A service later this month will mark the end of hundreds of years of worship at a site in Wester Ross.

The Church of Scotland is closing Loch Broom Church at Clachan and its kirk session expects the building to be offered for sale in January next year.
A community group, Friends of Clachan Lochbroom, hopes to be able to takeover the church and turn it into a community facility.
The final service will be held on 20 November.
The church was built in 1817 on a site of religious importance going back to the 13th Century.
People in the local community believe the site could be even older and may have been the location of early Christian worship.
Friends of Clachan Lochbroom has a Facebook page to raise interest in keeping the church as a community asset.
The kirk is the only historic public building at the head of Loch Broom, and is the largest for many miles.
The group said it was close to the Highlands' North Coast 500 tourist route.


Bath Rugby managing director Tarquin McDonald says the club are ready to win a trophy after their Premiership final disappointment.

Bath were beaten by Saracens in Saturday's final at Twickenham.
However, McDonald says their success this season has strengthened his belief they are close to ending a 19-year wait for an English rugby title.
"We absolutely want to win titles, clearly it's been longer than any of us would have liked," said McDonald.
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"We think we are good enough and I don't think that weight of expectation is a burden on us. If anything it inspires us to be able to start thinking about the future."
Their appearance in Saturday's final was their first since 2004 and in an interview with BBC Points West, McDonald said he is convinced the squad can improve on this season.
"Next season we will be challenging," he added.
"I think the squad we've got and the investment in additional players means we're in good stead to compete in both those competitions and that's what we want to do. We feel we are ready to win a trophy and bring a trophy back to Bath.
"We are all disappointed because we think we are good enough to win, our supporters want to see us win and it has been a long time since we have won a title.
"Let's not take away from a fantastic season and everything we have put in place for next season. It's a young team. We will be back stronger next season and we have a really good platform for the seasons ahead."
McDonald also says there will be some investment in the squad over the summer.
"We've got some key positions to strengthen," he said. "The nine and 10 positions.
"Many of the squad are young and they are starting to play together for the club but also for the country which is fantastic experience and the World Cup is going to be phenomenal for the guys.
"So it's both adding to the talent we've got as well as building on the brilliant foundation - as well as some of the guys coming through the academy, so the omens are good."


For two months every year, five children in Ramnagar town in the northern Indian city of Varanasi don greasepaint and are dressed in silken robes to perform in the Ramlila festival, based on the Hindu religious epic Ramayana.

The dramatic folk re-enactment of Hindu god Ram's victory over the 10-headed demon king Ravana celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
The head of the former royal family of Varanasi selects the children to play Ram, his wife Sita and his three brothers, and the actors are handed over to a teacher to be trained for their performances.
Photographer Saibal Das went backstage to meet the children who play god.


A fundraising event which involved lifting members of the public on to a cross for a "full crucifixion experience" has been cancelled.

Manchester Passion play fundraiser Alex Stewart-Clark wanted to charge participants £750 for the spectacle in Cathedral Gardens.
However, the offer was withdrawn after the play's committee raised fears over blasphemy and health and safety.
The Passion, a dramatisation of Jesus' final days, will be held on Saturday.
Mr Stewart-Clark, 56, a volunteer for the Passion Trust, said he believed the plan could have raised vital funds, but he respected the committee's decision.
"The idea was, on the Friday when the stage was being set up, to give something tangible for people to pay for.
"It could be £25 to have dinner with Pontius Pilate, £200 to have dinner with Jesus, or in this case £750 to be 'crucified', but people didn't embrace it.
"The idea wasn't to replace Jesus but to empathise with him. The cross was meant to be a humiliating execution. It would be embarrassing to be up there."
He added: "You have a brainwave, you try it. I thought it was a good idea, but it came from a practical business idea, not a spiritual, theological head. So I have to listen to the powers that be."
Thousands of people are expected to attend the Manchester Passion which involves a gospel choir, 120 cast members and is marshalled by 80 stewards and other volunteers.
Event co-creator Nakib Narat, a playwright from Chorlton said: "Alex is a really kind, decent man and a sincere Christian man.
"It is one of those odd things people think is a brilliant idea but it seemed to detract from the message of the Passion play, which is about love one another and forgive one another.
"It seemed too commercial. At £750 it is a mad amount of money.
"It costs about £60,000 to put on this family event and make Manchester proud.
"Alex is brilliant at raising funds but it just wasn't the right idea and it was pulled within a few days."


Scotland have dropped Adam Walker from their provisional squad for this year's World Cup after the Wakefield Trinity prop failed a drugs test.

The 26-year-old tested positive for cocaine after the Super League win at Widnes on 14 July and was suspended by his club and Rugby Football League.
Scotland head coach Steve McCormack has added two players to his squad.
New Zealand Warriors' James Bell and South Sydney Rabbitohs' Campbell Graham replace Walker.
Scotland Rugby League chairman Keith Hogg said: "We totally support the RFL anti-doping regulations and the action undertaken by Wakefield Trinity.
"We will be withdrawing Adam Walker from our extended World Cup squad."
Bell and Graham made their debuts in the National Rugby League, the top tier for clubs in Australasia, last week and they join a 37-man squad for the World Cup in Australia later this year.
McCormack said: "We are always watching a number of Scottish qualified players at clubs in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
"We've known about them since last year and have been really pleased to see the progress that James and Campbell have been making.
"It was great to see them make their NRL debuts within a few days of each other."


The UK government is to reject calls for a Scottish independence referendum before Brexit after Theresa May said "now is not the time".

The prime minister said the focus should be on getting the best Brexit deal for the whole of the UK.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said Nicola Sturgeon's demand for a vote by the spring of 2019 would be rejected "conclusively".
Ms Sturgeon said blocking a referendum would be a "democratic outrage".
Ms Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, told BBC Scotland: "It is an argument for independence really in a nutshell, that Westminster thinks it has got the right to block the democratically elected mandate of the Scottish government and the majority in the Scottish Parliament.
"You know history may look back on today and see it as the day the fate of the union was sealed."
Ms Sturgeon has called for a referendum to be held in the autumn of 2018 or the spring of the following year, to coincide with the conclusion of the UK's Brexit negotiations with the EU.
But Mrs May said her message to Ms Sturgeon was clear - "now is not the time".
The prime minister added: "I think we should be working to get the right deal for Scotland and the UK with our future partnership with the European Union.
"It would be unfair to the people of Scotland that they would be being asked to make a crucial decision without the information they need to make that decision."
The prime minister also said the country should be "working together, not pulling apart".
Ms Davidson later told a media conference in Edinburgh that the people of Scotland should have the right to see how the UK was working after leaving the EU before deciding whether or not they wanted independence.
She added: "People should only be asked to make a judgment on whether to leave or remain within a 300-year-old union of nations when they have seen for themselves how that union is functioning following Brexit.
"They should also know what the alternative entails and we have seen no clarity from the SNP on even the basic questions of their proposition."
2017
Brexit will be triggered in March
2018/19 Sturgeon's preferred vote dates
2019 Two year Brexit deal period ends
2020 Next UK general election
2021 Next Holyrood election
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: "The proposal brought forward is not fair, people will not be able to make an informed choice.
"Neither is there public or political support for such a referendum.
"Therefore we will not be entering into discussions or negotiations about a Section 30 agreement and any request at this time will be declined."
By BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor
The Tory triumvirate - PM, secretary of state, Scottish leader - stress that a referendum might be feasible once Brexit is signed, sealed and settled. David Mundell seemed particularly keen to stress that point.
However, if they won't contemplate Section 30 meantime, then the time needed for legislation, consultation and official preparation would suggest that - by that calendar - any referendum would be deferred until 2020 or possibly later. Possibly after the next Holyrood elections.
Options for the FM? She could sanction an unofficial referendum, without statutory backing. Don't see that happening. It would be a gesture - and Nicola Sturgeon, as the head of a government, is generally averse to gestures. Unless they advance her cause.
She could protest and seek discussions. Some senior Nationalists believe this to be a negotiation ploy by the PM, the prelude to talks.
Will the first minister proceed with the vote next week at Holyrood, demanding a Section 30 transfer in which the Greens are expected to join with the SNP to create a majority? I firmly expect her to do so, to add to the challenge to the PM.
Read more from Brian
Scotland voted by 55% to 45% to remain in the UK in a referendum in September 2014 - but Ms Sturgeon says a second vote is needed to allow the country to choose what path to take following last year's Brexit vote.
MSPs are due to vote next Wednesday on whether to seek a section 30 order from the UK government, which would be needed to make any referendum legally binding.
The parliament currently has a pro-independence majority, with the Scottish Greens pledging to support the minority SNP government in the vote.


Alastair Cook has passed Graham Gooch to become England's leading Test run scorer.

In reaching 32 on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley, he overtook Gooch's mark of 8,900, which has stood since 1995.
England captain Cook, 30, is playing his 114th Test, having made his debut in 2006.
"It was an amazing moment, a personal one," the left-hander told BBC's Test Match Special.
Cook stands 13th on the all-time list of Test run scorers, and only one current Test player - Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara - is ahead of him on a chart led by India great Sachin Tendulkar with 15,921 runs.
Although Cook took lunch on 27, he scored only two runs in the first seven overs after the interval.
A half-volley from Tim Southee gave him the chance to drive through point for four as he claimed the record held by batting coach and long-time mentor Gooch.
Cook celebrated with a smile, a modest raise of the bat and a hug with opening partner Adam Lyth as the crowd gave him a lengthy standing ovation.
He eventually fell for 75 midway through the evening session, lbw sweeping off-spinner Mark Craig, having added 177 with Lyth.
"I haven't been nervous in the 20s before - I didn't want to fall four short," Cook told Test Match Special.
"I've not heard from Goochie yet. I'm sure he's somewhere in Essex enjoying a glass of red wine but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."
Cook told Sky Sports: "I probably don't deserve to be there.
"It is a huge battle to have longevity as a Test cricketer; it is an amazing journey. I'm delighted that today was a special day.
"The last 18 months has been tough for me personally - that's part and parcel of being a batter. When you are in a bit of form, you have to make it count."
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said: "It is a massive achievement for Alastair Cook to become England's all-time leading Test run scorer. He is only 30 and could play for four or five more years, notching another 40 or 50 Test matches and probably passing 11,000 runs."
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said: "I've always had admiration for Alastair Cook's batting. If you asked me who is the best opening batsman in the world today, no contest: Alastair Cook."
"I don't think it's a big milestone in his life. What's more important to him is the hundreds he's got, the matches he's won, and the fact that he's now back in his best form."
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan said: "The most amazing thing about Alastair Cook's record is that he's only 30 years of age.
"I don't think we talk enough in English sport about what Cook's talent really is: stubbornness, concentration, the ability to have a real strong game plan. What's he got in abundance is that inward talent - strength, character - more so than anyone else I played with."
Former England batsman and team-mate Kevin Pietersen tweeted: "I was quoted a few years back saying he could break Sachin's record. At the age of 30, he still has a chance! Quite brilliant batsman! Well done, AC!"
England bowler Steven Finn tweeted: "Exceptional effort from Cookie to break that record. Many many more to come too. Compliments to the chef!"
The International Cricket Council also paid tribute to Cook, although it managed to spell his name wrong...
2006, Nagpur: Flown out to India from the West Indies as a late addition to the England Test squad, Cook scored 60 and 104 not out on his debut.
2010, The Oval: Facing calls to be dropped after scoring only 106 runs in eight innings, he hit 110 against Pakistan to book his place on the flight to Australia for the winter Ashes.
2010, Brisbane: Batted for 10 and a half hours in making 235 not out to help England save the first Ashes Test, a series in which he scored a record 766 runs at an average of 127.66.
2011, Edgbaston: Amassed 294, his highest first-class score as England beat India by an innings and 242 runs.
2012, Kolkata: Hit 190, his third century in successive Tests after taking over as permanent captain, to set England on their way to a historic 2-1 series win in India.


Memphis Depay scored a sensational goal from near the halfway line as his double helped Lyon thrash Toulouse.

Lyon, who are fourth in Ligue 1, were looking comfortable leading 3-0 thanks to goals from Christophe Jallet, Maxwel Cornet and Depay with his first.
The ex-Manchester United forward then spun in the centre circle and spotted teenage keeper Alban Lafont off his line before lobbing him from 50 yards.
"I didn't even see the ball go in, I just heard everyone go crazy," he said.
Depay has scored five goals in nine Ligue 1 games since moving from United.
"I had tried one like that a few years ago and it hit the bar," the Dutchman, 23, told Canal Plus.
"I saw the goalkeeper was playing off his line in the first half and I kept that in the back of my mind."
Lyon coach Bruno Genesio suggested the scoreline made it easier for Depay to attempt the shot "although knowing him he would also have tried it at 0-0".
Match ends, Lyon 4, Toulouse 0.
Second Half ends, Lyon 4, Toulouse 0.
Offside, Lyon. Sergi Darder tries a through ball, but Maxwel Cornet is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Jimmy Durmaz (Toulouse) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by François Moubandje.
Óscar Trejo (Toulouse) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jérémy Morel (Lyon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Óscar Trejo (Toulouse).
Attempt blocked. Jimmy Durmaz (Toulouse) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Óscar Trejo (Toulouse) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Foul by Maxwel Cornet (Lyon).
Issa Diop (Toulouse) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Lyon. Rachid Ghezzal replaces Memphis Depay.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (Lyon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Christopher Jullien (Toulouse).
Corner,  Toulouse. Conceded by Emanuel Mammana.
Attempt blocked. Tongo Doumbia (Toulouse) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Somália (Toulouse) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal!  Lyon 4, Toulouse 0. Memphis Depay (Lyon) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the centre of the goal.
Foul by Mathieu Valbuena (Lyon).
Corentin Jean (Toulouse) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Lyon. Maxime Gonalons tries a through ball, but Jordan Ferri is caught offside.
Memphis Depay (Lyon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Christopher Jullien (Toulouse).
Foul by Maxwel Cornet (Lyon).
Issiaga Sylla (Toulouse) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Maxime Gonalons (Lyon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tongo Doumbia (Toulouse).
Substitution, Toulouse. Jimmy Durmaz replaces Andy Delort.
Substitution, Lyon. Mathieu Valbuena replaces Nabil Fekir.
Offside, Toulouse. Issa Diop tries a through ball, but Andy Delort is caught offside.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (Lyon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Corentin Jean (Toulouse).
Attempt saved. Maxime Gonalons (Lyon) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sergi Darder.
Attempt missed. Memphis Depay (Lyon) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Christophe Jallet with a cross.
Offside, Toulouse. Corentin Jean tries a through ball, but Andy Delort is caught offside.
Corner,  Toulouse. Conceded by Jordan Ferri.
Offside, Lyon. Christophe Jallet tries a through ball, but Memphis Depay is caught offside.
Foul by Maxime Gonalons (Lyon).
Andy Delort (Toulouse) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.


Parents must intervene to stop their children overusing social media and consuming time online "like junk food", the children's commissioner has said.

In an interview with the Observer, Anne Longfield criticised the ways social media giants use to draw children into spending more time.
She said parents should be proactive in stopping their children from bingeing on the internet in the summer holidays.
Ms Longfield has launched a campaign to help parents with the issue.
She said: "It's something that every parent will talk about especially during school holidays; that children are in danger of seeing social media like sweeties, and their online time like junk food.
"None of us as parents would want our children to eat junk food all the time.
"For those same reasons we shouldn't want our children to do the same with their online time."
Use talk to tame online habits
US changes toddler screen time advice
The commissioner added: "When phones, social media and games make us feel worried, stressed and out of control, it means we haven't got the balance right.
"With your diet, you know that, because you don't feel that good. It's the same with social media."
Last year, industry watchdog Ofcom said the internet overtook television as the most popular media pastime for children in the UK.
Children aged five to 15 are spending 15 hours a week on the internet.
Ms Longfield said children should be helped to understand that sites encourage them to continue their use based on what they have previously been doing online.
A study earlier this year of screen time and mental wellbeing among teenagers suggested that moderate use of devices may be beneficial.
The research, which appeared in the journal Psychological Science, was based self-reported data from 120,000 15-year-olds in England.


Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi is to wed after her musician boyfriend used a drone to propose to her, Chinese media report.

At Zhang's 36th birthday party, Wang Feng sent her a white drone carrying a diamond ring before getting on one knee to ask her to marry him.
She said "yes" amid tears and applause from a crowd of onlookers at the event.
Zhang is best known for her role in the hit martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The day after the proposal,  Zhang posted a picture of fireworks on a social media account with the words "I do".
Her partner is a popular rock star in China and has been married twice before.
With Mandarin dialogue, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a huge crossover success in the West.
Zhang has starred in almost 30 films, including the Grandmaster, Memoirs of a Geisha and House of Flying Daggers.


A fresh attempt is to be made to ban parents in Wales from smacking their children.

A cross-party group of assembly members will call for a legal defence of "chastisement" to be removed.
The Welsh government said it wanted to make physical punishment unacceptable by promoting "positive alternatives".
A previous attempt to outlaw the smacking of children in Wales ran into a dispute about whether the assembly had powers to pass such a law.
However, First Minister Carwyn Jones has told AMs the Welsh government believes the assembly has the necessary powers to amend the criminal law.
Four AMs seeking a ban - two Labour, one Plaid Cymru, and the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats - have tabled a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday.
They will urge the Welsh government to bring forward legislation that would end the availability of the chastisement defence for an offence of assaulting a child.
In a letter to two of them, seen by BBC Wales, Mr Jones says it is the view of Welsh ministers that it is possible for the assembly to amend the criminal law and "end the availability of the defence of reasonable punishment for those cases where it still applies to an offence of assaulting a child".
In its manifesto for the last assembly election, Labour said it would "work to make physical punishment of children and young people unacceptable through the promotion of positive alternatives".
One of the AMs seeking a smacking ban, Labour's Christine Chapman, said similar bans had been successful in several other countries.
She said: "There's a lot to suggest smacking doesn't work.
"What message are you giving out that in order for them to do what you want you have got to use physical force? Really, we are way behind other countries."
Mrs Chapman, the mother of two grown-up children, said she regretted smacking her daughter a couple of times when she was younger.
"I really wish at the time there had been information about this being wrong. I feel terrible now," she said.
She is tabling the debate for Wednesday with another Labour AM, Julie Morgan, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams and Plaid Cymru AM Lindsay Whittle.
Mr Whittle said: "This is something where the assembly could really make a major impact, one of the first big laws we could pass since the new powers."
He said enforcing a ban on smacking children would be "no more difficult than any other act of violence against individuals".
A government spokesman said: "This government is committed to work to make physical punishment of children and young people unacceptable through the promotion of positive alternatives and we believe this is the best place to start."
Conservative AM Darren Millar opposes a ban and said while did not condone any abuse of children, whether physical of mental, parents should have the right to chastise them.
"Physical chastisement is a tool," said Mr Millar, the AM for Clwyd West. "It's not the only tool but it can be extremely effective and useful, and can be far less damaging.
"I think the vast majority of parents know where to draw the line. People use it as a reasonable punishment and they ought to be able to continue to do so."
Mr Millar said in the last assembly there had been a balance among AMs against physical punishment of children, but it would be interesting to see the current situation, with many new members.


Everton defender Ashley Williams returns from suspension for the visit of Burnley on Saturday.

Aaron Lennon is still missing but Muhamed Besic is nearing a first-team return following nine months out with a serious knee injury.
Burnley midfielder Steven Defour is fit, having played only twice in 10 weeks because of various injuries.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson has stepped up his recovery from knee ligament damage but might not be risked.
Guy Mowbray: "Everton are hunting a new club record for successive Premier League home wins, against a Burnley side still seeking ANY away win.
"The Clarets have three chances left, with the last (and furthest!) trip to Bournemouth probably their best bet - assuming both are safe from relegation by the season's penultimate weekend.
"With one win in nine since January, it's testament to how well Burnley did earlier in the season that they'll surely be okay by then.
"The FA Cup semi-finals line-up should mean that Everton are sitting pretty for a Europa League place, and whilst a strong finish won't get them in the top four it might prove key to keeping Romelu Lukaku."
Twitter: @Guymowbray
Everton manager Ronald Koeman on his players' ambitions: "If you ask the players one by one, everyone will mention they like to play Champions League: for every manager, for every player and also the fans.
"Our next step is to play in Europe. It will be difficult but if we finish fifth or sixth it would be perfect as you don't play any qualification games for the Europa League."
Burnley manager Sean Dyche on Michael Keane's PFA Young Player of the Year nomination: "It's a great sign for him and he deserves to be in that company.
"We're not shining lights of the Premier League or a superpower, so for other players to see that and say 'hang on a minute, he's been terrific in a smaller side at a smaller club' is good, it's good of his peers to recognise that.
"He's in some very good company, some players who are having absolutely fine seasons, and he's having a very strong season too."
Since suffering their only home league defeat of the season, against Liverpool in December, the Toffees have won seven league games in a row at Goodison Park.
I think Everton's excellent run will continue - and maybe Ross Barkley will deliver the knock-out blow.
Prediction: 2-0
Lawro's full predictions v singer Sting
Head-to-head
Everton
Burnley
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.


A teenager who was stabbed at an Aberdeen school died of an injury to his chest, his death certificate has revealed.

Bailey Gwynne, 16, was fatally injured during an incident at Cults Academy in Aberdeen on 28 October.
The time of death was recorded as 15:20 in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, about two hours after the alarm was first raised.
A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murder.
The accused, who was remanded after appearing in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, is also charged with having a blade or point on school premises.
A private funeral is to be held for Bailey.


Nigerian athletes in Rio received their Olympic kits only on day 13 of the Games, the BBC has learned.

Most of them had finished competing by the time the outfits arrived.
"We are disappointed and embarrassed. We've been wearing kits from the World Athletics Championships," one athlete, requesting anonymity, told the BBC.
Nigeria's men's football team has its own sponsored kit - but it has been hit by funding problems and players only arrived hours before their first match.
The team plays for bronze on Saturday against Honduras.
Africa's most populous country has so far won no medals at Rio, with only three more days of competition left to go.
The BBC spoke to two athletes who confirmed that they had only received their sports and ceremonial kits on Thursday.
An unnamed Athletics Federation of Nigeria official told Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper that he had never experienced anything like this in all his years in sport.
"Money meant for the Games was held tightly by [sport] ministry officials and they were just releasing money piecemeal," the official is quoted as saying.
The government had budgeted 600m naira ($1.7m; £1.3m) for the Olympics, the Vanguard reported in July.
But payment problems appear to have dogged Nigerian Olympians.
Japanese plastic surgeon, Katsuya Takasu, is donating $200,000 to the football team after hearing about its financial difficulties.
The players were held up in the US city of Atlanta because of problems paying for their flight and only landed in Brazil just hours before their opening 5-4 win over Japan.
Mr Takasu has also promised each player a $10,000 bonus if they win bronze.


Ian Bell has stepped down as captain of Warwickshire in all formats of the game to focus on batting.

The 35-year-old skippered the Bears to One-Day Cup victory in September 2016, but less than 12 months on the county are bottom of the Division One Championship table.
Bell, who last played for England in November 2015, was was recently left out of the Bears' T20 side.
"This is the right time for me to stand down," Bell said.
"As a senior player, I will support the team in all ways possible and I believe that our squad has very exciting times ahead.
"It's been an absolute honour to lead my home county over the last 18 months and my decision to stand down is something that I have thought long and hard about over a period of weeks."
Bell is to be replaced by former England batsman Jonathan Trott as captain of Warwickshire's Championship side.
The county's sports director Ashley Giles said Bell made a "brave" decision to focus on batting.
"Having him focused solely on scoring runs for Warwickshire and Birmingham Bears is a huge asset to the club," Giles said.
Warwickshire, who won limited-overs silverware in Bell's first season as captain, are in Division One relegation trouble, having lost five of their nine matches - four of them by an innings.
Bell, the most capped international in Warwickshire history, having played 118 Tests, 161 one-day internationals and eight T20 matches, has scored 345 runs from 14 innings, at an average of 24.64. He has not made a Championship century since April 2016.
In the T20 Blast, he has hit 251 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 117.29, but he was dropped down the order after a run of poor scores at opener.
Having not batted at all in the Bears' penultimate game, he was left out altogether for the final group game on Friday, which the Bears won against Lancashire at Old Trafford to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
New Zealand international Grant Elliott captained the side and will be expected to so again for this Friday's last-eight tie against Surrey at The Oval.
Bell, who was part of the Birmingham Bears T20 Blast title-winning side in 2014, also won the Big Bash in Australia last winter with Perth Scorchers.


Ards moved up to fourth place in the women's Irish Hockey League by beating bottom club Pembroke Wanderers 2-1.

At the top of the table Hermes-Monkstown made it seven wins in a row to start the season as they beat Ulster Elks 5-0 and they increased their lead to four points as second place UCD were held to a 1-1 draw by Cork Harlequins.
The other two games between Loreto and Railway Union and the Ulster derby at Deramore Park where Belfast Harlequins were due to face Pegasus were called off because of frozen pitches.
It was a game of few chances between Ards and Pembroke at Londonderry Park but the deadlock was broken six minutes before half-time when Ellen Robinson pinched the ball just outside the circle and then produced a very composed finish to give the home side the lead.
They doubled their advantage in the third quarter when Tamara McLeod and Chloe Brown combined at a short corner with Brown scoring on the reverse stick.
Ards had other opportunities to put the game out of reach but Pembroke had the better of the final quarter and Caroline Hill's goal meant an edgy ten minutes for Ards to hold out to secure their fourth straight win and leave the Dublin club rooted at the bottom without a point.
A four-goal blitz in a ten minute spell of the third quarter saw Hermes-Monkstown continue their dominance of the women's club game.
Ulster Elks goalkeeper Rebecca Davidson pulled off a number of superb saves in a first half where she was only beaten once by the league's leading scorer Anna O'Flanagan.
She could do nothing however as the international trio of O'Flanagan, Chloe Watkins and Nikki Evans put the Ulster side to the sword after the interval with O'Flanagan completing a hat-trick.
The battle between second and third finished 1-1 between UCD and Cork Harlequins.


The former head of the UN climate change panel (IPCC), Rajendra Pachauri, has been formally charged in an Indian court in a case of sexual harassment.

A female employee at the environmental think-tank The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) had accused him last year of harassment.
Accusations by a second employee last month caused widespread outrage.
Mr Pachauri, who has denied the allegations against him, stepped down from the UN panel last year.
In February, he was forced to go on indefinite leave by Teri after the latest accusations.
On Tuesday, charges running into more than 1,400 pages were filed in the court of metropolitan magistrate Shivani Chauhan in Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported.
Mr Pachauri has been accused of sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, the agency said.
The charges relate to accusations made by the first woman. The magistrate has said she will hear the case on 23 April.
Mr Pachauri collected the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 on behalf of the IPCC for its work in the scientific assessment of the risks and causes of climate change.
The IPCC shared the award with former US vice-president and environmental campaigner, Al Gore.


It's early April at Glamorgan's Swalec Stadium and the sun is shining, but you can't hear the crack of leather on willow for the chattering of teeth.

The Welsh county's players are meeting the media ahead of the opening first-class fixture of the new cricket season and winter is not keen to relinquish its grip.
It's freezing and, appropriately, Simon Jones is talking about ice.
Ice packs to be precise, which he has to apply to his damaged knee twice a day to stop fluid gathering on the joint.
It's nearly eight years since the fast bowler earned himself a place in the nation's affection as part of the England bowling attack which helped wrestle the Ashes from Australia in the thrilling series of 2005.
He missed the final Test match of the series at The Oval, and his career has been punctuated by long lay-offs ever since.
The fast bowler has played in only three four-day matches in the past four years, but this season has a new contract which  for Glamorgan.
Simon Jones factfile
Born: 25 December, 1978.
Pedigree: Son of England Test fast bowler Jeff Jones
Test record: 18 Tests, 59 wickets at an average of 28.23.
Last Test: Fourth Test v Australia 2005, Trent Bridge.
Injury record: Jones has suffered anterior cruciate knee ligament damage, an ankle injury and a micro-fracture to the knee which required major surgery.
Which is where the ice comes in.
"I invested in an ice machine," Jones says. "I'll ice my knee in the morning and at night. The machine compresses and releases so it flushes out your knee. It's takes 20 minutes."
Jones paid £2,500 for the machine himself and considers it a sound investment.
"I thought I'm going to use this every day throughout my career, so as an investment it's helped me massively.
"I think Premier League teams have one for every player. It was something I desperately needed. A bag of ice or a bag of peas doesn't do the job."
Doing the job is a subject foremost in the mind of Jones as he prepares for the season with an enthusiasm that belies his age, experience and injury record.
"You know I'm coming towards the end of my career now," Jones, who turned 34 on Christmas Day 2012, says.
"I've perhaps got a couple of years left in me and don't want to go out wondering.
"This year I'll have a go - I'm not going to leave any stone unturned.
"I'm confident and not worried about it. It's about me getting overs under my belt and time in the field, whether that's in the second team or however I can get it.
Key: LVD2 - LV County Championship Division Two.
YB40 - Yorkshire Bank 40 over tournament.
"We can even replicate it in the nets: bowling a spell and having a break, bowling a spell and having a break - I'll do it any way I can."
Glamorgan's director of cricket Matthew Mott will have a big say in which four-day matches Jones will play.
Last season he was employed on a one-day contract, concentrating on Twenty20 and Pro40 matches, with just one appearance in a four-day match against Derbyshire.
He's hoping to be a lot busier this season. "We're going to be selective about the wickets I play on," Jones says.
"I don't want to be running up and bowling on an absolute road. You want to have something with a bit of pace and carry in it.
"I'll be happy to play eight or nine games if required.
"But I want to get the six games out of the way - early season is a great time to bowl.
"But, at the same time, Motty [Matthew Mott] has sat me down said, 'We'll work out which six games you're going to play in because we know which sort of wickets we want you to bowl on'.
"We've got a great group of fast bowlers now and they'll get rotated, which I think is healthy."
Management will be keen to see Jones recapture the form and hostility with which he kept batsmen on their toes when he was a key member of the England attack.
A little of the old Jones fire would help thaw things out at the Swalec.
*Listen to commentary on every county match this summer via the BBC Sport website.


Japanese electronics firm Sharp posted a net loss of $918m (£630m) even as it considers multiple bailout offers.

The bigger-than-expected shortfall was for the April-to-December period.
However, shares of Sharp surged about 26% ahead of its earnings release on reports it has entered into exclusive takeover talks with Taiwan's Foxconn.
The century-old company also has a competing offer from the state-backed investment fund Innovation Network Corp of Japan (INCJ).
There has been speculation that the Japanese government is keen to keep the company in local hands, given its proprietary technology.
Sharp, a major producer of display screens for smartphones, tablets and televisions, said it plans to make a decision within the month.
In 2012, Sharp nearly entered bankruptcy and has been saddled with heavy debts that required two major bailouts in the last four years.
A large part of this is due to its loss-making display panel business, which has struggled to compete against South Korean producers and cheaper Chinese rivals.
Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles most of the world's iPhones, initially offered about $5.3bn to take over Sharp before raising this to $5.9bn.


Girl Guides across the UK will be able to take a new badge in mental well-being and resilience from early April.

The badge, "Think Resilient", follows research showing nearly half of young women aged 17 to 21 in the UK have needed help with a mental health issue.
Guides themselves helped design the programme which will be delivered by young women.
"I'm really proud of this of new Girlguiding resource and my part in developing it," said Zoe Dowler, 24.
Zoe is one of Girlguiding's Peer Educators who are aged 14 to 26 and already run badges on healthy relationships, body confidence, alcohol, smoking, drugs and sex.
Following training early in April, 100 Peer Educators will start running "Think Resilient" sessions for girls aged seven to 25 in guiding groups across the UK, including for Brownies, the youngest group.
"I know low mental well-being is a major issue affecting the daily lives and ambitions of lots of young women my age," said Ms Dowler.
She said she hoped the badge would give girls positive and practical solutions and "a safe space to share what's on their mind".
The new badge is launched amid increasing concern about the mental health of children and young people.
Last August a Children's Society report found children in England were among the unhappiest in the world.
While Girlguiding's 2015 Girls' Attitudes Survey of 1,500 UK girls and young women found:
The new badge, developed in conjunction with the Young Minds mental health charity, aims to give girls "a vital space to talk about their mental well-being and resilience".
It was created following requests from guides themselves who said they wanted to break down stigma surrounding mental health "and promote open and supportive conversations", says Girlguiding UK.
The girls will learn self-calming techniques in sessions tailored to different age groups.
The kit includes imaginary "agony-aunt" letters to which the guides are encouraged to respond, encouraging the ability to break problems down into small, solvable steps.
"Girlguiding listens to girls and we've created this inspiring new resource as a direct response to what girls told us they need," said Chief Guide Gill Slocombe.
Young Minds chief executive Sally Brennan said family breakdown, stress at school, 24/7 online culture, body image issues and early sexualisation were just some of the pressures young people faced.
"Peer to peer is a really powerful way to educate... and help girls and young women build their emotional strength and resilience", said Ms Brennan.


Police in County Down have warned skinny dippers that they could be placed on the sex offenders register.

Officers said they were "treating this kind of behaviour extremely seriously".
"Two males have had to be reported for indecent exposure as they thought it was a good idea to take all their clothes off to go for a swim - not a good idea," an officer wrote on the PSNI Holywood Facebook page.
"There are young children in these areas too."
They added: "You could end up with a criminal record and placed on the sex offenders register.
"Please enjoy the weather but be sensible."
Police in the North Down town also warned that they were on the lookout for people bringing alcohol to the beach, with officers patrolling the platform at Helen's Bay railway station.


A leading security company says it has discovered 22,000 hackable internet-connected baby monitors and other types of webcam in Barcelona.

Avast carried out the check to coincide with the first day of the Mobile World Congress trade show in the city.
In addition, it said it had found more than 470,000 other types of vulnerable smart devices.
The firm warned that unsuspecting owners could be spied upon as a consequence.
"If webcams are set to livestream for example, hackers or anyone can connect making it easy for cybercriminals to spy on... oblivious school pupils, workers or citizens nearby," said the firm's chief executive Vince Steckler in a statement.
"[But] what is far more likely is the possibility of a cyber-crook hijacking an insecure webcam, coffee machine or smart TV to turn it into a bot which, as part of a wider botnet, could be used in co-ordinated attacks on servers to take down major websites."
Avast used the connected-objects search engine Shodan to identify the devices.
It said to qualify they needed to either:
It carried out the study to help promote its own security tools.
But another independent expert said he thought the public needed to be aware of the threat.
"This research underlines just how easy it is to locate potentially vulnerable 'smart' devices and how they might be compromised," said Ken Munro, from the cybersecurity testing specialists Pen Test Partners.
"That's not to say that all internet-connected devices can be easily compromised; for example some more recent kettles, coffee machines and fridges are much harder to hack than earlier models.
"But consumers should exercise caution with smart devices. Ask yourself first if you actually need that device, then think about what data it might collect about you and expose.
"For example, baby monitors with video and two-way audio would obviously be more concerning than a simple audio-only device."


An app that lets people speak to avatars of dead relatives and take selfies with them is being developed in South Korea.

2 March 2017 Last updated at 00:00 GMT
The BBC's Chris Foxx asked Eun Jin Lim from Elrois, the company making it, whether people might find the idea strange.


Turkey has threatened to cancel a bilateral migration deal with Greece amid an extradition row.

Turkish officials are unhappy about a decision by the Greek Supreme Court not to extradite a group of eight Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece after a failed coup in July.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the ruling as a "political decision" and demanded a retrial.
The bilateral deal underpins a wider Turkey-EU migration agreement.
An EU spokeswoman said the bloc was confident that arrangement would hold.
The three majors, three captains and two sergeant majors fled in a helicopter to Greece after last July's coup attempt in Turkey.
They are accused of playing a significant part in the attempt, and of having links with a group which allegedly tried to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of the attempted coup.
They say they were not involved and would fear for their lives if extradited home. The Greek court's presiding judge ruled that the men were unlikely to receive a fair trial in Turkey.
But Mr Cavusoglu branded the men traitors.
"We demanded that the eight soldiers be tried again," he told state broadcaster TRT Haber. "This is a political decision, Greece is protecting and hosting coup plotters.
"We are evaluating what we can do. There is a migration deal we signed, including a readmission deal with Greece, and we are evaluating what we can do, including the cancellation of the readmission deal with Greece."
Early reports suggested Mr Cavusoglu was referring to the Turkey-EU deal as a whole, but it appears he was referring to a specific bilateral migration arrangement with Greece.
The Turkish justice ministry has made a new extradition request, according to Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu.
Under the deal with the EU, which came into effect in March last year, Turkey takes back migrants who cross into Greece if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected.
Turkey has threatened to stop participating in the deal during previous spats.
An EU spokeswoman said it was confident its co-operation with Turkey on migration would continue.
Commentators say the spat risks a deterioration in Greece-Turkey relations. Territorial disputes and competing claims to Cyprus saw the neighbours reach the brink of war in 1996.
In the wake of the coup attempt, tens of thousands of people from every level of Turkish society have been purged from their jobs, including military officers, government officials and schoolteachers.
Critics of Mr Erdogan say he has used the failed uprising as a way of removing his opponents and tightening his grip on power.
The Turkish government says that it has taken legitimate action to root out "terrorist" groups that had infiltrated the state.


The UK is "woefully underprepared" for the social and economic challenges presented by an ageing society, a Lords committee has warned.

The committee said "the gift of longer life" could lead to "a series of crises" in public service provision.
Peers said big changes in pensions, health care and employment practices were needed to help people "sustain a good quality of life" as they aged.
The government said supporting people in later life was a priority.
The Lords committee on public service and demographic change cited figures from the Office for National Statistics that forecast a 50% rise in the number of over-65s and a doubling in over-85s between 2010 and 2030.
Source: Office for National Statistics forecasts
The committee has been looking into the impact of demographic change on the UK for nearly a year and has questioned a number of government figures, including Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, as well as academics, charities and companies such as Alliance Boots and B&Q.
Publishing its findings, the committee said the fact people were living longer offered benefits for many but also threatened a "series of crises" unless action was taken to mitigate the impact on public services.
With the number of people living with long-term medical conditions set to rise sharply, a "radically different model" of care would be needed to support people in their homes and to prevent pressure on the NHS, it said.
The committee is calling on the government to set out its thinking on the issue before the next election and for all parties to consider the implications for public spending, in their next election manifestos.
Whoever was in power after the next election, the committee said, should establish independent commissions to examine how pension and savings provisions could be increased, how equity release could be better exploited and how funding for social care could be improved.
"As a country we are not ready for the rapid ageing of our population," Lord Filkin, the Labour peer who chairs the committee, said.
"The amazing gift of longer life is to be welcomed, but our society and politicians need to address the implications and the changes needed to attitude, policies and services so people are best able to benefit from it."
He warned these challenges were not a "distant issue".
"Our population is older now and will get more so over the next decade. The public are entitled to an honest conversation about the implications," he said.
By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent
A leading think tank said the report should be a wake-up call for government and society as a whole and that individuals would have to take more responsibility for their health and income in retirement.
"Our society is in denial of the inevitability of ageing," said Baroness Greengross, chief executive of the International Longevity Centre UK and a crossbench member of the House of Lords. "We have put off the difficult decisions for far too long."
"The report paints a picture of a health and care system which doesn't work for today's older population. Similarly our communities, housing and transport systems are ill-equipped for the challenges ahead."
Policymakers should not be afraid to tell people they will need to work longer and that state pension ages may need to increase further as healthy life expectancy changes, she added.
The Department of Health said supporting people in later life was a priority for the government.
"That is why we took the decision to invest Â£7.2 billion over four years to protect access to care and support and for the first time ever are bringing in a cap on care fees to make old age care costs more sustainable," a spokesman said.
Source: Office for National Statistics forecasts
"However, we cannot improve care and support by putting ever more money into the system. Many local authorities are innovating and achieving much greater integration between health and care services, thereby improving care for people and optimising use of resources available."
For Labour, Liz Kendall said: "This excellent report rightly emphasises the huge contribution older people already make to the economy and in their communities, and that more should be done to ensure older people can play an even fuller role in future.
"I particularly welcome the committee's call for radical reform of the NHS and social care. We need far bolder changes to ensure these services are fully integrated, with a much bigger focus on prevention to help people stay healthy and living independently for longer."


There were 22,988 accidents and 80 deaths involving cyclists in London over five years, according to Department for Transport (DfT) figures.

Elephant and Castle roundabout in south London was the worst accident blackspot with 80 accidents involving cyclists between 2009 and 2013.
DfT figures analysed by insurers Aviva showed cycling accidents within the M25 reported to or attended by police.
Transport for London said any accident was "one too many".
In a statement, it said: â€Ž"While we don't recognise the interpretation of these figures, we entirely agree that any accident on London's roads is one too many.
"That is why we are investing nearly Â£1bn in upgrading the existing Cycle Superhighways with greater segregation, introducing major new segregated cycle routes and backstreet Quietways, and overhauling dozens of junctions on both our roads and on borough roads."
In March 2014, the London mayor's office announced a Â£4bn plan to revamp London's roads, including a new road layout, with more cycle lanes at Elephant and Castle roundabout.
Most accidents involving cyclists between 2009 and 2013
Central London's Trafalgar Square had the second highest number of motor accidents involving cyclists, with 46 recorded over the five-year period.
Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group leader Caroline Pidgeon said: "With such appalling figures as this it is simply shameful that year after year Transport for London have repeatedly spent just a fraction of their allocated budget on vital improvements to junctions and investing in cycling infrastructure."
There have been four cyclist deaths in London in 2015, all involving lorries, with the most recent being last week in Victoria when a mother-of-two died.
Earlier in February a three-fold increase in the number of fatalities on the capital's roads prompted Scotland Yard to reintroduce its highway safety operation.
Operation Safeway will see 600 officers deployed at 166 junctions during morning and evening rush hours for six weeks.
Officers will target road users committing traffic offences.


Making civil servants and other holders of public office swear an oath to British values would not help combat radicalisation, the shadow home secretary has said.

Diane Abbott told Sky News it would not make "any verifiable difference".
Writing in the Sunday Times, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said he wanted public servants to set an example to newly arrived migrants.
Key values include democracy, equality and freedom of speech, he argued.
Mr Javid's intervention comes after a report by Dame Louise Casey warned of increasing ethnic segregation in some UK communities.
He said he was "drawn" to her recommendation to bring in a pledge of allegiance, saying: "We can't expect new arrivals to embrace British values if those of us who are already here don't do so ourselves, and such an oath would go a long way to making that happen."
Former chancellor George Osborne hailed the idea as a "great initiative", and ex-culture secretary John Whittingdale also said he supported the oath.
But Ms Abbott said: "I have nothing against it in principle, but it will not make a difference to the problems of radicalisation, or integration."
She said her Hackney constituency had a "diverse population" of people, who live in the UK because "they value what this country has to offer and they respect its institutions, particularly people who originate from the Commonwealth".
Teresa Pearce MP, shadow secretary for communities and local government, said better education should be the priority.
"We must not leap to implement gimmicky policies which are a superficial and cack-handed response to deep-rooted and long-standing problems," she said.
"Only by properly funding local government so it can enrich communities, as well as meet its statutory obligations, can we begin to tackle isolation, division and mistrust and bring communities together."
Mr Javid's proposals would mean every new recruit in the public sector, including councillors, school governors and civil servants, would be expected to commit to the oath, which may have to be read out loud before starting the role.
This could extend to those working in the NHS and the BBC.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Lord Brian Paddick said forcing public servants to swear such an oath would be "both superficial and divisive".
"We should be talking about the universal values that unite us, not using nationalistic terms that exclude people," he said.
"The government must focus on integrating those small pockets of people living in segregated communities. Instead, they are creating hostility towards all minority communities."
Mr Javid said he did not want to see a "government-approved, one-size-fits-all identity" where everyone "drinks tea, watches cricket and bobs up and down at the Last Night of the Proms".
But, he added, people would struggle to play a positive role in British life if they did not accept the "building blocks of our society".
The new oath could include "tolerating the views of others even if you disagree with them", "believing in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from abuse", "a belief in equality, democracy and the democratic process" and "respect for the law, even if you think the law is an ass," Mr Javid writes.
A government source acknowledged that the oath on its own would be insufficient to weed out extremism or promote integration.
Mr Javid will set out his full response to Dame Louise's report on social cohesion in the spring.


Work has begun to identify places where customs checkpoints could be set up once again on the Irish border, in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.

The Irish government has made clear it is only contingency work.
It said, at this stage, it does not envisage a return of customs officers along the border.
On Wednesday, Taoiseach (PM) Enda Kenny said he was confident the EU would not allow "one of the most divisive borders in the world" to be reimposed.
However, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has confirmed to a parliamentary committee that contingency plans are being drawn up in the light of the Brexit vote.
Mairead McGuinness, vice president of the European Parliament and an MEP for the government Fine Gael party in Ireland, said planning had to take place.
"What the finance minister said very clearly is that, at a technical level, the officials are looking at contingency planning because of the outcome of the referendum in the United Kingdom, but there is no policy decision or drive to implement any of these technical issues," she said.
"The taoiseach, and indeed the finance minister, is very well aware that we have said that there will be no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland because of the political, economic, psychological implications of that.
"To some extent, had the concerns about Northern Ireland, and indeed of the island of Ireland, been taken into account properly in the UK referendum, we might, perhaps, not be in this very difficult and stark situation."
Both the British and Irish governments have made clear that they do not want a return to what they have repeatedly called the "borders of the past".
However, what Brexit actually means for the Irish border will only be decided in the negotiations to come between the UK and European negotiators.
During the Troubles, there were only 20 places to cross between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
But the success of the peace process has led to huge numbers of roads being reopened and there are now 260 crossing points.


Today's dogs can trace their origins to Central Asia, according to one of the most comprehensive genetic surveys yet.

Dogs are the most diverse animal on the planet - a legacy of thousands of years of selective breeding by humans.
But they derive from wild wolves that were gradually tamed and inducted into human hunting groups - perhaps near Mongolia or Nepal.
The findings come from an analysis of DNA from thousands of pooches, and are published in PNAS journal.
Cornell University's Dr Adam Boyko and his colleagues studied 4,676 purebred dogs from recognised breeds, as well as 549 "village dogs" - free-ranging animals that live around human settlements.
This latter group are the least studied, yet represent a crucial piece in the picture of modern dog diversity.
"The fact that we looked at so many village dogs from so many different regions, we were able to narrow in on the patterns of diversity in these indigenous dogs," Dr Boyko told BBC News.
Dog domestication is the kind of event that could have taken place independently in different corners of the globe. But the DNA of modern pooches doesn't provide any support for this idea.
"We looked exclusively to see if there was evidence of multiple domestication events. And like every other group that's looked for that, we found no evidence of it," said Dr Boyko.
"It looks like there's a single origin, although there are clearly situations where there has been... a little bit of gene flow between wolves and dogs post-domestication."
The researchers studied genes that are located close to one another on dog chromosomes. The patterns of these closely linked genetic markers allowed the team to pinpoint the domestication event to Central Asia.
But several other teams have tackled the same problem, and have come up with widely differing results.
Previous studies have variously hinted at an origin for dogs in the Middle East - perhaps scavenging the food waste of early farmers - in East Asia, and in Europe.
The latest results are unlikely to resolve the argument, but Dr Boyko said that localising the origin of dogs could stimulate further research. One of these further lines of inquiry could be the analysis of ancient DNA from dog remains found at archaeological sites.
This tool could help support or refute hypotheses about the role of Central Asia and other regions in the domestication of "man's best friend".
Dr Peter Savolainen, associate professor at KTH - Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, said the study had shown it was possible to find remote dog populations that had been unaffected by mixing with European varieties - a legacy of the era of colonisation.
But he suspects the origins of domestication lie in East Asia, perhaps in southern China.
"Mongolia is technically in East Asia and Nepal is in South Asia... only a thousand kilometres from South China," he told BBC News.
"So we have a consensus that the origin is somewhere in this general region. But one important thing is that they do not have a specimen from China, so if they had, what would that have shown?"
Most researchers agree that dogs have been around for at least 15,000 years. But the reasons for their emergence remain opaque.
"There's no doubt they were hanging around [hunting] camps and becoming gradually more attuned to human life. The question is what was the first step for why that was happening," said Dr Boyko.
"It's tempting to ask whether it was something to do with hunting. I think it's clear that scavenging by wolves on human kills [of large mammals] could have been the driving force.
He added that genetic changes in those wolves, that led to tameness, small body size and early age of first reproduction could have started the animals down an evolutionary course that was less compatible with a hunting lifestyle.
"They hitched themselves to us, which was a pretty good gamble as it turned out, because there are about a billion dogs in the world today and probably not even 10 million wolves."
Follow Paul on Twitter.


At the offices of his law firm, just opposite Bristol Crown Court, Ian Kelcey beckons me into a conference room, before producing a stack of paper folders held in place by an elastic band.

Mr Kelcey, a seasoned defence lawyer, has something to show me.
Each folder, stuffed full of documents and as heavy as an encyclopaedia, concerns a legal case caught up in Crown Prosecution Service bureaucracy.
There is a drink-driving allegation, he tells me, in which repeated requests to prosecutors for an online password to view CCTV evidence have gone unanswered.
Another file centres on a forthcoming burglary trial where the CPS apparently ignored court instructions to disclose material to the defence.
And worst of all, says Mr Kelcey, was a man accused of serious sexual offences who found out the CPS had dropped the charges when his neighbour read it in an online newspaper.
"I have this guy in tears on the phone saying, 'What's this all about?'" says Mr Kelcey, a member of the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Society, the solicitors' representative body.
"Nobody had the courtesy or the intelligence to contact us to say, 'This is the decision we have made,' and he has to find out in that way, which is frankly an utter disgrace."
The CPS later wrote a letter apologising for what it said had been an "oversight", but Mr Kelcey says that was little comfort for the man, who had spent nine months living in the shadow of the most damaging allegations.
"He was charged with very serious offences - arguably should never have been prosecuted," Mr Kelcey says.
The veteran solicitor says the case - a dubious charging decision, followed by legal delay and unfortunate blunder - is symptomatic of the problems affecting the CPS, which he says is "on the brink of collapse".
The CPS, which prosecuted 664,000 defendants last year and made 6,000 charging decisions every week, is undoubtedly stretched.
Director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders, who has been in charge of the CPS since 2013, acknowledges it is under more pressure than it was.
She says that is partly due to a sudden surge in cases that take time and expertise to resolve: sexual abuse, domestic violence and terrorism.
But the CPS's ability to deal with such cases appears to have been hampered by a programme of retrenchment: since 2010 its budget has been reduced by 25% and staff numbers have fallen by 2,400.
One of those to depart, after 24 years at the CPS, was Nazir Afzal, formerly north-west England's chief crown prosecutor, who believes the organisation cannot take any more cuts.
"The tipping point was reached in 2015, and it was one of the reasons why I decided that I didn't want to be part of the service, because I felt it was asking too much of the people that I have so much respect for - the people I work with," he says.
"You're asking the more junior staff, less experienced staff, to do more with substantially less in a climate where they're constantly under scrutiny."
Mr Afzal's concerns about workload are echoed by those of existing staff, who are not allowed to speak out publicly but whose observations were relayed to me.
One senior employee says: "There will be miscarriages of justice down the road from here because there are some cases that are going through the system and people have not looked at disclosure properly and have not looked at what is going on behind the scenes. Things we simply would not have had 10 years ago."
Another staff member suggests the problems are deeply entrenched: "It all boils down to over-centralisation, kit that is not fit for purpose, senior managers and business managers that do not know what the coalface job entails."
Alison Levitt, a QC who left her post as the DPP's principal legal adviser in 2014 after five years in the post, is full of praise for many of the staff at the CPS - but she believes the organisation does have a problem making the right charging decisions.
"Some of them were just fantastic, and some of them were just wrong - and they were wrong in quite fundamental respects," she says.
"The lawyers who are making them, plainly either did not understand what they were meant to be doing or were not applying what it was they did understand."
Her concern is the flaws could be exacerbated by the loss of a number of talented lawyers have who have exited the CPS under a voluntary redundancy scheme.
"What that may leave is some of the people who you did not want in the first place - not all of them - and it can have a corrosive effect on the morale of those who are left," says Ms Levitt, who now works in private practice and as a part-time judge.
Mrs Saunders denies morale is an issue and says overall she is "happy" with the charging decisions the CPS makes, though she accepts there is a need for improvement.
She points to the CPS's record on convictions as evidence it is performing well.
In the magistrates courts, 84% of prosecutions result in a defendant pleading guilty or being found guilty - up from 80% 10 years ago.
And although the Crown Court conviction rate is slightly lower, at 79%, it has also gone up.
But other figures paint a less rosy picture.
In 2014, 35,822 trials were classed as "ineffective", because they did not go ahead when they were scheduled to, or "cracked", when they ended unexpectedly, due to issues linked to the prosecution - 18.4 % of all listed trials, the highest rate for at least five years.
Mrs Saunders admits it is a "waste of resources" when trials are postponed or cancelled at the last minute and says she has set "aims" for every CPS area to get the numbers down.
"The largest single reason for cracked trials is defence pleas which haven't been offered before," she says.
"So we're working very hard on a number of things with our police colleagues, with others in the criminal justice system, to encourage earlier guilty pleas."
The clear message from Mrs Saunders, who has been at the CPS since its formation in 1986, is that there is no crisis.
That is in spite of a turbulent year in which she has faced criticism for:
Her predecessor but one, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, now a Liberal Democrat peer, suggests Mrs Saunders has been been left exposed because of cuts to CPS headquarters.
"The DPP needs first-rate advisers," he says.
"And I think without those, it can become a very lonely, very lonely job.
"And those posts need to be funded.
"And if they're not, then I think decision-making is bound to suffer.
"It's inevitable when you're going through a process of serious cuts in an organisation which is expected to retain the highest quality front-line service that some of the headquarters functions - the policy functions, the legal advice functions - are going to suffer.
"And I think that's a dangerous situation."
Mrs Saunders dismisses the concerns, saying suggestions her staff are not good quality are "insulting".
But the next few years are likely to be just as challenging for her and the CPS.
The service is funded by the Attorney General's Office, a department unprotected from budget cuts, and although Mrs Saunders says there have been discussions with the Treasury about resources, further tough decisions about savings lie ahead.
File on 4, BBC Radio 4, Tuesday 15 September 20:00 BST, repeated on Sunday 20 September at 17:00 BST.


A 250ft-long (75m) wind turbine installed as a piece of artwork in Hull does not have planning permission, the city council has confirmed.

"The Blade" is the first in a series of temporary art pieces marking Hull's year as UK City of Culture.
It was placed in Queen Victoria Square after being transported from the new Siemens turbine factory in east Hull.
The Hull Daily Mail reports that Hull 2017 organisers are now preparing a planning application.
More on this and other Hull stories
Hull City Council planning manager, Alex Codd, said: "Nationally, planning permission is not needed on a piece of land that is being used for an event that is to last up to 28 days.
"However, as the installation will be temporarily located in Queen Victoria Square for longer [than] this, we understand the Hull 2017 team are now preparing an application for planning permission, which will then go through our usual planning process."
City of Culture chief executive Martin Green said: "We worked closely with the council and because the artist wanted it to be a surprise we agreed that planning permission would go in after the installation.
"Thousands of people have visited Blade and it has achieved national and international headlines.
"This is a great example of Hull City Council and the Culture Company working together."


Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala will serve a three-game ban after failing in an appeal against his red card in Sunday's FA Cup 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

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Ayala was sent off for barging over Fernando Forestieri 30 yards from goal moments after Boro had gone 1-0 up.
The Spaniard, 26, claimed wrongful dismissal and said the punishment was excessive, but his appeal failed.
Ayala will now miss games with Watford, West Ham and Accrington Stanley.


Looking out from Israeli-held territory, the scrubby and rock-strewn ground pitches steeply downwards towards a patrol road and the border fence.

The current frontier  with Syria - the young lieutenant points out - is about a third of the way up the opposite escarpment. And just a couple of kilometres beyond that is another ridge, which is Jordan.
This is Israel's front line with Syria. The Syrian army was evicted from the Golan Heights when Israeli forces captured it in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israeli law was extended there in 1981 - effectively annexing this crucial strategic high ground.  It is now a heavily fortified area.
We pull up alongside a platoon of Merkava tanks, key sensors and weaponry shrouded in tarpaulin covers against the winter damp.
Once things were fairly simple here. Israel faced the Syrian army across the ceasefire demarcation lines, monitored by UN observers.
But there was almost no need for them. This was Israel's most peaceful frontier since 1973. But the civil wars in Syria and the collapse of Syrian government control in many areas have changed all that.
The geography here is not the only thing that is complicated. The war in Syria has altered the strategic map as well.
Opposite the southern Golan the ground is held by a local force - the Yarmouk Martyr's Brigade - which owes its allegiance to so-called Islamic State. Israeli troops see its fighters exercising and monitoring their positions, but there is rarely trouble.
What alarms Israel most is what is happening further north, with the victory of Syrian government forces backed by Iran and Tehran's ally, the Lebanese Shia militia group, Hezbollah.
Professor Asher Susser, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, summed it up in one sentence.
"The changes in Syria," he told me, "have brought Iran closer to Israel's borders than ever."
He told me that at least in theory it creates "the possibility of  Iranian-Hezbollah co-operation not only along the border between Israel and Lebanon but along the border between Israel and Syria as well".
In his view there is "a dangerous potential for a long border from the Mediterranean, across Lebanon and Syria, with Hezbollah and Iran at very close quarters with Israel.
"Israel," he stressed, "has never faced that kind of situation on its northern border before."
So what exactly is Tehran's goal in Syria? For an answer I turned to Ehud Yaari, veteran Middle East commentator for Israel's Channel 2 Television News.
"The strategic objective of the Iranians today," he told me, "is to establish a land corridor between Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon; to reach the Mediterranean and the Israeli frontier."
This land corridor, he explained would go "from Iran via the Shia regions of Iraq, through the western Iraqi desert, linking up with Assad and Hezbollah.
"This," he stressed, "is strategically the major threat to Israel today".
Iran of course is not the only foreign country involved in the fighting in Syria.
Russian air power - along with Hezbollah fighters and other Shia militias on the ground - played a decisive role in propping up the Assad regime.
Russia has twice announced the scaling down of its military deployments, but actually shows every sign of being in Syria to stay.
The presence of Russian aircraft and especially long-range radars and air defence missiles greatly complicates the threat environment facing the Israeli air force.
It has struck at arms shipments going from the Syrians to Hezbollah on several occasions, having set a "red line" that rejects the transfer of sophisticated missile systems to the Shia militia.
Ehud Yaari told me that the presence of the Russians has not significantly affected the Israeli Air Force's freedom of action over southern Syria.
"There is an understanding," he explains, "a sort of a hotline between Israel and Russia where a Russian-speaking Israeli Air Force officer and a Russian officer in Syria are co-ordinating and making sure that you don't have any mishaps."
This arrangement, he insists, is working and this is fundamentally because the Russians' strategic interests and those of Iran are very different.
Mr Yaari says that the Russians are not very interested in protecting Hezbollah arms shipments or the security situation south of Damascus, close to the Israeli border.
How big a threat is all of this to Israel? A series of military briefings suggests that Hezbollah and its growing armament is seen as perhaps the primary challenge to Israel's security.
Hezbollah, due to its training and equipment, is now viewed as a fully-fledged army rather than a semi-amateur militia.
"It has lost heavily in the Syrian fighting but it has also gained invaluable combat experience," a brigadier told me.
It has established a well-entrenched infrastructure in southern Lebanon with a huge arsenal of missiles of varying ranges.
The fear among Israeli military experts is that under Iranian tutelage it might seek to establish a similar platform for operations in Syria as well.
There is a precedent here as Ehud Yaari explains.
"The major concern now is that the Syrian regime will be able to negotiate deals with the different factions of the rebels in the southern region of Syria so that they withdraw from border areas.
"This," he says, "is exactly what happened in other areas of Syria, especially in the countryside around Damascus."
Such a move could open the way to the entrenchment of Hezbollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guards or other Shia militias sponsored by Iran in the south.
At present this is more a potential rather than an actual threat.
Professor Asher Susser told me that, in the long-run, much depends upon how the Russians play the game of regional alliances.
"If the Russians and the Turks are on one side of the equation and the Iranians on the other," he told me, "that may put a limit on what it is that the Iranians can achieve."
This is why he believes that Israel's contacts with Moscow are so important.
"This," he told me, "is a relationship that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reinforced over the last year or two.
"Mr Putin and the Russians," he says, "have an understanding of Israel's strategic needs which, if they take them into consideration, may put a brake on this Iranian-Syrian project."
Nobody knows when or how the fighting in Syria will end. Several Israeli experts I spoke to hope for some kind of regional deal that might constrain the freedom of movement of Iranian-backed militias in Syria.
But agreement or not, the new actors on Israel's frontiers present a new and more complicated set of challenges.


Revellers will receive £75 fines if they are caught urinating in streets and doorways instead of using open-air urinals in Swansea city centre.

The council started to provide portable urinals two years ago following complaints by local businesses.
The move was welcomed by many traders in Wind Street, which is popular with drinkers, but the problem has not gone away.
From Friday, police will start handing out fixed penalty notices.
"Urinating in public is a major irritation to authorities and businesses who are left to clean up their own doorways and streets after people under the influence of alcohol feel it is acceptable to treat the city centre like a toilet," Ch Insp Dean Thomas said.
"It is certainly not acceptable and I am pleased the police are able to work with the council in enforcing fixed penalty notices against those caught in the act."
The pilot operation between the council and police is aimed at ensuring the public knows urinating in the street will not be tolerated.
The council deploys portable urinals every weekend in the city centre at known problem areas and says they are well used.
But not everyone chooses to use them, prompting the latest move follow a warning two years ago that  anyone caught would be fined or arrested.
Bruno Nunes, owner of Peppermint bar and Bambu Beach bar, welcomed the action.
"The impact of this action will be felt not only by those hit in the pocket, but the many others who will hear about the tough stance being taken," he said.
Council cabinet member June Burtonshaw said: "Public urination is a contentious issue that has been troubling authorities, organisations and businesses working together to create a cleaner, healthier and safer city centre.
"We've tried the soft approach, which has had some effect, but now it is time to get tough. Urinating in shop doorways, alleys, lanes or bushes is not acceptable.
"There are toilets provided in every night-time venue, as well as the additional portable urinals on the streets. If people still can't control their bladders, they could find themselves with a hefty fine."
Similar toilets are used in other UK cities including Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge and London.
Wind Street has come under fire in recent months being dubbed "an area of drunkenness and debauchery" and a "magnetic attraction" for drinkers.
In response, the council has introduced a policy curbing new pub and club licences in the city centre.


Nothing is dragging One Direction down on their journey to the top of the UK Singles Chart.

They released a surprise single from their upcoming album on Friday, called Drag Me Down.
It's had more than double the combined sales of its closest contender, Little Mix's Black Magic, the Official Charts Company said.
The track has also been racking up an average of 3.11 million daily plays on Spotify.
It's the band's first single as a foursome and was released just two days after former member Zayn Malik announced a new record deal as a solo artist.
Music industry experts say Drag Me Down is currently making around Â£13,903 a day, which together with streaming plays means the track should bring home around Â£97,464 in its opening week.


Sir Tom Jones has thanked people for their support following the death of his wife.

Melinda Rose Woodward - known as Linda - died earlier this month after suffering from cancer.
The couple, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, were married for 59 years.
Sir Tom said: "So many beautiful and meaningful things were said and reading these genuine and lovely messages has lifted us all."
The couple started dating at 15 and used to meet at a phone box at the end of Sir Tom's street in Treforest.
They married when they were 16 in 1957 and later had the phone box moved to their home in Los Angeles.
Lady Woodward died in Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on 10 April.
Their son, Mark, is Sir Tom's manager.
Under the heading "A little note from Tom," on his website, Sir Tom said: "A heartfelt thank you to all who sent notes of their sympathy and support to me and my family over the last couple of weeks.
"So many beautiful and meaningful things were said and reading these genuine and lovely messages has lifted us all. See you soon."
The singer, who had his first number one hit in 1965 with It's Not Unusual, cancelled a series of concerts when his wife fell ill.
According to his website, his next scheduled tour date is at the Hampton Court Palace Festival in London on 8 June, followed by a number of performances in the UK, Norway and Spain.


Britain now has more people working for themselves than ever before.

As of the last quarter of 2013 some 4.3 million of us earn our own crust and are officially self-employed.
This represents a pretty stonking increase. Though there was a slight trend upwards for many years in the early to mid-2000s, the number of self-employed has increased by 573,000 since the recession of 2008-09 - a rise of 15%.
Interestingly, over 60% of this increase has actually taken place even more recently - from around the middle of 2011.
The net result is that a staggering one in seven of the workers in this country are now working for themselves.
It's something that has passed relatively unnoticed but it is worth considering how much more negative the overall unemployment picture would have been had it not happened.
The HR professionals body the CIPD estimates that the rise in self-employment has compensated for around 40% of the loss in employee jobs.
Had that not happened we could have seen unemployment nudging three million, with unemployment for women, who represent more than half of the self-employment growth since the recession, taking the brunt of that.
And the trend shows no sign of abating - if anything it seems to be getting stronger.
Compared to a year ago the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says there are now 395,000 more people in employment overall.
Of that, some 273,000 are employees, i.e. people working for firms or public sector bodies. That means that some 150,000, or 38%, are self-employed.
If we look at the gains in recent quarters the trend is even starker. In the latest quarter's data around three quarters of the 193,000 increase in people in employment comes from people employing themselves.
For some this will be a cause of jubilation, proof that the UK is more entrepreneurial than ever before.
Indeed there are signs that the UK's more flexible labour force has more room these days for freelancers and people starting their own businesses which can only be a good thing.
But others say the speed at which the rate has increased in such a short time it is proof that our recovery isn't creating the jobs that it ought to be, and the jobs market remains insecure.
Whatever your view there is no doubt that this is a major change in the manner in which our economy operates and in how its recent recovery has come about.
For a start the trend might mark a divergence from how our economy has recovered from recession in the past.
If we look at the recession in the early 1990s, for example, we see that self-employment declined as firms began to hire again.
Although the UK economy is now recovering strongly that doesn't seem to be happening to the same extent.
And this surge in self-employment may be part of the explanation for two of the UK's big problems right now: productivity and low wages.
As several studies have shown, the self-employed have had an even tougher time in recent years with their real wages falling faster than those of employees.
The growth in self-employed workers might feed into our underemployment and productivity problems.
Whereas more than two-thirds of self-employed people work more than 30 hours a week, it's estimated that of those who have become self-employed since the recession, 88.8% work less than 30 hours a week.
Now this may because they're earning enough money to work less or (probably more likely) that many can't secure enough employment to work more.
This feeds into an overall underemployment problem in the British economy where 18% of people who work part time say they would like to work full time.
Some have also expressed concern that the sort of jobs the new class of self-employed are involved in simply aren't as productive as those which the self-employed have historically done.
For example, although skilled trades-people - typified by so-called "white van man" - have the single largest share of self-employment (almost 30%), their numbers have actually declined since the start of the recession.
Compare this to the big increases in those employed in "personal services" (often low-skilled employment), administration or "elementary occupations" which have all seen increases of 33-37%.
Interestingly, there has also been a 26% increase in the number of "managers and senior officials" becoming self-employed.
Some have speculated that this represents a trend in managers going freelance, typically from the public sector into consultancy.


A third of hard-to-treat high blood pressure may actually be 'fake' and instead a patient's nervous response to being seen by a doctor, say experts.

They made the discovery when they continuously monitored the blood pressure of nearly 700,000 people as they went about their normal lives.
Some 37% of 8,295 patients thought to have stubborn or resistant hypertension actually had "white coat" hypertension.
The experts call for mandatory 24-hour checks, Hypertension journal reports.
The NHS advisory body NICE has recently proposed that patients suspected of having high blood pressure will get another check at home because of fears that nerves from being at a GP surgery may be leading to too many people being diagnosed.
It says so-called white coat hypertension affects a quarter of all people.
But the latest research suggests that the phenomenon may be more common and is leading some people to have aggressive medical treatment that they may not actually need.
Resistant hypertension occurs when a patient's blood pressure remains above treatment goals, despite using three different types of drugs at the same time.
It was these patients that the researchers focused on.
They asked the patients to wear a portable "ambulatory" monitoring device that takes blood pressure readings every 20 minutes day and night.
This revealed only 63% had true resistant hypertension. These tended to be patients who either smoked or had diabetes or a heart condition.
Study leader Dr Alejandro de la Sierra, from the University of Barcelona in Spain, said: "Physicians should be encouraged to use ambulatory monitoring to confirm resistant hypertension in their patients as it would ensure the most effective treatment options are used.
"Patients benefit by knowing whether their blood pressure is normal during daily activities or still needs the reinforcement of dietary and drug measures."
Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said the findings suggest that medication can work for more people than realised.
"Visiting the doctor seemed to make some people falsely appear resistant to the effects of these drugs so the study was helpful in trying to identify which people seemed to be truly resistant and therefore more at risk of organ damage.
"It also adds weight to new draft guidelines to include a home blood pressure test for hypertensive patients here in the UK."
But she said: "More worryingly though, nearly half of us who do have high blood pressure in the UK are not being treated for it.
"While the increasing use of home blood pressure monitoring is helpful for some, it will not target those who are unaware of the silent condition because it may have been many years since they had their blood pressure taken or because they simply think they are not at risk."


Liam Williams is on track for a Scarlets comeback against Connacht eight days before Wales' Six Nations campaign starts against Ireland.

Scarlets face Connacht in Galway on 30 January, with Wales' trip to follow on Sunday, 7 February
Williams sustained a foot injury during the Rugby World Cup in October and has not played since.
"He trained during the week with us and trained very well," said Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac.
"He's passed all the tests so far, so it's all looking good for him to get some game time next week."
Williams is expected to spend two days in the Wales training camp early this week before returning to Scarlets ahead of the Pro12 trip to Galway.
Pivac does not expect to have any other Wales squad players available to him as his team bids to stay top of the table.
The west Wales region finished without a win in the European Champions Cup for the third time after their 22-10 home defeat by Northampton.
Wales and former Scarlets wing George North scored the Saints' bonus point try.
But Pivac says they switched focus after the first couple of rounds.
"You could see early on in that competition that our focus was the Pro12, it was just unfortunate with what happened in the Rugby World Cup [injuries to Liam and Scott Williams] and then injuries we picked up ourselves.
"When you get to Europe, the depths of the squads vary and we don't quite have the depth that some of these sides have.
"The results speak for themselves really."
The Scarlets had 14 senior players on the injury list for the Northampton defeat, with every position apart from half-back affected.
They will now lose scrum-halves Gareth and Aled Davies, as well as front-rowers Ken Owens and Samson Lee, to Wales training duties.
Flanker John Barclay will also be absent on Scotland duty when the Six Nations kicks off.


Peterhead came from behind to beat Forfar Athletic in Scottish League One.

Rory McAllister fired the hosts ahead but recent Forfar signing Steven Craig soon levelled with a left-foot effort.
Andy Ryan pounced on a Graeme Smith error to put Forfar in front and Peterhead then had Steven Noble sent off for violent conduct.
However, Shane Sutherland equalised before the break and, in the second half, substitute Leighton McIntosh struck to give the home side victory.


The boss of Bristol and Bath bus operator First has admitted the service on some of his routes has "not been right for a long time".

James Freeman, who joined the firm a year ago, apologised after criticism from callers to BBC Radio Bristol.
He said First was in the middle of a "massive rescheduling" of local services - with 58 new double deckers coming into service in the autumn.
Passengers on major Bristol routes were up 25% with a 10% rise in Bath.
Bus services were described as "diabolical" by one caller to a BBC Radio Bristol phone-in - who complained that his wife's bus - the 43 - had not turned up at all 17 times since December.
Others complained that buses were too packed to board, stopped in the wrong place and that drivers simply did not know the area.
Mr Freeman, managing director for Bristol and the West of England, said buses and drivers were having to be brought in from outside Bristol to cope with pressure on services - which had seen an "amazing" increase year on year.
New low-carbon buses had been ordered and new drivers were being recruited, he said.
The firm had too many single-decker buses - many of which were now being replaced by a new fleet of double deckers.
"I'm really, really sorry for all the problems, anybody who travels on those services will know they are not right," he said.
"They are a bit better at the moment because of the summer traffic but the fact is, they have not been right for a long time and we are reorganising them and rescheduling them."
First is the biggest bus company in the West of England, operating 567 vehicles and employing about 1,700 people across the region.


Denny Solomona scored a first-half hat-trick as Castleford ran in eight tries to beat neighbours Wakefield.

The winger went over before Rangi Chase extended the lead, and the hosts were 34-8 ahead at half-time lead thanks to Luke Dorn and Paul McShane's tries.
Jake Webster touched down on his return from injury and Luke Gale capped his excellent display with a late try.
Victory was Castleford's third in four games, but their play-off hopes are over after St Helens beat Hull FC.
Wakefield scored five tries through Tom Johnstone, who went over twice, Reece Lyne, Bill Tupou and Nick Scruton.
Chris Chester's side have lost six matches in a row and remain bottom of Super League.
On-loan former England forward Ben Harrison, who had been out since November after surgery on his wrist, knee and ankle, made his long-awaited return for Wakefield.
Castleford: Dorn; Hampshire, Minikin, Webster, Solomona; Chase, Gale; Patrick, Milner, Springer, Holmes, Savelio, Moors.
Replacements: McShane, Millington, Cook, Maher.
Wakefield: Hall; Lyne, Arundel, B Tupou, Johnstone; Miller Finn; Scruton, Moore, Arona, Molloy, A Tupou, Harrison.
Replacements: Sio, Simon, Yates, Anderson.
Referee: Gareth Hewer.


Dozens of police and protesters have been hurt after a protest by Ethiopian Israelis against alleged police brutality turned violent in Tel Aviv.

Thousands of Israeli Jews of Ethiopian origin had taken part in a rally before some demonstrators tried to storm the city's municipality building.
Police fired tear gas and stun grenades as protesters threw bottles and bricks.
Tensions have risen after video emerged last week showing two policemen beating an Ethiopian Israeli soldier.
Two officers have been suspended and the incident is being investigated.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin blamed a "handful of violent trouble-makers" for Sunday's violence but said Ethiopian Jews' grievances had to be addressed.
The protests, he added, exposed "the pain of a community crying out over a sense of discrimination, racism, and of being unanswered. We must look directly at this open wound."
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet the soldier who appeared in the video, as well as Ethiopian community leaders.
On Sunday, protests started peacefully as demonstrators blocked a busy road. Many walked with their hands held together in the air, to signify handcuffs. But the demonstration became more violent as night fell.
Some protesters threw stones, bottles and chairs and tried to enter the municipality building.
At least 46 police and seven protesters were hurt, officials said. Dozens of protesters were arrested, police said.
One demonstrator told Israel's Channel 10 television channel: "Our parents were humiliated for years.
"We are not prepared to wait any longer to be recognised as equal citizens. It may take a few months, but it will happen."
Tel Aviv police chief Yohanan Danino told Channel 10: "The use of violence by a small minority of the many protesters does not serve their struggle.
"Whoever harms police or civilians will be brought to justice.''
Ethiopian Jews living in Israel have long complained of discrimination, and similar protests in 2012 followed reports that some Israeli landlords were refusing to rent out their properties to Ethiopian Jews.
Ethiopian Israeli Jews' income is considerably lower than the general population, and they are much more likely to face limited educational opportunities and to end up in prison, according to The Ethiopian National Project, a non-governmental organisation which assists Ethiopian Jews in Israel.
Tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel in secret operations in the 1980s and 1990s to escape famine and civil war. There are now around 135,000 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel.