A councillor has said emergency services should limit the use of sirens as they gave the impression of "a city gripped by lawlessness".

John Pennington, deputy leader of the Conservative group on Bradford City Council, said the sound was "noise pollution" and was getting worse.
He is due to bring up the matter at a council meeting on Tuesday, the Telegraph & Argus reports.
Emergency services criticised his suggestion as "misguided".
Speaking to the BBC, councillor Pennington said he appreciated the importance of sirens but claimed their use impacted the "impression people get of a city".
He said: "We frequently see ambulances blasting sirens with no traffic in front of them. Why don't you just switch them off?
"It's a noise pollution we don't need as much of, there's an awful lot of it."
He added: "It doesn't present a good image of the city to people - subconsciously, people think 'what a horrible place', and it isn't."
Councillor's question to city council
In light of the endless sound of blue light sirens in the city centre, rightly or wrongly giving visitors the impression of a city gripped by lawlessness, would the leader of the council consider bringing pressure to bear on the services in question, for a more discreet approach where possible?
David Williams, West Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union secretary, described it as a "weak argument".
He said: "It doesn't mean that there's lawlessness, we often need to send several vehicles with sirens to a single incident.
"Minutes really do matter, and if it means putting a siren on and getting there thirty seconds quicker then that's a sacrifice people in a city have to deal with."
Nick Smart, West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman, said: "It's to get to the incident in the safest manner and it's there to warn people there's an emergency vehicle.
"I don't advocate turning off sirens for the sake of tourism."
The use of emergency service sirens is controlled by Regulation 99 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.


Stephen Maguire said he was "embarrassed" at not being able to motivate himself for the World Championship at the Crucible.

Maguire, 35, lost 10-7 to fellow Scot Alan McManus, his fourth consecutive first-round defeat in Sheffield.
"I didn't feel anything," said the two-time semi-finalist. "It's terrible.
"It's embarrassing that you can't get up for a match at the World Championship, especially being lucky enough to actually qualify for it."
He added: "I need to look at things, I think. I'll maybe need to speak to someone. When I qualified, I was over the moon. How can I possibly go out there as if I don't care? So there's something wrong."
Maguire, who qualified by reaching the China Open semi-finals, said he had tried everything to "fire myself up" for his 13th successive appearance at the Crucible.
"Yesterday I was looking forward to it," he said. "Today I was up for it, but as soon as I got out there I missed one ball and I just go 'whatever'."
He added: "I stamp my cue once and the referee has a go at me. You're not allowed to care in this game. Alan played better, so he deserved to win. I just never showed up over the two days."
Maguire, who has been as high as two in the world rankings, said he was "just not good enough" from the start of the match and felt "flat".
"I played better in the first four frames than I did for the rest of the match," he said. "But it was still taking me two or three chances to win a frame."
McManus, who will face Ali Carter in the second round on Thursday, had sympathy for his close friend.
"He'll be back and I feel for him," said McManus. "He's had some tough runs here.  I'm going to have a blether with him, because he's such a good player.
"I'll get him back hungry. When he's hungry, he's an unbelievable animal."


Funding of £12m has been promised by the government to help preserve the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is under threat from landslides and slippage which could seriously damage the historic iron bridge and gorge.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "It is vital that we do not let places like Ironbridge Gorge deteriorate or slide out of sight."
The world's first iron bridge was built there in 1779 by Abraham Darby III.
Mr Pickles described the area as a monument to the industrial revolution and "a testament to British ingenuity and ambition".
Telford and Wrekin Council has welcomed the government grant but has said that "around £80m" will be needed to fully protect the gorge.
The council said the money will help the Council undertake work between the Jackfield Tile Museum and the Boat Inn.
The work, which will involve drilling and grouting old mine workings and strengthening slopes and the river banks, will take four years, the council said.
A spokesman said land instability in the gorge "is nothing new" with reports of ground movement being recorded over the past 235 years.
Councillor Richard Overton said: "The bill we face to do this is beyond our means, so we are pleased that Government has found this money to go towards tackling this most pressing need."
The council said it has spent more than £16m on tackling land instability in the gorge since 2001.
Cracking was first reported on the iron bridge as early as 1784, and it has needed constant repair and maintenance.
The bridge suffers structurally due to land movement in the valley it was built in.
There were plans in the middle of the last century to demolish the original bridge and build a new one.
In 1967 the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was set up to preserve the remains of the Industrial Revolution in the six square miles of the Ironbridge Gorge.
Between 1972 and 1975 £147,000 was spent on repairing the bridge, re-enforcing it and resurfacing it.
More than 550,000 visitors now come to the 10 Ironbridge Gorge museums every year from all over the world.


Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice but Real Madrid rode their luck to beat Sporting Gijon and go six points clear at the top of La Liga overnight.

The European champions looked in control when Ronaldo scored twice in the first 18 minutes.
His opener was a penalty and his second was a header from Nacho's cross - his eighth La Liga goal in four games.
But Carlos Carmona pulled one back and Duje Cop missed a penalty for the visitors with 13 minutes left.
The Croatia international, who appeared to check his pulse just before taking the kick, fired high and wide after Nacho was penalised for fouling Victor Rodriguez.
Real went seven points clear briefly, but Sevilla beat Valencia 2-1 on Saturday evening to trim that lead by one point. Champions Barcelona can take it back down to four points on Sunday at Real Sociedad (19:45 GMT).
Ronaldo's double takes him up to 10 La Liga goals for the season, two above Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the golden boot race.
Match ends, Real Madrid 2, Sporting de Gijón 1.
Second Half ends, Real Madrid 2, Sporting de Gijón 1.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Lillo.
Attempt blocked. Isco (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Isco.
Corner,  Sporting de Gijón. Conceded by Nacho.
Attempt blocked. Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Isco.
Attempt saved. Duje Cop (Sporting de Gijón) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Isma López with a cross.
Substitution, Sporting de Gijón. Nacho Cases replaces Rachid.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Isco replaces Mateo Kovacic.
Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Duje Cop (Sporting de Gijón) right footed shot is high and wide to the right. Duje Cop should be disappointed.
Nacho (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Penalty conceded by Nacho (Real Madrid) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Sporting de Gijón. Víctor Rodríguez draws a foul in the penalty area.
Substitution, Sporting de Gijón. Víctor Rodríguez replaces Moi Gómez.
Substitution, Sporting de Gijón. Borja Viguera replaces Carlos Carmona.
Foul by Marcelo (Real Madrid).
Lillo (Sporting de Gijón) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo with a cross following a set piece situation.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marcelo replaces Sergio Ramos.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marco Asensio replaces James Rodríguez.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lillo (Sporting de Gijón).
Attempt missed. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Mateo Kovacic.
Foul by James Rodríguez (Real Madrid).
Rachid (Sporting de Gijón) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Carlos Carmona (Sporting de Gijón) is shown the yellow card.
Pepe (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Carlos Carmona (Sporting de Gijón).
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Luka Modric with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Jorge Meré.
Attempt blocked. Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pepe.
Danilo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Moi Gómez (Sporting de Gijón).
Attempt saved. Nacho (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rachid (Sporting de Gijón) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Rachid (Sporting de Gijón).
Foul by Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid).
Isma López (Sporting de Gijón) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha says he told Aberdeen counterpart Derek McInnes not to come into his office following Wednesday's meeting in Glasgow.

Aberdeen claimed their first win at Ibrox since 1991, Graeme Shinnie and Ryan Christie scoring before Martyn Waghorn's reply for the hosts.
Caixinha said he was left waiting over 15 minutes for McInnes in his office at Pittodrie in April before leaving.
But McInnes insists his opposite number was "mistaken".
Caixinha said following his side's 2-1 defeat in Glasgow: "I was just saluting him and saying I didn't understand the reason why he invited me to be received in his office and didn't show up at the previous match.
"So I said that if you didn't show up in the previous match, you are definitely not welcome to come to my office. It is a question of respect. If I am not being respected then, please, don't show up.
"If he didn't show up and I waited more than 15 minutes, what do you call that?"
Media playback is not supported on this device
But McInnes said of events at Pittodrie after Rangers' 3-0 win on 9 April: "I was doing my media duties as I normally do and there is absolutely no way I would be like that with any manager and I never will.
"Every manager is welcome in my office and I always make the point.
"It's not something you can aim at me. He's wrong, he's mistaken. If he thinks that then maybe he should have said to me before - I don't know.
"[Assistant] Tony Docherty and my staff were there at the time and told me they came in, had a quick glass of red wine and shot away. They made their apologies for having to leave so soon.
"I was still doing my media work and it was no longer than any other time. I would never disrespect any manager in terms of after the game."
The Dons boss had said this week that Rangers "should probably be embarrassed that they've not finished second" owing to the Glasgow side's greater financial clout.
Aberdeen will finish as Premiership runners-up for the third season running with Rangers consigned to third place.
"Managers and benches can get passionate on the touchline," said McInnes. "There was a couple of calls, one or two things, and I argued with him as he did with me."
And Caixinha added: "I'm not focused on Aberdeen next season. The focus at this club is always to be number one.
"We don't misunderstand things here. I know what it represents to be in this chair, despite many others who should like to be here but they aren't.
"I know what the job represents and I am here to defend the club and work for the club."


Cult 1990s TV series Twin Peaks is to return with a new series after 25 years, creator David Lynch has said.

Lynch tweeted a link to a teaser video along with the message: "Dear Twitter Friends... it is happening again."
The unsettling drama, which explored the murky goings-on in a US town after the murder of a teenage beauty queen, captivated viewers in 1990 and 1991.
The third series will comprise nine episodes and will be broadcast on the Showtime network in the US in 2016.
A statement accompanying the YouTube video said: "The groundbreaking television phenomenon, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winner Twin Peaks will return as a new limited series on Showtime in 2016.
"Series creators and executive producers David Lynch and Mark Frost will write and produce all nine episodes of the limited series."
The show won three Golden Globe awards in 1991, including best TV drama series and best actor in a TV drama for Kyle MacLachlan.
MacLachlan played Special Agent Dale Cooper, an FBI agent who got drawn into the seedy and surreal town of Twin Peaks as he investigated the mysterious death of Laura Palmer.
After two series on TV, viewers were taken back to Twin Peaks with a prequel feature film, Fire Walk With Me, in 1992.


David Luiz says his decision to take a pay cut and return to Chelsea has been vindicated by the chance of completing the Double in Saturday's FA Cup final.

The 30-year-old Brazilian left for Paris St-Germain in a £50m deal in 2014, having won the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League with Chelsea.
He won three domestic trebles before rejoining in August for around £34m.
"I don't always like the easy life," he said. "That's why I took a risk and I'm very happy. It was the right decision."
The defender continued: "I love the risk. In your life if you don't take a risk you're not going to taste something new. Not just in your professional life, I think it's every day.
"I cut my salary to come back here. But it's OK. God has given me a lot so I'm very happy with this."
Luiz has an FA Cup winners' medal, but missed the 2012 final against Liverpool with a hamstring injury before returning as Chelsea won the Champions League on penalties.
"I don't want to miss this one. I want to play, I want to try to give my best for the team," he added.
Chelsea are seeking the league and FA Cup Double for only the second time in their history and Luiz credits Italian manager Antonio Conte for masterminding the title-winning campaign in his first season in England.
"Conte is a great person, a great character and he's passionate - he loves football," the Brazilian enthused.
"The day I arrived here we talked together and he tried to explain his philosophy to play football.
"He said to me: 'You are the player I want in my team and to improve my team.' And then I said to him: 'I'm going to work hard for you and for the team.' And that's it."


The number of incidents of children going missing from foster care in England rose by nearly a fifth last year, new statistics show.

Ofsted recorded 5,055 children as missing between April 2014 and March 2015, compared with 4,245 in the previous year - a 19% rise.
The number of missing incidents increased by 29%, to 17,175, between 2014-15 and 2013-14.
Ofsted said there were grave risks tied to children going missing from care.
The inspectorate defines "missing" as someone under the age of 18 who has run away from their foster placement, been abducted, or whose whereabouts is unknown.
The problem and dangers associated with children going missing from care were highlighted by the investigation into child sexual abuse in Rochdale.
Ann Coffey, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults, said: "Going missing is a key indicator that a child might be in great danger.
"When children go missing, they are at very serious risk of physical abuse, sexual exploitation and sometimes so desperate they will rob or steal to survive."
Ofsted said the rise in cases of missing children was likely to reflect improved reporting around missing children.
The figures also showed children placed through independent fostering agencies were more likely to be reported as missing than those in council-run placements.
Ofsted found 55% of children reported as missing had been placed through an independent agency.
However, the number of missing incident reports from council fostering services increased by 40% between 2014-15 and the previous year.
Children were also going missing for longer periods during 2014-15 than previous years, particularly those missing from council-placed foster homes.
In 2014-15, 68% of children who were missing for more than 28 days were in council placements, compared with 60% in 2013-14.
Eleanor Schooling, Ofsted's national director for social care, said: "We continue to see an increase in the number and frequency of children in foster care who go missing.
"While the rise may be a result of better recording and awareness from services, this remains an issue of concern given the grave risks associated with children who go missing."
The data shows that in a quarter of reports, the reason for the missing incident was unknown.
Ofsted added "this was particularly the case" for council fostering services.
The latest figures also show there were 85,890 children and young people placed in foster care in 2014-15, up 2% on 2013-14.
Over the same period, the number of fostering households fell by 1%, while the use of family and friends as carers for looked-after children increased by 6%.


Notts County captain Michael O'Connor is facing a long spell out after scans revealed he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.

The 29-year-old midfielder suffered the injury in the first half of Monday's 3-1 defeat by Portsmouth.
The former Scunthorpe and Rotherham man made 34 appearances this season.
"We are all devastated for Michael, who is a huge influence for us on and off the field," Magpies boss Kevin Nolan told the club website.


Prominent Japanese lyricist Rokusuke Ei has died at the age of 83.

The composer of Chinese descent was best known for his work on the 1963 worldwide smash hit Sukiyaki, which protested against continued US military presence.
The song was released in 1961 and topped the US Billboard charts, selling more than 13m copies worldwide.
Relatives said Mr Ei suffered from Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer and died peacefully at home.
An established author and radio broadcaster, Mr Ei published several books, including a novel about death and illness which sold more than 20m copies.
Fans in Japan paid tribute to the late star on Twitter, with many expressing their sympathy by remembering his iconic works.
"From early on, he had a great success in Japan's electrical wave media and music industry," reminisced radio personality Jon Kabira.
"While it's sad to see my great mentor depart, it has a sobering effect on me."
Other users shared lyrics and links to his songs.


A firm run by award-winning architect Lord Norman Foster has been chosen to design a new bridge in Ipswich.

Five "internationally renowned teams" entered a competition to be part of the project, Suffolk County Council said.
The winner, Foster + Partners, has worked in Ipswich before, creating the Willis Building in the town centre.
Ipswich MP Ben Gummer said the new Upper Orwell crossing was "one of the most important moments for Ipswich for many decades".
"It is difficult to overstate the importance both of what the bridge will do and also what it represents," he said.
"The fact that we will have what will be a globally recognised bridge of beauty will say something powerful about our town's ambition and our place not just in our county, or our region, or our country, but in the world."
Foster + Partners said Ipswich held a "special place" in the firm's heart as the Willis Building was a "landmark project for the practice".


Homes had to be evacuated after a fire on the Upper Braniel Road in Belfast due to the presence of hazardous materials.

The blaze began in a shed on Friday afternoon before spreading to a semi-detached house causing substantial damage to the property.
45 fire fighters and 8 appliances were deployed by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS).
It is not yet known how the fire started.
Police have said the incident is not being treated as suspicious.
Fire Service Group Commander William Johnston said: "There were a lot of hazards within the unit at the back of the property, acetylene, LPG and potential asbestos.
"So we had to take all the necessary safety precautions to ensure the safety of the fire fighters who are dealing with the incident."


Tim Sherwood has been appointed manager at Aston Villa, signing a contract at the club until summer 2018.

Villa sacked Paul Lambert on Wednesday after a winless run of 10 league games in which they scored just two goals.
Sherwood, 46, replaced Andre Villas-Boas as Tottenham manager in December 2013 but was sacked at the end of last season and has been out of work since.
"It is a great honour to manage one of the biggest clubs in English football," said Sherwood.
"I can't wait to get started and I'm really looking forward to the challenge."
Sherwood takes over a Villa side that have struggled badly since taking 10 points from their first four matches - scoring just 12 league goals in 25 games, the lowest in Premier League history at that stage.
They dropped into the relegation zone after Tuesday's 2-0 defeat to Hull.
The appointment comes just two days after first-team coach Scott Marshall and goalkeeping coach Andy Marshall took temporary charge following Lambert's dismissal.
Sherwood has been linked with a number of jobs since leaving Spurs, most recently the QPR post, when he looked set to be named as Harry Redknapp's successor.
However, negotiations with the ex-Tottenham boss ended after he sought assurances about the club's future.
Aston Villa chief executive Tom Fox said: "Tim had a fantastic career at Tottenham, not only in his brief spell as first-team manager but, just as importantly, in the role he played in developing young talent.
"We strongly believe Tim has the qualities to get the best out of our current squad and help us build and develop for the future."
After working as a coach at White Hart Lane from 2008, Sherwood stabilised Spurs following the exit of Villas Boas, taking them above Manchester United to finish sixth in the Premier League in 2013-14.
Villa chairman Randy Lerner says he is convinced that the "fresh, positive approach" of Sherwood will be "very good for the club".
It is not known at this stage whether the new boss will be in the dugout for Villa's FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Leicester tomorrow.
Sherwood, who won three England caps, joined Tottenham as a player in 1999 from Blackburn, where he captained them to the Premier League title in 1994-95.
He left White Hart Lane in 2003 and moved to Portsmouth but returned as part of the club's coaching staff under then manager Harry Redknapp.


A report has warned that investors could be hit hard amid changes in short-term market swings, triggered by climate impact concerns.

University of Cambridge experts said global investment portfolios could see losses of up to 45%.
No investor was "immune from the risks posed by climate change", they added.
In a recent speech to the City, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said climate change would "threaten financial resilience".
The report, Unhedgeable Risk: How Climate Change Sentiment Impacts Investment, was commissioned by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership (CISL) and the Investment Leaders Group.
It focused on the short-term risks associated with how investors reacted to climate-related information, such as policy decisions to market confidence and extreme weather events.
No immunity
The authors said the report's findings added to previous studies that had analysed the direct, physical effects of climate change on long-term economic performance.
"This new research suggests that no investor is immune from the risks posed by climate change, even in the short run," explained CISL Sustainable Economy director Dr Jake Reynolds.
"It is surprisingly difficult to distinguish between risks that can be addressed by an individual investor through smart hedging strategies and ones that are systematic and require much deeper transformations in the economy to deal with," he added.
"That's what this report attempts to do."
The study focused on potential short-term impacts on investor sentiment/confidence that could emerge at any time, such as an extreme weather event or the outcome of the UN climate talks in Paris.
The authors modelled the impacts using three scenarios:
These scenarios were applied to four "typical investment portfolios" in order to understand the resilience or vulnerability of investments to climate-related shifts in market confidence.
"One of the key findings (from the modelling) is that it reveals the potential for very significant, short-term financial impacts for investors whereas previously, I think, a lot of the analysis had pointed to the longer term, multi-decadal impacts," explained CISL Finance Sector director Andrew Voysey.
"This is particularly timely because Mark Carey at the Bank of England has recently warned about the potentially huge losses to markets in the short term as a result of climate change.
"He indentified this issue and the Bank of England then went on to note the merit in "stress testing", which is the technical name of the technique that we have deployed here."
The modelling showed that shifts in climate change sentiments among investors could cause global economic growth to slow over five to 10 years.
But, the authors noted: "The study found that economic growth picks up most quickly along a Two Degree (low carbon) pathway, with annual growth rates of 3.5%; not only exceeding the Baseline scenario (2.9%) but significantly exceeding the No Mitigation scenario (2.0%)."


More than 30,000 children were missing from schools in England and Wales for substantial periods of time in the 2014-15 academic year, local education authority figures show.

Of these, almost 4,000 children could not be traced by the authorities.
The National Children's Bureau said some may be at "serious risk" of abuse and exploitation, including forced marriage, FGM and radicalisation.
The Department for Education said it had issued "new guidance" to schools.
Ofsted has previously raised concerns that some missing children could be hidden away in unregistered, illegal schools.
The figures, obtained by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, show that 33,262 school-aged children were recorded as missing from education in the academic year ending in July 2015. They were collated from a Freedom of Information request to 90 local education authorities in England and Wales.
Children were recorded as "missing from education" if they were of compulsory school age, and the authorities were unable to trace them - typically for four weeks or more, or two to three days in the case of vulnerable children.
More than 10% of these children - 3,897 - could not be traced by local authorities.
Manchester recorded the highest figure - 1,243 children were missing from education, including 810 children whose whereabouts were unknown in July 2015.
In Bradford 985 school-aged children were missing - the authority was unable to trace 321 of them after "extensive enquires".
In some cases, children were recorded as missing because they had moved out of the area, or gone abroad, and their parent or guardian had failed to tell the school. However, in most cases where a child had been traced, local authorities could not give a reason why they had disappeared.
"When I was 15, my dad thrust a picture of my cousin towards me and said, 'This is who you're going to marry'.
"I didn't know what to say, I was scared. The only thing I could think to do was run away from home, but my brother found me."
Zainab - not her real name - says that from then on, she was, in effect, a prisoner in her own home.
"I was pulled out of school, I wasn't able to finish my GCSEs. The school did send two letters home to my dad. But he just chose to completely ignore them.
"And then we moved house, and the school didn't know. I was completely off the radar."
After seven months of being locked inside, Zainab managed to call a charity from her brother's phone.
The National Children's Bureau believes there are a number of "very serious risks" with children going missing.
Enver Solomon from the charity said: "Some councils do a fantastic job, but unfortunately some councils don't do a good enough job by any stretch of the imagination.
"There shouldn't be one child in the country who isn't in school and can't be tracked, because of the potential risks.
'We know [of some] horrendous cases, of sexual exploitation. We also know about the correlation between missing children and the possibility that they may be involved in forced marriage, and of course, issues relating to young people's involvement in extremist activity."
The charity - as well as other child protection agencies - said the figures were likely to underestimate the scale of the problem.
Children can easily disappear from education without being reported, it said, because families may tell a plausible story to the school - like they are home-schooling or going abroad.
In response to the figures, a spokesman for the Department for Education said: 'We have issued new guidance to local authorities and schools making clear that they have a duty to establish the identities of children who are not registered at a school or receiving a suitable education.
"Where children are being put at risk, local authorities and the police have clear powers to take action."
The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.


Water which flooded a mine killing four workers may not have been there the day before when the area was inspected, a jury has heard.

Geologist Dr Alan Cobb said it was "possible" and "probable" that the water collected after manager Malcolm Fyfield inspected it.
He told Swansea Crown Court water could have rushed in from an older Victorian mine underneath Gleision drift mine.
Mr Fyfield and owners MNS Mining Ltd deny manslaughter charges.
David Powell, 50, Charles Breslin, 62, Philip Hill, 44, and Garry Jenkins, 39, drowned when water gushed into the area they were working in after they blasted into a flooded old section of the mine.
The miners had been using explosives to create a tunnel into the old workings to improve air circulation.
Dr Cobb, a chartered engineer and expert on the behaviour of underground water giving evidence on behalf of MNS Mining Ltd, said water could have flowed in from a mine underneath Gleision if the workers had made a connection with the workings.
He told the court it was impossible to say where the water had come from, but said it could have been stored in the sandstone the mine was carved from.
Mr Fyfield had told the jury he noticed only a "ponding" of water when he inspected the area the day before the incident.
Dr Cobb agreed it was possible, if not probable, that the water had not been there at the time of the inspection.
The trial continues.


A 24-hour Tube strike is set to go ahead in a row over pay and conditions for the new night Tube service for London, a union has said.

The train drivers' union Aslef said its 24-hour action would start at 21:30 BST on Wednesday.
London Underground (LU) had offered four unions a deal aimed at improving work-life balance.
BBC London correspondent Karl Mercer said all four unions had rejected the offer as talks continued.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has also rejected the deal while Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) is yet to make official its response to the offer.
Unite previously said its action "would go ahead". Talks are being held at conciliatory service Acas.
LU said the new offer included an extra £200 per night Tube shift for drivers and a £500 bonus for station staff by next February as well as a further guarantees for a 32-hour, four-day week.
After a short transition period while the service is introduced, drivers will have the choice whether to work nights, said LU, and everyone will be entitled to two days off in seven.
But Aslef said LU should postpone the planned launch of the all-night Tube on 12 September so further negotiations could be held.
It said the new deal was "completely inflexible", leaving it with "no other choice" than to walk out.
Finn Brennan from the union said the main concern was the "complete lack of firm commitments on work life balance for train drivers" and the number of weekend rest days they would get.
The RMT said it had also rejected the "re-packaged" offer, saying its reps were "furious" when they examined details of the proposed deal.
It said: "They are a re-hash of previous plans and would continue along the course of smashing up long-standing agreements and destroying work-life balance."
LU's managing director Nick Brown said he was "hugely disappointed" the unions had rejected the "very fair" offer for "pretty thin" reasons, but that LU remained open to further talks.
Transport for London (TfL) has warned that Tube services will stop running at 18:30 BST on Wednesday, with services "exceptionally busy" from 16:30 BST.
There will be no Tube services all day on Thursday.
The action follows a strike that closed the entire network at the beginning of July after the unions rejected an offer which included a 2% rise this year and £2,000 for drivers on the weekend night Tube service.


A patient who was evicted from a hospital after spending more than two years in a bed said he did not want to stay and "tried to get out of there".

Adriano Guedes, 63, who suffers paralysis after a stroke in 2008, was admitted to the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk, in 2014.
The hospital obtained a court order and evicted him two weeks ago, saying he had occupied the bed "unnecessarily".
"I didn't want to stay, and they forced me to stay," Mr Guedes told the BBC.
"It's very bad to occupy a place which should be used by someone in need, but I didn't cause the situation. On the contrary - I tried to get out of there."
He said he has been on a hunger strike since he left the hospital, adding his last meal was on 10 January.
Follow the latest updates on this story and other Norfolk news
Mr Guedes said he was initially admitted to hospital on mental health grounds, rather than because of a physical problem.
He said he had asked to be moved out of hospital into a "wheelchair-friendly place" and to see a spinal specialist in London for his injuries.
"I wanted to leave but they always offered what they knew I would refuse," he claimed.
The hospital insisted he had been offered appropriate accommodation.
There are two sides to every story. Until now, like many people, it was hard to sympathise with someone who had been apparently hogging a much-needed hospital bed for two years.
But this is a complex situation which typifies the issues many hospitals face when someone no longer requires medical treatment, and has long-term social care needs.
However, isolating Adriano Gueres in an unfurnished flat with no working central heating, no curtains, no carpet is no solution.
So for much of the day he's on his own, lying in bed staring at a bare bulb strung from the ceiling. It was a shock to see him left in such conditions.
His story goes to the heart of a discord between proper care in our times of shrinking council budgets and over-run NHS hospitals.
Anna Hills, the hospital's director of governance, said Mr Guedes had "repeatedly refused all offers of appropriate accommodation organised by our local authority and social care partners, despite being fit for discharge".
The hospital also said it had worked "throughout in partnership with a range of agencies to achieve a safe discharge from the hospital".
It said "detailed planning" had taken place which "led to a successful discharge in this complex case".
The hospital applied to the court for a possession order to claim back the bed occupied by the man.
It was granted on 1 December and Mr Guedes was evicted on 10 January.
The Department for Health says the average daily cost of a hospital bed is about Â£400, meaning the man's stay at James Paget would have cost about Â£340,000 for the two years.
Mr Guedes, who moved to the UK from Portugal for work 15 years ago, is now living in a council flat in Suffolk.


Cheltenham Town have signed versatile midfielder Kevin Dawson from fellow League Two club Yeovil Town.

The 26-year-old rejected the Glovers' offer of an extended deal at Huish Park and will join the Gloucestershire club on a two-year deal from 1 July.
The Irishman had been with Yeovil since January 2013 and made 92 league starts for the Somerset outfit.
He played for now Cheltenham boss Gary Johnson at Yeovil, helping them win promotion to the Championship in 2013.
"We had success together at Yeovil and he had offers from a few different teams so I'm glad that I've convinced him to join us," Johnson told the Robins' club website.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Officials are investigating after part of the roof at a Glasgow railway station collapsed.

Train services through Anderston Station were halted after the damage was discovered in the early hours of Thursday.
ScotRail said staff had arrived in the morning to find a section of the roof had "come away" above platform one.
The company later said that services were now running normally through the station.
A spokesman said: "Station staff at Anderston arrived this morning to find that a small part of the roof over the platform had come away.
"For safety reasons, they were unable to open the station to the public until the platform had been cleared and safety barriers erected."
A ScotRail Alliance spokesman added: "We are investigating the cause, and are looking to repair the damage with a minimum of disruption to our customers."


A six week filming schedule for the new Avengers: Infinity War movie is estimated to generate more than £10m for Edinburgh.

It is the largest and most complex shoot ever to film in historic Old Town and other locations in the capital's city centre.
More than 400 crew have been working on the project, which started in the city on Wednesday.
The production's first schedule with cast in the city will be in mid-April.
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olson and Paul Bettany.
The film is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo.
Mr Russo said: "When Edinburgh came up as a location option we jumped at the chance.
"The city is such a unique and iconic location, but one never seen as the backdrop for a big action film, which is incredibly exciting.
"We appreciate the entire city's help and are excited to have such a beautiful and historic city in the film."
Gavin Barrie, City of Edinburgh Council's economy convener, said: "Our cobbled streets, historic properties and stunning green spaces could set the scene for some of cinema's greatest superheroes and it is fantastic to secure such an A-list production.
"We know 40% of visitors to the UK are attracted to places they have seen on screen and the Marvel franchise offers a huge opportunity to promote Edinburgh all over the world.
"This is fantastic news for the city and our film industry.
"The council will do all it can to support Film Edinburgh and the producers and keep the city moving throughout the shoot."
Rosie Ellison, Film Edinburgh film manager, said: "This is the biggest production to ever film in the region.
"But crucially, it also clearly demonstrates Edinburgh has the infrastructure and process in place to accommodate major filming of this scale.
"The reinforcement of the Edinburgh Film Charter, which was ratified again a few years ago, has played a massive role in simplifying procedures and allowing the city to gear up and facilitate productions of all sizes.
"Film Edinburgh and the council have worked closely with the filmmakers for over a year to coordinate the smooth running of the location shoot in the region."


Russian trolls are targeting Angela Merkel's newly created Instagram account with hostile and critical comments.

The German chancellor joined Instagram in early June and has posted more than 50 pictures to the account.
Many of the pictures have attracted comments in Russian criticising her and praising Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
It is not clear whether the comments are a co-ordinated campaign or just the work of a few activists.
The flood of comments began soon after Mrs Merkel set up the account. The first picture shared via the @bundeskanzlerin account showed the chancellor and her aides preparing for a European Council meeting.
Comments left in Cyrillic or by people with Russian-sounding account names said the image resembled Hitler in his bunker during the closing days of World War Two. Others warned that Russians would "soon be in Berlin again".
Since then, almost every image posted by Mrs Merkel's office of her in meetings and summits has attracted comments in Russian criticising her and her policies. An image of the chancellor talking to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko won many abusive comments.
The only positive comments in Russian were added to an image featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin. People leaving comments called him a "great man" and the "best president".
Staff in Mrs Merkel's office have been deleting comments but some remain despite the purge. Many people re-posted their comments once the originals were removed.
The deluge of comments comes soon after Radio Free Europe  and the New York Times revealed that Russia has created at least one "troll factory" that employs people to push pro-Kremlin propaganda and hoaxes via social media in Russia and elsewhere. Some of the 400 or so people employed at the agency also attack people critical of the Russian government.


Frustrated Scotland striker Steven Fletcher says he is doing his utmost to score for the international team.

Fletcher scored a hat-trick against Gibraltar in Euro 2016 qualifying but has not found the net in Scotland's last three games against the Republic of Ireland, Georgia and Germany.
"I'm doing what I can. I'm running around," he said after the 3-2 defeat by Germany at Hampden on Monday.
"If they're not happy with that, it's down to them."
Some pundits had called for the lone striker's role to go to Leigh Griffiths, with his confidence buoyed by his scoring exploits for Celtic.
But Fletcher added: "Obviously I'd love to score goals but If I'm not getting a chance, I'm not going to put it away.
"He (Gordon Strachan) is the boss, he picks the team. I'm happy he's picking me."
The 28-year-old striker, who has struggled to pin down a starting place under Dick Advocaat at Sunderland this season, is determined to help the national side gain maximum points next month from the two remaining matches, at home to Poland and away to Gibraltar.
"We know what we have to do. There are six points to play for so we'll try to get them," he said.
"We've got a good squad, a young squad as well. We want to achieve things, so if we can get to the play-offs, then happy days."
Scotland need at least four points to leapfrog the Republic of Ireland into third place in Group D and secure home-and-away play-off ties against another third-place team for a place in France next summer.
However, their destiny is not in their own hands. Even victory over Poland and Gibraltar will not be enough for Scotland if Ireland win against either Germany or Poland.
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For Fletcher's team-mate Shaun Maloney, there was satisfaction at coming close against the world champions.
"I am very proud of being part of that team that can come back twice and give a team of that standard as hard a game as we did," he said.
"It's obviously tinged with disappointment with the result but we can be very proud of how we performed tonight.
"When you play the world champions you have to be as brave as possible and have no regrets and I don't think any of our players can have any regrets or wish that we tried any harder. We left everything out there.
"It's impossible to guess what is going to happen. If we win both our games that is all we can do.
"I think the performance tonight must give us a huge amount of confidence."
Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall also thought the performance would provide a boost ahead of the Poles' visit on 8 October.
He said: "We know if we perform like that we will beat most teams, especially at home, with the crowd.
"We need to go and win the game. It is in Ireland's hands. On paper they have got the harder games.
"Tonight we showed the quality we've got. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep it tight enough at the back and they had that bit of class to beat us.
"It was a strange game. Being a 3-2, you'd expect chances galore. But I don't think either (Manuel) Neuer or myself had a save of note. They have been clinical and taken their chances."
Midfielder James Morrison said the Scots "gave it everything against a very good side".
"With a bit of luck we could have nicked a point but we can't argue," he concluded.
"We got chances against them and scored two goals. I'm disappointed they scored three goals from three shots on target.
"(The Poland game is) the big one. We all know that. I think it's been building for a couple of matches now.
"We'll take the grit and determination from tonight's game and go into it."


Great Britain's Rio 2016 boxing captain Anthony Fowler has turned professional and will make his debut on 27 May.

The 26-year-old, who won Commonwealth gold at middleweight in 2014, will train alongside Tony Bellew under Dave Coldwell.
He will debut on the undercard of Kell Brook's IBF welterweight title defence against Errol Spence at Bramall Lane.
"I think being British champion in 18 months is a good target for me," Fowler said.
The six-time ABA champion and cousin of former Liverpool striker Robbie added: "I waited for Rio because I wanted to go to the Olympics but I was also gaining experience fighting the best of the best.
"As a pro I think that's going to show as there's very few people in England that can live with me and it's only the very elite in the world that beat me in the amateurs. So I think I am going to shine as a pro and my style is great for it."
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Fowler, who aided Carl Froch as a sparring partner prior to his final bout against George Groves, follows Rio Olympians Joe Cordina and Josh Kelly in signing with Matchroom Sport.
Silver medallist Joe Joyce and bronze medal-winner Joshua Buatsi are also expected to turn professional.


Huddersfield striker Steve Mounie says he will "take a picture of the Premier League table" after his two debut goals helped the Terriers to a historic opening day win at Crystal Palace.

Huddersfield were playing in their first top-flight game since 1972 after winning promotion from the Championship via the play-offs last season.
A Joel Ward own goal put them ahead before Mounie struck twice.
"A start like this is amazing," said the Benin international.
"We worked all day during pre-season, we worked hard and the coach gave a us a lot of advice. The consequences of our work has shown.
"It is crazy, I will take a picture of the table."
Mounie scored 11 goals for Montpellier in France's Ligue 1 last season before joining the Terriers for a club-record £12m in the summer.
The 22-year-old, one of eight new arrivals at the West Yorkshire club, was brought in to improve Huddersfield's goal-scoring record after they got promoted with a negative goal difference last season.
"He missed his easy chance," joked Huddersfield boss David Wagner after the game.
"It was a great day for Steve Mounie; perfect if you come new into the Premier League."
It was far from the perfect Premier League debut for Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer.
The former Netherlands international was appointed in the summer with a desire to develop a possession-based style of football at the club.
However, the Eagles found this difficult to implement against a side that rarely gave them time on the ball and De Boer conceded Huddersfield were deserved victors.
"Huddersfield did a fantastic job and the compliments go to them," he said.
"We were not pressing up top and they were allowed to get crosses too. We did not make the right choices and got punished."


President Barack Obama has said no other developed nation would tolerate the "off the charts" level of gun violence plaguing the United States.

At the White House, Mr Obama said the US' firm resistance to "basic" new gun controls was his "biggest frustration".
"The country has to do some soul-searching about this," Mr Obama said.
The nation has experienced a spate of mass shootings in recent years, at schools, universities and places of work, in addition to street crime.
In a White House forum with the founder and chief executive officer of social media site Tumblr, David Karp, Mr Obama took a question on gun control following word of a school shooting in Oregon which claimed two lives.
"We kill each other in these... mass shootings at rates that are exponentially higher than any place else," Mr Obama said.
"This is becoming the norm. And we take it for granted in ways that, as a parent, are terrifying to me. Right now, it's not even possible to get even the mildest restrictions through Congress... We should be ashamed of that."
Answering gun rights supporters who say America's violence stems from mental health issues rather than the prevalence of firearms, Mr Obama said, "You know, the United States does not have a monopoly on crazy people. It's not the only country that has psychosis."
Mr Obama's push for stricter gun control laws - particularly after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut - has stalled under stiff opposition from the powerful gun lobby, notably the National Rifle Association.
Following that massacre, in which 20 young children and six educators were murdered, Mr Obama proposed several federal gun control measures, including tightening the background check system to make it harder for convicted criminals to buy guns, but Congress, especially the opposition Republicans, blocked them.
He has continued to press Congress for further restrictions, although sceptics note that if the murder of 20 children failed to goad Congress to action, it is unclear what could.
"If public opinion does not demand change in Congress, it will not change," Mr Obama said on Tuesday.
"And until that changes, until there is a fundamental shift in public opinion in which people say, enough, this is not acceptable... sadly, not that much is going to change."
In the three days prior to Mr Obama's remarks, a man killed one person and wounded three others at a university campus in Seattle, a husband and wife team of attackers shot dead two police officers and a bystander in Las Vegas, and a gunman killed a high school student in a town in Oregon and then was himself shot dead.


(Close): US markets were mixed on Friday as data on retail spending and producer prices raised questions about the buoyancy of the economy.

The Dow Jones was down 37.05 points to 18576.47, while the wider S&P 500 was 1.74 points lower at 2184.05.
The tech-based Nasdaq climbed 4.5 points to 5232.89.
US retail sales in July came in at $457.7bn, an unexpectedly flat figure compared with June, when there had been strong consumer spending.
Producers prices took an unexpected drop, suggesting a continuingly weak inflation environment that may make it difficult for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.
The producer price index - the measure of the costs for services and energy products- dropped 0.4% in July. The first drop since March.
Elsewhere, economic data showing China's economy slowing down had no marked effect on trading, while data from the eurozone confirmed it grew at 0.3% in the second quarter.
Winners on the Dow were Exxon Mobil which climbed 1.3% and Coca-Cola up 0.6%.
Shares of Alibaba rose 7% one day after the e-commerce giant reported its largest revenue growth as a public company.
Banks saw their stock prices fall over concerns that the Fed will hold interest rates at ultra-low levels.
JP Morgan and Bank of America were down 0.2%. Goldman Sachs fell 0.4% and Wells Fargo slipped 0.7%.


Barack Obama is making his fifth trip to Africa as US president.

24 July 2015 Last updated at 18:58 BST
In 2006, he visited Kenya as Senator, but this will be the first time in his presidency that he enters his father's homeland.
When he came to power in 2009, there were high hopes for relations between Africa and the US, but has President Obama delivered?
BBC Africa takes a quick look at Mr Obama and his relationship with the continent.
Produced by Baya Cat


The choice in the EU referendum is a "much more fundamental moment" than the 1997 vote to create the Welsh Assembly, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.

A vote to leave the EU would say "we are closed for business", he argued, and risk Wales' "better tomorrow".
Speaking in Swansea, he also warned a leave vote would jeopardise efforts to save Welsh steel plants.
But Vote Leave Wales leader David Jones said Britain could only be "independent again" outside the EU.
In his first major speech setting out the case for EU membership during the referendum campaign, the first minister focused mainly on jobs and the economy.
He described claims that poorer parts of Wales would still benefit from hundred of millions of pounds of European aid after Brexit as a "dangerous fantasy".
"The money wouldn't come from Brussels any more - it would get lost in the post," he said, "last spotted somewhere around Whitehall".
"I've spent nearly seven years as first minister of Wales, almost all of them sadly with the Tory Government at the other end of the M4.
"Getting a single extra penny out of the Treasury in that time has been like trying to get blood out of a stone."
The EU, Mr Jones told an audience of Labour politicians and activists, was a "safety net for all of us", adding that "everyone who values agriculture, apprenticeships, and better jobs should get real about this".
"We lose that European lifeline, and Wales loses money," he said.
Speaking for the Leave campaign, Conservative MP and former Welsh Secretary Mr Jones agreed the EU referendum was much bigger than the one on Welsh devolution, calling the vote on 23 June the "biggest decision of our lifetime".
"It's far more important than any referendum we've had since 1975 [when the UK voted to remain part of the then Common Market], far more important than any general election or assembly election.
"This will determine whether or not Britain becomes an independent country again, or whether we become part of what will be an increasingly powerful EU which will be well on the road to becoming a superstate."
This speech by Carwyn Jones attempts to set out the most positive vision for the EU by any leading Welsh politician in the campaign so far.
Delivered at Swansea University's gleaming bay campus, the poster boy for so many EU launches, he claimed that it was not just big business, but also those on the lower rungs of the ladder in society who benefit.
But if membership is that important, why has the first minister waited three weeks since he formed his new cabinet to deliver it?
Labour's remain campaigners believe now is the time to step up the momentum as we reach the business end of the campaign.
There's a degree of honesty when he acknowledges that dyed in the wool Labour voters have been hesitant and that the benefits of free trade have not fallen equally.
But with a bit of old-fashioned rhetoric that will play well with the party faithful, he says the alternative is City boys with friends in the wrong places pocketing Wales' cash.
Interestingly, and like Jeremy Corbyn in Cardiff last week, there is barely a mention of immigration.
Leave campaigners will claim that as another example that the remain side is out of touch with the realities and concerns of working people.
They will also be more than happy to engage with the claims that EU-funded projects, like the new south Wales metro rail scheme, would suffer if there is a Brexit.
The leave side insist that rather than there being a loss, Wales would see significant benefits from extra money remaining in the UK, rather than being sent to Brussels on a weekly basis.
More from Nick


(Close): The UK's benchmark FTSE 100 index has fallen for the eighth day in a row as concerns build about slowing global growth.

The index has dropped every day since China devalued its currency last week, landing investors with the longest losing streak since 2011.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 35.56 points at 6,367.89.
The sell-off was reflected across other major stock markets, with the main indexes in Germany and France down 2%.
However, commodity-related stocks were boosted after the dollar fell in the wake of the latest minutes from the US Federal Reserve, which left the timing of any US rate rise vague. Anglo American was one of the top risers, climbing 4.4%.
Shares in Kaz Minerals surged by nearly 14%. The company has been boosted by Kazakhstan's decision to allow its currency, the tenge, to devalue. Nearly half of Kaz's cost base is denominated in the tenge.
In China, the authorities intervened again on the stock market to little effect. Shares on the Shanghai Composite Index fell 3.4%.
The price of Brent crude oil was down 0.1% at $47.10 a barrel, although US crude recovered from earlier falls to stand 0.9% higher at $41.46.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.04% against the dollar to $1.5686 and dropped 0.73% against the euro to â‚¬1.3998.


A paramedic has been suspended for 12 months for failing to follow up an aborted 999 call from a man who was later found dead.

A health committee found that Jason Garnham told a call handler to "stop panicking" when they asked if they should keep calling the man back.
Alan Hamilton, 65, phoned the St John Ambulance on Guernsey at 18:13 on 9 July 2014, but the call was cut off.
There was no suggestion the failings contributed to the man's death.
Mr Hamilton was found dead in the groundsman's hut at King George V playing fields at 07:40 the following day.
An inquest found he died from ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrest and complications with diabetes, according to the Guernsey Press.
Matthew Kewley, representing the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), said that ambulance control assistant Ms Crocker took the short call and attempted to call Mr Hamilton - referred to only as "patient A" during the hearing held in Southampton, Hampshire - back twice but was unsuccessful.
He said: "Ms Crocker's evidence is that she asked the registrant [Mr Garnham] whether she should carry on trying patient A's number but was told by the registrant to 'stop panicking'.
"There is a significant factual dispute between Ms Crocker and the registrant. The thrust of the registrant's case is that he categorically stated to Ms Crocker that she needed to document the call in the relevant documentation."
A HCPC spokeswoman said: "Jason Garnham has been suspended from the HCPC register for a period of one year on the grounds of misconduct. All allegations were found to be proved."
The HCPC register is published to provide a list of health care professionals that meet the organisation's standards.


Vodafone has said its Indian business is holding talks about a major merger which would create the country's largest telecoms firm.

It said Vodafone India, the country's second biggest mobile operator, was in negotiations with Idea Cellular, India's third largest network.
There was "no certainty" a deal would be agreed, Vodafone added.
Shares in the UK telecoms giant rose about 3% on Monday, making it the biggest riser on the FTSE 100 index.
India's leading mobile networks are embroiled in what analysts have described as "a vicious price war", started by the arrival of a low-cost rival offering free voice and data to customers.
Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, together with current market leader Bharti Airtel, have been forced to cut prices by Reliance Jio, a new operator owned by the country's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.
Vodafone was forced to write down the value of its Indian business by 5bn euros (£4.3bn) in November amid the intense competition.
The firm has looked to spin off Vodafone India, but said at the time it would wait for the market to stabilise.
The merger talks with Idea suggest "Vodafone is taking the Indian tiger by the scruff", said Neil Wilson, an analyst at London brokers ETX Capital.
"India has become a trouble-spot for Vodafone, with losses there severely hurting the rest of the group," Mr Wilson said.
"Indeed a vicious price war in India means the group could post its first operating loss in 10 years in 2017. The Idea tie-up looks like a way to limit the casualties on either side.
"Something had to be done and this merger might be the way to strengthen Vodafone's hand in the Indian price war."
In its statement on Monday, Vodafone said a merger with Idea would enable it to take the India unit off its books and receive a dividend from the new business.
Shares in Idea Cellular, owned by the Aditya Birla Group, have surged 26% on confirmation of the merger talks.
More than ten telecom operators are battling it out to attract the custom of India's one billion mobile phone users.
That has forced firms to keep tariffs low - significantly impacting their profitability.
And the entry of Reliance Jio last year - has made matters even worse.
You can't avoid its high profile advertising campaigns here - pushing introductory offers of free voice calls and internet to cost conscious consumers.
The deep pockets of Mukesh Ambani mean many expect rock bottom prices even in the long run, forcing rivals to slash their charges further if they want to stay in the game.
So even if this Vodafone-Ideal merger goes ahead, I doubt it'll be the last bit of consolidation we see.


The daughter of a man accused of leading a brutal cult ran away but was told at a police station to phone her alleged captor, a jury has heard.

She left Aravindan Balakrishnan's collective in 2005 and went to a police station, according to the prosecution.
A woman working there persuaded her to call her father, who met her and returned her to the commune.
He denies 16 charges including sexual assault, rape, false imprisonment and mistreating a child.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court was told that the escaping woman, who was then aged 22, had never been out alone and did not even know how to cross the road.
Prosecutor Rosina Cottage QC said: "She arrived at a police station and spoke to a woman called Donna, but did not tell her of the violence and only said she was running away because of the oppression.
"Donna did not know what to do - it was a bank holiday and there was nowhere for her to go."
After being collected from the police station by her father and taken back to the house she shared with him and his followers, Mr Balakrishnan allegedly slapped her and branded her a "police agent".
The court heard she remained there for another eight years before she approached a charity.
When she eventually left, she wrote Mr Balakrishnan a note saying: "I will never ever ever be returning, there are no words to describe the personal anger I have been feeling."
She said he had treated her with "utter disrespect and endless indignity" and had been "cursed, insulted, mocked, denigrated, excluded, beaten up, caged like a wild animal, and deprived of what really mattered to me".
Addressing him and other women members of the collective she said: "I have pleaded with you lot, not to treat me like this... I am sick to death of being held hostage."
She signed the letter with the words: "Not hoping to see you soon."
Ms Cottage told the jury: "By the time she left, aged 30, she'd never been to school or other educational establishment; had never played outside as a child or gone out with friends as a teenager or adult."
She read to the jury a poem by Mr Balakrishnan's daughter, "I Am a Shadow Woman", which concludes with the line: 'I am alive (or so 'tis said but maybe I'm meant to be dead.'
The court heard on Thursday that in the 1970s Mr Balakrishnan was at the helm of a communist group known as the Workers Institute, based in Acre Lane in Brixton, south London.
Mr Balakrishnan, of Enfield, north London, denies seven counts of indecent assault and four counts of rape against two women during the 1970s and 1980s.
He also denies three counts of actual bodily harm, cruelty to a child under 16 and false imprisonment.


Ulster fly-half Ian Humphreys has announced he will retire from the game at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old made his Ulster debut in 2008 and has scored 745 points in 113 appearances for the Kingspan Stadium team.
Humphreys has also played for Leicester Tigers and London Irish.
"My body is telling me it's time to stop - I feel blessed to have enjoyed such a long career, the highlight of which is winning 100 Ulster caps."
Humphreys has played eight times for Les Kiss' men this season, including four starts, and has scored two tries.
"Throughout his rugby career, 'Mini Humph' has been one of the stand-out attacking 10s in European Rugby," said Ulster operations director Bryn Cunningham.
"However, it is possibly his organisational and communication skills with players around him, often unseen by those watching, that made Ian such an influential person to have around the team."
The former Ballymena Academy student enjoyed successful stints in England with Leicester (2005-2008) and London Irish (2012-2014).


Defence coach Shaun Edwards says Wales have no margin for error against New Zealand, lauding them as the best sporting team in the world.

The world champions were named Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in April and Wales play them three times on their June tour.
"Any errors by us will be capitalised on," said Edwards.
"You're playing against a team who are officially the best team in the world, not just the best rugby team."
The match in Auckland will be the All Blacks' first since beating Australia 34-17 in the 2015 World Cup final.
That ensured Steve Hansen's side beat Spanish football giants Barcelona who won La Liga and the Champions League in 2015 to take the Laureus accolade.
Great Britain's Davis Cup-winning tennis team, the Golden State Warriors basketball side, Mercedes F1 and the United States Women's World Cup-winning squad were also among New Zealand's competitors for the award.
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"For the All Blacks to be selected above Barcelona and above all the American teams is just fantastic for the game of rugby," said Edwards.
"They are double world champions and I think they also portray a good image for the game of rugby.
"When they come to the UK everybody knows who the All Blacks are, we know they do the Haka.
"It's a great way to spread the gospel of rugby around the world."
Edwards says Warren Gatland's side are "under no illusions of the task ahead" as they look to end a run of 26 consecutive defeats against the All Blacks, stretching back to 1953.
"We're a process-driven team. If we execute, execute, execute, we're in with a chance," he said.
"If we do this right, do that right, you've every chance of winning.
"If we don't do it, we'll get penalised by the best team in the world."


England opener Alex Hales made another low score on day two of their three-day tour match against a South Africa Invitation XI in Potchefstroom.

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Having made eight in the first innings, Hales took 42 balls to make the same score when England batted again.
England declared on their overnight 470-5 and bowled the home side out for 188, with Stuart Broad taking 3-18 and uncapped left-armer Mark Footitt 2-51.
Alastair Cook made 37 and Joe Root an unbeaten 26 as England closed on 99-3.
Hales, who made his maiden one-day international century in the series with Pakistan last month, is expected to become the eighth man tried at the top of the Test order since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012 when the first of four Tests against South Africa begins in Durban on 26 December.
But the 26-year-old Nottinghamshire batsman, uncapped at Test level, was again dismissed by paceman Junior Dala as his backward defensive shot cannoned into his stumps.
Skipper Cook was lbw playing across the line, while Nick Compton, hoping to earn a Test recall after a two-and-a-half-year absence, lofted left-arm spinner Johannes Diseko to long-off.
Root added an unbroken 14 with Gary Ballance as the tourists closed the penultimate day with a lead of 381.
Earlier, Broad struck with the fourth ball of the home side's innings and conceded only six runs from his first four overs.
South Africa Under-19 captain Aiden Markram edged the fourth ball of the morning low into Cook's hands at first slip and Luthando Mnyanda lost his off stump to an inside edge.
Footitt shared the new ball and was hit for nine boundaries in his 12 overs, Heinrich Klaasen striking four in the space of seven deliveries, but the Surrey seamer had Zubayr Hamza well caught low to his right by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and left-hander Qaasim Adams lbw.
England's record Test wicket-taker James Anderson found himself in the unusual position of being the sixth bowler used, sending down four overs for 19 in the 13-a-side fixture, in which the customary 11 are permitted to bat and field.
All-rounder Chris Woakes insisted there were no concerns about the form of Hales ahead of the first Test.
"He probably hasn't had the time in the middle he'd like, but we're only two days into the tour and there's plenty of time to get into nick," he said.
"He's a great player and he deserves his opportunity. Fingers crossed in the next week or two before the first Test he can get some more time out there and show what he can do."
The seamer, who took 1-35, said of his own form: "I was in good rhythm and my pace was up.
"You'd expect Stokesy, Broady and Jimmy to be in the starting XI so there is a space up for grabs.
"Fingers crossed I can put in some performances and get my name in that first team."


Wakefield coach Brian Smith says he feels his side are "being set up to be like the insect on the windscreen" after being given five days to prepare for Friday's trip to Warrington.

By contrast, the Wire go into the game having not played since 14 February.
The Wildcats picked up their first points of the season with victory at Hull KR on Sunday.
"It's a big job for us to go there with five days' preparation when they've had 12," he told BBC Radio Leeds.
"Because Warrington have the Thursday game next week they've scheduled this game for Friday so that they have a full break before the game next - because the Rugby Football League say they can.
"All that's great for Warrington but not great at all for us."
He added: "It's like we're being set up to be like the insect on the windscreen. We aren't going to be that on Friday night, I can assure you."
Smith will be coaching against his brother Tony, who has led his side to successive wins this year, for the second time.
The former Hull FC and Bradford Bulls coach feels that poor scheduling from the RFL is partly to blame for English sides losing the World Club Series 3-0 for the second year running.
"English rugby league just does not generate the same level of intensity as NRL because it is too lopsided and the scheduling is a serious factor in that," he said.
"Someone in power needs to recognise you can't keep having lopsided contests and get players to develop.
"You can't expect English clubs to do well when there are so many inequalities in the planning."


A rapist who died in hospital was denied the chance of an early release from prison on compassionate grounds as his cancer was not diagnosed in time.

Shortcomings at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, HMP Peterhead and HMP Glenochil were highlighted after an inquiry into Giovanni Cocozza's death.
The criticism is made by Sheriff Derek O'Carroll in a written judgement after a fatal accident inquiry in Alloa.
Cocozza, 78. had been serving a 10-year sentence at Glenochil jail.
He had been taken to hospital from his cell in March 2011, after becoming unwell.
The prisoner died in Stirling Royal Infirmary the next morning from a brain haemorrhage secondary to longstanding high blood pressure.
Cocozza also had lung cancer, first diagnosed less than 24 hours before his death, which had spread to his liver.
Sheriff O'Carroll said that had it not been for "a series of shortcomings, both personal and institutional", it was likely that Cocozza's cancer would have been diagnosed several months earlier.
The sheriff said he wanted to flag up shortcomings in the medical treatment of prisoners, who were entitled to care just as good as anyone at large.
"The absence of timeous diagnosis resulted in Mr Cocozza losing two opportunities," he concluded.
"The first was access to treatment for his cancer, though any such treatment could only have been palliative and would not have extended his life, though it might have improved his quality of life.
"The second was the chance of being considered for compassionate release."
However, Sheriff O'Carroll stressed that the failure to timeously diagnose and therefore treat the cancer did not materially contribute to the cause of death.
He said that, at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, there had been a failure to see that a CT scan ordered by a consultant was carried out.
When Cocozza was transferred to Glenochil from the HMP Peterhead, formerly Scotland's main sex offenders' prison but which was then closing down, nobody appeared to notice that medical investigations had not been completed.
The medical team at Glenochil did not realise either.
Sheriff O'Carroll found that, at HMP Glenochil, there was no system for summarising current medical issues for incoming prisoners, something he contrasted with the General Services Contract for General Practitioners, which requires such a summary to be done within eight weeks.
"This is against a background where it is universally accepted that early and swift diagnosis of suspected cancer is extremely important," he said.
"It appears to me that many of the failures leading to the lack of timely and accurate diagnosis were institutional failures.
"The concern must be that, if this happened in Mr Cocozza, it could happen to others.
"The consequences for others of a similar series of institutional failures could be more catastrophic for them than it was for Mr Cocozza, killed as he was by an intervening event."
Sheriff O'Carroll pointed out that Sir Harry Burns, chief medical officer for Scotland, had said that prisoners were the most deprived class of persons, medically, in the country.
"I hope that the contents of this determination will assist those who wish to improve the shortcomings in the systems that I have attempted to describe, so that the treatment of prisoners may approach the quality of care that is generally expected among those cared for in the community," the sheriff added.
He said it was "a fundamental principle" that a prisoner was entitled to the same quality of care as anyone who was at liberty.
Cocozza, once a well-known Lanarkshire chip shop and ice cream van owner, was jailed after admitting raping two young women and sexually abusing five young girls between 1964 and 1976.


Serie A club Parma have been declared bankrupt by a court in Italy but will be allowed to see out of the season.

The club's debts are estimated at nearly 75m euros (£54m).
Giampietro Manenti promised to clear the debts when he took over as chairman last month but he was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of involvement in a credit card scam.
The Italian league has allocated 5m euro (£3.6m) so the league's bottom club can fulfil their fixtures.
In the absence of Manenti, club officials Osvaldo Riccobene and Enrico Siciliano represented the club at a scheduled hearing, which lasted 10 minutes.
Riccobene said: "The club's creditors called for bankruptcy, which was accepted by the prosecutor."
Parma's season has long descended into farce. Players have not been paid this campaign, while they have had to do their own laundry, drive the team bus and go without hot water.
The club - who have changed ownership twice this season - have already been hit with a three-point deduction and been forced to postpone two matches. They are 16 points adrift of safety.
Parma, who are coached by former Italy and AC Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni, were runners-up in Serie A in 1997 and won the Uefa Cup in 1995 and 1999, as well as the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup.


Pupils should be prepared for a world that could see them taking up 40 different jobs before reaching the age of 100, a futurologist has said.

They may earn a living from sharing-economy apps Uber and Airbnb rather than through a traditional career, Rohit Talwar, from Fast Future, said.
Mr Talwar presented his findings at the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) annual conference.
HMC said it was ready to take part in a debate about the "nature of education".
The group, which represents leading fee-paying schools, is meeting for its conference in St Andrews, Fife.
Mr Talwar, chief executive of Fast Future Research, which advises companies and governments on how to prepare for the long term, said it was crucial to think about what skills would be needed in the future.
He cited studies suggesting between 30% and 80% of all the jobs that exist currently will disappear in the next 10 to 20 years, as businesses increasingly invest in automation.
"On the one hand, we'll be living longer. On the other hand, we're not sure how people are going to earn the money to buy the goods and services that will largely be produced by smart software and robots," he said.
"The challenge we have is that nowhere around the world is anyone really trying to do some joined-up thinking about what would that look like in the future.
"Will it be right to assume that everyone will still have a job? Or will it be natural for 50% of the population to not be working?
"We need to start thinking about those things, we need to start thinking about the kinds of skills we'll need to help people stay employable.
"If they do have a job all the way through their career, that means they'll be working potentially up to the age of 100."
They "might well have 40 jobs in that period in 10 different careers", he added.
Mr Talwar, who advises companies what the world might look like in five to 50 years, said the pupils of today could go on to have a "portfolio career".
"You might be driving Uber part of the day, renting out your spare bedroom on Airbnb a little bit, renting out space in your closet as storage for Amazon, doing delivery for Amazon or housing the drone that does delivery for Amazon," he said.
"There are all these sort of new sharing-economy models coming through, but I'm not sure if you're a lawyer today, that's a very attractive option to move into for the future.
"Everywhere around the world policymakers are behind the game in understanding how fast the world is changing, and they're not changing the education or social system anywhere near as quickly."
Mr Talwar said he was encouraging head teachers to ask pupils to give a view of what they think the world could look like in the future.
"What do they see as the potential scenarios for 2020-25? That could look very different to the education system today," he said.
HMC general secretary William Richardson said: "HMC schools welcome the challenge laid down by Rohit Talwar and stand ready and willing to contribute to a debate about the fundamental nature of the education our pupils receive in the future.
"Innovation and independence is in our blood and this, combined with harnessing the power of young people to conceive new ideas, will help us find exciting new ways of teaching and learning."


Eddie Jones' England appear to have minimal problems: reigning Six Nations champions, 14 wins on the spin, a summer spent whitewashing Wallabies, an autumn of being tested and pulling through every time.

And yet. As they prepare to get their title defence under way against France this Saturday, Jones has been in typically restless mood - decrying his players' global standing, downplaying the team's decorated past year, and being as likely to appear satisfied as he is to tarmac Twickenham.
These are the six key questions the old schemer knows he has to answer:
England haven't lost at home to France in the Six Nations for 12 years. They have won four of their past five meetings with Wales. Scotland last won at Twickenham when Margaret Thatcher was in her first term as prime minister; Italy, even buoyed by the charisma and drive of Conor O'Shea, have a record against the men in white of played 22, lost 22.
All of which might lead England supporters to think this championship will all come down to the final match in Dublin, and all of which means Jones - 13 matches in charge, 13 wins - is making sure his players do not fall into the same trap.
"Nothing in our team is permanent," he has said of his 100% men.
"No-one owns the jersey; no-one owns their position in the team. It's something you borrow, and something you've got to cherish."
It is why he has claimed that his squad doesn't yet contain a single player good enough to make a world XV, no matter how many caps, Premiership trophies, European Cups or French scalps there might be among the 34 names. It is why he has quoted Sir Alex Ferguson, who said that he only managed two world-class players in his 27 years at Manchester United.
No matter that Ferguson actually said there were four (Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo). It is the headline rather than the small print that matters in Jones' message. No-one is safe. Everyone can do better.
Everyone can do better, including a captain who, less than a year ago, became only the second man in 19 years to lead England to a Grand Slam.
Dylan Hartley's successes in the role have bought him only the slightest insurance. With his six-week ban for an illegal tackle on Leinster's Sean O'Brien having only expired last week, he is seriously short of match time but has retained the armband for the Six Nations.
Beyond the championship, there are no guarantees. There is the pressure at hooker from the consistently excellent Jamie George, Tommy Taylor and Luke Cowan-Dickie, and there are Jones' repeated hints that his captain for the games leading up to the next World Cup may not be a 33-year-old.
Jones has talked of "leadership density" - of having eight or nine generals throughout the ranks, as the World Cup-winning side of 2003 could boast, and he may already have earmarked the man most likely to lead them all, Owen Farrell.
One of Jones' first acts as head coach was to promote Farrell from the ranks to vice-captain, a move in keeping with his decision, when in charge at Saracens, to give him a debut against Llanelli just 11 days after his 17th birthday. A greater promotion yet may come early again.
In other words: stick or twist? You might think only the bravest or most cocksure of coaches would change a winning team. The Six Nations does not tend to reward the experimental or the untested.
But what if those wins were not enough? What if the stated long-term aim of winning the World Cup in Japan in 2019 outranks this oldest of tournaments?
And so suddenly there are dilemmas everywhere. Does Jones move Farrell inside to 10, breaking up his partnership with George Ford to create fresh options at centre, or does he look at the continued injury problems of Manu Tuilagi and the international inexperience of Ben Teo'o and keep old friends together?
Mike Brown will be 34 by the time of that World Cup. Isn't Anthony Watson his natural successor at full-back, particularly bearing in mind the surfeit of options on the wing? Yet Brown is rock-solid under the high ball, beats a man every time he attacks with ball in hand and brings the grunt and aggression that Jones so appreciates in his charges.
Is this the time to let the outstanding Maro Itoje run free in the back row, leaving the second row in the combative and athletic hands of Courtney Lawes, George Kruis and Joe Launchbury? Or does the sensible coach let his superman fly where he has excelled so far in his brief international career?
James Haskell, like Brown, will be 34 by 2019 - so there is the question as to should he return to the flanks whenever fit. Jones must also consider if it realistic to expect another 30-something, Chris Robshaw, to remain a first choice when his spell out with a shoulder problem ends this spring.
England's head coach knows that to win the World Cup, he needs more than one world-class side. He may need more than two; unless injury rates dramatically and unexpectedly drop, he requires both cover and a fitting replacement for that cover, as his current problems at loosehead prop illustrate.
England expects, as another successful captain of the ship once remarked. Jones' team have set high standards over the past 12 months, beating every major rugby nation bar the one they did not meet, New Zealand.
So will supporters giddy on that long unbeaten stretch feel disappointed if England fail to win a second successive Grand Slam? If they lose to Ireland yet win the Six Nations title, is that no longer enough, despite the fact it would have been very welcome during the run of four successive second-place finishes for which they had to settle from 2012 to 2015?
And what if that remarkable run goes on? If England win every one of their matches in this Six Nations, they will break New Zealand's all-time record for most consecutive Test victories. English teams and those who cheer them have not generally reacted well to sustained success; England's cricket team won only one of their next four Test series having attained the world number one ranking in 2011, while the rugby team's World Cup and Grand Slam triumph of 2003 was followed by a third place in the 2004 Six Nations, a fourth in 2005 and another fourth in 2006.
It may be a happy problem for Jones to have, when so little was expected for so long, when the past two World Cups have seen the team fall apart and the head coach sacked. But a problem it may be, now the bar has been raised.
Jones made no secret his first Six Nations campaign was about tightening the defence. England had, after all, shipped 33 points in Australia's last match at Twickenham, 28 in their last home game against Wales, and 35 on France's previous Six Nations visit. Jones also wanted to buttress a set-piece that had gone from traditional strength to Achilles heel during that World Cup disaster of 2015.
That England scored five fewer tries in the tournament last year than they had in coming second in 2015 mattered less than the bigger Slam scenario. Now, in his second, Jones wants to revitalise the offensive element of his team's make-up in the same way.
There has been the appointment of Rory Teague as full-time skills coach, but Jones understands that more developments must follow - perhaps a different balance of personnel in the backs, maybe a more expansive gameplan, almost certainly a ruthlessness when chances do appear.
The theory is unarguable. The reality - in what are likely to be cold, wet conditions, in the most ferociously competitive tournament in world rugby, when every other nation and all their support are looking forward to knocking England off their throne - may be several degrees harder.
It will come at some stage, perhaps in Cardiff, where England have won only twice in the Six Nations in a decade, or Dublin, where they have been victorious in the tournament just once in 14 years. It may come on tour in Argentina, while Jones' best players will be absent as they join up with the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand. It may happen beyond that still, should the Jones magic continue to cast its spell.
When it does, how will his side react? Will it feel worse to players and supporters because of the long unbeaten run that preceded it, and will its manner deflate some of the good feeling which Jones has created since his appointment?
Because the end is not the end. Maybe a truly world-class team never countenances defeat, but a truly world-class team also develops from one - from the lessons that reverse has taught, from the weaknesses it exposes, from the players who fall short.
As Jones said last month: "If we lose a few battles on the way, it will help us win the war."
Jones and England have been like a married couple who have enjoyed the most extraordinary start to their relationship. When the first fight happens, when the first door slams, will it strengthen the bond between them, or will they forever be looking back to when it all seemed so special, so untarnished?


Sonny Bill Williams can play in New Zealand's Rugby Championship opener against Australia after successfully appealing against a decision not to include a warm-up match in his ban.

Williams, 32, was suspended for four weeks after being sent off in the second Test against the Lions.
World Rugby had ruled the game against Counties Manukau and Taranaki on 11 August would not count in his ban.
It said it was "surprised" by the independent appeal committee decision.
Next Friday's match is a 'game of three halves', with the provincial sides meeting in a 40-minute game, before the All Blacks face each team in a 40-minute half.
The appeal committee ruled the match had sufficient meaning to be part of Williams' suspension.
New Zealand face the Wallabies at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on 19 August.
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said common sense had prevailed.
He added: "If people turn up to watch this game, does it look like a match? Of course it does. Is it meaningful? Yes, it is.
"It's not a training run and you think about the Counties and Taranaki players - they're going to be going for it. It's a great opportunity for them and it's 80 minutes played under the normal laws of the game."
World Rugby said in a statement it was surprised by the committee's interpretation of the definition of a 'match' as regulations define that as "a game in which two teams compete against each other".


Profit warnings from UK-listed companies rose in the first three months of the year despite the improved economic outlook, a report has found.

There were 77 profit warnings in the period, three more than a year earlier, consultancy EY said.
The number was "higher than expected", the group said.
The rise was in part due to the low oil price, which contributed to 16 warnings, eight of which were oil and gas companies.
The price of oil has fallen by more than 40% since last summer, and currently stands at $65 a barrel. At the beginning of this year, it was below $50.
"Growing competitive pressures" were also a factor in the rise in profit warnings - more than a fifth were due to greater competition and pressure on prices, EY said.
The support services sector also saw eight warnings, with seven in software and computing and six in general retailing.
Companies that issued warnings included retailers Boohoo and AO World, construction company Balfour Beattie and outsourcing firm Mitie.
Overall, the report found that 5.4% of quoted companies issued profit warnings in the period, the highest first-quarter percentage since 2009.
"This is still a tough environment in which to plan and invest," said EY's Alan Hudson.
"The recovery hasn't increased predictability and companies still have little room for manoeuvre when things go wrong, such as a lost contract, adverse currency movement or price drop."
The report highlighted the changing expectations of when interest rates will rise, as well as geopolitical tensions, as factors making forward planning difficult.


European commentators have been expressing reluctant acceptance of the EU reform deal tentatively agreed with the UK.

The negotiations are being widely depicted as a largely sham process designed to help David Cameron to convince sceptical Britons that he wrung painful concessions from the EU.
"The show can begin," Arnaud Leparmentier writes in France's Le Monde of the negotiations, which he says are about "nothing of substance".
"It's a game, of course, but like a wrestling match. Everyone is pretending to be in pain, but are really accomplices," he writes. "This wrestling match is designed to flatter the pride of the British, in order to convince them not to choose to sail off into the high seas."
Andre Tauber - correspondent for Germany's Die Welt - says Mr Cameron has been permitted the "pose of the great victor in order to mollify the obstreperous British".
"Neither Britain nor Europe can afford an exit from the European Union, either economically or politically. Everyone knows this," he adds. "The EU has delivered. The question is whether Cameron can deliver too".
In Poland, which has been vocally opposed to restrictions on benefits for EU migrants, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily says keeping Britain in the EU should be seen as Poland's overriding concern, even at the expense of Poles working in the UK.
"No matter how brutal but effective this is, it is worth sacrificing part of their benefit rights in Britain in order to save the EU from Brexit."
But not everyone is happy about playing along, and several commentators grumble about Mr Cameron's methods and motives.
In Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine, Nikolas Busse says Mr Cameron "put a pistol to the other member states' chest (and his own)", Christian Zaschke - in Sueddeutsche Zeitung - accuses him of "gambling with Europe's future" for the sake of his own political ambitions.
In Italy's Corriere della Sera, Franco Venturini wonders whether too has been conceded to London, "especially in a union which - amid unfulfilled agreements on migrants and courting Turkey - is already sacrificing crucial aspects of its identity".
Ralph Sina - correspondent for Germany's ARD public broadcaster - goes further, casting the concessions to Mr Cameron as a "genuflection" that "surrender core principles of the EU and turn it into a joke".
"The European Union is fighting for the United Kingdom's affection," he says. "But anyone who has to fight for affection has usually already lost."
For Jean Quatremer - in France's Liberation - the UK has an "existential problem in its relationship to the EU that no technical arrangement or any amendments to the European treaties will ever solve".
"Today's EU is already 'Made in Britain'," he argues. "Yet this is not enough for a political class and public opinion made hysterical by an anti-European press firing on all cylinders against this continental monster."
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring  on Twitter and Facebook.


Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has told the BBC he feels ashamed by the attacks on albinos his country and says the church needs to help stop them.

31 May 2016 Last updated at 12:06 BST
Since the end of 2014 Malawi's police have recorded at least 65 attacks on people with albinism, including abductions, mutilations and murders, according to the UN.
People with albinism, who lack pigment in their skin and appear pale, are regularly killed in several African countries including Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
Mr Mutharika told BBC Africa's Sophie Ikenye that the church had so far been silence on the issue.