An investigation into sexual assault allegations against a police force doctor has been closed due to a lack of evidence.

Dr Reginald Bunting worked for Avon and Somerset Police between 1972 and 2004. He died in 2013.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) looked into why he remained in post despite numerous allegations and investigations into his conduct but has now closed the case.
The police force has apologised.
The IPCC said "the passage of time, lack of paper records and inability of witnesses to accurately recall events" amounted to a lack of evidence.
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "We would like to reiterate our apology to all the people affected, whether they raised concerns during the investigation or not, for failing to ensure acceptable medical conduct during their medical examination."
The IPCC's work focussed on how the allegations were handled by the force and whether there was a case to answer for any officer involved.
Most senior police officers and staff who were questioned by the IPCC said they could not recall any investigation or allegations about Dr Bunting's conduct.
IPCC commissioner Cindy Butts said: "The passage of time, the lack of paper records, which would have been disposed of in accordance with standard policy, and the inability of witnesses to accurately recall events all amount to a lack of evidence on which to assess the conduct of relevant officers.
"I appreciate this will be frustrating for all those affected by Dr Bunting's medical examinations particularly the officers who reported concerns."
Reports made in 1991 show a police sergeant carried out an investigation into the doctor's conduct after four prospective officers complained.
It was "resolved to the satisfaction of a senior manager". No evidence was found about the extent or outcome of the 1991 investigation.
Other reports made in 1994 and 1995 revealed a senior officer interviewed five women in 1995 and handed a report to her seniors. Again, she was found to have fulfilled her duties and was not responsible for any failure to take action.
Another concern was raised in 1998, where a female officer complained about the doctor to a personal training instructor but felt she was "brushed off". Again, no evidence was found to show whether this instructor acted on the information or not.
The police spokesman said the force had disposed of paper records in line with national guidelines at the time.
He added: "Avon and Somerset Police have a comprehensive procedure in place when officers or staff members make complaints to us.
"This includes making sure appropriate welfare provisions are in place and keeping the individual fully briefed on the status of any investigation.
"This case should also illustrate our commitment to bring in an independent investigation team should we think it necessary."


Ben Carson is increasingly on the defensive over stories he has told about his troubled childhood in his autobiography, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story.

On Friday his campaign backed away from his claim that he had been admitted to the prestigious US military academy at West Point. Mr Carson, however, continues to stand by his assertion that as a teenager he tried to stab a relative, angrily denouncing what he says is liberal bias in a CNN investigation that found no corroborating witnesses to the event.
In a presidential campaign season that has been anything but ordinary, the latest kerfuffle over Mr Carson's childhood stories places American politics firmly in bizarro-world.
"Ben Carson defends himself against allegations that he never attempted to murder a child," reads the headline on a New York magazine article.
Usually a candidate faced with previously unrevealed evidence of youthful indiscretions - or worse - denies the charges. Such was the case with Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, when reporters unearthed evidence that he bullied other students in high school.
Here, however, Mr Carson is asserting that recollections from childhood acquaintances that he was bookish and shy are mistaken. Instead he's testified to the veracity of examples of misbehaviour that he cites as evidence of his childhood temper, including that:
Mr Carson recounts these stories during speeches and in his autobiography as evidence that he was a misguided youth who only achieved success after a religious awakening. It's part of the narrative that has earned the renowned neurosurgeon a devoted following among the evangelical community for years and is one of the reasons why he has attracted strong support from voters in Iowa, a key battleground in the Republican nomination race.
A CNN report found no evidence backing up any of Mr Carson's claims, however - even those that Mr Carson said took place on school grounds. Mr Carson appeared on CNN Friday morning to defend himself, leading to a heated confrontation when network presenter Alisyn Camerota pressed him for further details.
"This is a bunch of lies attempting to say I'm lying about my history," Mr Carson said. "I think it's pathetic, and basically what the media does is they try to get you distracted."
He said the names he cited in his book were changed to protect friends and family members and that the "close relative" he tried to stab had recently told him not to reveal his identity.
"The story is well-documented," Mr Carson said. "If you choose not to believe it, if it doesn't fit the narrative that you want, that's fine. Let's let the American people decide."
Mr Carson later told a conservative radio programme that he intends to fight CNN "tooth and nail".
That may turn out to be a more difficult battle for Mr Carson, however, after another claim in Mr Carson's book was found questionable. Shortly after the CNN confrontation, Politico reported that the Republican had erroneously asserted that he had been accepted to the US military academy at West Point.
Carson campaign manager Barry Bennett told Politico that the candidate was a decorated high school ROTC member who had been encouraged to attend the academy but had never formally applied.
As polls show Mr Carson solidifying his position among the leaders of the Republican nomination battles reporters have been stepping up their investigations into Mr Carson's past - unearthing an old speech where he made claims about the true story behind the Egyptian pyramids and scouring his writings for apparent inconsistencies or untruths.
It's a standard practice most politicians undergo, although Mr Carson's recent arrival onto the national stage means he hasn't been subjected to the kind of scrutiny more experienced candidates have weathered.
Whether any of this will adversely affect Mr Carson's standing in the Republican presidential race is an open question. The retired neurosurgeon has made condemnations of the media and "PC culture" a standard part of his campaign rhetoric, so he may already be immunised against perceived attacks from the mainstream press.
In last week's Republican debate on CNBC, a moderator who pressed Mr Carson to respond to allegations that he had close ties to a controversial nutrition supplement company was roundly booed by the partisan audience.
"They know," Mr Carson concluded.
And they very well may continue to stand by their man.
Candidates in (and out of) the Republican presidential field


More than two-thirds of UK teachers have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of their pupils within the past year, a survey suggests.

Primary staff were most likely to speak up, with 71% having done so in the past year, the poll for the NSPCC and Times Educational Supplement found.
And 81% of the 1,200 employees surveyed had reported an issue at some point during the last five years.
But some education leaders felt social services failed to act quickly enough.
"Getting the attention of children's services is really difficult," said Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers.
Many local authorities were very overstretched, he added.
"Reporting safeguarding issues is almost a daily occurrence, but to have a social worker come in and deal with it is quite rare."
Overall only 15% of the staff questioned said they had never reported an issue.
The NSPCC said the majority of teachers who raised concerns were worried about signs of possible neglect, including children being constantly hungry, dishevelled, disorganised or tired.
The charity's head of child protection operations, John Cameron, agreed a "lack of resources and the pressures social workers are under" meant there was often a delay in councils tackling such problems.
Sometimes the school was best-placed to provide support to pupils, he said, "particularly where an intervention is required before it becomes a serious issue".
But Mr Hobby stressed it was difficult for teachers to assess on their own whether there were more serious problems.
"The line between pastoral care and social work is not an easy dividing line," he told the TES.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said there was "nothing more important than keeping young people safe, and this survey confirms the vital role that teachers play in highlighting safeguarding concerns".
The survey was carried out to coincide with the launch of new website by the NSPCC and the TES to help schools in England check whether their procedures for safeguarding pupils meet current standards.


A 23-year-old woman has given birth to quintuplets in the Czech Republic, officials say, a first for the country.

Alexandra Kinova had four boys and a girl by caesarean section on Sunday, they say.
The births took place "without any complications", according to doctors at Prague's Institute for the Care of Mother and Child.
The mother and babies were placed in an intensive care unit but are believed to be in a good condition.
The Czech Republic's first quintuplets, who were conceived naturally without IVF, have a 95% chance of growing up healthy, the Associated Press quoted Zbynek Stranak, chief doctor at the neonatal section of the institute, as saying.
The boys' names are reportedly Deniel, Michael, Alex and Martin, while the girl is called Terezka.
Their mother, who is from the town of Milovice, about 20km (12 miles) north-east of the capital, Prague, already had one son.
She originally believed she was pregnant with twins, but in March doctors upped it to four - and then five in April.
The father of the quintuplets was present at the delivery despite his train being delayed, according to the newspaper Ceske Noviny.
"I was crying all the way since I feared I would not manage it," he said.


Bond movie director Sam Mendes has revealed Spectre will focus on 007's childhood as an orphan.

"Spectre is a movie entirely driven by Bond," Mendes explained in a new behind-the-scenes Vlog.
"He is on a mission from the very beginning."
The director also said the storyline would develop the characters of Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, and Ben Whishaw as Q.
The vlog also features footage of the characters shooting scenes, in addition to a glimpse of a car chase.
Spectre will be Daniel Craig's fourth outing as 007, but he has hinted it will be his final film in the franchise.
Mendes directed Craig as the superspy in Skyfall in 2012.
"The reasons I'm doing the second Bond movie are the reasons I would do any movie, really, which is all to do with the story," he said.
Bond's tragic childhood in Scotland and the death of his parents featured in Skyfall - which shared the name of his family home.
Mendes said the new film returned to the theme.
"It's about whether or not to pursue the life he's always pursued, whether he matters and is he going to continue or not."
The first picture of Dave Bautista as the villainous assassin Mr Hinx was publicly unveiled on Thursday.
Spectre's cast also includes Lea Seydoux, Andrew Scott, Christoph Waltz and Monica Bellucci.
The film will open in cinemas worldwide on 6 November.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


El Salvador defender Henry Romero received a six-game ban after biting USA striker Jozy Altidore during their Gold Cup quarter-final.

Captain Darwin Ceren will miss three games for a similar incident involving American defender Omar Gonzalez in the USA's 2-0 win in Arlington, Texas.
Governing body Concacaf says the bans for "anti-sporting behaviour" will only affect "official matches".
The United States beat Costa Rica 2-0 in Sunday's semi-final in Houston.
They will face either Mexico or Jamaica in Thursday's final.
El Salvador have already been eliminated from 2018 World Cup qualifying.


The US and China have issued a joint statement confirming that both countries will sign the Paris Climate Agreement next month.

Both say they will take all the "domestic steps" necessary to join the agreement as soon as possible.
They are encouraging other countries to sign the document at UN headquarters in April.
At least 55 countries representing 55% of emissions have to sign to bring it into force.
This is the third joint statement in the past two years from the world's two biggest emitters on the question of climate change.
Back in November 2014 the two leaders outlined their plans to limit carbon emissions, a move that inspired other nations to follow suit.
At the Paris talks late last year, the presence and support of President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama were critical factors in securing a comprehensive, longer term deal that agreed to keep global temperatures well below 2 degrees C.
But while more than 190 countries agreed to the document in the French capital, the formal process of signing and entering into force begins next month at UN headquarters in New York.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders to the ceremony and says he expects about 120 countries to turn up and sign on 22 April.
The hope is that with the big two, representing almost 40% of global emissions, now committed to the agreement, it will be much easier to get other nations to sign as well.
If the 55% or 55-country target is exceeded, then the agreement will become operational this year.
"The joint statement that the United States and China will sign and join the Paris Agreement as early as possible this year sends an extremely powerful signal," said David Waskow from environmental campaigners World Resources Institute.
"This joint statement cements the role that climate plays in the US-China relationship. It shows the confidence that both countries have in each other's ability to deliver on their climate commitments."
President Obama's domestic plans to curb carbon emissions ran into serious difficulties earlier this year when the Supreme Court issued a stay on the Clean Power Plan, designed to cut emissions by 32% by 2030 and significantly boost renewable energy.
But in their joint statement, the US and Chinese leaders re-emphasise their commitments to taking the necessary "domestic steps in order to join the agreement as early as possible this year". White House officials have repeatedly expressed confidence that the Clean Power Plan will be implemented despite the legal hold-up.
The joint statement from the leaders also details the extra steps they now want to take on climate change. According to the document, they are both committed to tackling the question of airline emissions this year, something that many critics said was a key missing element from the Paris agreement.
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.


Legoland is to temporarily shut its hotel amid safety and security fears.

It comes after a private fun day organised by an Islamic group, due to be held on Sunday, was cancelled due to threats from far-right groups.
Legoland said it received further threats and decided to close its hotel this weekend, saying the safety of guests and staff was its priority.
The theme park in Windsor, Berkshire, was already closed for the season. It reopens on 14 March.
Thames Valley Police said it is investigating offensive messages sent in connection with the event organised by the Muslim Research and Development Foundation.
Legoland was forced to shut down its Facebook page due to a number of abusive posts. It also received threats through phone calls and emails.
In a statement, Legoland said: "Sadly, a private event due to take place on Sunday has had to be cancelled due to threats from right-wing groups made against the resort.
"The whole resort, including the hotel, will be closed for the weekend.
"We are extremely sorry that we've had to cancel any hotel visits for guests booked in to stay over this weekend.
"We wholeheartedly understand families' disappointment that they will be unable to attend and appreciate that due to the dynamic nature of this situation we haven't been able to give them more notification."
Guests booked to stay at the resort this weekend have been handed a full refund while a number of people on Twitter have also told the BBC they have received a Â£10 voucher.
Sara Powell left a message on the BBC Berkshire Facebook page.
She said: "Extremely disappointed that our hotel trip has been cancelled at ridiculously short notice, and angry that this situation has been allowed to happen.
"Will be speaking to Legoland in the morning."
This article was amended to make it clear the theme park would have been shut to the public this weekend regardless of the decision to close the hotel.


Thirty two people who had to be moved from their homes following a gas leak in Fife have been allowed back in.

The incident happened near Central Park football ground in Cowdenbeath.
Members of a visiting circus discovered the leak as they were dismantling their equipment at about 20:40 on Sunday.
They were sent to bed and breakfast accommodation for the night, along with residents of Chapel Street and Rowan Street.
A police spokesman said the residents were out of their homes for about seven hours.


Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the display in Saturday's 3-0 friendly win over Tottenham was better than any his side produced last season.

John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Brahim Diaz scored as City dominated last season's Premier League runners-up.
"OK, it is pre-season, but we didn't have a performance last season of that quality and intensity," Guardiola said.
City beat Real Madrid and lost to Manchester United in their other two International Champions Cup games.
Spurs' only win in the competition came against Paris St-Germain, with Saturday's defeat adding to a loss against Roma.
"They have invested more money than us and you can see we have a lot of young players on the bench," said Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is yet to add to his squad this summer.
"We are a little bit behind but we are working hard to try to sign players that will help us, bring us some new energy and make our team more competitive."
Spurs fell behind when Stones nodded in Kevin de Bruyne's deflected free-kick after 10 minutes in Nashville, USA.
Gabriel Jesus missed an open goal and Sergio Aguero twice hit the post, before City increased their lead with 17 minutes remaining when Sterling scampered clear to slide a low shot past Michel Vorm.
Spanish 17-year-old Diaz added a third in stoppage time after two shots had been blocked.
One feature of City's performance was the display of goalkeeper Ederson, who arrived from Benfica for £35m in June.
The Brazilian looked uncomfortable on his debut against Manchester United, but excelled against Real and made a series of fine saves against Spurs.
Furthermore, his ability to send goal-kicks into the opposition penalty area also caught the eye of former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola.
"When I was at Bayern, I played a Champions League game against Benfica and we saw it four or five times," said the Spaniard.
"You cannot be offside so it creates a chance and we can have more space in the middle."
Guardiola has signed six players already this summer and further changes to his squad are expected before the 31 August transfer deadline.
He remains interested in Monaco's 18-year-old France striker Kylian Mbappe and Arsenal and Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, and he also wants another central defender.
Players will leave, too. Strikers Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho have both been left at home in anticipation of moves, with Guardiola confirming he expects the latter to join Leicester.
Midfielder Samir Nasri impressed against Tottenham, with his manager praising the 30-year-old's "unbelievable ability" and "special quality" - but the former France international's future still remains unclear.
"He knows the situation, we have a lot of midfielders. That's a decision he has to take with his agent," said Guardiola when asked about the former Arsenal playmaker's chances of staying.


The security industry needs to worry less about technology and more about people, said Facebook's security boss.

Alex Stamos scolded the security industry in the opening keynote of the 2017 Black Hat conference.
He said there was too much focus on technically complex "stunt" hacks and not enough on finding ways to help the mass of people stay safe.
The problem would only worsen if the industry did not become more diverse and exhibit more empathy, he said.
"We have perfected the art of finding problems without fixing real world issues," he told attendees. "We focus too much on complexity, not harm."
He cited examples of technically brilliant presentations at the show, such as insulin pumps being hacked, that had little relation to real issues experienced by people who use technology rather than work with it or understand it well.
Cyber-hacks season:
Also, he said, the security industry concentrated too much on the small number of complex hack attacks aimed at large corporations that were mounted by the most sophisticated adversaries.
By contrast, he said, most Facebook users who lost data were not being targeted by spies or nation-states.
"The things that we see, that we come across every day, that cause people to lose control of their information are not that advanced," he said. "Adversaries will do the simplest thing they need to do to make an attack work."
The lack of focus on those more mundane problems came about because often security experts had little interest in or empathy for people, he said. This attitude was exemplified by the thought he often heard security pros express that there would be fewer breaches and less data lost if people were perfect, he added.
Instead, Mr Stamos said, it would be better if the industry tried to work with those imperfections by giving people tools and services that were more straight-forward to use.
This lack of empathy also showed itself in the way many in the industry reacted when real world issues bumped up against security.
This was evident in the way Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp rolled out end-to-end encryption, he said. The security team at WhatsApp who developed the system had to make "difficult choices" about how they implemented it to make it easier to use.
However, he added, this led to vigorous criticism by many cyber experts who said the usability trade-offs fundamentally broke the system and limited its ability to protect messages.
That was not the case, he said, but many commentators did not appreciate why WhatsApp pursued the course it did.
These blind spots could be tackled by the security industry becoming more tolerant and diverse, he said.
Facebook had set up initiatives that sought to make its workforce more balanced and which encouraged people with non-technical backgrounds to get involved in developing secure systems, products and features.
"Things are not getting better, they are getting worse," he said. "That's because we do not have enough people and not the right people to make the difference."
The growing importance and influence of cyber-security meant the industry had a real chance to improve peoples' lives, he said.
"We have the world's attention, now we have to ask what we are going to do with it."
This week BBC News is taking a close look at all aspects of cyber-security. The coverage is timed to coincide with the two biggest shows in the security calendar - Black Hat and Def Con.
Follow all our coverage via this link


A man in his 70s has been robbed by an armed man in west Belfast.

It happened in Westrock Gardens at 10:30 BST on Saturday.
The thief stole a sum of money.
The credit agent was not injured during the incident. Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information to contact them.


The solicitor for one of the two UK women arrested in Peru over alleged drugs smuggling has criticised some of the press coverage of the case.

Michaella McCollum, from Dungannon, and Melissa Reid, from Lenzie near Glasgow, who are both 20, are accused of trying to smuggle some 11kg (24lb) of cocaine.
Ms McCollum's solicitor, Peter Madden, visited her in the police holding cell where she has spent the past 14 days.
He said some recent press coverage of the case had been "bizarre".
"I've seen some very strange press reports over the weekend about this case," Mr Madden said.
"The ones that I saw I put to Michaella and she totally denies them. Some of them, as I say, are just not true and some of them are just really bizarre."
Some newspapers at the weekend reported on the drugs scene in Ibiza and questioned the two women's stories.
Mr Madden was due to meet with police to discuss the case after visiting Ms McCollum.
Two weeks after their initial arrest, the two women are still waiting to be formally charged with a crime.
The Peruvian anti-drug police have concluded their investigation into the case, which should now be with the public prosecutor's office.
The contents of that report will form the basis of any charges against the pair, which they are expected to hear in a courtroom on Tuesday.
Ms McCollum and Ms Reid have maintained from the start that they were forced by an armed gang to carry the cocaine they were arrested with in their luggage at Lima Airport.
They both say they were forcibly recruited as drug mules by the gang while working in bars in the Spanish island of Ibiza and travelled to Peru under duress.
It is not yet clear if they still intend to enter a not guilty plea in court on Tuesday.
Peru's anti-drug police's lead investigator, Tito Perez, told the BBC his unit had been checking into the women's version of events by travelling to the hotels they had stayed in.
Officers had also gathered video evidence from the city of Cuzco where they claimed the drug gang had taken them.
The report is due to form the basis of the pre-trial hearing which will determine what the two young women will be charged with.
If refused bail, they could face up to three years in jail before trial.
Legal experts in Peru suggest the normal charge in such a case would be for drug smuggling, which carries an average sentence of about eight to nine years in prison.
If they are accused of being members of a criminal organisation, they could face harsher sentences.


Pop star Taylor Swift has changed restrictions on image rights at her concerts after a British photographer branded them "unfair".

Jason Sheldon had claimed the singer did not "play fair" over the use of photos taken at her performances.
But after a blog, in which Mr Sheldon took issue with Swift's criticism of Apple Music's artist payment policy, went viral, the singer "backed down".
A new draft contract drawn up with her PR team has now been published.
Mr Sheldon's criticism of the star followed her own blast at Apple, in which she said a three-month free trial offer meant artists and producers wouldn't be paid for their material during that time.
In an open letter to Swift, Mr Sheldon, from Walsall, West Midlands, wrote: "How about making sure you're not guilty of the very same tactic before you have a pop at someone else?"
Mr Sheldon, who runs the Walsall-based Junction 10 agency, said he and other photographers had been called to hand over some rights to their images from Swift's live concerts.
His letter went viral which, he said, caught him by surprise.
"I thought about 30 people read my blog so when it started to go viral and I was getting calls from people in America, I was very surprised," he said.
He said he understood Swift had now changed her contract to allow photographers to re-license pictures.
On Tuesday, the US-based National Press Photographers Associations reported it had worked with Swift's PR team to draft and circulate a credential agreement that "addressed photographers' and publishers' concerns while at the same time being suitable to the concerns of Swift's representatives".
The NPPA said the draft was supported by 14 media groups, including the Associated Press.
"It's a start," Mr Sheldon said.
"It's certainly an improvement on the last contract. There's still a long way to go, but it's good to know her representatives are receptive to change."
He said there were "many worse" contracts than Swift's.
"She's come in for a lot of flak - it may be a little bit unfair," he said.
Swift has not yet responded to a request for a comment but her representatives have previously said their contract was "misrepresented".
"It clearly states that any photographer shooting The 1989 World Tour has the opportunity for further use of said photographs with management's approval," they said in June.


Socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has revealed that she feared she was going to die when she learned she had a brain tumour.

The former "It Girl" and reality TV star said she began receiving treatment in January for a non-malignant growth in her pituitary gland.
Ms Palmer-Tomkinson, 44, told the Daily Mail: "I got terribly frightened. I started thinking, 'I'm going to die.'"
The tumour has been successfully reduced by the treatment, she said.
Ms Palmer-Tomkinson said the tumour was discovered after she went for blood tests after feeling ill in the summer of 2015.
She said: "'I actually feel very lucky. My growth was non-malignant but it affected the production of prolactin. I've been with people who have malignant brain tumours so I don't want to be like, 'Hey look at me'.
"I have been - touch wood - luckier. I've taken medication and, thankfully, it seems to have gone away for now."
The pituitary is a pea-sized gland on the underside of the brain which controls the release of hormones in the body.
A prolactinoma is normally a benign, slow-growing tumour in the pituitary gland, but its effect on the secretion of the hormone prolactin can cause infertility.
Ms Palmer-Tomkinson was also diagnosed with an auto-immune condition, which causes tiredness, joint pain and acute anaemia.
Having been treated for cocaine addiction in the past, she has criticised media coverage which had blamed her frailty on drugs.
"That's always their take on it... cocaine. That was so many years ago. But not many people can contemplate Tara's life without it," she said.


Nearly a third of adults in Wales are struggling to cope with the pain and symptoms of long-term health conditions, according to a new study.

Those with mental health or neurological conditions were least likely to have developed ways of living with their illness.
A study of 15,687 adults has been analysed at Heriot-Watt University.
The Welsh government said it was working with charities on a patient guide for those with chronic illnesses.
The study, published in the International Journal of Cardiology and based on research in 2012, found:
Chronic illnesses affect an estimated 800,000 people in Wales and are a growing problem for the NHS as the population gets older.
Dr Ivy Shiue, assistant professor of environmental health at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said people who had not learnt to live with symptoms experienced worse quality of life and the risks were especially high for those with mental health conditions.
"These patients may start to lose hope and their sense of identity, ultimately leading to a feeling of fear, hopelessness and despair at their condition," she said.
CASE STUDY: Lisa Welch, from Cwmfelinfach, Caerphilly County, has suffered with depression but got help through a self-management programme and mental health charity Gofal.
"I've had mental health problems for 19 years but it got worse. I had a bad divorce and I couldn't cope. I wouldn't get dressed, I wouldn't go out, wash or shower, it all spiralled out of control from there and it made me feel worse.
"I just didn't want to be here. But I have two boys and that kept me going."
"It was only when I had rent arrears and then I was offered help and got introduced to Gofal. Dealing with my bills with the help of my support worker was a big weight off my shoulders."
The Welsh government said people living with long-term health conditions could benefit from working with medical professionals to help manage their health and wellbeing.
"This can also help to inform them about the support available to them from both the NHS and voluntary organisations," said a spokesperson.
A guide for patients is also being developed with the Long Term Conditions Alliance Cymru.


A Rangers birthday cake, which reveals Celtic's green and white colours, when sliced, has become an online hit for a Glasgow baker.

Lilian Johnstone was commissioned to make the cake as a prank by friends of Rangers fan Iain Orr.
The outside is decorated in the red, white and blue livery and the crest of the Ibrox club.
Inside, the sponge is dyed with green food colouring and layered to match the hoops pattern of their Old Firm rivals.
Lilian, who works from home in Ruchill, Glasgow, posted a picture of her creation on her Cupcakes by Lilian Facebook page.
She has now been inundated with orders after it was shared thousands of times on social media.
She said: "I've made a cake like this before and it ended up on quite a few Celtic forums, but it never got as much coverage as this one.
"I honestly didn't expect it. I'm totally overwhelmed, it's amazing."


The SNP has raised concerns over reports that nuclear material from the Dounreay nuclear power station in Caithness is being transported to Wick Airport.

The party's leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson, told the Commons it was believed the material would then be flown to the US.
He raised the issue with Chancellor George Osborne, who was standing in for David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Osborne said established procedures were in place for moving nuclear materials.
Mr Robertson said: "There are growing reports in the north of Scotland about plans to transport dangerous nuclear material, including potentially nuclear weapons grade nuclear uranium, from the Dounreay nuclear facility on public roads to Wick Airport. It is believed it will then be flown to the United States."
Mr Robertson asked Mr Osborne what the material would be used for, and questioned whether the Chancellor or any of his colleagues had discussed it with any Scottish government minister.
Mr Osborne responded: "The transportation of nuclear materials has happened across this country over many decades. There are established procedures for doing so. The Royal Marines and the police service in Scotland provide the security as they do that."
He said that if Mr Robertson had any specific concerns about the transportation plans he could raise them with the government, but insisted that "the arrangements are in place to make sure we protect the public".
Speaking after the exchange, Mr Robertson said he had written to the prime minister over the issue as Mr Osborne had been "unable to provide detailed answers".
He said the public had "a right to expect the highest safety standards and full coordination and cooperation between responsible public agencies".
The Dounreay facility, which sits about 30 miles to the north west of Wick, is currently being decommissioned.


England striker Ellen White sent Birmingham City into the Women's FA Cup final against Manchester City as they beat Chelsea 4-2 on penalties.

Meaghan Sargeant nodded Blues ahead with their first effort on goal.
Drew Spence sent the game into extra-time, making it 1-1 with a fine right-footed shot into the top corner.
Blues keeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a string of saves in normal time and the shootout as Chelsea's hopes of a third successive trip to Wembley were ended.
Berger foiled Millie Bright from the spot after Eniola Aluko hit the post for the London club, who were beaten by Arsenal in last year's final, having lifted the trophy in 2015, in what was the first Women's FA Cup final hosted at the national stadium.
Birmingham, who beat Chelsea at Ashton Gate in their only previous final appearance in 2012, take on a Manchester City side that overcame Liverpool 1-0 to keep alive their bid for a fifth trophy in the space of nine months.
The final on 13 May will be the first time either side has played at Wembley.
Match ends, Birmingham City Ladies 1(4), Chelsea Ladies 1(2).
Penalty Shootout ends, Birmingham City Ladies 1(4), Chelsea Ladies 1(2).
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1(4), Chelsea Ladies 1(2). Ellen White (Birmingham City Ladies) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty saved! Millie Bright (Chelsea Ladies) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity,  right footed shot saved  in the bottom right corner.
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1(3), Chelsea Ladies 1(2). Kerys Harrop (Birmingham City Ladies) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top right corner.
Penalty saved! Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity,  right footed shot saved  in the bottom left corner.
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1(2), Chelsea Ladies 1(2). Sarah Mayling (Birmingham City Ladies) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1(1), Chelsea Ladies 1(2). Hannah Blundell (Chelsea Ladies) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1(1), Chelsea Ladies 1(1). Aoife Mannion (Birmingham City Ladies) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1(1). Maren Mjelde (Chelsea Ladies) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Penalty Shootout begins Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1.
Attempt saved. Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Charlie Wellings (Birmingham City Ladies) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
(Birmingham City Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ramona Bachmann (Chelsea Ladies).
Attempt missed. Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Attempt saved. Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Abbey-Leigh Stringer (Birmingham City Ladies).
Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Ramona Bachmann (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Second Half Extra Time begins Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1.
First Half Extra Time ends, Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1.
Corner,  Birmingham City Ladies. Conceded by Katie Chapman.
Attempt saved. Maren Mjelde (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Foul by Abbey-Leigh Stringer (Birmingham City Ladies).
Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Paige Williams (Birmingham City Ladies).
Hannah Blundell (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
First Half Extra Time begins Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1.
Second Half ends, Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1.
Corner,  Birmingham City Ladies. Conceded by Maren Mjelde.
Jessica Carter (Birmingham City Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Drew Spence (Chelsea Ladies).
Substitution, Birmingham City Ladies. Charlie Wellings replaces Freda Ayisi.
Corner,  Chelsea Ladies. Conceded by Sarah Mayling.
Aoife Mannion (Birmingham City Ladies) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Aoife Mannion (Birmingham City Ladies).
Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!  Birmingham City Ladies 1, Chelsea Ladies 1. Drew Spence (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the top right corner.


A British adventurer has been stripped of an award over claims she lied about flying solo on an 8,000-mile trip.

Tracey Curtis-Taylor, 54, flew from Cape Town to Goodwood in Sussex in 2013 in an open cockpit Boeing Stearman.
She said she had intended to make the journey in the biplane flying solo, but denied she had made "false assertions".
Ms Curtis-Taylor said: "A combination of elements resulted in fundamental changes being made to the nature of that expedition."
The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) has stripped Ms Curtis-Taylor of the Bill Woodhams trophy awarded for navigation.
A spokesman for the association said a motion to "rescind an award of the Bill Woodhams Trophy, made in 2014" had been carried at the association's annual general meeting on Saturday.
Ms Curtis-Taylor said: "I began with the intention of trying to fly the Africa flight solo but a combination of elements resulted in fundamental changes being made to the nature of that expedition.
"I have never made false assertions about the nature of my flights."
She said several people had flown with her on multiple legs between Cape Town and the UK, including her engineer Ewald Gritsch.
Mr Gritsch said his role was the "reassembly of the airplane in Cape Town and the technical support during the expedition".
He said: "I had to take over the flight planning across Africa at short notice, which was done together with the professional African pilots in our team and two major aviation companies."
Sam Rutherford, who was the logistics manager on the flight, was in a plane flying behind Ms Curtis-Taylor's biplane.
He said: "It's a great shame personally for Tracey, but the right decision for the LAA.
"You are meant to be the only human being in an aircraft."


Facebook has chosen to keep the billionaire who helped fund a sex tape legal case against Gawker Media on its board of directors.

The social network's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg confirmed the decision to retain Peter Thiel during her appearance at the Code Conference.
Mr Thiel has said he wants to challenge Gawker's "bullying" behaviour.
But he has been criticised for using his wealth to try and silence part of the media.
That poses a potential issue for Facebook at a time when it is trying to convince parts of the industry to host articles on its platform, provide it with exclusive video content and allow the tech firm to sell advertising on their behalf.
"Peter did what he did on his own, not as a Facebook board member," Ms Sandberg told attendees at the California event.
"We have very independent board members with very independent thoughts that they share publicly. Those strong people make really good board members because they have strong views and they're not afraid to think differently than other people, which has served Facebook well."
But one expert questioned whether the decision to keep on Mr Thiel  - who was one of Facebook's early investors - was sustainable in the long-term.
"Facebook has always fundamentally seen itself as a technology company, but is now having to deal with the public position - and also the ethics and responsibilities - of being a publisher," media consultant Steve Hewlett told the BBC.
"Imagine that this person were sitting on the board of The Times or the BBC - that would look like an obvious conflict of interest. You can't have a billionaire sitting on a publisher's board who is suing other people for publishing things.
"So, if you think of Facebook as being a publisher, this is plainly problematic."
The clash between Gawker and Mr Thiel dates back to 2007, when the media firm published an article headlined: "Peter Thiel is totally gay people".
Last week, the venture capitalist revealed to the New York Times that he had subsequently funded a team of lawyers to find and help "victims" of other Gawker articles sue the firm - an act he described as "philanthropic".
One case resulted in a jury ordering Gawker to pay Hulk Hogan $140m (Â£97m) after it decided the publication of a sex tape featuring the ex-professional wrestler amounted to an invasion of privacy.
Gawker is appealing against the ruling, which threatens its future.
The publisher has also challenged Mr Thiel's involvement and questioned his continued role at the social network.
"As a Facebook board member, how have your own views on politics and news influenced your contribution to corporate decisions?" asked Gawker's founder Nick Denton in an open letter.
Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post newspaper, was critical of Mr Thiel earlier in the week during his own appearance at the Code Conference.
"I don't think a billionaire should be able to fund a lawsuit to kill Gawker," he said.
"Seek revenge and you dig two graves. One for yourself."
Facebook's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg rebuked one of its other directors, Marc Andreessen, earlier in the year for criticising India's action against the firm's Free Basics scheme.
But Ms Sandberg said the circumstances involving Mr Thiel were different.
"[In the earlier case] it almost felt like he was speaking for Facebook," she explained.
Even so, one company watcher suggested Ms Sandberg's comments were unlikely to end the matter.
"Media critics clearly see Thiel's actions as a threat to free speech, if not the entire news business," said Graham Lovelace from Lovelace Consulting.
"Some are trying to bring Facebook into that, because of its record in championing free expression.
"It highlights the debate around Facebook's identity as it continues to grow."
Shareholders in the social network have an opportunity to question its decision at its annual stockholder meeting on 20 June.


An underused toilet block in Cumbria is to be turned into two homes under plans submitted by a council.

Allerdale Borough Council wants to convert the public toilets in Maryport into two one-bedroom affordable homes.
It said the lavatories on High Street are plagued by vandals and in need of modernisation.
If approved, the work will start in the autumn. The council has not said how many pennies it will have to spend on the conversion.
A public toilet in Irish Street will still be open to residents and visitors.


In the sun-bleached corner of Nelson Mandela's old prison yard on Robben Island, the desiccated remains of a tiny, weed-ridden garden lie exposed and sadly neglected.

Groups of tourists, fresh off the ferry from Cape Town, pass by with barely a glance.
But for Mr Mandela, the garden held a special value. And if you stand inside the tiny cell where South Africa's struggle icon spent 18 years hidden from the world, and peer through the barred window into the high-walled courtyard, you can just make out the thin strip of green and brown foliage where he once tended tomatoes and chillies.
"A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could controlâ€¦ The sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom," Mr Mandela wrote in his autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom - an early draft of which, incidentally, he tried to hide from the prison guards by burying in the garden.
Today, the garden's weeds - and the rotting stump of an apple tree - hint at the alleged mismanagement and corruption that have blighted Robben Island for years.
But along one wall, two grape vines now stand out in sharp contrast - the lush green foliage of a promising harvest suspended on a wooden frame.
"They're still growing, thriving, regardless of the difficult conditions on the island. They're very much a symbol of the resilience of the leaders imprisoned here," said Philip Jonker, a South African wine maker as he and two colleagues carefully pruned the vines by hand.
It is seven years since Mr Jonker first spotted the two plants on a family visit to the island.
It is not clear whether Mr Mandela himself tended the vines or whether, as seems more likely, they were planted shortly after he was transferred to another prison on the mainland. But Mr Jonker sees them - there are seven vines around the prison in total - as part of the island's heritage, and a way of preserving "South African history in a bottle".
After four years of petitioning, he finally secured permission to tend the vines, and, last year, to take the first harvest - previous ones had been devoured by the island's ravenous birds - back to his Weltevrede family wine estate two hours' drive east of Cape Town.
At this moment - leaving aside the current headlines about low pay and grim conditions in the local wine industry  - you may be wondering if this is simply another potentially uncomfortable attempt to exploit the Mandela "brand".
The short answer is no. Although Weltevrede will surely not mind the publicity.
"Mandela is my grape father," said Weltevrede worker Jan Blaauw, with a broad grin, as he and Mr Jonker pulled away some dead branches.
The staff make regular trips to the island - their progress with the vines offering an increasingly sharp contrast with the visible neglect seen elsewhere here.
Mr Mandela "brought us everythingâ€¦ Freedom. This is my way to pay him back for all he has done for me," said Mr Blaauw.
Thirty workers at Weltevrede have been given their own small vineyard to farm as part of an empowerment scheme designed to help address the economic legacies of apartheid.
Any profits from the auction of the wine will be split between the workers' trust, another local charity, and an organisation helping disadvantaged families of former Robben Island political prisoners.
Not that significant profits are assured. The harvest is small, to put it mildly.
Back at the family estate, in a stunning valley surrounded by mountains, Mr Jonker sniffed and then sipped a sample of the Methode Cap Classique sparkling white wine that is still fermenting.
Sixteen small bottles of sweet white dessert wine have already been produced and the aim is to fill 94 magnums with the sparkling wine.
It is still not clear exactly which grape variety is growing on Robben Island, but Mr Jonker believes the quality will be high, and is now trying to research the world of charity auctions.
The workers at the farm appear to share Mr Jonker's enthusiasm.
"It can benefit our children. It's a great experience because I can go out and say I own vines and I can make wine, and we also make wine for Mandela. He showed us how to look forward and not to look back," said Maggie Kawula, standing beside a row of Pinot Noir vines owned by the workers' trust.
The magnums won't be ready for auction for at least a year or so. But having sipped a tiny mouthful of the half-fermented vintage - which will be called The Manuscript, in reference to the story about Mr Mandela burying his autobiography in the prison garden - I can tell you it tastes just fine.
"In another 50 or maybe 100 years' time those vines may still be alive and those may be the only living monuments of the times of our great leaders on the island," said Mr Jonker.


Andy Carroll scored twice to make it back-to-back victories for West Ham in the Premier League, despite Middlesbrough dominating for long spells at the Riverside on Saturday.

The Hammers took the lead inside 10 minutes when Carroll lost his marker to head in a Manuel Lanzini corner.
The hosts hit back with a well-worked move that ended with Cristhian Stuani tapping in Calum Chambers' low cross.
Carroll pounced after Victor Valdes tipped away Michail Antonio's low effort to give West Ham the lead at the break.
Boro threw on January signings Patrick Bamford and Rudy Gestede, but the Hammers added to their lead on the break late on through Jonathan Calleri.
It means Middlesbrough's winless run in the top flight now stretches to five games.
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said Carroll had suffered whiplash after scoring an acrobatic overhead kick last week against Crystal Palace but, despite taking a couple of days off training during the week, the powerful centre forward looked sharp at the Riverside.
He only touched the ball twice in the Middlesbrough box in the 67 minutes before he was taken off, but found the net on both occasions - and he has now scored five goals since his return from injury in early December.
With Dimitri Payet left out of Bilic's match-day squad amid rumours he is set to leave London Stadium, Carroll offers the Hammers a very different threat.
The former Newcastle and Liverpool man won 70% of his duels against Boro, only bettered in the West Ham starting XI by captain Mark Noble, and his aerial prowess also proved key to the visitors when defending set-pieces.
Middlesbrough's struggles in front of goal have been well documented this season, and they headed into the game having scored the fewest in the top four leagues apart from Oldham.
But Aitor Karanka's side can feel aggrieved at not taking something from this one. They enjoyed over 60% possession and delivered 27 crosses to West Ham's eight from open play - only capitalising on one of those.
Karanka has bolstered his squad's attacking threat with the January signings of Bamford and Gestede, the former scoring 17 goals during his last spell at the Riverside in the Championship, but neither had time to have an impact on the game.
It was winger Adama Traore who proved the biggest nuisance for West Ham, first down the right-hand side with the on-loan Chambers and then on the left when he linked up with George Friend.
Karanka said after the game the 20-year-old has "an amazing future", but he will surely hope to keep him for at least another transfer window as Boro look to avoid relegation.
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: "As a manager I cannot be more proud of my players than I am now. They have done every single thing. We win as a team, lose as a team. We have to work on the last 10, 15 minutes."
On whether keeper Victor Valdes was at fault for Andy Carroll's second goal: "Victor Valdes is having an amazing season, helping us a lot.
"He is one of the best keepers in the world and us as a club have to be proud to have players like him."
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It was a good week for us after Palace, the confidence we played with, and we used that momentum to come here and put out a strong performance and get three massive points."
On Carroll's goalscoring form: "Week in, week out he is a brilliant player. Not only goals, he makes an impact with his presence. His work rate is quality and he is unbeatable in the box. It is very hard to stop him.
"He loves it. He gives you everything. Hopefully he is going to stay fit."
Middlesbrough host Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup fourth round next Saturday (15;00 GMT), before welcoming West Brom in the Premier League the following Tuesday (19:45).
West Ham are at home against Manchester City in the Premier League on 1 February (19:45), having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Pep Guardiola's side.
Match ends, Middlesbrough 1, West Ham United 3.
Second Half ends, Middlesbrough 1, West Ham United 3.
Goal!  Middlesbrough 1, West Ham United 3. Jonathan Calleri (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini following a fast break.
Corner,  West Ham United. Conceded by Calum Chambers.
Attempt blocked. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jonathan Calleri.
Attempt missed. Rudy Gestede (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Álvaro Negredo with a headed pass.
Bernardo (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Calleri (West Ham United).
Substitution, West Ham United. James Collins replaces Sofiane Feghouli.
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Rudy Gestede replaces Adam Forshaw.
Bernardo (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Bernardo (Middlesbrough).
Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jonathan Calleri (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini with a through ball.
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Patrick Bamford replaces Cristhian Stuani.
Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough).
Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Calum Chambers (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Sam Byram.
Adama Traoré (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Sam Byram (West Ham United).
Hand ball by Winston Reid (West Ham United).
Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Calleri (West Ham United).
Offside, Middlesbrough. Adam Clayton tries a through ball, but Adam Forshaw is caught offside.
Bernardo (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Calleri (West Ham United).
Substitution, West Ham United. Jonathan Calleri replaces Andy Carroll because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Adam Forshaw (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Adama Traoré (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Edimilson Fernandes (West Ham United).
George Friend (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Edimilson Fernandes (West Ham United).
Foul by Adam Forshaw (Middlesbrough).
Sofiane Feghouli (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Calum Chambers (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Foul by Cristhian Stuani (Middlesbrough).
Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Sam Byram.


Two players from champions Hibernian - Jason Cummings and John McGinn - are on the four-man shortlist for the Scottish Championship player of the year award.

Queen of the South striker Stephen Dobbie and Greenock Morton midfielder Ross Forbes are their rivals for the PFA Scotland accolade.
Livingston forwards Liam Buchanan and and Danny Mullen are in the running for the League One award.
Elgin City's Thomas Reilly and Shane Sutherland compete in League Two.
Alloa Athletic midfielder Jordan Kirkpatrick and Airdrieonians forward Andy Ryan are competing with the goalscoring duo from League One champions Livingston for their division's player award.
Arbroath forward Bobby Linn and Forfar Athletic defender Thomas O'Brien will vie with midfielder Reilly and striker Sutherland in League Two.
Players from across the Scottish Professional Football League had their say, with the overall winner announced on Sunday 7 May at the PFA Scotland's awards dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Glasgow.
Rangers left-back Lee Wallace was Championship player of the year in 2016, with Dunfermline Athletic striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui taking the League One award and East Fife forward Nathan Austin winning the League Two vote.
Jason Cummings, 21, forward (Hibernian): The striker who came through the Edinburgh club's youth ranks has scored 21 goals in 37 appearances this season to help them win the title and promotion. He is the joint top scorer in the Championship with Queen of the South's Dobbie.
Stephen Dobbie, 34, forward (Queen of the South): Veteran of many clubs, he is in his second spell at Palmerston after leaving Bolton Wanderers last summer. He has notched 24 goals in 40 games this season despite the Doonhamers' mid-table position.
Ross Forbes, 28, midfielder (Greenock Morton): Now in his second full season at Cappielow having initially arrived on loan form Dunfermline Athletic, he has contributed 12 goals from midfield in 43 appearances this season as Morton chase promotion.
John McGinn, 22, midfielder (Hibernian): The former St Mirren midfielder has not only played his part in his side's title win, scoring five times in 35 games, but has earned himself three caps and become established in the Scotland squad.
Liam Buchanan, 32, forward (Livingston): The much-travelled striker, who joined Livi from Alloa Athletic in 2015, has been on fire this season to help Livingston win the title and promotion, finding the net 26 times in 43 appearances and is top scorer in League One.
Jordan Kirkpatrick, 25, midfielder (Alloa Athletic): The winger signed from Dumbarton last summer after a loan spell with Clyde and has struck 17 goals in 44 games to help his side emerge as the main challengers to champions Livingston and challenge for promotion.
Danny Mullen, 22, forward (Livingston): The product of Livi's youth ranks has formed a lethal partnership with Liam Buchanan and contributed 16 goals in 40 appearances for the champions.
Andy Ryan, 22, forward (Airdrieonians): Has been prolific for Airdrie this season since arriving last summer from Forfar Athletic, finding the net 21 times in 37 games to keep his side in the hunt for a promotion play-off place.
Bobby Linn, 31, forward (Arbroath): The Red Lichties stalwart - he signed from East Fife in 2013 - has only scored six times in 42 appearances this season but has been a big influence as they have chased Forfar for the title and automatic promotion.
Thomas O'Brien, 25, defender (Forfar Athletic): Has become an influential part of the Loons defence since arriving from Cowdenbeath in 2015 and has also weighed in with seven goals in his 38 outings this season.
Thomas Reilly, 22, midfielder (Elgin City): The former St Mirren man, who signed for Elgin in 2015, has impressed his opponents this season and has scored twice in 40 appearances as the Black and Whites chase a promotion play-off place.
Shane Sutherland, 26, forward (Elgin City): The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker has settled in superbly since his return to Elgin from Peterhead last summer and has found the net 24 times in 33 games, making him League Two's top scorer this season.


Soldiers in Mali have surrounded a hotel in the central town of Sevare where suspected Islamist militants are holding at least one foreign hostage, a defence spokesman has told the BBC.

"At this stage we can confirm there are dead and wounded on all sides, and hostages," Lt Col Diarran Kone said.
Ukraine's foreign ministry says one of its nationals is being held hostage.
Residents told the BBC that before the attack, gunmen on motorbikes warned people via loudhailers to go indoors.
Sevare has an air force base and some UN peacekeepers are in the town.
The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Mali says the town, which is about 600km (370 miles) north-east of the capital, Bamako, is the trading hub that serves the historic riverside city of Mopti.
The Byblos Hotel, scene of the ongoing incident, was reportedly attacked early on Friday morning by gunmen who had spent the night at the nearby Debo Hotel.
"An armed attack has been carried out on a hotel in Mali, and a Ukrainian national is among the hostages. Jointly with our international partners, we are taking urgent steps to free our citizen," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Mariana Betsa said on Twitter.
Our reporter says there are several hotels near each other in the town that are popular with UN workers and those working for non-governmental organisations.
The BBC has learned that guests from France, South Africa and Ukraine are registered at the hotels, but it is not clear if they are caught up in the operation.
UN spokeswoman Radhia Achouri refused to say whether any UN members of staff had been affected or were being held hostage in the Byblos Hotel.
A resident in the same neighbourhood as the hotel said: "We have never seen anything like this is Sevare.
"In 2012, the jihadists from the north were stopped at Konna, about 50km from here. So we only saw the war on television. Now that it has come to Sevare we are all traumatised."
Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants have been fighting the army in northern Mali for a number of years.
France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in January 2013 to stop their advance south to the capital.
Militancy in Mali


The director of comic book film Suicide Squad has shrugged off its bad reviews, saying he "made it for the fans".

"I love the movie and believe in it," David Ayer wrote on Twitter, calling it the "best experience of my life".
Several critics have slammed the movie, with Screen Daily bashing its "mediocre storytelling... reliance on ghastly CGI and overblown stylistic flourishes".
Yet the film - about villains forced to fight for good - got more love from Empire, who called it "a real hoot".
"Suicide Squad gives new life to DC's big-screen universe," wrote Dan Jolin in his four-star review.
According to The Guardian, the film - which stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie - "delivers a dense downpour of madness".
Critic Peter Bradshaw, however, was not alone in wishing it had "more fun and more lightness of touch".
"Suicide Squad assembles an all-star team of supervillains and then doesn't know what to do with them," Todd McCarthy said in The Hollywood Reporter.
Digital Spy's Rosie Fletcher, meanwhile, said the film was "boring and unfunny", features "bland fights and shootouts" and is "not very good".
Jared Leto's performance as The Joker - a role previously played on film by Jack Nicholson and the late Heath Ledger - got most of what praise the film has received.
According to Variety, the Oscar-winning actor "manage[s] to invent a version of the Joker every bit as unsettling as... Ledger's immortal incarnation".
Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, though, echoed a number of other critics' complaints in describing Leto's performance as "a glorified walk-on".
"The Joker, the most tantalizing character of all, slips in and out of the movie with barely more than a menacing smile," Us Weekly's Mara Reinstein wrote.
Suicide Squad, which has its European premiere in London on Wednesday, currently has a 35% rating on reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
This has prompted one aggrieved fan to call for the site to be shut down for its alleged bias against movies from the DC Comics stable.
An online petition he set up has attracted more than 7,000 signatures since its launch on Tuesday.
The film, in which fashion model Cara Delevingne also appears as an archaeologist possessed by an evil spirit, is released in the UK and US on Friday.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Some tickets for the World Cup final in Moscow in 2018 will cost more than $1,000 (Â£775) for the first time, governing body Fifa has revealed.

The most expensive ticket for the 2018 final will be $1,100, up from $990 for the 2014 final in Rio de Janeiro. The other tickets will cost $455 and $710.
However, Russian residents get significantly discounted tickets.
Ticket sales do not begin until next summer and passes for first round matches start at $105.
That is an increase of about 16% and does not include the opening game.
"We wanted to make sure that we priced tickets fairly to make the events accessible to as many people as possible," Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura said.
"We therefore conducted thorough market research and have priced the tickets accordingly."


A father of 21 has been jailed for acting as a loan shark by taking benefit money from vulnerable relatives and lending it back with interest.

Chris Harvey, who was unemployed, charged up to 400,000% on loans, leaving people without food.
The 53-year-old, of Hengoed, Caerphilly, admitted a string of offences, including theft and fraud.
He was jailed for three years and four months at Cardiff Crown Court.
Judge Michael Fitton QC told him: "You have an arrogant and controlling personality.
"You spoke about these adults being fragile and vulnerable and what you have done is exploited them."
Harvey, who has had children with nine different women, spent ten years taking benefits from eight "disadvantaged" family members and friends, including his brother.
Prosecutor Timothy Evans said he took control of post office and bank cards and helped himself to more than Â£22,000 of their money - giving the victims smaller amounts to live on.
"It was deliberate and sustained abuse of vulnerable members of his own family," he said.
"He acted in a truly predatory way and was seen by these people as a friend.
Harvey's offences were uncovered by an investigation by the Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit.
When interviewed by police, he told officers "he was the patriarch of the family" who was carrying on what his father taught him.
Harvey has been unemployed for the last 16 years and claims Disability Support Allowance for epilepsy, diabetes, asthma and depression.
He pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud, three of theft and two of unlicensed money lending.


A man who woke at home with a high-security bike lock around his neck after a night out needed a rescue team to get it off.

The unnamed man, in his 20s, was taken to Coventry Fire Station by his mother because he could not remove the hardened-steel shackle lock.
Firefighters could not cut the lock and called in West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service's Technical Rescue Unit
The station commander said the man was unhurt, "but his mother was raging".
Pete Drummond said: "We tried a cutter, but it just marked the lock. Then we tried a reinforced bar cutter, but it just dented it".
He said the man had been out drinking until the early hours and did not know when the lock was put round his neck.
"He woke up at about 16:00 BST and found his mates had put the lock round his neck and his mates had thrown away the keys," said Mr Drummond.
"His mum brought him in at about 19:30 BST. He really did have his tail between his legs".
The rescue unit covered the man with a fireproof blanket and cut through the steel with a circular saw.


Beaten League One play-off finalists Bradford City have released defender Stephen Darby after five years.

Darby, 28, made 194 league appearances for the Bantams and helped them to promotion from League Two in 2013.
New deals have been offered to goalkeeper Rouven Sattelmaier, defenders Matthew Kilgallon, Rory McArdle, Tony McMahon and James Meredith and midfielder Mark Marshall.
The Bantams finished fifth this season before  losing to Millwall at Wembley.


State-backed Lloyds Banking Group has been fined a record £117m by the City watchdog for mis-handling payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints.

It is the latest fine imposed on the bank, in which the taxpayer still holds a 19% stake.
It comes just two months after Clydesdale Bank was fined £20.7m for similar failings.
Earlier this week, the government said it would launch a Lloyds share sale to the public "in the next 12 months".
Last year, Lloyds was fined £218m by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and US regulators for its part in the rigging of international banking lending rates.
The latest fine relates to the way in which Lloyds advised its own complaint handlers to deal with customer demands for PPI refunds.
The FCA said the bank dealt with 2.3 million PPI mis-selling complaints between March 2012 and May 2013. Lloyds rejected 37% of those complaints out of hand.
Call centre staff in March 2012 were advised that the bank's sales processes were compliant with regulations and that they were to deal with complaints on this basis unless otherwise informed.
PPI is designed to help policyholders repay loans and credit card debts in the event of illness, accident, redundancy or death.
But it was mis-sold to millions of people. Policies often did not pay out when people needed help. Many sales staff did not explain PPI properly, for example to the self-employed or those with pre-existing medical conditions who would never be able to make a valid claim.
Compensation claims have led to an average payout for millions of people, averaging just under £3,000 each.
As a result, the FCA said "a significant number of customer complaints were unfairly rejected".
The mis-handling of complaints first came to light as a result of an undercover investigation by journalists from the Times newspaper, although the FCA was already investigating the bank over perceived failures in PPI complaint handling.
Earlier this year, Lloyds said it had decided to freeze the release of shares in respect of deferred bonus awards from 2012 and 2013 for all members of its executive committee and for some other senior executives as a result of the FCA's investigation.
The bank said today that a total of £2.65m in bonuses would be forfeited by those executives. The BBC understands the Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio is set to lose around £350,000 from his bonus over the affair.
The most recent figures we have from the Financial Conduct Authority show that from the beginning of 2011 up to the end of March this year, £19.2bn was paid out in PPI compensation.
The FCA says that figure comes from the 24 firms that received 96% of PPI complaints last year, but clearly a big chunk of that has come from Lloyds Banking Group, which has so far set aside (although not necessarily paid out) more than £12bn to cover PPI claims.
While monthly payouts are well down from the peak of £735m in May 2012, the firms between them are still consistently paying out £300m or £400m a month in the fifth year of this scandal.
In addition, Lloyds Banking Group is cutting £30m from its overall group bonus pot. One staff member, who contacted the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the bank was "unfairly punishing all staff for the behaviour of its executives".
The FCA said the bank had decided to review or automatically uphold approximately 1.2 million PPI complaints.
Lloyds has set aside a further £710m to cover any redress due to affected customers. In total the bank has set aside £12.025bn to refund customers for PPI mis-selling.
Customers do not need to take any action. Those who are affected and entitled to redress are being contacted directly. The FCA added that it was overseeing the remediation process.
Responding to the fine Mr Horta-Osorio said: "Whilst our intentions were right, we made mistakes in our handling of some PPI complaints. I am very sorry for this.
"We have been working hard with the FCA to ensure all customers receive appropriate redress. That process is now substantially complete. We remain fully committed to improving our operational procedures and ensuring we do the right thing for our customers."


Hartlepool rescued a valuable point against Newport County despite playing nearly the whole match with 10 men.

Aristote Nsiala was sent off on three minutes for deliberate handball, with Newport's Sean Rigg scoring from the subsequent free-kick.
That strike equalised Pools' second minute opener from Nicky Featherstone, before a thunderous volley from Jon Parkin put Newport ahead.
However, Padraig Amond levelled for the hosts before half-time.
Neither side could find a winner in a second half that failed to capture the imagination like the first.
Newport County manager Warren Feeney told BBC Radio Wales: "I am disappointed because they were down to ten men, you would like to think you go on to win the game.
"But our final ball was poor. We huffed and we puffed, but the quality was not there.
"Full credit to Hartlepool though, because I thought they did well.
"Today was the first time this season that I thought we looked off it."
Match ends, Hartlepool United 2, Newport County 2.
Second Half ends, Hartlepool United 2, Newport County 2.
Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ben Tozer (Newport County).
Attempt blocked. Mark Randall (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Liam Donnelly (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sean Rigg (Newport County).
Attempt blocked. Sean Rigg (Newport County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Sean Rigg (Newport County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.
Corner,  Newport County. Conceded by Liam Donnelly.
Attempt missed. Darren Jones (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Scot Bennett (Newport County).
Substitution, Hartlepool United. Lewis Hawkins replaces Padraig Amond.
Delay in match Trevor Carson (Hartlepool United) because of an injury.
Corner,  Newport County. Conceded by Trevor Carson.
Attempt saved. Jack Compton (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Foul by Liam Donnelly (Hartlepool United).
Scot Bennett (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Ben Tozer (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Newport County. Jazzi Barnum-Bobb replaces Marlon Jackson.
Substitution, Hartlepool United. Liam Donnelly replaces Matthew Bates because of an injury.
Foul by Michael Woods (Hartlepool United).
Mark Randall (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Newport County. Conceded by Jordan Richards.
Corner,  Newport County. Conceded by Scott Harrison.
Delay in match Matthew Bates (Hartlepool United) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Jordan Richards (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Hartlepool United. Conceded by Dan Butler.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Marlon Jackson (Newport County) because of an injury.
Substitution, Newport County. Ben Tozer replaces Joss Labadie.
Darren Jones (Newport County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Darren Jones (Newport County).
Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jack Compton (Newport County).
Corner,  Hartlepool United. Conceded by Joe Day.
Attempt saved. Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Hartlepool United. Conceded by Joe Day.


Derek McInnes is convinced his Aberdeen side will finish second in the Premiership, despite their 3-0 home defeat to third-placed Rangers.

The Ibrox outfit cut the gap to nine points with Sunday's win.
"We have six very important league games and it's important we go right through the line this season," Dons manager McInnes told BBC Scotland.
"Hopefully a Hampden cup final and finishing in second spot - I firmly believe that we will do that."
The Pittodrie side, who face Hibernian in the Scottish Cup semi-final on 22 April, went into Sunday's game having won 10 home league matches in a row.
Rangers shaded the first-half chances but the hosts were well on the front foot when Kenny Miller scored the visitors' opener after 79 minutes. The striker added a second two minutes later and substitute Joe Dodoo made it 3-0 in 83 minutes.
McInnes admits he was taken aback by the sudden turnaround and was disappointed by the manner in which his troops responded.
"I think we had real control of the game," he added. "I thought we were better team, certainly in the second half. We started both halves really well but we allowed the first half to get a bit untidy and we didn't pass the ball the way we normally do at home.
"We started the second half strongly and the game was played in their defensive third. Their keeper made a couple of very good saves, particularly from (Adam) Rooney - I thought it was past him to be honest.
"When I was contemplating changes at 0-0 I didn't feel a threat and I thought the goal was coming but unfortunately for us we played a part in our own downfall by giving away a poor goal and we had a crazy five minutes after that.
"Our reaction to losing the first goal was what I'm most disappointed with. From being in charge of the game and looking the most likely we've allowed Kenny Miller the opportunity to show his quality, and he showed it.
"Mentally we've got to be better than that. We normally respond well to going behind - it doesn't happen too often but we have to react better than that and if there's one lesson from today, it is that.
"It's a sore one for us, no doubt about it. In the eyes of our supporters that's a huge disappointment today and we understand that.
"We lost the fight today but it's important we still win the battle for second place, and hopefully get ourselves into a cup final
"We've been on a very good run but that doesn't give you any guarantees, and it's a reminder that there is still work to be done. When you lose a game like today and the huge feeling of disappointment, wishing we could play it all over again, we've got to channel that the right way. We have plenty to look forward to."


Distillers in China added Viagra to thousands of bottles of spirits and told customers it had "health-preserving qualities", food safety officials say.

More than 5,300 bottles of alcohol were seized by the investigators in the southern city of Liuzhou.
They also found packets of a white powder called Sildenafil, better known as the anti-impotence drug Viagra.
Police in the Guangxi region are now investigating the two distillers.
The Liuzhou Food and Drug Administration said (in Chinese) that the powder was added to three different types of 'baijiu' - a strong, clear spirit that is the most popular drink in China.
They said the haul was worth up to 700,000 yuan (Â£72,000; $113,000).
Doctors recommend that adults requiring prescription should take only one dose of Viagra a day, with a lower dose for those over the age of 65.
China continues to face widespread food safety problems.
In June, police in cities across China seized more than 100,000 tonnes of smuggled meat, some of which was more than 40 years old.
The 2008 tainted milk scandal outraged the nation.
Some 300,000 people were affected and at least six babies died after consuming milk adulterated with melamine.


The Syrian military says it has regained Damascus's main water source from rebels.

Water shortages have affected more than five million residents in the Damascus area since late December.
State television said the national flag was now flying over the pumping facility in the Wadi Barada region.
Activists monitoring the conflict say the army entered the area as part of a deal under which the rebels will either lay down their weapons or be evacuated.
The water supply was cut on 23 December by the state-run Damascus Water Authority, which blamed the rebels saying they had contaminated the flow with diesel.
Rebels denied the accusation and said regime bombardment had destroyed the infrastructure.
The Ain al-Fijeh water source lies in the valley of Wadi Barada, 18km (11 miles) north-west of the capital, where rebels have held various bases since 2012.
The area is currently one of the fiercest battlefronts in Syria's civil war.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring group, said government forces had begun moving into the area as rebel fighters withdrew.
It said fighters still remain in the wider area.


The Scottish Parliament is to be given control over abortion laws, the UK government has confirmed.

The move had been considered by the cross-party Smith Commission on further devolution.
But it was not included in the commission's final report, or in the subsequent Scotland Bill.
The SNP, Lib Dems, Scottish Greens and Conservatives have all previously backed the devolution of abortion law, but it has been opposed by Labour.
There had been discussions between the UK and Scottish governments on the issue.
And Scottish Secretary David Mundell told the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster that an amendment would be made to the Scotland Bill allowing the move.
Speaking to MPs, he said: "I understand that abortion law and whether it should be controlled by Holyrood are matters that many people feel very strongly about. I respect that. The subject was debated very passionately in the House during the passage of the original Scotland Bill in 1998 and again during Committee stage of the Scotland Bill in July.
"The government has reflected very carefully on the points that have been made and I can today inform the committee that we will bring forward an amendment to the Scotland Bill so that abortion law can be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
"Holyrood already has responsibility for dealing with end of life issues. It has responsibility for the NHS and for criminal justice in Scotland. I do not see a convincing constitutional reason for why abortion law should not be devolved and that is what has led me to this decision."
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, welcomed the move but said her government had no plans to change the existing regulations.
The Smith Commission report had said that political parties were "strongly of the view to recommend the devolution of abortion and regard it as an anomalous health reservation."
It added: "They agree that further serious consideration should be given to its devolution and a process should be established immediately to consider the matter further."
The option of devolving control of abortion law was considered ahead of the Scottish Parliament being reconvened in 1999.
But Donald Dewar, who was to become the country's inaugural first minister, took the view that it would be better to reserve the issue to Westminster in order to prevent the new parliament coming under heavy pressure to change the law on terminations.
Labour has continued to oppose the move, with the party's equalities spokeswoman, Jenny Marra, claiming the decision had been taken "behind closed doors without any consultation with women's groups across Scotland."
She added: "The Smith Commission promised a process to consider this, but that seems to have only meant a process that involved ministers of the UK and Scottish governments, and not women across Scotland.
"Scottish Labour firmly believes that the safest way to protect the current legal framework around abortion is for it to remain at UK level where there is a strong consensus around the current time limits.
"Leading human rights and women's groups have said that devolving abortion law could undermine the right of women to make their own decisions."
The Christian charity Care for Scotland welcomed Mr Mundell's announcement, and called for MSPs to debate the issue for the first time in the Scottish Parliament.


The chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is to forgo a share award worth £1m.

In a statement, the lender said Ross McEwan did not want the allowance "to be a distraction from the task of building a great bank".
The "role based" incentive is used by major banks to sidestep EU rules that limit bankers' bonuses.
Mr McEwan's pay for 2015 is expected to top £2.7m - even after handing back the £1m share award.
RBS, which is 80% owned by the UK government, will release its annual results on Thursday.
In September, the bank reported a pre-tax profit of £3.9bn for the first nine months of 2014, and RBS shares have been recovering in recent weeks.
However, the bank, which was bailed out at the height of the financial crisis, has undergone severe restructuring in recent years and has been plagued by a series of regulatory fines.
Last year, Mr McEwan warned that RBS had a "long list of conduct and litigation issues to deal with" and said branch closures were "inevitable".
On Wednesday, RBS said it had suspended another two employees as part of an investigation by the bank into foreign exchange market rigging.
RBS was one of six banks fined a combined $4.3bn (£2.6bn) last month for failing to stop foreign exchange market manipulation.
In February last year, the lender reported a pre-tax loss for 2013 of £8.2bn - its biggest annual loss since being rescued by the UK government.
However RBS's shares, which fell to 326.6p after the 2013 results, have rebounded above 400p in recent days - moving closer to the the 500p average paid for them by the UK in 2008.


You're all getting more pocket money according to a survey by Halifax bank.

The company asked more than 1,200 children aged between 8 and 15 years old about their weekly allowances.
It suggested kids get an an average of £6.50 each week, which is a 52p rise since last year.
The research also suggests boys are getting more money than girls - the average for boys is £6.67 per week and for girls it is £6.32.
I get ten pounds a month but I think that's fair because my mum gets me expensive birthday and Christmas presents.
Chiara, Scotland
I think I get too much pocket money! I don't get any off my parents but both sets of Grandparents give me money, and so does one of my Aunts. I never spend it all, and when I do it's hardly anything.
Emma, Cramlington, Northumberland
I get £7 a week I think all kids shall have the same amount of pocket each week.
Manjot, London
I don't get any pocket money because I think we should get things at birthdays and at Christmas.
Curtis, Gosport
I think if children want money to spend for themselves, they should get their own jobs, for instance a paper round or something like that. That also helps prepare them with slight work experience for their future lives. The fact that boys on average get more than girls seems unfair because we are just as good as them. I suppose that is always how it has been though, with women being paid less than men sometimes for working just as hard, but, that's life, because the world is not yet a completely fair place.
Crystal, Wales
I get £5 per week but everyone else in my class gets more. I think kids should get more pocket money as things are getting more expensive.
Leo, Salisbury, England
I can't believe that the average pocket money is £6.50 a week. That is £350 pound a year. I think that this is much too high. I get £2 pound every week and I am happy with that. Children over the past 100 years are doing less work yet they are getting paid more, it doesn't make sense.
Izzie, Manchester, England
I only get 1 pound a week but everyone else has 5 pound a week, but I think it is fair that I only get 1 pound because mum and dad said that I wouldn't get loads of presents on Christmas or birthday because they gave me all their money.
Melissa, Sandy, England
I get 5 euro pocket money from my Grandad every weekend. I think it's plenty and a lot of stuff is bought for kids on top of pocket money too like school supplies, clothes etc.
Emma, Wexford, Ireland
I get £1 a week apart from the holidays! And every time we turn a year older we get 50p more!
Phoebe, Ipswich, Suffolk
I'm 11 and I get 5 pound pocket money I thought that was enough but now hearing the average I would like some more.
Erin, North Shields, England
I don't get any pocket money but I save up all of my birthday and Christmas money and put it in my bank to save up for the future which I think is fair!
Hannah, Chesire
My mum gives me £5 a week but I do a lot more chores than I used to when I didn't get an allowance. I also have £20 a month put into my bank account so I have a lot of money for when I'm older.
Ellen, Merseyside, England
I get £5 a week for doing 5 jobs every day. I think that is fair as if I don't do one job, my parents take £1 and I still get the rest of my pocket money.
Katie, Worcestershire
I have to earn my pocket money! for every job I do I get one pound. I do about 2 jobs on a Saturday and 1 on a Sunday.
Charlotte, Crowborough
I don't get pocket money except if I do a job like wash the car or cut the grass.
Izzy, Lincoln, England
I get 10 pounds a month to match my age.
Emily, Burbage, England
I get £1.00 a week and my younger brother gets 50p. When I was his age, I got 50p as well. I think this is a fair amount. £6 pounds is too much for just a few jobs.
Grace, Aylesbury, England
I think I don't get enough pocket money ... I only get £3 and all my friends get more ... it's really unfair :(
Alicia, Torquay
I don't get any pocket money, I'm 13 so earn my money from my paper round I do.
Amy, Burton-upon-Trent, England
I only get £2.50 and I don't even get it ever week!
Findlay, Stroud
I think that I get more than enough pocket money. My allowance has got bigger and that is good but do I really need it when my mum and dad pay for sweets and new clothes when I need it?
Lucy, Northampton
No. I get little pocket money a month (1-2 pounds a month)
Sophie, Sheffield
I don't get any pocket money but i don't really need any.
Jonathan, Braintree, England
I don't have a weekly allowance so I think children should get more!
Eloise, Bristol, England
I get 5 pounds a week but I get another 4 pounds for doing my chores.
Maggie, Salisbury, Wiltshire
I get £2 a week I think an average of £6.50 is too much and if that is what children are given I think if they are naughty 20p should be taken of that week's pocket money.
Derin, Hemel Hempstead
I felt really sad when I heard this, because for the last 5 to 6 years i've done most of the chores in my house and have received no pocket money, not even a penny.
Ryan, Bristol
I don't get any pocket money but my mum and dad buy some stuff that I want as a substitute to that money. So if I have pocket money of 1 pound I would get something that costs 1 pound.
Aidan, Cambridge
I get £3 in the holidays but at school if I get 10/10 on my spellings I get £5 but I want to get £4.50 in the holidays.
Holly, Sheffield
I have an allowance every month of ten pounds, but since about December I haven't had any. Sure we have birthday/Christmas money but kids should be able to spend their OWN money to prepare for the future. When I do save up some money I usually go to WHSmith to spend on pens and pencils plus pic'n'mix!!!
Archie, Manningtree, England


A police crackdown on rickshaw taxis in central London is being stepped up with a publicity campaign.

The pedal-powered taxis do not need any licence but officers warn they are often unroadworthy and uninsured.
Police claim the vehicles can also be ridden recklessly or cause obstructions.
A total of 35 rickshaws have been impounded by officers. Almost 200 riders have been given a formal warning and 19 fined.
The initiative which began in October, is now being stepped up with Mayor of London Boris Johnson launching a publicity campaign to warn people about getting into the vehicles.
He said: "Unregulated rickshaw riders who block the streets and ride recklessly through the West End in unroadworthy vehicles pose a real danger both to passengers and to other road users.
"We are sending out a clear message that this will not be tolerated and we are taking firm action to ensure we keep Londoners and visitors safe."
Sgt Christian Ardron said: "This operation is all about tackling those riders who are flouting the rules and are a danger to themselves, their passengers and other road users.
"In the run up to Christmas, the West End becomes increasingly busy and these operations have helped us remove problem pedicabs from the area, leaving it as safe as possible for the rest of the community and the other riders in the run up to the festive period."


Taylor Swift has announced she'll play three UK concerts next year.

She will perform in Glasgow, Manchester and London in June and is part of her world tour that takes in North America, Europe and ends in Australia.
It's been a big few months for the American singer, 1989, her fifth studio album has reached number one in the UK.
taylorswift.com
The record is the fastest-selling album of the year by a female artist and it sold more than 90,000 copies in the past week.
The 24-year-old will be joined on part of the tour by Vance Joy. Last month she covered his song Riptide in the Radio 1 Live Lounge.
She has career record sales in excess of 30 million albums and almost 80 million song downloads, which makes her one of the top five selling digital music artists in the world.
It's not known who will support her in the UK.
Tickets for the Glasgow and Manchester shows will go on sale on Friday 7 November and tickets for British Summer Time Hyde Park are available on Monday 10 November.
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The chief executive post has been axed at a council in Lancashire as part of plans to save £4m over two years.

Pendle Borough Council members voted in favour of a reshuffle of its senior staff, which will save £84,000 a year.
Two new senior posts will be created under the plans that were discussed by councillors during a meeting.
Chief executive Stephen Barnes was praised for his "unmatched dedication to Pendle" by all political parties. He will be made redundant in March.
The deputy chief executive post and other senior council staff positions will also be axed, to make savings from April next year.
A strategic director, on a salary of £90,000, and a corporate director, on a salary of £85,000, will share responsibility for leading officers roles in the council.
Mr Barnes, who has worked for the authority since its inception 40 years ago, was one of three senior bosses who had their salaries slashed in 2010.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, who run the council, reduced the combined wages of Mr Barnes and executive directors Philip Mousdale and Brian Cookson by £120,000.
So can our local councils manage without a chief executive?
Pendle Council thinks it can, but the move has been made for financial reasons.
There is no suggestion this trend will carry on. Some councils do rely on them for their expertise and at times their political acumen.
Burnley Borough Council's Steve Rumbelow, for example, has played a major role in the campaign to improve the rail links with Manchester.
While during his time at Blackburn with Darwen Council, Graham Burgess was not afraid to stand up to the government claiming the council had been "victimised" buy the cuts.
West Lancashire have for the last three years managed without a chief executive, replacing the post with two senior officers to work side by side.