falling and had almost returned to normal, an indication that she was fighting infections, including pneumonia.
Ms Inglis had been in Vietnam for four months teaching English to underprivileged children when the accident happened.
It is understood that a long skirt she was wearing, and which she had tied up for the bike journey, became unravelled and caught in the wheel of the motorbike, pulling her off the machine and on to the road.


Activists opposed to what they claim is the gentrification of parts of east London threw paint and daubed the word "scum" on a business selling cereal.

The owners of the Cereal Killer Cafe said staff were "absolutely terrified" when protesters targeted the shop on Saturday night.
Police said the disorder, which spread into Brick Lane, began at about 20:00 BST and lasted for several hours.
One man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.
Alan Keery, who runs the Cereal Killer cafe with his twin brother Gary, told the Evening Standard newspaper: "There were children there - they were terrified.
"The staff were absolutely terrified. It was an angry mob throwing paint at the windows. They had torches and pigs' heads."
He added: "We're being targeted as the poster boys of gentrification and that's not our fault."
One witness told the BBC: "We don't know why they did it but they were wearing Cameron masks. They've written Class War on their banners.
"And later threw paint on the cafe. The staff and employees barricaded themselves inside."
The brothers from Belfast, who opened the cafe in December 2014, were forced to defend their prices after a Channel 4 interviewer asked whether local people could afford Â£3.20 for a bowl of cereal.
On Sunday they tweeted: "The mob won't win, wearing masks with pitch forks and torches, it's 2015. #hatecrime"
The pre-planned demonstration was advertised on Facebook, with organisers saying: "We don't want luxury flats that no-one can afford, we want genuinely affordable housing.
"We don't want pop-up gin bars or brioche buns - we want community.
"Soon this City will be an unrecognisable, bland, yuppie infested wasteland with no room for normal (and not so normal) people like us.
"London is our home and worth defending against this onslaught of dog-eat-dog economics.
"Working class people are being forced out of our homes but we won't go out without a fight."


Russia has signed a contract to supply Iran with sophisticated S-300 surface-to-air missiles.

The contract got the go-ahead after international sanctions on Iran were lifted earlier this year, following a deal over its nuclear programme.
Israel, the US and Saudi Arabia are all opposed to the missile contract.
Russian officials say the first batch could be delivered 18 months after Iran has specified the S-300 type that it wants. Technical talks are continuing.
"The deal to supply the S-300 to Iran has not only been signed between the parties but it has already come into force," said Sergei Chemezov, head of Russia's Rostec arms firm, speaking at the Dubai Airshow-2015.
The $800m (Â£545m) contract, signed in 2007, was frozen by Russia in 2010 because of the international sanctions. President Vladimir Putin unfroze it in April.
Israel and the US fear the missiles could be used to protect Iranian nuclear sites from air strikes.
The S-300 can be used against multiple targets including jets, or to shoot down other missiles.
The S-300B4 variant - delivered to the Russian armed forces last year - can shoot down any medium-range missile in the world today, flies at five times the speed of sound and has a range of 400km (248 miles), Tass reports.
Profile: Russia's S-300 missile system
When the Russian deal was suspended Iran filed a lawsuit seeking billions of dollars in damages.
Mr Chemezov said Saudi Arabia had asked Rostec repeatedly not to supply the S-300 to Iran.
But he insisted that it was a defensive weapon. "So if the Gulf countries are not going to attack Iran... why should they be threatened? Because this is defence equipment," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.


People with hidden health conditions are being offered "Please offer me a seat" badges in a bid to help ease their suffering on London transport.

The Transport for London (TfL) trial follows the success of its "Baby on board" badge for pregnant women.
TfL is recruiting 1,000 people to start wearing the blue badges from 12 September.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he hoped they would "give confidence" to people who find standing difficult.
Some travellers, such as James McNaught who is joining the trial, had already started making their own badges to alert fellow passengers to their condition.
The 45-year-old designed "Cancer on board" badges after travelling on the Tube between Kentish Town and University College Hospital for chemotherapy.
Radiotherapy on his throat left him unable to speak to ask for a seat, and the morphine made him appear drunk.
"I'm really pleased TfL is doing this trial," he said. "A badge and card could help make a real difference to the lives of people undergoing drug treatment or with longer term conditions or disabilities."
TfL will use social media and customer information to encourage other passengers to look out for the badges.
"This small act of consideration from Londoners could make a huge difference to disabled people getting around the city and being fully involved in all London has to offer," said Alice Mitchell-Pye of charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.
The six-week trial is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe.


A pilot scheme to improve the detection of bowel cancer has been launched in NHS Tayside.

The pilot is funded through a Â£39m Scottish government scheme that aims to detect cancer early.
The programme will make a new test available to patients who turn up at their GP with symptoms of the disease.
Previously, patients would have been immediately sent for a colonoscopy, but researchers at Ninewells Hospital say they have developed a better method.
The scientists, working with the University of Dundee, have created a new test which uses a faeces sample to test for blood content which can be a sign of cancer or bowel disease.
If blood is undetectable, this could rule out the need for a colonoscopy for many patients and speed the investigation of those that do.
The new test will be available at all GP practices in NHS Tayside during the pilot, which was launched at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee by Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison.
Ms Robison said: "The NHS in Scotland is committed to ensuring swift access to diagnostic testing and treatment for all patients in Scotland and we will watch this pilot with interest.
"Cancer services in Scotland have improved significantly over the past decade and increasing numbers of people are surviving cancer due to early detection and advances in medical treatment."
Bowel cancer is Scotland's third most common cancer, but there is a more than 90% chance of successful treatment if it is detected early enough.
The NHS Tayside pilot will run until June 2016 and will cost Â£35,000.


Great Britain decathlete Ashley Bryant says it was "incredibly frustrating" to find out an airline had lost his vaulting poles before a key Olympic qualification meeting.

Bryant, 25, borrowed poles at last week's Hypo Meeting in Gotzis after his never arrived on a Swiss Air flight.
He fell 30cm short of his personal best in the pole vault and missed the qualifying standard by just 44 points.
"I'm now left chasing qualification events," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"And I have to sit down with my coach to decide where we go next."
Swiss Air say they have since reunited Bryant with his poles and are working to establish what went wrong.
Bryant must now try to achieve the qualifying standard of 8,100 points at the remaining meetings before the Olympics begin in August.
He scored 8,056 points in Gotzis, but does have a personal best of 8,141.
A British Athletics spokesman told the Guardian that Bryant's case would be looked at "as an individual case", meaning he could yet qualify.
"It's an incredibly frustrating situation," he said.
"We checked the plane we were going to take would take poles. We got to the airport and they said: 'These aren't going to make the flight. The next day there's a larger plane'.
"But Sunday came and my poles were not there. I managed to borrow some off a Swedish athlete but they're not the same poles I've trained on.
"I have different poles from the ones which are applicable to a lot of the other guys."


Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara took a career best 5-49 as Derbyshire were forced to follow-on at Chelmsford.

The visitors resumed on 124-2 but Bopara had Wayne Madsen and Tom Poynton caught behind, Hamish Rutherford caught at square leg and Matt Critchley trapped lbw to reduced them to 207-8.
Tom Taylor (25) and Tony Palladino (24 not out) helped the away side to 280 all out, still 258 runs behind.
Billy Godleman's 75 helped the host close on 150-1, still 108 runs behind.
Derbyshire opener Chesney Hughes (26 not out) was forced off after feeling unwell while batting but is likely to bat tomorrow.


Seventeen people have been killed and another 11 injured in a fire at a prison in Venezuela.

The cause of the blaze at Tocuyito jail near the city of Valencia is still being investigated.
Inmates said an electrical fault was to blame but investigators have yet to provide an official report.
Prisons in Venezuela are notoriously overcrowded and violent. Pressure group Venezuelan Prison Observatory says more than 300 inmates were killed in 2014.
Nine men and eight women died in the fire which spread through one of the units, officials said.
Forensic experts are trying to identify the bodies.
Relatives who gathered outside the morgue in Valencia said they believed the male victims were inmates while the female ones were spending the night in the penitentiary.
They said it was not unusual for visitors to spend Sunday night with their incarcerated partners.
Officials said security inside and around the prison had been increased to stop inmates from rioting or attempting to escape.
Venezuela has one of the highest crime and homicide rates in Latin America, and the judicial system is struggling to cope with the caseload.
The prison population has been increasing with many of those incarcerated waiting for trial.


The government has seen off calls in Parliament to scrap its planned rise in VAT to 20% from next January.

A proposed amendment to the Finance Bill by the SNP and Plaid Cymru, which would have prevented the increase, was defeated by a majority of 295.
A Labour-backed amendment calling for the move to be delayed pending an assessment of its impact on vulnerable groups was also defeated.
Ministers have said the tax rise is "unavoidable" to reduce the deficit.
In a further vote, MPs approved the VAT rise by 321 to 246, a government majority of 75.
The votes came during a lengthy debate on the bill, which enacts last month's Budget, in the Commons.
Chancellor George Osborne has said the planned rise in the main rate of VAT from 17.5% to 20% is estimated to raise Â£13bn towards reducing the Â£155bn deficit.
The move was controversial as the Conservatives said they had "no plans" to raise it during the election while the Lib Dems attacked the Tories - now their now-coalition partners - saying their plans would necessitate a "VAT bombshell".
But neither the Conservatives, Labour nor the Lib Dems ruled out raising VAT before the general election.
MPs discussed a group of 16 opposition amendments - including a bid by the SNP to scrap the rise altogether and several Labour amendments, including one which would delay the VAT rise until the government has assessed its impact on pensioners, children and those on low fixed incomes.
The SNP amendment was defeated by 316 votes to 21.
Another Labour amendment, which was also defeated, would have exempted groups such as charities, local authorities and other groups from the VAT rise.
A Lib Dem MP, Andrew George, tabled an amendment to peg the rise to just 0.5% - from 17.5% to 18%.
"Of all the measures to restore the public finances it seems to me that a VAT rise has to be among the least welcome of all of the alternatives," he told MPs.
Treasury minister David Gauke said VAT was "one of the few levers available" to the government to address the shortfall in the public finances.
"Any sensible government would consider it. And, given the circumstances we're in, any government would do it." He added: "We had to raise VAT because there was no money left."
But shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne said Britain's pensioners may face "an Â£8bn VAT bill over the course of this Parliament".
In an interview with the BBC's Daily Politics earlier, shadow chancellor Alistair Darling confirmed Labour had looked at raising VAT to 18% or 19% and said he did "not have a philosophic problem with that" as long as "you do something to help people on low fixed incomes" like pensioners and to ease the effect of spending cuts.
He said Labour's amendment was not a "blanket refusal to put up VAT" but a "reasoned and considered amendment" which was calling on the government to do more to help those worst hit by a VAT rise.


A mother was killed by her "controlling and jealous" former partner who stuffed her body into a suitcase before dumping it near train tracks, a court has heard.

Gergana Prodanova, 38, went missing last year from the home she shared with her ex-partner, Kostadin Kostov.
Kostov, 42, appeared at Exeter Crown Court accused of murdering her.
He denies killing the mother of their three children, whose body was found nearly two weeks after she disappeared.
More on the suitcase murder trial and other Devon news
Simon Laws, QC, prosecuting, said the couple had been in a relationship for 15 years prior to Ms Prodanova moving to Exeter, Devon, in December 2015.
"It was a complex and very troubling relationship," said Mr Laws.
"He had used physical violence against her on a number of occasions.
"He was a jealous and controlling man. He would lose his temper, especially when he had had a drink, and he would hit her."
The jury heard Ms Prodanova moved to England on her own, leaving Kostov and her children at home in Bulgaria and soon formed a relationship with another man.
Mr Laws said Kostov flew to the UK on April 21 2016 and moved in with Ms Prodanova in a small flat on Mount Pleasant Road in the city.
He said the prosecution case was that she was killed there on the evening of August 4 by Kostov because he was jealous of her new relationship.
The court heard Ms Prodanova's colleagues at the Great Western Hotel were surprised at her disappearance.
"Then messages were sent by text and Facebook that looked as if they came from her," Mr Laws says.
"Those messages were intended to explain her sudden absence.
Mr Laws said Kostov told police that Ms Prodanova was alive the last time he saw her, that she had received a phone call from her sister to say that her mother was dead and had left the flat.
The trial continues.


As part of the 100 women series we met some of the nurses working in areas ravaged by conflict.

20 November 2015 Last updated at 06:58 GMT
Marie-Ange Koutou, 42, is a paediatric nurse's assistant in the Medecins Sans Frontiers Hospital in Kabo, a remote rural village in the north of the Central African Republic.
Kabo is one of the worst three places in the world for child deaths. But the killing is not done by bombs and bullets, it's by malnutrition and malaria as a direct result of decades of civil war.
"People cannot walk around as they would like. When you walk you are afraid," she told the BBC.
100 Women 2015
This year's season features two weeks of inspirational stories about the BBC's 100 Women and others who are defying stereotypes around the world.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram using the hashtag #100Women.


Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson will lead Europe's challenge to win a fourth successive Ryder Cup against the United States in Friday's opening foursomes.

The pair, who won the first point as Europe won at Gleneagles in 2014, tee off at 13:35 BST against Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.
Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan face Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer take on Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson, while Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood play Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.
The three-day event at Hazeltine National in Minnesota begins with the alternate shot foursomes and four fourball matches will follow, with the pairings to be announced on Friday.
Saturday sees the foursomes and fourballs reversed before the contest is decided with all 12 players going head-to-head in singles matches.
Englishman Rose and Stenson of Sweden, who won gold and silver respectively at the Rio Olympics in August, claimed three points as a pair two years ago, including their opening fourball match to set Europe on the way to a 16½-11½ victory.
However, Spieth and Reed also went unbeaten last time out in Scotland, winning two fourballs and halving their only foursomes match.
At Gleneagles, the foursomes were played after the fourballs and Europe won that format by a combined score of 7-1.
European captain Darren Clarke has picked six rookies in his squad and England's Sullivan will be the first to play, going out second with Northern Ireland's McIlroy.
They face Mickelson and Fowler who have played together just once before at the Ryder Cup, losing a fourball match in 2010.
The only other rookie in the opening session is Belgian Pieters. He will play with Westwood, who is making his 10th appearance and is the most experienced member of the team.
Westwood, 43, has won 23 points and needs just two more to equal the European, and Ryder Cup record of 25 set by fellow Englishman Nick Faldo.
Clarke defended his decision not to play a third rookie in Masters champion Danny Willett, who has spent the past couple of days apologising for an "ill-timed and wrong" article written by his brother.
When asked if he had intended to play Willett with Westwood in Friday's foursomes, Clarke replied: "No."
He added: "Danny will be playing in the afternoon (fourballs). He is fine and is disappointed like all the guys not playing, but he understands what I am trying to do is for the team.
"Danny may well play four times, the last being his Sunday singles match."
Clarke also said that all his rookies "will play before the singles", however he added that the state of the match would dictate if they all played on Friday.


A World War Two veteran who was conned out of his life savings and became the centre of a fundraising campaign will donate £2,000 to a footballer who lost both legs in a car crash.

Cyril Banks, 91, had £9,000 stolen by fraudsters claiming to be the police.
After more than £12,000 was raised for him, Mr Banks said he wanted to donate some to Shaun Whiter, 27, who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run.
Mr Banks said: "If I can help him, I would be very happy."
Mr Whiter, who played for Newmarket FC, was helping friend Joey Abbs change a flat tyre in Newmarket, Suffolk, on 1 July when a driver crashed into both of their cars.
His injuries were so severe, he had to have both legs amputated.
Mr Banks was defrauded of his savings in June by fraudsters pretending to be from the Metropolitan Police.
A fundraising page was set up by the Herts and Essex Observer after Mr Banks was interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio.
The appeal raised more than £12,000 in less than 24 hours - leaving Mr Banks saying he was "overwhelmed" by the generosity.
"It's unbelievable. I didn't realise people would offer so much," he said.
Mr Banks said he would donate any money over the £9,000 to charities and has offered £2,000 to Mr Whiter.
"He's had a very nasty accident and to get new legs, as he needs to do for his wedding, well, if I can help I would be very happy."
The money raised will be used to pay for modifications to Mr Whiter's home and car, as well as equipment and aftercare he may need, his family said.


Bradley Wood scored a last-minute equaliser as Lincoln twice fought back to share the spoils with Southport.

Andy Bishop got on the end of a Louis Almond cross to nod the hosts ahead, only for Robbie McDaid to respond immediately for the Imps.
Jamie Allen met a Mike Phenix cross to edge Southport ahead before Terry Hawkridge centred for Wood to head home and earn Lincoln a point.
Lincoln remain 11th in the National League, while Southport are 16th.


This is an Iranian election like no other, where the main battles are being fought on social media.

For the first time candidates, as well as voters, have discovered the power of messaging apps as a way of bypassing state media and reaching out directly to each other.
Rather than relying on state television channels to broadcast their campaign rallies, the two front-runners - President Hassan Rouhani and his hard line rival Ebrahim Raisi - have been live-streaming them on Instagram.
At the touch of a button, anyone with a mobile device has been able to tune in, watch and show their support by adding to the blizzard of likes, hearts and smiley faces streaming across the screen.
They have also provided constant updates on Telegram, a hugely popular secure messaging app which now has more than 20 million users in Iran.
On Sunday, the reformist former President, Mohammad Khatami, posted a video message on Telegram urging voters to support Mr Rouhani, who is seeking a second term.
Mr Khatami is banned from appearing on state media and the main TV channels do not even show his photograph or mention his name. But his video went viral, reaching millions of Iranians connected via a vast network of Telegram channels.
In parallel to the presidential poll, local elections are also taking place across the country on Friday.
In the capital, Tehran, voters used Twitter and Telegram to challenge the official list of reformist candidates.
They began circulating an alternative list of progressive candidates they said had been forced off the reformist ticket.
The list caused such a huge stir on social media and prompted some very serious conversations in the reformist camp.
Unusually in a country where access to many websites and social media platforms is blocked, Telegram and Instagram are freely accessible in Iran.
When Telegram first appeared in Iran it was seen as a chat application with limited functionalities.
The establishment saw it as a relatively safe platform, and it was only when its Russian developers introduced new channel features, and Farsi-speakers began using it in a very different way, that its potential to mobilise millions of people became apparent.
Iranians have now created thousands of Telegram channels, and use "supergroups" not only to promote their agenda but also to do business and make money.
Telegram is suddenly being taken very seriously by the establishment and in the run up to the election the administrators of some popular channels have been detained.
Twitter is officially blocked in Iran but people use proxies to tweet.
President Rouhani and many of his cabinet members have been active on Twitter for the past four years; Mr Raisi hurriedly set up an account just before launching his campaign.
Usually, Twitter conversations that create a buzz then travel to Telegram channels where they can potentially reach a much wider audience. One such conversation discussed demands for gender equality and equal rights for women.
Mr Rouhani's campaign team has paid close attention to these conversations and identified keywords to include in his speeches about women, youth and internet freedom.
In Iran, where free public debate is restricted and access to the media is controlled very closely, election campaigns are a rare opportunity for people from many different walks of life to make their grievances heard.
When Mr Rouhani's speeches have been streamed live on Instagram, for example, members of the LGBT community have taken the opportunity to post questions asking him directly about his views on gay marriage.
It would be unthinkable to ask such questions face-to-face in a public forum.
The president did not respond to the questions about gay marriage, but he has discussed other taboo issues during the campaign.
Many people were surprised when the president attacked Mr Raisi over the former judge's role in the mass executions of thousands of dissidents in prison at the end of the 1980s.
It is a dark chapter in recent Iranian history, and one that is usually never mentioned. However, Mr Rouhani's comments prompted a sudden outpouring of heartfelt debate on social media.
The president also used social media to raise another unmentionable subject - corruption in the Revolutionary Guards. His veiled comments on the issue sparked off a debate online that soon moved offline into the world of everyday conversation.
For both voters and candidates, social media has also provided a way to bypass state censorship.
Mr Rouhani may be the president, but that did not stop state television from cutting parts of his campaign video before it was aired.
When the censors chopped out clips showing his supporters chanting the names of detained opposition leaders, Mr Rouhani's team released them on social media, allowing them to be watched by millions.
Mr Raisi now has an active fan base on Twitter. His hard line supporters steer conversations against Mr Rouhani and get involved in debates in support of their candidate.
But the president's fans have been fighting back, and Mr Raisi's Twitter account has been trolled by people opposed to his candidacy.
Throughout his campaign, Mr Rouhani has presented himself as an advocate for social media, reminding supporters that he has fought hard to ensure Telegram and Instagram remain unfiltered.
However, the role social media has played in mobilising people during this campaign has not gone unnoticed.
Instagram live-streams and Telegram supergroups are clearly a powerful weapon.
Whether access will still be available to Iranians after this election could depend very much on the outcome.


A school teacher who allegedly pursued a secret sex affair with a student told her it was meant to be, Inner London Crown Court has heard.

The alleged victim was at south-east London's Bexleyheath Academy and was 15 when the affair is said to have begun.
Stuart Kerner, 44, denies two counts of sexual activity with a child and six counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
The affair is said to have happened between March 2011 and October 2012.
The jury watched a video interview with the teenage complainant in which she told how her schoolgirl crush grew into something more serious.
"I felt special. But, I dunno, it wasn't really," she told a detective in the interview. "And admitting that does kind of hurt."
She said Mr Kerner told her that their relationship was "written in the stars".
The girl said when he kissed her for the first time: "I couldn't actually believe what had just happened. I was sort of in a little dream world, it was unbelievable."
She also said she could say "hand on my heart" that he would never have made a move on her without her encouragement.
In the video, the alleged victim told how she lost her virginity to Mr Kerner lying on a yoga mat on the floor of an empty room, having previously engaged in intimate acts on school grounds.
"I knew it was wrong, but it was something that felt right as well ... There was always a little voice at the back of my head saying, 'he's just using you'," she said.
The detective asked her: "Did you love him?"
"I thought I did," she replied.
The court has heard the girl had intimate knowledge of Kerner's life - including details about the layout of his home, his birthday and personal information about his wife - though the accused is said to have told police he had never swapped personal details with her.
"The Crown state that it's inconceivable that all these details could be the product of a teenage fantasy," prosecutor Warwick Tatford told the court.
The girl is expected to be cross-examined later.


Newcastle Crown Court had to be evacuated after the River Tyne burst its banks, leaving stretches of the city's quayside under water.

High winds have been causing travel problems around the region and tidal surges have led to flooding.
Morning rush hour traffic was disrupted when a lorry was blown over on to a car on Newcastle's Redheugh Bridge.
A plane, diverted to Newcastle because of strong winds, was struck by lightning as it approached the airport.
Easyjet said the Bristol to Edinburgh flight was "equipped to safely withstand lightning  and at no point was the safety of the flight compromised".
BBC Weather presenters said 106mph winds were recorded on the North Pennines and 75mph gusts at Boulmer, Northumberland.
The National Glass Centre in Sunderland and adjacent university buildings were evacuated amid fears the River Wear was about to burst its banks.
People have been warned to stay away from coastal promenades and quayside areas.
Earlier about 11,000 properties in Seaham, County Durham, lost power for a time, and there were many reports of trees down across the area.
During the morning, train operator East Coast suspended services north of Newcastle and said no alternative road transport was possible.
It said high winds had left fallen trees and other debris on the track.
A number of roads were also totally or partially closed, the Highways Agency said.
DFDS Seaways said one of its ferries had been unable to dock because of the wind and had to be held off the coast at North Shields for two hours.


A credit union with more than 2,000 members in Birmingham has gone into liquidation.

South Birmingham Community Credit Union Ltd (SBCCU), also known as Communisave, operated in south Birmingham, Bromsgrove and Redditch.
Liquidators Baker Tilly said "certain matters" surrounding the winding up are "subject to on-going investigations".
Deposits and savings will be protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, liquidators said.
SBCCU has also been affected by a lack of growth in the loan book, an increase in bad debts and a fall in its investment income, a spokesperson said.
Following the winding-up order the credit union will no longer able to accept deposits, allow members to withdraw money or make loans.
Guy Mander, joint liquidator, said they will write to all affected savers.


Jon Rudd, coach of champion swimmers Ruta Meilutyte and Ben Proud, says sport governing bodies should lose the power to impose bans on drugs cheats.

Rudd believes the World Anti-Doping Agency or International Olympic Committee must impose bans.
"That way we're more likely to have a credible, transparent and fair results," he told BBC Sport.
"At the moment we get different results for different athletes from different countries for different sports."
Rudd, who is also head coach of the Plymouth Leander club, led the English team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where Proud won gold in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly events.
He has coached Lithuanian breaststroker Meilutyte, 19, since 2010, helping her become Olympic, World and European 100m breaststroke champion, as well as breaking the world record at both 50m and 100m.
One of Meilutyte's main rivals - Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova - has had her provisional ban for testing positive for meldonium lifted.
"WADA are there with it, they know what they want to do, but they're under-resourced," Rudd continued.
"The IOC want to get it right - it's the governing bodies of each of the individual sports that we need to stand behind.
"Sometimes they're compromised financially, with certain countries that are maybe helping to resource their sport that then pressurise them into making decisions that are maybe not what the WADA code tells us should be the decision.
"That's why we see different results for different countries. We get a particular drug taken by a particular athlete in a particular way, and this athlete in country X gets a four-year ban and this athlete in country Y, doing exactly the same thing, gets a tap on the wrist.
"That's the thing that's not right. We either have a zero-tolerance policy or we don't, and if we don't, then we need to stop saying we've got a zero-tolerance policy."
Sign up to My Sport to follow swimming news and reports on the BBC app.


Brighton striker Elvis Manu has signed for Turkish Super League side Genclerbirligi SK on a free transfer.

The 23-year-old, who joined the Seagulls from Dutch club Feyenoord in 2015, has agreed a two-year deal at the Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium.
"With his game time likely to be limited again, this is the best move for him," manager Chris Hughton said.
Dutch-born Ghanaian Manu spent time on loan at Huddersfield Town and Go Ahead Eagles in the last two seasons.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A murder inquiry has begun into the death of a man who was found tied up and stabbed in his home in County Antrim.

19 January 2016 Last updated at 19:50 GMT
Eddie Girvan, 67, was found in his home on Station Road in Greenisland by police at about 21:30 GMT on Monday.
BBC News NI's Kevin Sharkey reports.


A 13-week programme of works is scheduled to begin next week to repair a historic bridge in the Borders.

Broadmeadows Bridge in the Yarrow Valley was damaged by a vehicle in September last year.
The crossing on the A708 has had temporary traffic lights in place since then to allow its continued use.
A Â£100,000 rebuilding programme will now get under way on Monday with lights continuing to be used to allow the bridge to remain open to traffic.
Councillor Gordon Edgar said: "The council has recognised the importance of keeping Broadmeadows Bridge open for the local community.
"The A708 is a vital route for the Yarrow Valley community and a temporary diversion would have caused significant disruption.
"The council thanks the local community for their patience and will carry out the works safely, and as quickly as possible."


All poultry in England will be allowed outside again from Thursday, having been kept indoors to protect them from an infectious strain of bird flu.

The government has carried out a new assessment of the risk they had of becoming infected by wild birds.
The move brings the rules for poultry in higher-risk areas in line with the rest of England.
Normally-free range eggs have had to carry labels making it clear birds have been kept inside for their welfare.
Those stickers will no longer be needed after Thursday.
But once the rules are lifted, all eggs from birds which remain housed are no longer considered to be free range and cannot be labelled as such, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
Chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens said the decision affected flocks still being housed, or placed under netting, to protect them because they were near lakes or estuaries where wild birds gather.
Poultry and bird keepers in England have to continue to comply with strict biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of bird flu. A ban on poultry fairs and gatherings remains in place.
Prof Gibbens said: "Based on the latest evidence on reduced numbers of migratory and resident aquatic wild birds, we believe that kept birds in the areas we previously designated as higher risk are now at the same level of risk as the rest of England and may now be let outside.
"However, all keepers must still observe strict disease prevention measures to reduce the risk of contamination from the environment, where the virus can survive for several weeks in bird droppings."
Chicken, turkey and duck owners were first told to keep their birds inside - or take steps to separate them from wild birds - in December, as highly pathogenic avian flu H5N8 was circulating in Europe.
Since then, there have been a number of outbreaks of the virus in poultry and wild birds in the UK.
The Scottish government has previously said restrictions on bird keepers in Scotland are staying in place until the end of April.
Measures in Wales had previously been relaxed.


Senior football figures including ex-Liverpool and England coach Sammy Lee have been cleared of all charges stemming from a transfer deal dispute.

Agent Tony McGill, from Sunderland, claimed he was cut out of a 2007 £1m deal which saw Gavin McCann move from Aston Villa to Bolton Wanderers.
No evidence was offered against Bolton, its chairman Phil Gartside, Mr Lee, Mr McCann and several others.
As a technicality, "not guilty" pleas were entered at Newcastle Crown Court.
The agent started a private prosecution against the parties following a legal battle over his claims he was cut out of McCann's transfer.
The Crown Prosecution Service later took over the case.
At the hearing, Judge Tim Gittins told the defendants: "That brings the matter to an end."
The issue of costs for all sides has yet to be decided.
Those cleared are:


Catholic Cardinal George Pell will face an audience of child abuse survivors when he testifies to an Australian inquiry from a Rome hotel.

Cardinal Pell was excused from returning to Australia to testify at the royal commission into child sex abuse due to ill health.
Abuse survivors and their supporters have raised enough money to attend Cardinal Pell's testimony in Rome.
A room at the Hotel Quirinale will be the venue for next week's hearing.
The cardinal's testimony begins on Monday morning Australian time and is expected to run for three to four days.
It will be streamed live to the Royal Commission's hearing rooms in Sydney and Ballarat Town Hall, and will also be viewable online.
The group that will comprise Cardinal Pell's audience, which raised more than A$200,000 ($143,000; Â£100,000) through crowdfunding, is expected to fly to Rome this weekend.
Survivor Andrew Collins told Fairfax on Monday it would be an "arduous journey" to Rome, but said Cardinal Pell "should have to see people and look into their eyes".
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has focused much of its efforts on widespread child abuse by Catholic church clergy in Australia.
It is currently hearing testimony regarding child abuse that occurred in the city of Ballarat, including by notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale.
Cardinal Pell was a priest in Ballarat and lived together with Ridsdale in the early 1970s.
He is not facing criminal charges, but detractors say child abuse that happened under his watch has made his Vatican position untenable.
Cardinal Pell has testified at the inquiry twice before in relation to other matters, once in person and once via video link.


Turkey and European leaders have struck a deal to try to control the flow of migrants to Europe.

Turkey will receive €3bn (£2.1bn) and political concessions in return for clamping down on its borders and keeping refugees in the country.
Talks on Turkey's accession to the European Union will also be revived.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was a "historic day" in Turkey's relations with the EU.
Under the deal, Turkish citizens may be able to travel without visas in Europe's Schengen zone, which allows free movement between many European countries, by October 2016.
However, the rules will be relaxed only if Turkey meets certain conditions.
More than 720,000 migrants have arrived in Europe on Greek shores so far this year, the International Organization for Migration says, with most arriving from Turkey.
Many are fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and lived in makeshift camps in Turkey before their journey.
The €3bn will go towards helping Syrian refugees in Turkey. Ankara has already spent $8bn on helping those in need, Mr Davutoglu said.
"We are paying the price of the failure of the UN system not to solve the problem of the Syrian crisis at the earlier stages of the crisis," he said after the meeting, referring to his country and the EU.
The BBC's Istanbul correspondent Mark Lowen says there was reluctance among some EU members to bow too deeply to Turkey when there are serious concerns about its government's respect for democracy and the rule of law.
The editor of the main centre-left newspaper in Turkey, arrested this week after an article that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan disliked, published an open letter to EU leaders urging them not to prioritise the refugee crisis over respect for human rights in Turkey.
But after the talks, Jean Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, said the deal "would not lead to a situation where we forget about the main differences and divergences we have with Turkey - human rights and freedom of the press."


A police officer has been hit by a car driven by a man he wanted to speak to over suspected traffic offences.

The officer was struck by a silver Honda Estate on the junction of Chapel Street and Oat Street in Evesham at 13:20 GMT on Tuesday.
He was taken to Evesham Hospital with minor injuries to his leg and head.
The car police believed was involved was later found unoccupied in Longford Close, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire and the car driver is being sought.
Read more Herefordshire and Worcestershire stories.
Witnesses are being urged to come forward.


The only recommendation of the inquiry into contaminated blood products has still not been implemented, according to lawyers representing some victims.

The Penrose Inquiry urged a "look back" exercise to trace people unaware they had been infected with hepatitis C.
Thompsons Solicitors said a review group set up to examine how this should be done only met for the first time in October.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said the review group's work was "ongoing".
Between 1970 and 1991, an estimated 30,000 people across the UK were infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV through blood products supplied by the NHS.
Scotland was the only part of the UK to hold an inquiry.
The report by Lord Penrose, published nearly a year ago, estimated that 2,500 people were infected through blood transfusions in Scotland, and concluded that more should be done to trace them.
It is known that there were at least 1,658 donations of infected blood but only 880 recipients were ever identified, and Lord Penrose concluded that these figures themselves may be an underestimate.
Thompsons said the working group had still not produced any recommendations on how to trace unidentified victims.
Case study - living with hepatitis C
"Paul", who is in his 40s, was diagnosed last month.  He had a blood transfusion in May 1991 and now has cirrhosis of the liver.
"I was unwell, cold, muscles aching and twingeing.  Shivery, headaches.   I knew there was something wrong," he said.
"I changed doctors, and within a few weeks he had all the answers.  I still can't get my head around it.  I've not seen the specialist yet.  The senior nurse told me I had stage 2 - cirrhosis of the liver.   That's just another thing to try to deal with."
The diagnosis ended Paul's relationship, and he has not been able to work due to his severe symptoms.
"I don't take drugs, I don't drink, I don't abuse myself, I was fit and healthy guy until 15 months ago and it's been hell ever since. I've just got to rely on the government to help me live and I've never done that in my life."
Now Paul has to wait to see if he will be recommended for a new more effective treatment for hepatitis C, which is expensive, and has to be specially agreed by a panel of experts.
Senior solicitor at Thompsons Solicitors, Lindsay Bruce said: "The only recommendation of the Penrose report was to identify any individuals who may have been infected with contaminated blood.
"From the clients I've spoken to, they don't feel enough has been done.  Had they been diagnosed earlier they would not be in the situation they are now.
"We've got several cases.  The longer this disease is in someone's body the more damage it does. It's a ticking time bomb."
Cabinet Secretary for Health Shona Robison said work was under way to consider how best to identify other victims.
She said: "It is happening. That work is ongoing to look at how we can find any people out there.
"There have been attempts in the past to try to trace people and get them to come forward but Professor Goldberg [of Health Protection Scotland] is looking at what more we can do."
Last week the Scottish government announced increased financial support for victims.


After it is revealed that more than half a million people in the UK may rely on food banks, what is life like for those who use them?

Jack Monroe, 25, visited food banks in her hometown of Southend with her three-year-old son Jonny for six months after losing her job.
She had been working shifts in a fire service control room but could not find affordable childcare, meaning her son was having to spend many nights at the homes of various friends.
Ms Monroe's request for a more flexible shift pattern was rejected and her employers refused to hear her appeal due to an issue over the time taken to lodge it, leaving her with no choice but to resign.
Having become unemployed, it was then 11 weeks before the single mother began receiving housing benefit - and even then she says it was only because she enlisted the help of her local MP.
Ms Monroe says this was not due to ineligibility, but rather a slow bureaucratic process. The delay left her with significant financial problems and she began visiting food banks in November 2011.
She spent Â£10 a week on food, which brought her a can of kidney beans, a tin of tomatoes, pasta, rice, a loaf of bread, a few loose vegetables, pulses and occasionally a pot of herbs or spice as a "treat". She very rarely had any meat or fish.
To save money, Ms Monroe has not turned on the heating at her home since November 2012, despite the UK experiencing one of the coldest winters for some years.
She said: "We just wrapped up warmâ€¦ There were a few days when I didn't take my coat off in the house."
Her son was walking around the house in two jumpers, she said.
While she and her son were attending a support group where single mothers could socialise while their children were in a creche, one of the workers noticed the pair were regularly going back for seconds and thirds of the free meal provided.
She asked Ms Monroe if she was ok and Ms Monroe eventually accepted the referral to a local food bank.
The food bank provided her with nappies and five items of food a week. She described it as "such a godsend", adding: "I don't know what I would have done without food banks."
However, Ms Monroe is concerned the government is not doing enough about the problem of food poverty, particularly while there are food banks to try and deal with the problem.
"There seems to be an attitude of being happy to let someone else foot the bill," she said.
She thinks the government's cuts are exacerbating the problem - most of the people she knew from food banks had struggled with benefits delays, sanctions or changes in eligibility rules. But the government says its welfare reforms will serve to improve the lives of some of the poorest families.
Jack now works as a journalist for the Southend Echo after blogging about her situation.
She says she still struggles financially but no longer goes to food banks as her shifts do not often give her the time and she would feel "a bit disingenuous" as she believes there are other people in greater need. However, she is concerned about the future for people in a similar situation to herself.
"They are squeezing and squeezing until what is there left to cut?" she says.


A former NHS manager awarded £832,711 after being sexually harassed by a colleague has said the "bad use of public money" could have been avoided.

HR director Helen Marks rejected the sexual advances of the chairman of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust so he tried to get her sacked.
Mrs Marks, who earned £99,907, said the experience traumatised her, crushed her confidence and left her unable to work.
The trust has now apologised in a statement issued to media.
"I'll never be free of this," said Mrs Marks.
"I struggle to trust people. I haven't got the confidence that I had. I'm quite timid all the time now as you probably can see.
"I don't think I could ever go back into the workplace again."
Live updates and more from Derbyshire
Helen Marks and Alan Baines started having lunch together in July 2010 and they became close friends.
He invited her to the pub to congratulate her shortly before she got married in March 2012, but ended up giving her a hug and telling her he loved her.
They carried on being friends but Mrs Marks tried to cool the relationship when it became clear Mr Baines wanted it to become sexual.
Despite this, he left long love letters on her desk at work and sent her text messages pushing her to have an intimate relationship.
Mr Baines then arranged for the trust's chief executive, Professor Steve Trenchard, to suspend Mrs Marks over allegations that she had bullied staff.
Mrs Marks was not aware Mr Baines was responsible for the bullying allegations, and he continued contacting her while she was suspended.
In one message he wrote: "I am your devoted lover and friend so please never let me go again. If you do that will destroy me emotionally. I have never had a relationship like this so please keep me close to you Helen. Love you. Xxxx."
Mr Baines also visited her at home, where he told her he missed her and suggested they should go upstairs and lay down.
Mrs Marks eventually realised Mr Baines had been lying and submitted a grievance in September 2013.
Mr Baines then resigned but Mrs Marks was not satisfied, as she wanted an independent external review of her grievance.
Prof Trenchard was suspended and has since resigned.
Mrs Marks was awarded the compensation following an employment tribunal, which found she had been unfairly dismissed, sexually discriminated against, harassed and victimised.
The total cost to the NHS is likely to be in the region of £1.4m once legal and other costs are included.
But Mrs Marks said the tribunal could have been avoided if her complaint had been investigated properly.
"They wouldn't allow me to clear my name so I had to resign and start legal proceedings, but there were points along the way that the trust could have prevented all this happening," she said.
"If they had investigated, even at one point if they had said sorry, we wouldn't be here today.
"This has been such a bad use of public money when it was all so unnecessary."
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: "We acknowledge that this [£832,711] is a substantial amount of money and we apologise to our community, service receivers, staff, governors and to Helen Marks for the occurrences that led to this outcome."


The government has announced that more is going to be done to deal with the risk of the Ebola virus in the UK.

People will be able to ring a special phone line and will be asked questions about their travel history and possible symptoms.
Experts will be on standby with several hospitals ready to deal with any possible cases.
The Ebola virus has spread across West Africa in recent months and prompted lots of questions from you.
We spoke to virus expert Doctor Benjamin Neuman to answer some of them.