Prince Charles has met Ballater residents who were hit by flooding last year, as he attended the village highland games.

Many homes and businesses were badly affected when the River Dee burst its banks in December.
It happened as Storm Frank battered Scotland.
As well as meeting with Ballater residents, the Duke of Rothesay also watched the games and met some of those taking part.


A teenager stabbed to death in north London has been named by police as Stefan Appleton.

The 18-year-old was found in Caldy Walk, Islington, shortly after 18:00 BST on Wednesday and died a short time later in hospital.
Officers said they were keeping "an open mind" over the motive for the stabbing.
No arrests have been made but a police spokesman confirmed the force was looking for a suspect or suspects.
Mr Appleton was in Nightingale Park with friends when two youths pulled up on a moped, police said.
The pillion passenger on the moped attacked the victim, stabbing him a number of times with a large bladed item before making off on the vehicle into Nightingale Road, a spokesman said.
BBC London reporter Emilia Papadopoulos, who was at the scene, said the Mr Appleton was stabbed in Nightingale Park, but managed to stumble across the road to Caldy Walk where he collapsed.
She added: "This attack happened in broad daylight and right in the middle of the estate, and witnesses told me there were children playing here at the time."
The moped involved is described by police as having a clear front screen and displayed an L plate to the rear, while the pillion passenger was wearing dark clothing and a dark helmet.
Det Ch Insp Chris Jones said: "I am very keen to hear from everyone who was in the area of Caldy Walk.
"We are also keen to hear from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious or who has information that could assist the investigation."


A child sex abuse suspect's accuser has said he is "devastated" by the decision to halt the 97-year-old's trial.

Proceedings against former head teacher Jack Mount, which had been split into three parts, were ended this week due to his ill health.
An ex-pupil, who had been set to appear at the third trial, said he and others had been denied their "day in court".
Mr Mount was found not guilty after the first trial, and during the second a jury cleared him of three charges.
They were discharged after they failed to reach verdicts on other counts.
The former head of Brookside School in Ludlow, Shropshire, denied 50 offences alleged to have taken place between 1954 and 1979.
Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC ruled the third trial should not proceed in light of the defendant's deteriorating condition.
The former pupil said he had been struggling to come to terms with the judge's decision.
"I am absolutely gutted I did not get to have my say," he told the BBC.
"I've had to lock it all away in my mind for all these years, and this was to be the time I was going to be able to tell my story.
"I do not think the case should have been split into three trials because it has dragged on and on. And now it has been dismissed because of his age and health.
"This should have been one trial and one jury."
Mr Mount suffers from Parkinson's disease, is visually impaired and uses hearing aids. He had an intermediary to assist him during the trials and cue cards were used to signal when he required a break, or could not hear proceedings.
Because of his age and health, the charges, which related to seven complainants, were set to be tried in three parts.
The judge ruled the case could be heard at Barnstaple Crown Court as it was close to the defendant's family home in South Molton, Devon.
"Jack Mount has been entitled to a fair trial, but we don't feel like we've been treated fairly at all," his accuser said.
However, the man did say he felt the police had been supportive and the Crown Prosecution Service had kept him informed about the case.
Had the third trial gone ahead, it would have been Mr Mount's seventh prosecution. He was tried four times in the 1970s over allegations of abuse of boys and girls but never convicted.
He was found not guilty of three rapes and one indecent assault, relating to two girls in the 1950s and 1960s, following the first trial in January and February.
The Second World War veteran was acquitted of two charges of buggery and six indecent assaults in the 1960s and 1970s after the second trial in April and May.
A jury was unable to reach verdicts on three counts of indecent assault, one of gross indecency and one of attempted buggery.
Prosecutors wished to retry Mr Mount on these charges, as well as counts relating to further complainants, in the third trial.
West Mercia Police commenced their latest investigation in 2012, reviewing previous investigations, including one in 1999 and the cases of the 1970s.
A spokeswoman for the force said: "Our priority now is to ensure that all those who have reported alleged offences to the police continue to have access to all the support they need."


Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald will be unable to take up his coaching job with Kent until next year.

The 50-year-old was named as assistant to head coach Matt Walker in January.
Work permit issues delayed his arrival, prompting the club to recruit Jason Gillespie as a temporary replacement.
Donald must obtain a Level 3 coaching qualification before his permit is granted, but he can work with Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Champions Trophy tournament in England.
He is free to take that role because visa requirements only apply to employers in the UK.
"I'm 100% committed to Kent despite the frustration of not being able to join Matt Walker and the boys as planned," said Donald, who took 602 international wickets during his career.
Walker told the club website that the situation was "frustrating" and Gillespie could only stay with them until midway through the season.
"We will announce a second interim coach to cover for Allan in due course," he added.


People linked to east Belfast community organisation Charter NI have been involved in recent paramilitary activity, says a senior PSNI officer.

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin told The Nolan Show the activity had taken place "in the past year".
Charter NI received Â£1.7m from the Social Investment Fund and said it was seeking an urgent meeting with police.
It said it "would take whatever action we deem necessary as a result of the information provided at that meeting".
Asked whether people connected to Charter were currently in the UDA - a loyalist paramilitary organisation formed in 1971 - were engaged in paramilitary activity, ACC Martin said: "Certainly there are, there may be an individual or individuals connected to Charter who have certainly been recently active.
"Charter as an organisation, we have seen, do good work on the ground but clearly there are connections within that organisation to the UDA.
In a statement, Charter NI said: "The consistent position of the board of Charter NI is that we do not condone illegal or criminal activity of any kind.
"We reaffirm our support for any prosecution brought by the PSNI of any person were there is evidence of involvement in illegal activity.
"The comments made by the ACC come as a surprise to us particularly as we have regular involvement with PSNI officers in a number of our projects who have given no indication of concerns about current paramilitary activity by an individual or individuals connected with Charter NI."
The Social Investment Fund (SIF) was set up by the Stormont Executive to deliver social change.
The fund supports a range of projects across Northern Ireland, from improving employability, reducing fuel poverty and education and early years initiatives.
In total, the fund amounts to Â£80m of Northern Ireland taxpayers' money.
In a statement, the Executive Office said: "This is not an insignificant comment by Assistant Chief Constable Martin. We will be in contact with the PSNI to seek further clarification.
"Where there is evidence of criminal activity, we expect the police to investigate and bring those responsible before the courts.
"Courts and jail are the only place for anyone involved in paramilitarism.
"All those associated with Charter or any community enterprise must make a clear choice between paramilitarism and legitimate community work. There can be no acceptance of or ambivalence towards illegal activity."


Grace Reid became the first Scot to win an individual European Championships diving medal for Great Britain in 62 years with 3m springboard bronze in London.

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The 20-year-old follows the late Peter Heatley, who claimed 10m bronze in Budapest in 1954.
"I've no idea how I've managed it," Reid told BBC Sport.
Matty Lee and Georgia Ward took mixed 10m synchro silver, taking Britain's European medal tally to nine.
The pair won team bronze on the opening night of competition, while Ward secured individual 10m bronze on Friday.
"I don't think all of the success this week has really hit me, but it is just amazing," Ward told BBC Sport.
Lee added: "It's a bit of a fun event for us, as the focus is on our individual competitions, but it's a massive confidence boost when we do so well."
Reid also won gold in the non-Olympic mixed synchronised 3m springboard final alongside Tom Daley on Thursday.
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Her rate of improvement over the past 12 months has been astounding and she is now a serious contender for the Rio 2016 Olympic team.
Last year synchronised pair Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg were seen as the leading candidates for individual places.
However, Reid stepped up to secure Team GB a berth in the event for this summer's Olympics via the Rio test event in February.
Gallantree was in third heading into the final round of the 3m final in London, but was overhauled by Reid's stunning final routine.
"I've put in so much hard work behind the scenes over the last 12 months, doing weights at 6:30am three times a week and doing university," she said.
"It's a nice life balance, though, and my diving is really taking off now."
The final day of competition on Sunday features Commonwealth champions Gallantree and Blagg in the synchronised 3m springboard final.
Daley will be looking for his third medal of the competition in the individual 10m platform event, which will also feature Lee.


The High Court in Chile has sentenced 33 former intelligence agents for the disappearance of five political activists in 1987.

The court said that the five had been abducted and killed, and their bodies thrown into the sea.
Investigators said they were killed in revenge for the abduction of an army colonel by left-wing guerrillas.
The five are believed to have been the last people kidnapped under the rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet from 1973 to 1990.
Those sentenced are former members of the CNI intelligence service, the army's intelligence battalion and the army's flight commando.
Among them are former CNI head Gen Hugo Salas Wenzel and the CNI's ex-chief of operations, Maj Alvaro Corbalan Castilla.
The two, who are already serving sentences for human rights abuses, were given 15 years in prison each.
The remaining defendants were sentenced to jail terms ranging between five and 10 years, with one released subject to conditions.
The five disappeared activists were members of the Communist Party and its militant wing, the Manuel Rodriguez Patriot Front, which used guerrilla tactics to fight the rule of Gen Pinochet.
They were arrested in September 1987 by the secret police in retaliation for the abduction of Col Carlos CarreÃ±o by the Manuel Rodriguez Patriot Front.
Col CarreÃ±o was kidnapped on 1 September 1987 and released three months later after his family agreed to the kidnappers' demand for $50,000 (Â£40,000) in food and clothing for Chile's poor.
The bodies of the five were never found but Judge Mario Carroza's investigations revealed that they had been thrown into the sea from a helicopter off the coast of Valparaiso.
It is not clear whether they were still alive but drugged at the time or if they had already been killed in detention.
More than 3,200 people were killed or disappeared during Gen Pinochet's rule, according to official figures.
Gen Pinochet came to power in a military coup in 1973, when he overthrew the socialist government of President Salvador Allende.
Outside Chile, he is remembered as a ruthless dictator whose military regime tortured and killed thousands of opponents and drove many into exile.
But inside Chile he still has a small but ardent group of right-wing supporters who regard him as a hero for "saving the country from becoming another Cuba".
He stepped down from power in 1990, two years after he lost a referendum on whether he should remain in power.


Boris Johnson has spoken of his "profound concern" for people in Yemen and said that "force alone" will not bring stability to the country.

But the foreign secretary said he understood the Saudi need to be "secure from bombardment" from Yemen.
He was speaking in Bahrain a day after being rebuked by Downing Street for accusing Saudi Arabia of engaging in "proxy wars" in the region.
Mr Johnson also said Brexit would allow UK free trade deals in the Gulf.
The foreign secretary made his latest speech at the Institute for Strategic Studies Manama Dialogue on the first leg of his tour of the Middle East.
He made no mention of an appearance in Italy the previous week, where he accused the UK's closest ally in the region, Saudi Arabia, of "puppeteering and playing proxy wars" - as published by The Guardian.
At the event he said: "There are politicians who are twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion in order to further their own political objectives.
"That's one of the biggest political problems in the whole region. And the tragedy for me - and that's why you have these proxy wars being fought the whole time in that area - is that there is not strong enough leadership in the countries themselves."
The prime minister's spokeswoman said after the Rome speech that Mr Johnson's views did not represent the government's position but insisted that Theresa May had "full confidence" in her colleague.
In Friday's address, Mr Johnson said: "I of course understand Saudi concerns about security and the paramount importance of Saudi Arabia securing itself from bombardment by the Houthis" - a reference to the former rebel movement which now controls parts of Yemen including the capital, Sanaa.
He added: "But I must also share my profound concerns, which I'm sure is universal in this room, about the present suffering of the people of Yemen.
"I think we can all agree on this key point, that force alone will not bring about a stable Yemen, and that's why we in London have been working so hard with all our partners to drive that political process forwards."
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has defended Mr Johnson's previous comments on the region.
She told BBC Radio 4's The Westminster Hour: "I think Boris Johnson was absolutely right about what he said about proxy wars, and about Saudi and about Iran.
"And I agree with his analysis. Now, that might not be the position of the UK Government, but guess what - I am not in the UK Government, and I think he was right."
On Saturday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on Mr Johnson to "be brave enough" to back opposition calls to to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, told the BBC Mr Johnson's comments were "by no means the harshest criticism one hears of Saudi Arabia".
He said: "The question is can he now - going out to the Gulf, where we have these great historic relations, very important commercial ones - can he keep those ties warm following the prime minister's recent visit?
"He probably will do, because I don't think these comments will be too controversial."
But Lord Powell, who advised former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on foreign affairs, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think it is fair to describe the Saudi policy as 'proxy wars'.
"The Saudis have been very supportive of all efforts against terrorism in the region, against [Syrian] President Assad, against the spread of Iranian influence, and they're long-standing allies, so I think to describe them just as 'proxy wars' is to rather cheapen the very real contribution that they make."
Turning to Syria in his speech, Mr Johnson said a capture of all of Aleppo by government forces would "assuredly be a victory that turns to ashes," because of the hatred felt by millions towards President Bashar al-Assad.
"Remember that two-thirds of Syria is currently outside Assad's control and he is still besieging 30 other areas comprising 571,000 poor, tormented inhabitants," he said.
"Surely to goodness there can be no lasting peace in Syria if that peace is simply re-imposed by a man who has engendered such hatred among millions of his own people."
The foreign secretary also used the speech to reassure the region of the opportunities the UK leaving the European Union will bring when it comes to Free Trade.
"Now is the time for my country to seize the opportunity of leaving the EU," he said.
"We will be there to work for European peace and stability. We'll still be there to stick up for our friends and partners in the Gulf... (where) for the first time since the 1970s we will additionally be able to do free trade deals."
Mr Johnson also said that after 12 years of negotiating the nuclear deal with Iran, partners "must build on this foundation" to build a "better relationship" with Tehran.


Feelings are running high in the debate about seven-day services in the NHS and that's an understatement.

Social media is buzzing with comment on the Government's seven-day plans for England, including ending the right of consultants to opt out of weekend working in non-emergency care (there is no such option for doctors in A&E).
My last blog on the issue generated a widespread reaction from the medical profession, some of it heated.
Some interesting arguments have been made, most of which are worth examining... so here goes.
Attention has focused on the mortality data used by the Department of Health.
This suggests that there is a 16% greater chance of death within 30 days for patients admitted to hospital on a Sunday than on a Wednesday and 11% on a Saturday.
The reasons for this have been contested. There is no clear evidence linking the additional mortality associated with weekend admissions to any particular factors.
People who arrive in hospitals at weekends tend to be sicker than those who do so during the week (people may feel they need to be quite ill before they go to A&E on a Saturday or Sunday).
In its review of the research the NHS Choices website said: "This study has not examined the reasons why there may be increased risk of death with weekend admission, so no assumptions should be drawn about staffing levels or the availability of senior staff."
The 16% figure represents "relative" risk (Sunday relative to Wednesday).  But in absolute terms this represents only about two extra deaths for every 1,000 people arriving at a weekend on top of the 13 per 1,000 admitted in the middle of the week.
The data was gathered in the 2009/10 financial year and was based on 14.5 million patients in England.
New analysis based on more recent data is being carried out by NHS England and is due to be published within the next few months.  It may well shed light on the argument.
It may be hard to draw conclusions from the existing data, but NHS chiefs are convinced that there is a weekend issue which needs to be tackled.
After allowing for people being sicker at weekends, they believe there is still a difference in the mortality data which cannot be explained and staffing is part of the answer.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to abolish the right of consultants to opt out of weekend working, following the recommendation of a pay review body, and to increase the number of senior doctors in hospitals on a Saturday and Sunday.
Some in the medical world, taking this as an insinuation that they were not working hard enough, were infuriated.
A campaign group #weneedtalkaboutjeremy has taken up the cudgels, arguing that while the principle of better seven-day working is reasonable, the way it is being imposed is not.
Answers to Freedom of Information requests suggest that only a tiny proportion of consultants in England (less than 0.1%) have exercised their opt-out from weekend working.
So, they argue, the opt-out is a red herring. This FOI exercise, though, is not complete - with fewer than half of hospital trusts responding so far.
One of the most controversial areas of the debate, and where there is no published data to fall back on, is the number of senior doctors who do work at weekends in non-emergency roles.
Social media has been full of complaints by doctors who say they already work on Saturdays and Sundays when required, either in hospitals or on call, and Mr Hunt is wrong to suggest they don't.
One doctor emailed me with the following observation: "Many hospitals now have medical consultants in at the weekend covering a range from admissions, the acute medical unit, discharges, ambulatory care - although this is still variable depending on hospital size.
"At the very least, all new admissions will be reviewed by a consultant and a consultant is available to discuss or review any other patient as required."
The response from senior officials in Whitehall and the NHS is that the volume of consultant cover at weekends for urgent care, as opposed to emergencies, is undoubtedly lower than on weekdays.
There is variation between hospitals, but there is a view that the service as a whole needs to increase the number of senior staff on duty at weekends.
And then there's the cost issue.  The Government's critics argue that delivering a true seven-day NHS for urgent - never mind elective - care has a price tag that ministers have not faced up to.  One estimate suggests that extending services on Saturdays and Sundays will add 1.5% to hospital running costs, equivalent to hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
How, the critics ask, can this be affordable when the NHS is under such financial pressure?
NHS chiefs believe that money will be needed up front to deliver a seven-day service, including higher pay bills to compensate staff for more weekend working.
An increase in the number of radiographers and laboratory staff on duty will also be required.
The theory is that savings will be achieved longer term as more patients are discharged over weekends rather than kept in beds till Monday.
It's a highly-charged debate.
Doctors are concerned their working conditions will be eroded and that their hours will be extended without adequate compensation.
The government, meanwhile, is determined to deliver what it calls a seven-day NHS before the next election.
As so often, medicine and politics have formed a toxic mix.


Sudan, once the largest and one of the most geographically diverse states in Africa, split into two countries in July 2011 after the people of the south voted for independence.

The government of Sudan gave its blessing for an independent South Sudan, where the mainly Christian and Animist people had for decades been struggling against rule by the Arab Muslim north.
However, various outstanding issues - especially the question of shared oil revenues and border demarcation - have continued to create tensions between the two successor states.
Sudan has long been beset by conflict. Two rounds of north-south civil war cost the lives of 1.5 million people, and a continuing conflict in the western region of Darfur has driven two million people from their homes and killed more than 200,000.
Population 45.7 million
Major languages Arabic, English(official)
Major religion Islam
Life expectancy 60 years (men), 64 years (women)
Currency Sudanese pound
President: Omar Hassan al-Bashir
Omar Hassan al-Bashir has ruled with an iron fist for more than 25 years.
He come to power in a coup in 1989 and was elected president in 1996.
He was re-elected several times since, most recently in 2015 when he gained another five-year term. Most opposition parties boycotted the vote.
Mr Bashir faces two international arrest warrants - issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague - on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Read full profile
Sudanese broadcasting is highly restricted and state TV and radio reflect government policy.
The private press carries opposition views, but the state uses its powers to influence what is published.
Sudan had 9.3 million internet users by July 2014, with blogging being subject to scrutiny.
Some key dates in Sudan's history:
Circa 2000-1500 BC - Emergence of the Nubian Kingdom of Kush in what is now northern Sudan and Lower Nubia, which stretches to Egypt's Aswan province.
651 - Islam spreads in Sudan from Egypt.
1820-21 - Ottoman Empire conquers northern part of the country.
1899-1955 - Sudan is under joint British-Egyptian rule.
1956 - Sudan becomes independent.
1983 - President Numeiri introduces Sharia Islamic law.
2003 - Start of conflict in Darfur region.
2009 - International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for President Omar Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to the drawn-out conflict in Darfur.
2011 - South Sudan gains independence following years of war with the central government in Khartoum.


Holding an umbrella when it's lashing down would seem a smart move to most.

Being harsh, some might say sheltering himself from the rain as England spectacularly bumbled their chances of qualifying for Euro 2008 was just about the only thing Steve McClaren got right on the night of the costly 3-2 defeat against Croatia in November 2007.
At least the 'Wally with the Brolly' headlines that followed took the attention away from playing an untried goalkeeper in Scott Carson, who subsequently allowed a hopeful shot to squirm through his nervous grasp in the home loss.
But do the images of McClaren standing on the touchline unfairly define a man widely regarded as one of the best coaches of his generation?
After retiring as a player came a brief spell on Oxford's coaching staff, before McClaren joined his former club Derby in 1995 to work as assistant manager to the vastly experienced Jim Smith.
Four years with 'the Bald Eagle' and a promotion to the Premier League later, he was appointed as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United.
He was a relative unknown, but United legend Ryan Giggs said McClaren was soon making a big impression.
"Steve is incredibly ambitious and demands the same from his players," Giggs said at the time.
"I always thought United would struggle to replace Brian Kidd. Brian's knowledge of the game was second to none and he had the respect of all the players. But he is just like Brian with what he knows and the innovative ideas."
McClaren's first management job came in 2001 when he took over at Middlesbrough and his time on Teesside brought silverware, European football and a growing reputation as one of the sharpest tactical minds in the game.
Here was an English coach who was quick to embrace new methods and ideas, train and then blood youngsters, as well as make bold and crucial decisions in big games.
But, despite his success, Boro fans did not seem to lament McClaren's exit.
Analysis, BBC Tees Sports Editor Paul Addison
Steve McClaren is the most successful manager in Middlesbrough's history yet bizarrely far from the most popular.
He guided Boro to their historic League Cup win over Bolton Wanderers at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in 2004 - the only major trophy they've won - and kept them in the Premier League with mid-table finishes season after season.
That led to two successive Uefa Cup campaigns, which culminated in defeat by Seville in the final a decade ago. But few Boro fans lost any sleep when he left to manage England.
Perhaps one of the reasons is McClaren's naked ambition and his desire to take over the national side. It is something which has been repeated several times throughout his career.
When McClaren was appointed England manager in August 2006, there was a hint of jingoistic satisfaction after Sven-Goran Eriksson's failure to win anything with the 'Golden Generation'.
But there were also plenty who felt it wasn't about naming a young English coach with a bright future, simply a matter of there being a dearth of available English talent.
Analysis, BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty
McClaren was greeted with a wave of indifference when he succeeded Sven-Goran Eriksson following the 2006 World Cup. The Football Association had failed to lure Luiz Felipe Scolari, who won the trophy with Brazil four years earlier.
He was not a popular choice but his reign actually got off to a promising start with a 4-0 win in a friendly in Greece followed by a 5-0 victory over Andorra in England's first Euro 2008 qualifier.
But McClaren never captured the public imagination and the cracks started to show in the Euro qualifiers double header in October when England could only draw at home to Macedonia before losing 2-0 to Croatia in Zagreb.
The honeymoon, if indeed there was one, was well and truly over.
England and McClaren were on the ropes as the Euros group progressed but were thrown an unlikely lifeline when Israel beat Russia to leave only a draw needed in their final game against Croatia to qualify.
On a rain-lashed London night, England produced a performance - and their manager an image - by which his reign will always be defined.
McClaren gambled wildly on replacing Paul Robinson with rookie Scott Carson, who gifted Niko Kranjcar an early goal as Croatia raced into a 2-0 lead - while the manager stood helplessly in his technical area holding an umbrella to shield from the rain.
The infamous headline 'The Wally With The Brolly' will haunt McClaren forever.
England got back on terms and were heading for Euro 2008 but somehow contrived to still lose 3-2 in a game they only needed to draw. Croatia had already qualified.
He was, with grim inevitability, sacked in the following 24 hours.
McClaren's escape route after England arguably provided his greatest achievement, winning the league title in 2009-10 with unfancied Twente in the Netherlands.
QPR boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who played for McClaren at Middlesbrough and then worked with him at Nottingham Forest, is a big admirer - and says that view is shared in his homeland.
Hasselbaink told BBC Sport: "He has a big, big reputation there. It was a huge achievement winning the title. When he did it nobody expected it. Normally it's Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord. They are the ones with the most money and the biggest support.
"His research is second to none. He is always looking for the next thing, looking to get better and challenge himself - even though he has been in the game so long. He still wants to learn.
"His sessions are always different and interesting. And you play football all the time. Footballers always want to play. He gets the best out of players; he coaches and he makes good players better."
Reputation seemingly restored, McClaren left the Netherlands to take over at Wolfsburg in May 2010 - but was sacked after 10 months.
And he lasted just 112 days in his next job as Nottingham Forest manager, resigning after a 3-1 home loss against Birmingham City.
Eight points from 10 Championship games was hardly the start anyone anticipated and Reds fans booed the team off after the miserable performance in the loss against Blues.
Analysis, BBC Radio Nottingham's sports editor Colin Fray
McClaren's time at Nottingham Forest won't be looked back on fondly. He was in charge for only 13 games, winning only three of them.
Replacing Billy Davies, McLaren's summer squad building saw big money spent on wages for players like Jonathan Greening, Ishmael Miller, Matt Derbyshire and George Boateng, while he also oversaw Andy Reid's successful return to the club.
The side never settled, and there were some horror shows on the pitch - like a 2-1 defeat at home to Derby, who were down to 10 men from the second minute.
Well regarded as a coach, the side's disorganisation came as a surprise, with awful defending contributing to some heavy defeats - most notably a 5-1 thrashing at Burnley.
After a second stint as Twente boss, McClaren accepted an invitation from QPR manager Harry Redknapp to join his coaching team. And he ended up effectively being interim manager because a knee replacement operation meant Redknapp missed much of pre-season training.
Rangers had just been relegated from the Premier League and were plagued by dressing room unrest. McClaren was credited with installing a much-needed sense of togetherness during those crucial weeks.
And it proved to be a springboard for a good start to a season which ended, ironically, with a play-off triumph against Derby - the side McClaren left QPR to manage in September 2013.
Former QPR midfielder and current Cambridge United manager Shaun Derry recalled McClaren's impact at Loftus Road.
"Steve arrived on the first day of pre-season and when he arrived Shaun Wright-Phillips just said 'this man is a top, top coach'.
"And he absolutely went on to be in the short time I was there. What a fantastic coach but a real nice guy as well.
"He is inventive, he is creative and is unbelievably organised. The message he puts across is that you train with an enjoyment. He really is the full package."
Derby continued to impress under McClaren the following season, and were top of the table in February 2015.
But a shocking run saw them win just two of their final 13 league games and miss out on the play-offs after a 3-0 home defeat against Reading on the final day of the season.
Analysis, BBC Radio Derby's Owen Bradley
McClaren started with a dramatic half-time intervention to save a 4-4 draw against Ipswich, prompting a surge up the table, and ultimately heartbreak in the Championship play-off final.
It was McClaren the coach at his best, squeezing every last drop out of his players, and taking both individuals and the team to a level no-one thought possible.
He had Derby in a strong position to win promotion the following season too, before McClaren's ambitious side took over. Understandably flattered by interest from Newcastle, Derby's challenge started to wane and ended in disaster.
Derby undoubtedly enjoyed the absolute best of McClaren, and that's been enough to convince the club he deserves another chance.
Sacked by Derby in May 2015 and installed at Newcastle in June in one of the most predictable appointments in the history of football, it seemed McClaren had got his way.
But that stay was a miserable one and he left after managing only six wins in 28 Premier League games in charge.
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Analysis, Mark Douglas, Newcastle editor for the Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun
Newcastle gambled on McClaren to be the perfect fit for the management model they had concocted after Alan Pardew's departure - and lost big.
Managing director Lee Charnley envisaged McClaren operating as head coach while Graham Carr, the chief scout, signed the players for him to work with. McClaren - desperate for a return to the Premier League - willingly signed up, despite knowing that his power was diluted.
In effect it meant he was doomed from the start. He couldn't even get his introductory press conference right - the club's decision to only let in preferred media partners meant he was on the back foot from the start.
He tried to do what he could but Newcastle fans were unconvinced. He was the wrong man, at the wrong time and in the wrong situation.
On returning to take over at the iPro Stadium earlier this month, McClaren was quick to apologise for the mistakes he made when leaving just 17 months earlier.
But he needs to build bridges as well as a team capable of challenging for promotion.
With two clean sheets and four points from two games, it's been a decent start. But have McClaren's wandering and wondering days gone and will Rams fans forgive and forget?


Almost two-thirds of women in the UK have had unwanted sexual attention in public places, a survey by YouGov has suggested.

Out of 889 women asked, 64% said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment, with 35% saying they had suffered "unwanted sexual touching".
The survey was commissioned by the End Violence Against Women Coalition.
Sarah Green, the coalition's acting director, said sexual harassment was "an everyday experience" in the UK.
The survey was published by the coalition of women's organisations to coincide with International Women's Day.
International Women's Day has been held on 8 March every year since 1913, and has been recognised by the United Nations since 1975.
The UN says it's a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
The theme of this year's day is "Planet 50-50 by 2030" - aiming to achieve global equality in areas such as education and end all forms of discrimination.
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The survey suggested that, of those who suffered unwanted sexual attention, more than a quarter were under 16 the first time it happened, and more than 75% were under 21.
Of the 106 women aged 18-24 who were surveyed, 85% said they had experienced unwanted sexual attention in public and 45% had experienced unwanted sexual touching.
Unwanted sexual attention can include instances of wolf-whistling, sexual comments being made, staring, and indecent exposure.
The survey also suggested that 63% of women felt unsafe in public places, compared to 45% of men who were also polled.
Of the women asked, 42% said they would pay for taxis to avoid public transport on a night out, while 42% would take a different route home if it made them feel safer.
Those responding to the survey called for more police (53%), better street lighting (38%), and more staff on public transport (38%).
Ms Green said women and girls "learn to deal with" sexual harassment, but added: "It's time to hold a mirror up to it and challenge it.
"Girls and young women are growing up in the UK today being exposed to unwanted sexual attention, harassment and assault.
"They are learning to change their behaviour so they can manage these incidents because they are so regular. We need to really question any idea that this behaviour is trivial or in any way acceptable given what we can see about its impact."


Forfar Athletic and Arbroath remain separated by a point at the top of Scottish League Two after drawing 1-1.

Elgin City moved above Annan into third place on goal difference, despite only taking a point against Montrose.
Clyde boosted their hopes of avoiding a relegation play-off with a 2-1 win over Annan while Berwick Rangers lost by a solitary goal to Stirling Albion.
And bottom side Cowdenbeath are three points adrift after a 1-1 draw with Edinburgh City.
City are a point above Clyde and four ahead of Cowden as the capital side seek to stay in the division after entering the Scottish Professional Football League's lowest division for the first time this season.
They led at home to Cowdenbeath through Josh Walker's free-kick but Kris Renton struck to restore parity in stoppage time.
In the top of the table encounter, Josh Peters fired Forfar ahead early in the second half but Ryan McCord's 65th-minute free-kick levelled matters.
Elgin's Brian Cameron netted from close range early on but Chris Templeman headed Montrose level on the hour and it finished 1-1 at Borough Briggs.
Darren Smith struck to put visitors Stirling 1-0 up after 17 minutes and Berwick could not recover.
At Broadwood Stadium, Chris Smith nodded Clyde ahead only for Aidan Smith to draw Annan Athletic level.
But David Gormley's 81st-minute shot gave the Bully Wee a valuable three points.


Young people heading for university need much better preparation for what they can expect, say researchers.

After all the effort of getting a university place, the Higher Education Policy Institute study suggests, there can be unrealistic expectations.
Most young people expect to have more teaching hours in university than in school, when the opposite is the case.
The study also found that young people with a mental health problem were unlikely to have told their university.
There have been many surveys of student attitudes - but this is unusual in looking at the expectations of young people about to become students.
The study, carried out by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and Unite Students, suggests that as well as being excited and nervous, many students are deeply ill-informed about what to expect.
About half a million new students begin university courses in the UK each year - and an annual Hepi study published earlier this year suggested that only about a third thought they were getting good value for money.
The latest study, based on a sample of more than 2,000 young people, suggests this could be because expectations of university life are unlikely to be matched by the reality.
In terms of "contact hours", 66% of the young people surveyed thought university would mean more group work than in school and 60% thought there would be more lecture hours than classroom hours in school.
But in practice, teaching hours at A-level or equivalent will probably be much higher than at university - with students on degree courses such as history often having fewer than 10 hours per week.
There has been much concern about mental health problems among students - but this study suggests that universities might not be informed about pre-existing conditions or concerns.
Only about a third of the would-be students with a mental health condition intended to disclose it to the university they were planning to attend.
There has also been debate about whether students' parents should be informed of their adult children's mental health problems at university.
This study found that only about one in five of the would-be students thought that parents should not be told.
For many young people, this will be the first time that they will have lived away from home and shared with other people.
The survey found that those from poorer backgrounds were less prepared for meeting strangers and building a new social circle - and that these poorer would-be students were more likely to be planning to live at home.
There are also suggestions that young people are not clear about the costs ahead of them.
Aside from tuition fees, accommodation is likely to be the biggest cost for students living away from home.
But when asked about their finances, only about half of the would-be students identified rent as the biggest expense.
Others thought that their biggest spending would be on "course materials", "nights out", "groceries" or "student societies".
Nick Hillman, Hepi's director, said that this suggested more should be done to help in the transition between school and university.
"We know lots about what students think but very little about what those applying to higher education expect to happen when they get there," said Mr Hillman.
"We set out to fix this gap because people who expect a different student experience to the one they get are less satisfied, learn less and say they are getting less good value for money.
"Most applicants expect to spend more time in lectures than they do in school lessons, but few university students actually do this.
"Almost three-quarters of them expect their future university to contact their families if they face mental health issues, but this is a legal minefield so typically does not happen.
"Schools, parents and universities - not to mention policymakers - all need to help school-leavers get real about their expectations."
Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: "People will have different expectations of a university education, but what is indisputable is the expectation for excellent teaching and a good return on their investment."


Ulster prop Rodney Ah You will appear before a disciplinary panel on Wednesday after his red card in last Friday's Pro12 win over the Dragons.

Ah You was dismissed after he was adjudged to have made an illegal shoulder charge on Dragons full-back Carl Meyer at Rodney Parade.
The tight-head is automatically banned for Ulster's game against Cardiff Blues in Belfast on 7 April.
Ah You could face further punishment after the hearing in Edinburgh.
The 28-year-old, who joined Ulster from Connacht last summer, won the Junior World Championship with New Zealand in 2008.
Ah You signed for Connacht two years later, qualified to play for Ireland in 2013 and made his Irish debut the following year in Argentina.


Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola says he "doesn't care" who they play in the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Juventus.

Thomas Muller scored a 90th-minute equaliser to take the tie into extra-time, where Bayern scored twice to prevail 6-4 on aggregate.
"If you want to reach the semi-finals then you have to be ready to beat any opponent," Guardiola said.
"But we are there. We made it. A minute later and we would have been out."
The other seven teams in the quarter-finals are Manchester City, Paris St-Germain, Wolfsburg, Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Guardiola's former club Barcelona.
The draw for the quarter-finals takes place on Friday at 11:00 GMT, and the first legs will be played on 5 and 6 April, with the second legs on 12 and 13 April.


Welsh Premier League club Bangor City has been taken over by a Cheshire based consortium.

Ivor Jenkins replaces Dilwyn Jones as chairman.
The consortium consists of new president Gordon Craig, finance director Andy Ewing, commercial director James Lees with Andy Haslam a director and club accountant.
"I'm honoured to become chairman of such a big name in Welsh football," Jenkins said.
"Our ultimate aim is to challenge the leading clubs over the coming seasons for the Welsh Premier League title and Uefa Champions League football."
Bangor have won the Welsh Premier League title three times and are eight time winners of the Welsh Cup.


The latest estimate of the cost of repairing the damage caused by severe winter weather in the Borders has said it could exceed £3.5m.

Storms Desmond, Eva, Frank and Gertrude all caused major issues in the area, as did poor weather on 27 January.
A report to councillors said nearly 400 repair jobs eligible for support under the Bellwin Scheme had been identified.
Their cost is likely to exceed £3.5m. Scottish Borders Council is bidding for a further £925,000 from another scheme.
The Scottish Borders was hit by heavy rainfalls throughout the winter with Hawick, Jedburgh, Newcastleton and Peebles badly affected.
A lengthy list of repairs has been drawn up across the region and many of them have already been carried out.
Most of them should be funded by the Scottish government via the Bellwin Scheme.
However, SBC will need to fund the first £508,000 of works.
The local authority also hopes to get further capital funding from a separate government-backed compensation scheme.
It would be used to replace the Bowanhill Bridge near Teviothead and Newmill footbridge north of Jedburgh, and carry out embankment works on the Ettrick Water in Selkirk.


A campaign has been launched to save the childhood home of the explorer, writer and archaeologist Gertrude Bell.

Bell travelled around the Middle East in the early 1890s and is credited with drawing up the borders of modern Iraq.
Her Grade II* listed childhood home, Red Barns, in Redcar, has since been a pub and hotel and is now empty.
Redcar Labour MP Anna Turley is seeking help to save the building and use it as a museum, learning centre and tourist attraction.
"Red Barns has huge significance to the local area and it is tragic that such a beautiful building with so much history has deteriorated into such a poor state," she said.
The current owners have planning permission to convert the building into flats, but are "sympathetic to the building's relevance to the community", she said.
The manager of Bell's photographic archive at Newcastle University, Dr Mark Jackson, said it was "desperately sad" her home had fallen into disrepair.
The house was designed by renowned Arts and Crafts movement architect, Philip Webb, and the interiors were by designer and artist William Morris "so it's an architecturally important building", he added.
Bell left a "fantastic record" of buildings and communities long since destroyed, including 50 photographs of Palmyra in 1900, much of which has been destroyed by so-called Islamic State, Dr Jackson said.
In 2015 Nicole Kidman starred in a film about Bell's life, Queen of the Desert.


A village in Ceredigion could soon have a new railway station if the Welsh Government is successful in its funding application.

An application for £6.8m has been made to the UK Government for a station and interchange, including parking and bus stops, at Bow Street near Aberystwyth.
The Welsh Government has provided £1.7m, including expenditure, to date.
The station closed as a result of the Beeching cuts and there have been campaigns for it to be reinstated.
Proposals for a new station have been shown at a public event and it is hoped it will open in 2019.
Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: "We've been working very closely with the local authority, local interest groups and the railway industry to ensure that proposals result in the station and interchange development starting on the ground in April 2018."


The driving force behind a Manchester-based shoe repair and key-cutting business has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

John Timpson, 74, from Tarporley in Cheshire, received the honour for services to business and fostering.
Alongside his career in business and being a father to five children, Mr Timpson and his late wife Alex fostered 90 children throughout their marriage.
He said fostering had "taught me a lot about people".
Mr Timpson has run the Timpson business - set up by his great-grandfather in 1865 - for 42 years and prides himself on an "upside-down management approach" which is "not bothered by qualifications or CVs".
"We just look at the candidate and work out who they are," he said.
Other Greater Manchester and Cheshire appointments include Universal Credit development director Janice Hartley, who becomes a Companion of the Order of the Bath, and parish councillor Sylvia Jenkinson, who becomes an MBE for her work in the aftermath of the Bosley mill explosion.
In the world of arts, the musical director of the Halle Orchestra, Sir Mark Philip Elder, is appointed a Companion of Honour, while Oldham-born actor Sarah Lancashire is appointed an OBE, while in sport, rugby league's Terry Flanagan becomes an MBE.


A cyclist who died after being hit by a van in the early hours of Wednesday morning has been named by police.

Dan Heyes, 21, from Ystrad Mynach, was travelling on the A469 Llanbradach bypass in Caerphilly county at about 02:00 BST.
Police said the collision involved a Volkswagen panel van and Mr Heyes' bike, with the cyclist pronounced dead at the scene.


A Royal car once used by the Queen has been put up for sale.

The Bentley Mulsanne was part of the Royal Household for two years and was used to drive Her Majesty during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The Queen also used the vehicle to attend 10 Downing Street, to meet with the Prime Minister.
A sales spokesman said: "This car presents a collector with the rare opportunity to purchase a car that has been used to good effect by our longest reigning monarch."
But the buyer will need to be ready to pay a big sum, as the car is on sale for Â£199,850.


The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has apologised for publishing the wrong information about the reading, writing and maths skills of Northern Ireland university students.

A major OECD report, published on the 28 January, ranked NI students 22nd out of 23 countries in literacy and 21st out of 23 in numeracy.
However, the OECD now say that they initially published the wrong data, and NI students are "in reality closer to mid-table of the surveyed countries".
The OECD say the mistake in the Building Skills for All report was only identified and corrected during Monday 1 February.
The new data shows that Northern Irish students rank 13 out of 23 for literacy skills, and 14 out of 23 for numeracy skills.
Northern Ireland students now rank above those in countries like the Republic of Ireland, Spain, England, the USA and Canada for reading and writing skills.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland students rank better than those in countries like Australia, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, England and the USA for maths skills.
The OECD mistake affected rankings on the skills of university students published on pages 15 and 53 of the report.
In a statement to the BBC, an OECD spokesperson said a formatting error was to blame.
"In the course of formatting the document for publication, the graphic image for figure 3.2 (but not the title) was mistakenly replaced by the graphic image for figure 2.3," the spokesperson said.
"So while England's position changed little, Northern Ireland is, in reality, closer to mid-table of the surveyed countries."
The position of a number of other countries in the rankings was also affected and has been changed.
Finland is now the highest ranked country in the world for students literacy skills, instead of Japan.
Belgium is now the highest ranked for students' numeracy skills, instead of Finland.
The OECD say the rest of the data published in the original report is accurate.


A new play has been commissioned to commemorate the Christmas football match between opposing sides of World War One.

9 December 2014 Last updated at 16:35 GMT
The depiction of the temporary truce will be performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire.
Playwright Phil Porter visited the trenches in Flanders, which he said forced him to think about how he would have coped.
"I'm sure I would have fallen apart very quickly with a mixture of discomfort and fear," he said.
BBC Midlands Today's Joan Cummins watched a rehearsal of The Christmas Truce.


A press release arrives from Best Western Hotels in the UK talking about how well the chain has been doing since the UK voted to leave the European Union two weeks ago.

The claim: The weak pound is good news for hotels in the UK.
Reality Check verdict: The weaker pound makes visiting the UK from overseas cheaper, but hotels will also find that the weak pound increases some of their other costs.
It cites increases in bookings from the US and China at four of its hotels: in Edinburgh, Cambridge, York and the Lake District.
A hotel in Edinburgh reported a 10-fold increase in bookings from the US compared with the same week the previous year.
Clearly, these are figures for a single week at only a handful of the chain's 260 properties in the UK. Potential travellers may have been reminded to make a booking by the UK being in the news around the world and the spike may be balanced out over the rest of the year and the rest of the chain.
Nonetheless, it is interesting that its chief executive Rob Payne is quoted as saying: "We know it is early days but we are seeing a double bounce to business as a result of Brexit."
The other part of the double bounce is that there has apparently been an increase in the number of hotel owners inquiring about joining the group because "they are worried about what the impact of Brexit will mean longer term".
A weaker pound makes it cheaper for tourists with other currencies to visit the UK. US tourists, for example, would have had to pay more than $1.50 for each pound they bought on the day of the referendum, while it would now cost them closer to $1.30.
Richard Solomons, chief executive of rival hotel group IHG, said: "It is clearly very early days, but the low pound means that we're likely to see an increase in inbound travel, as international travellers take advantage of the favourable exchange rate, as well more residents choosing to stay put for a staycation to save money and enjoy all that the UK has to offer.
"Either way, it is a good thing for the sector."
It's not all good news for the sector, of course. In the longer term, if the UK eventually abandons freedom of movement it may be harder for hotels to recruit staff.
The weaker pound will also mean that things that hotels buy from overseas - such as wine - will get more expensive.
And it is concerns such as this about the wider economy that have led to the increase in inquiries to Best Western from owners of independent hotels.
Read more: The facts behind claims about our relationship with the EU


Pensioners might soon be able to block cold calls with new screening technology provided by the government.

Culture and Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said free devices could be given to those at higher risk of "financial damage and personal distress".
It comes after a law change making it easier to impose fines on cold calling companies came into force in April.
It also follows tens of thousands of complaints about cold calling to the Information Commissioner's Office.
Complaints reached 18,594 for live calls and 22,072 for automated messages between April and June this year.
Companies face fines of up to Â£500,000 if they continue to contact people who have registered to not receive marketing calls with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).
"While call blockers are available on the open market for consumers to purchase, the government is exploring options to provide free devices to people identified as being at higher risk of financial damage and personal distress as a result of nuisance calls," said Mr Vaizey.
"Individuals can register their telephone number with the TPS and there is no charge for doing so."
Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer body Which?, said he supported the government's plan to offer free call-blocking technology to those at risk.
"It's good news that the government wants to do more to protect vulnerable people from the everyday menace of nuisance calls," he said.
"It shouldn't only fall to consumers to block these calls though.
"Regulators need to come down hard on firms that break the rules and senior executives should be held to account if their company makes unlawful marketing calls."
In March, an investigation was launched after the details of 3,000 vulnerable people were sold to undercover Daily Mail reporters by medical firms.
It was alleged that similar information was sold to cold-calling firms.


Labour AMs have decided to back the next stage of devolution, ahead of a crucial vote in the assembly.

AMs will vote on whether to support the Wales Bill, which promises new powers for Wales but has been criticised.
With the support of Labour - which has 29 of the 60 assembly seats - and the 11 Tories, the legislative consent motion is set to pass on Tuesday.
The Wales Bill will transfer powers over energy, transport, assembly affairs and some degree of income tax.
The bill introduces a system of powers that are reserved to Westminster, but it has been criticised for being unclear and potentially resulting in a reduction of the assembly's ability to make laws.
Delyn AM Hannah Blythyn, who chairs the Labour group, said: "As the party who delivered devolution for Wales we have rightly adopted a challenging, but responsible approach towards the passage of the Wales Bill.
"This is not the bill we would have developed and it is not the bill that Wales deserves.
"However, on balance this legislation will give the country more constitutional certainty and the fiscal framework in particular represents a real step forward.
"After a considered debate, the Labour Group has decided to vote in favour of allowing the UK Government to proceed."
What is in the Wales Bill?
UKIP has said it will vote against the bill, objecting to the devolution of income tax powers to the assembly without the referendum that would have been needed under existing legislation.
Plaid Cymru is not expected to come to a decision until its group meets on Tuesday.
But Lord Wigley, the former Plaid Cymru leader who spoke for the party during the bill's passage through the House of Lords, has warned the devolution settlement for Wales will remain "much weaker" than Scotland and Northern Ireland's.
Under a political convention between the assembly and Westminster, the Wales Bill needs a legislative consent motion passed in the Senedd before it can be become law because it relates to devolved matters.
The convention does not have legal force, but Wales Office minister Lord Bourne has said the bill will not become law if the assembly does not approve it.


Twelve months on from the TT horror crash which almost claimed his life, Jamie Hamilton has been back to visit the scene of his high-speed accident on the Isle of Man.

The Ballyclare rider sustained head injuries and serious arm and leg fractures after coming off on the Cronk-y-Voddy Straight at the 11th Milestone on the second lap of last year's Senior TT, which was subsequently red-flagged.
Riders can reach speeds of over 180 miles per hour on that section of the course and while Hamilton's survival to tell the tale may be something miraculous, his road to recovery remains a long one.
He was initially airlifted to hospital in Douglas, where his condition was described as 'critical', before being flown to Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool for more specialist treatment of his injuries.
"I went to the end of Cronk-y-Voddy Straight to have a look at the scene of my accident, appreciate the speed I came off at and understand something more about what happened," explained the 25-year-old.
"I saw the trees and signpost that I hit and met some of the people who helped saved my life.
"Thankfully I'm quite easy going and it didn't bother me too much coming back.
"I know I'm fortunate to still be here and what happened to Malachi (Mitchell-Thomas) at the North West 200 made me realise how lucky I am and how much worse it could have been.
"I've been amazed at all the support I am still receiving and am grateful that I haven't been forgotten about."
Like Hamilton, Mitchell-Thomas was a member of former racer John Burrows' Cookstown BE Racing team, before being killed in a crash during a Supertwins race at the first international road race of the year in Northern Ireland last month.
"It has been difficult for the team and for John as Malachi's death came just less than a year after my serious smash.
"Malachi made a similar impression on the team and with John's family in that he bonded very well with his children, so in many ways there are a lot of comparisons between me and Mal," added the 2009 British Superstock 600cc champion.
"Everyone is getting through it as best they can and rallying round to support Mal's dad Kevin in every way possible.
"I've been making hats in the distinctive style that Malachi wore, inscribed with the logo that he had on his screen, with the aim of selling them and raising some money for Kevin and the family.
"It was a brainwave I had and I just wanted to give something back, but the response has been unbelievable.
"I knew the hats would be popular but not as popular as they have been.
"Kevin is a proud man and didn't want to be on the receiving end of people's charity but hopefully this will help in some small way and prove to Kevin how big an impact his son had on the sport in a short space of time."
Hamilton's rehabilitation is continuing, although the Ballyclare man admits the "healing process is very slow".
"I went to hospital last Tuesday in the hope that I might get the cage removed from my leg but unfortunately it didn't happen.
"I'm not getting any strength back into it and they're bringing me back in another month's time. If things haven't improved by then, I will have to have another operation.
"I underwent surgery on my arm recently and it is of much more concern than the leg.
"A lot of people have said 'if Ian Hutchinson can come back the way he did, then you can do it too', but it is a totally different situation.
"If I just had the leg to worry about, I'd probably be back racing again but there is the arm and the head injuries, which include memory lapses.
"I'm unsure about what the future holds but if I am able to come back I need to believe that I would be in with a chance of winning races again."
Hamilton has won a British championship and Irish road race championships and says he doesn't want to be competing just to make up the numbers.
"I need to have the belief that I could contend to win a TT race or I won't be out there at all.
"I realise that the extent of the injuries to my head may mean that my reactions may not be good enough when the high speeds kick in.
"But whenever I feel anyway fit enough, I'll get on a motorbike, then play it by ear and see what's possible.
"Either way I'll always be involved with motorbikes and hopefully I'll be able to help out with John's team a bit more when my fitness improves.
"The way the Burrows team have treated me has been second to none and I'd like to stay involved and repay them for their loyalty through some very tough times," concluded the winner of the Best Newcomer Award at the 2012 TT meeting.


A final report into a helicopter crash which killed four people off Shetland in 2013 is set to be published within months, BBC Scotland has learned.

The news comes as survivor James Nugent demanded to know why it was still awaited when an investigation on last year's Clutha bar helicopter crash in Glasgow had been published.
Mr Nugent was among nine people who survived when a Super Puma went down.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the inquiry was progressing.
Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin, Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness, Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland, and George Allison, 57, from Winchester, lost their lives in the Shetland crash.
Keith Conradi, the chief investigator at the AAIB, told BBC Scotland: "There's no delay, these reports are complicated, they take a long time and we need to get it right.
"It's in its later stages and should be out by the end of the year, early next year."
Mr Nugent said of getting a report: "It does not bring the people that were involved back, but it does maybe help to give some closure.
"We are still sitting here with open wounds.
"I feel they do not want to give us answers."


At first glance, everything seems normal in Marienplatz, Munich's central square, which is dominated by the great neo-Gothic Town Hall.

Locals rush about their business, the shops are full and crowds of tourists gather here to watch the Glockenspiel, the chiming carillon, with its dancing figures and little chirping golden bird.
But a glance under the Mariensaeule, a column topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary, tells you that all is not well here.
Flowers and candles have been laid at the foot of the monument in memory of those who died in the shootings on Friday at a shopping centre in the north-west of the city.
Their killer was an 18-year-old German-Iranian, David Ali Sonboly, who was obsessed with guns.
"To the victims of the 23rd of July" one message reads. "Love is stronger than hate," says another.
The series of violent attacks in the past few days has shaken people here.
What is going on in Germany?
What drives individuals to commit mass killings?
"I'm trying not to let it affect me too much in my daily life," Xenia, a student, told me. "But when one thing after another happens like this, you can't help thinking that the world is totally crazy."
"Do you think the government is doing enough in this situation?" I asked her. "Have they let in too many refugees and migrants?"
"I feel generally safe in Germany," she said. "Attacks have been prevented in Duesseldorf and Bonn, and you can't do much against lone wolves.
"And we can't just blame it all on the refugees. That makes it far too simple. There will always be problem cases, but in general the refugees risk their lives to come here."
On the other side of the square, Alois Frank shook his head.
"I think there will be more attacks like this if the government doesn't take action," he told me. "They are doing much too little.
"They need to check very carefully who these migrants are, whether they are real asylum seekers or not."
"What do you think about Chancellor Angela Merkel?" I asked him.
"I always used to like her very much," he said. "But since she has accepted so many migrants, I am strongly against her.
"I always voted for the CDU [Mrs Merkel's party]," he said, "but now I am re-considering."
He looked around at a couple walking with their little girl.
"I'm not worried for myself because I am 83 years old and if something happens to me, my God, who cares! But I am concerned for my family."
Lothar Plomitcer, 48, agreed. "Our government seems to be controlled by the EU and Brussels. What kind of experiment is it, when a million people flee here? I know they have a good reason to leave Syria and Iraq, but it's uncontrolled. People need borders."
Others in this cosmopolitan city are worried for other reasons.
Wandering through a shopping street with her friend Nadia, Kadidja told me the attacks made her concerned for her safety.
"As a Muslim woman with dark skin who wears a headscarf, I find the current atmosphere quite charged," she said.
"I notice that lots of people are looking at me and are a bit scared of me. The mood is quite tense.
"I grew up here, I see myself as a German, but people still don't totally accept me. There are still so many prejudices against Muslims. I hope that will change one day."
The oppressive heat of the afternoon gave way to a violent thunderstorm, and I took shelter in the doorway of a shop, along with a middle-aged woman with brown hair.
"These are strange times for Bavaria," she told me. "Even the weather doesn't like it."
"Are you worried?" I asked her.
"I was worried on Friday during the shootings," she said. "And I was a bit careful on the underground today. But what can you do? You can't let it stop you."


The amount of recyclable material that gets rejected at recycling plants, because it's contaminated with other rubbish, is growing at a fast rate.

2 June 2014 Last updated at 09:13 BST
Over 100,000 tonnes of contaminated waste ended up in landfill sites last year, and some councils say people need to be more careful when it comes to recycling.
Watch the clip as BBC's Tim Muffet heads to a recycling plant to explain the problem...


With the departure of Mark Warburton, Rangers have effectively hit the reset button on the club's football operations.

The process has now begun to identify the profile and individuals for two key positions at Ibrox, with a view to recovering the ground lost as Warburton faltered in his last 14 months as manager.
When Warburton was appointed in the summer of 2015, Rangers did not have a full executive team or board of directors in place, and the priority was to find a new manager.
Now managing director Stewart Robertson and director of finance and administration Andrew Dickson will lead the search for a director of football and a head coach.
There may be an interim manager in the meantime, but there are a number of issues to be addressed once Rangers make permanent appointments.
A scouting network and a recruitment strategy will be the responsibility of the director of football rather than the head coach, and critical to the team's development in the short and long term.
There will now be a recognition at the club that, while responsibility for first-team training and performance should solely belong to the head coach, recruitment must be run separately, with the head coach having a final say on transfers in and out of the club.
Warburton insisted upon the appointment of Frank McParland as head of recruitment, but he was effectively part of the management team and departed at the same time after failing to build a scouting network.
Rangers have a limited budget in historical terms, albeit one that is significantly greater than the resources available to every club in Scotland bar Celtic, and the money needs to be spent more wisely. This requires combining traditional scouting methods with the accumulation and analysis of data - to bespoke parameters - from the first team to academy sides.
The board's recruitment strategy was to sign younger players who can be developed at Ibrox and sold for a profit, to work alongside graduates from the youth academy and more experienced players where required.
That approach will be re-emphasised and a database of players built up to allow more flexibility in the market - rather than chasing one target for each position and being potentially exposed to a premium price - and better value for money by increasing the club's knowledge of foreign players.
Rangers also need to be better at signing the best young or developing players in Scotland, since they tend to move out of reach financially once they are lured to England.
The current squad has not been capable of the consistency or decisiveness to deliver Rangers' ambitions.
Despite signing four centre-backs, Warburton never established a partnership able to play the high line that he wanted, or be commanding enough to reliably defend set pieces.
Wes Foderingham has improved as a goalkeeper, but doubts remain about his consistency.
With the defensive midfield role never adequately filled - Andy Halliday is better suited to playing further forward, Jordan Rossiter has never been fit and Matt Crooks was sent out on loan - and 37-year-old Kenny Miller the regular centre-forward, it is the spine of the team that needs to be strengthened first.
Two centre-backs, a strong, assertive and shrewd central midfielder and a striker who can lead the line and hold up play are the key positions to be filled.
Variety has to be restored to the squad since Warburton signed a number of players of a similar profile - Harry Forrester, Josh Windass, Jason Holt and even the loan players, Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral, all share the same attributes.
The latter two will leave at the end of the season, while Holt has the potential to develop further. Windass has shown flashes of promise, but Forrester has been unreliable.
In attack, too, Rangers have become muddled. Martyn Waghorn has regularly scored goals but bridles against being played on the right, while Joe Garner, with three goals so far, is yet to deliver as a striker or a £1.7m signing, and Joe Dodoo has been peripheral.
Renewing the squad will require clever business in the transfer market, not least in moving on players who do not have a future at the club.
If captain Lee Wallace and Miller, who wants to sign a contract extension, are most likely to stay at the club because of their contributions on and off the field, there is a third player whose future remains less certain.
In terms of ability, winger Barrie McKay is a prospect, given his excellent first touch, acceleration, ability to run with the ball and range and pace of passing.
Yet, he is out of contract in 18 months and has not delivered the same number of goals (two) or assists (four) as other players in his position in the Premiership such as Celtic's Scott Sinclair (14 goals and five assists), Hearts' Jamie Walker (11 and three), Aberdeen's Niall McGinn (eight and four), St Johnstone's Danny Swanson (seven and six), Aberdeen's Jonny Hayes (five and 10), or Celtic's James Forrest (four and five).
Either McKay is persuaded to sign a new contract and his development progresses or Rangers cash in on a player who has a market value that could be used to re-invest in the squad.
Similar decisions need to be made about Rob Kiernan, Danny Wilson and Waghorn, who are all out of contract in the summer of 2018.
In terms of players who are out of contract in the summer, Miller wants to remain at Rangers and pursue his coaching career, while fellow veterans Clint Hill and Philippe Senderos are more likely to leave.


A narrow road outside a central London school is being closed during rush hour to protect children from traffic and pollution.

Bollards are put up either side of Macklin Street in Camden from between 08:30-09:15 and 15:15-16:00.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School said the 800m (2,600ft) long road was too dangerous for the school children.
The school said it had made the combination of "small children and really narrow pavements" much safer.
Deputy head Nicola Scott-Phillips said there had been a "really positive reaction" from everyone to the pilot, which she hoped would become permanent.
The school, which has 300 pupils, said there had been about a 50% reduction in children arriving by car.
What's happening here can be seen as part of a wider picture we're seeing in London where space is being taken away from vehicles and given to people for cycling and walking.
It's called healthier streets and not everyone likes it.
But what often happens in central London often spreads to other towns and cities.
Parent Michelle Zini-Lopes said she had been anxious walking her child to school in the past because lorries got too close to the pavement.
"I've witnessed parents being clipped by large vans and lorries that shouldn't be coming down this road anyway because they end up getting stuck," she said.
Camden Council said it believed it was the first time in the country a road had been closed during school rush hour.
Phil Jones from the council said: "Hopefully it'll spread. We've got a lot of problems in London with pollution and car domination so this is one way we can tackle those problems."
In January, the school's head teacher had co-signed a letter to London's mayor Sadiq Khan, who has made tackling air pollution a priority.


A nurse who gave a patient a lethal overdose of a prescription drug has been found not guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Amanda Young, 40, slumped in the dock at Bristol Crown Court as the verdict was read out.
Joshua Gafney, 22, died after she administered 14 times the dose of anti-psychotic Clozapine in February 2012.
During trial, Ms Young said she had "not seen" details of the drug's strength written on the bottle's label.
Witnesses described the nurse, from Yeovil, Somerset, as "kind and empathetic" and dedicated to her profession.
The court was told Mr Gafney had serious mental health issues and was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
Ms Young was instructed to give him 6ml - a little more than a teaspoon - of Clozapine but the court heard she "hadn't seen" the dosage written on the medication.
Instead, she poured six bottles into a glass for him.
Mr Gafney drank the glass, containing 84ml, and was pronounced dead two hours later.
Defence barrister, Elizabeth Marsh QC, had told jurors at least two other nurses had given Mr Gafney similar doses in the days leading up his death.
She described Ms Young's actions as "a mistake by a compassionate and focused nurse".


The US Coast Guard have called off a search effort to locate an elderly British woman missing from the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner.

The ship, operated by the UK-based Cunard Cruise Line, left New York on Thursday and was en route to St Maarten in the Caribbean.
It turned back to assist the hunt but halted its efforts as darkness fell.
Petty Officer David Micallef told the BBC a 74-year-old had been reported missing at 03:00 (22:00 GMT Thursday).
In a statement, Cunard said: "It is with sadness we can confirm that after a comprehensive search, working with all relevant authorities, Queen Mary 2 has halted the search for a missing guest, presumed overboard...
"Cunard's care team is offering every support to the family."
The Queen Mary 2, which was beginning a 12-night Caribbean itinerary when the women went missing, is now back on course to reach St Maarten on 26 December as scheduled.
The woman was first reported missing as the ship was passing nearly 100 miles (161km) south-east of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Coast Guard did not have more details to provide regarding the circumstances under which she went missing.
They launched an aerial search using a C-130 fixed wing airplane and a HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter but have now returned to land.
The Queen Mary 2 is based at the port of Southampton in the UK.
The luxury cruiser, which boasted of having the world's "largest library at sea", was renovated on 23 June, according to the Cunard website.


Oil company Valero has been called "incredibly arrogant" for not attending a meeting to discuss pipeline repairs in Carmarthenshire.

AM Adam Price said there had been a "total lack of engagement" over work on the A48 near Nantycaws.
Llangunnor Community Council invited Valero to Thursday's meeting after the road was shut for six weeks and a leak spilled into the Nant Pibwr river.
Valero said it had been "in constant contact" with affected residents.
About 30 residents from Nantycaws went to the meeting, along with representatives from the county council and Natural Resources Wales.
They have voiced concerns about longer term impacts of the work and the oil spill.
Resident Aled Davies told BBC Wales the removal of mature trees near the A48 carriageway for repair work had a huge detrimental impact.
"There's light pollution, there's sound. There's a low frequency noise... it's very depressing," he said.
Valero said it had started planting new trees along the A48.
Work began on the road in September after a defect was identified in the pipeline carrying oil products from Valero's Pembroke refinery.
But the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr AM Mr Price said there had been a "total lack of engagement" from Valero, and residents had suffered "terrible stress and anxiety."
Farmer Gareth Rees said: "The long term effects on animals and ecology... nature and wildlife... is ignored and I don't see what they're going to do to solve the problem."
In a statement, Valero said it had been in contact with those most affected by the work and oil spill, including face-to-face meetings with representatives from its agent Fisher German.
The firm confirmed it was also in discussion with the community council "regarding making a donation to support a project or projects in the local area.
"This is our way of saying thank you to them for their patience and understanding throughout the incident."


The US is to end its efforts to train new Syrian rebel forces and says it will shift to providing equipment and weapons to existing forces.

Its $500m (Â£326m) programme was heavily criticised after it emerged that US-trained rebels had handed vehicles and ammunition over to extremists.
It emerged last month that only four or five of the fighters were in Syria.
The programme had aimed to train and equip 5,400 fighters this year and a further 15,000 in 2016.
A senior administration official said the programme was being put on "pause" and said it could be restarted in future.
The programme had suffered from "significant challenges", the official said, adding: "We had a very high bar in terms of recruiting".
The US will no longer vet every individual recruit but just the leaders of the groups they decide to work with, who will face "very vigorous vetting".
Of the initial two groups sent into the country under the previous programme, the first was rounded up by Jabhat al-Nusra, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, in July. The second handed much of its equipment over to the same group in September, reportedly in exchange for safe passage.
Quoting an anonymous US Department of Defense source, the New York Times reported that the US would no longer recruit Syrian rebels to go through its training programmes in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.
Instead, it would establish a smaller training centre in Turkey, where "enablers" - mostly leaders of opposition groups - would be taught operational manoeuvres like how to call in airstrikes, the newspaper said.
The failure of the programme underscores the wider problem of the inability to create large and effective moderate forces on the ground.
It will also have wider repercussions since the programme helped to coordinate support activities between the Americans, the Gulf states, Turkey, and Jordan.
The risk now is that those countries may push on with more separate initiatives backing individual client groups.
Washington was already limited in its ability to influence events on the ground. The failure of this initiative will reduce it even further.
Syrian rebel commanders demand US support
Rebels 'let down' by US
Speaking in a joint news conference with UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, Mr Carter admitted that he "wasn't satisfied with the early efforts" of the training.
The US was now looking at "different" ways to "enable capable, motivated forces on the ground to retake territory from ISIL and reclaim Syrian territory from extremism", he added, using another acronym for IS.
Mr Carter also said there were indications that four Russian cruise missiles that crashed in Iran before reaching their targets in Syria had malfunctioned.
The defence secretary is the first US official to comment publicly on the reports that the Russian missiles crashed. Russia has denied the claim, saying all 26 missiles hit their targets.
The missiles were fired from the Caspian Sea some 1,500km (930 miles) away, their route taking them over Iran and Iraq. They were launched in support of a major ground offensive by Syrian government troops in western Syria.
Mr Carter accused Russia of running "fundamentally flawed" operations in Syria which would "inflame the civil war and therefore extremism".
Moscow says it has been hitting IS positions and denies reports that Russian strikes have mainly targeted other opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.


An appeal has been launched to raise money to restore a 17th Century clock in Gloucestershire.

The clock in the tower of St Peter's Church, Haresfield, will be refurbished and have electric winders attached.
It was given to the church in 1698 by John Rogers, who owned the Haresfield estate, but it could be even older, according to church officials.
The cost of the clock's restoration will be Â£7,300.
Churchwarden Alec Jeakins said: "Clocks of this age are very rare. It strikes on the hour but hasn't been heard in the village for over 30 years.
"We hope that hearing the clock again will remind villagers of their church.
"There is a plaque on it with the date 1698, saying it was given by John Rogers, but it could possibly have been a second-hand clock even at that date."
Grants of Â£1,000 from the Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust and Â£500 from the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust have already been secured.


Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has had a university building housing a drama department named after him.

The X-Men star unveiled a plaque at the University of Huddersfield and watched a performance devised by drama students.
The site was previously known as the Milton building and is a Victorian former church.
The actor was born in nearby Mirfield, and was the university's chancellor for more than 10 years.
Sir Patrick said he was "very proud" of the honour.
The classically trained actor, known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films is currently on tour alongside fellow actor and friend Sir Ian McKellen in Harold Pinter's play No Man's Land.
Other university buildings have been named after local historical figures such as factory reformer Richard Oastler and the BrontÃ«s.


BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman is at the centre of a row for saying that former prime minister Tony Blair should never have apologised for Britain's role in the Irish potato famine.

The BBC 2 Newsnight host said he believed Mr Blair was guilty of "moral vacuousness".
Speaking in an interview with the Radio Times magazine, he said: "You should apologise for things that you have done, that you recognise that perhaps you shouldn't have done or regret," he said.
"Apologising for things that your great, great, great, great-grandfather or grandmother did, seems to me a complete exercise in moral vacuousness," he said.
However, Michael Blanch, chairman of the Committee for the Commemoration of the Irish Famine Victims, said Mr Paxman was in "denial" if he thought an apology was not appropriate.
He said he should apologise for his remarks.
"If Mr Paxman was making similar comments in certain European countries denying what happened during World War II, he would be incarcerated," he said.
"This is not about individuals. As a state and as a government at the time of the famine, there was wrong and there was neglect. An apology was long overdue."
Mr Blanch said healing and reconciliation was going on in Northern Ireland and it was wrong to "annexe" one part of history, like the famine, and suggest it did not matter.
In 1997, Mr Blair made a statement on the 150th anniversary of the famine.
He described it as "a defining event in the history of Ireland and of Britain".
"It has left deep scars. That one million people should have died in what was then part of the richest and most powerful nation in the world is something that still causes pain as we reflect on it today," he said.
"Those who governed in London at the time failed their people through standing by while a crop failure turned into a massive human tragedy. We must not forget such a dreadful event."


Newsround's special programme about living with autism has won Best Children's Programme at the 2012 Royal Television Society awards.

My Autism and Me looks at what it's like to live with autism, a condition that affects the way you live your life and see the world around you.
Rosie, the film's presenter, was at the awards party to pick up the trophy.
Rosie was born with autism, and says even though living with it is hard, it makes her unique and who she is.
You can watch the whole programme using the player above, and follow the links on the left of the page to find out more about autism.
Other winners on the night were Tracy Beaker Returns for best children's drama, and Ant and Dec for best entertainment performance, for ITV1's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, Red Or Black, Push The Button and Britain's Got Talent.


The new owner of the Trump Hotel and Tower in Toronto has reached an agreement to remove the US president's name from the property.

JCF Capital ULC announced on Tuesday a deal with Trump Hotels to buy out its management contracts for the hotel.
The amount of the deal was not disclosed. There is no confirmed date for the signage's removal from the property.
The hotel in downtown Toronto opened under the Trump brand in 2012.
In March, JCF Capital acquired the property, which includes 211 hotel units, 74 residential units and most of the commercial, retail and amenity space, through a court-approved sales process.
A list of Trump's potential conflicts
The firm did not say if it had reached a deal with another group, but a spokeswoman said they hoped to have something announced "in short order".
The US firm is a joint venture between Juniper Capital Partners LLC and Cowie Capital Partners Inc.
Reuters news agency reports that last autumn JCF Capital ULC bought the C$301m ($228m; £179m) owed on the tower's construction loan.
The Trump Organization does not have an ownership stake in the building, but it operated and managed the hotel and licensed the Trump name to the complex for a fee.
In a news release, representatives for both Trump Towers and JCF Capital ULC praised the deal.
The project in the city's financial district was developed by Talon International Inc and has been beset by legal troubles for years.


Hospital bosses "need to review" a cleaning and catering contract after a private firm consistently failed to meet standards, a union has claimed.

Mitie took over "hotel services" at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) in 2014 as part of a Â£90m contract.
The union Unison said the "situation was not being resolved" after months of failures.
RCHT said high standards were required and it was working with the firm. Mitie has refused to comment.
The latest figures reveal Mitie was fined up to 67% of its monthly profit in the past four months for failures at the trust.
One anonymous employee of the company told BBC News: "We were told the first 18 months might be a bumpy ride, the 18 months are up and it's getting worse. Things are not getting better.
"I think the patients are suffering, they don't get the same care. We're under such pressure now to get everything done the patients and staff are suffering."
Sarah Woodward, from Unison, said: "Continuously things don't seem to be improving. This situation is not being resolved.
"If there are critical service failures, it would suggest patients are at risk, which is a huge worry and something our members would want to avoid at all costs."
She said the "situation needs reviewing".
Service failures include emergency bedside calls not being answered within target times and requests for patient meals or drinks not being delivered on time.
Any failures mean Mitie accrues penalty points, which RCHT translates into deductions from the company's profit margin.
In February, 16,006 points were accrued, 18,000 in January, 13,540 in December and more than 38,000 in November, trust figures have revealed, with further failures reported in 2015.
The trust said: "It is a priority for us that the hotel services provided to patients and to support clinical staff are of a high standard.
"We will continue to require these high standards and work with Mitie to ensure their consistent delivery."


Police in Northern Ireland have announced a zero-tolerance crackdown on a range of motoring offences following a rise in road deaths.

Officers have been instructed not to exercise discretion, but issue tickets for speeding and seatbelt offences and for using a mobile phone while driving.
The move was announced at a meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday.
It comes after 54 people died on Northern Ireland's roads since the start of the year.
At the same point in 2012, 26 people had been killed. In the first eight months of 2013, 40 people had died on the roads.
A father whose son suffered catastrophic injuries in a speed-related traffic accident spoke about the impact it had had on his son and the family on the day the police crackdown began.
He said his son suffered horrendous injuries in the accident and although he had survived, his son was not the "same boy as he was".
"He has made a good recovery, but he is certainly not the same boy as he was. His life is totally ruined," he said.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin told the Policing Board on Thursday that because of police concerns about the number of road deaths so far this year, they had decided to take a "firmer approach in relation to some offences on Northern Ireland's roads".
"From tomorrow, Friday 5th September, if you are caught speeding, if you are caught using a phone while driving, or if you are caught not wearing your seat belt, you can expect to get a ticket and that ticket will mean a Â£60 fine and three penalty points," ACC Martin said.
"We don't want to give you a ticket, we want to find you driving responsibly within the limitations of the road and within the posted speed limits - that's what we want to find.
"But, if we find that you are in breach of one of those three offences we will give you a ticket and we make no apology for that because we would much rather give you a ticket than be knocking your family's door to tell them you have lost your life on the road."
He said officers were being told to hit all offenders with tickets.
"Northern Ireland is a small place, we should not have 54 road deaths," he added


Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says he is to blame for the financial problems afflicting some of the smaller teams in the sport.

Marussia and Caterham have gone into administration, reducing the grid for Sunday's US Grand Prix to 18 cars.
Their collapse has caused anger among some surviving teams, who say the sport's revenues are not split fairly.
Ecclestone said: "There is too much money being distributed badly - probably my fault."
He added: "Like lots of agreements people make, they seemed a good idea at the time. I know what's wrong, but don't know how to fix it."
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Ecclestone has struck private financial deals with all the teams over the last few years and the result has been a revenue split that is heavily in favour of the big teams.
The contracts are secret, but Ferrari are believed to have been paid more than $200m (£125m) for the 2013 season, in which they finished third in the championship, including $90m just for turning up.
By contrast, Marussia earned a reputed $14m (£8.8m), and Caterham a little more than double that.
The costs for a midfield team to compete in F1 for a season are believed to be about $120m (£75m).
Ecclestone dismissed claims from Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley that they and the Lotus and Sauber teams might boycott Sunday's race in the USA - which World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton starts second, behind Mercedes team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg - in protest at the financial problems afflicting the sport.
"They will be racing, I give you a guarantee," he said. "But I worry if they will be racing next year."
He said that if the bigger teams wanted to prevent the risk of more teams going out of business, they would have to give up some of their income.
"It's not the biggest crisis I've dealt with, but I'm not happy," he said.
"It's just you are talking about larger amounts of money, so therefore it is more difficult to solve.
"We'll have to do something about it because we can't all sit back nicely, relaxed and think the problem will go away.
"It's not like having the flu and taking a few tablets and it will disappear.
"The situation is such that if enough people want it resolved, we can resolve it.
"It's a case that the people involved in the sport will have to want to look after the sport and be prepared to make some sacrifices."
He added that he would be happy to renegotiate the teams' contracts if they were prepared to do so as well.
"It makes no difference to me how the money is shared out.
"If they sat down here with me now and said they want to share out all of the money they get in a different way, I would say: 'Good, give me the bit of paper'."
And he said he would be prepared to give up some of the income earned by main shareholder CVC, which employs him to run the sport, if the teams did the same.
"I would say to people getting a chunk of money that I would like to take a percentage of their performance-related payment," Ecclestone said.
"I would put that money together to divide among the three or four we know are in trouble, and then I would put in the same amount of money.
"But there would not be one team that would think it was a good idea."
The United States Grand Prix begins at 20:00 GMT, with live text coverage from 19:00, on 5 live from 19:30 and TV highlights at 22:30 GMT.
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