Check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew at UK airports are planning a 48-hour strike from 23 December, the Unite union says.

The union said more than 1,500 workers at Swissport, the world's largest ground and cargo handler, would walk out following a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
Unite said the action, which will hit Christmas travel, was "a last resort".
Swissport said it was making plans to "minimise disruption" to passengers.
Are we facing a Christmas of Discontent?
It is unclear exactly how many airports will be affected, but airlines at Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, Newcastle, Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester airports all employ Swissport staff.
A spokesman for MAG, owners of Manchester, Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports, said: "We are aware of this potential action and are contacting the airlines which use Swissport to understand their contingency plans to minimise any disruption were the strikes to go ahead."
A spokesman for airline Ryanair said: "All of our flights to and from the UK are scheduled to operate as normal.
"Should this action proceed, our flights may operate with hand-luggage only and we will update customers accordingly."
A Heathrow spokesman said they expected "minimal impact for passengers" from the action.
Swissport is one of several companies providing ground-staff services across the UK.
According to Unite, members voted by 62.5% to reject a 4.65% three-year pay deal for 2015-2017, which the union argues "barely" keeps pace with inflation.
It said workers were also angry that "detrimental" changes to terms and conditions had been linked to the pay deal.
Conditions included freezing overtime payments for the foreseeable future and restructuring pay.
Unite's national officer for civil air transport, Oliver Richardson, said: "Our members are only taking this industrial action as a last resort in a bid to reach a fair settlement - our members have not had a pay rise since 2014.
"When you break down the headline figures - 1% in 2015, 1.25% in 2016 and 2.4% in 2017 - they are barely keeping up with inflation."
Both Unite and Swissport said they would be open to talks with the conciliation service Acas to resolve the dispute.
Separately, British Airways cabin crew based at Heathrow airport are to strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a row over pay and conditions.
The action, backed by the Unite union, could involve up to 4,500 staff on "mixed fleet" contracts who joined the airline since 2010.


Goats at a Dorset community farm are being used as an alternative means of recycling Christmas trees.

Fancy's Farm in Portland is asking for discarded trees to feed to the farm's 25-strong herd of various goat breeds.
The goats strip the trees of their greenery before the bare branches are used to provide nature habitats on the farm.
Manager Sue Illsley said: "They love it - the roughage in the needles does them an awful lot of good."


Barack Obama's farewell speech evokes wistful regret about his imminent departure amongst some commentators in the world's media - but others offer an at times harsh assessment of his record.

"Barack Obama lifts America one last time," says the website of the UK's Guardian, and its reporter admits that she, and many in the audience were "in tears".
"A fiery plea for democracy" is German public broadcaster ARD's assessment of the speech.
The UK's Daily Telegraph highlights Mr Obama's "urgent and fearful warning" about the state of American democracy.
But the paper offers criticism of his legacy in terms of the UK, with a commentary declaring his departure an opportunity for "Britain and America to rebuild the special relationship" under Donald Trump.
A commentator in Germany's Die Welt finds Mr Obama's political achievements meagre and his foreign policy record even "catastrophic", accusing him of being too timid on Iran, Russia and Syria.
But "we will still miss Barack Obama", he adds - for his style, sense of humour and as a symbol of the hope that the US might still pull itself out of the "moral swamp of racism".
India's Hindustan Times strikes a similar note, but is more critical, especially on Mr Obama's perceived policy failings over Pakistan, Iran and Cuba.
"We will miss Obama for a while," it concedes. "But his misses, and their consequences, will be with us for a long, long time."
A commentator in the English-language Saudi paper Arab News says Mr Obama leaves a world "bitterly divided", and adds that his "untidy withdrawal" from the Middle East and lack of decisiveness on Syria strengthened Iran and frustrated the US's allies in the region.
"It is fair to say that the world, and much of the US, is disappointed with Obama," he concludes.
Spain's La Razon sees in Mr Obama a "man trampled by reality", whose initial idealism was replaced by the need to take the "same decisions that he rejected in his predecessors".
The harshest and most unequivocal criticism of Mr Obama's legacy comes from Russia's pro-Kremlin media.
"Obama will be remembered first of all for a complete failure in foreign policy, in particular the Middle East," says a report on Channel One TV.
Recalling Mr Obama's original "Yes, we can" campaign slogan, state news channel Rossiya 24 sneers that "in the end it looks more like 'he did what he could'".
The channel's US correspondent says Mr Obama's pledge to make the handover of power as smooth as possible "sounds like a cruel joke" in light of the "organised bullying" of Donald Trump.
The Kremlin has previously described accusations that it intervened in the US election on Mr Trump's behalf as a "witch-hunt".
A more nuanced take comes from China, which has already publicly clashed with Donald Trump.
Official Chinese broadcaster CCTV quotes a poll that suggests most Americans feel that Obama "tried but failed" to keep his campaign promises.
But at least US relations with Beijing have been "stable" during the past year, the broadcaster says.
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.


A bid to break the world record for the largest ever hula hoop workout was attempted in Wrexham on Saturday.

Organisers wanted more than 500 people to join in the effort at Glyndwr University's sports centre.
Sasha Kenney was behind the move as she tried to get into the Guinness Book of Records for a second time after hula hooping the London Marathon course.
The attempt was part of the Wrexham Fitness Festival, which encourages people to get active.
Official confirmation will need to be gained, but organisers believed they were close to setting a record.
The current record is 407 people, who took part in a hula hoop workout in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, in March 2013.


Sap from the common garden weed petty spurge appears to treat non-melanoma skin cancers, experts are reporting in the British Journal of Dermatology.

But they tell patients not to "try it at home" since the treatment is still experimental and can irritate the skin.
Their study involved 36 patients with non-melanoma skin cancer lesions.
Although not the most serious form of skin cancer, non-melanoma lesions are very common, accounting for a third of all cancers detected in the UK.
They include basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and usually occur in older people.
Most cases of non-melanoma skin cancer can be easily treated and cured with surgical removal or freezing, or using a special kind of light therapy that kills the cancer cells.
However, for some people these treatments will fail or are not deemed suitable.
The study involved 36 of such patients who collectively had a total of 48 non-melanoma lesions.
Each was treated with the sap of the petty spurge plant, or Euphorbia peplus, which was applied to the skin once a day for three days.
The plant sap has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine, and the researchers wanted to put it through its paces in a proper clinical trial.
After a one month, 41 of the 48 cancers had shown a complete clinical response to the treatment, meaning no trace of the tumour could be found on clinical examination.
Patients who experienced only a partial response to the first round of treatment were then offered a second course.
The lesions which responded positively to one or two courses of treatment were then followed up further for between two and 31 months. .
After an average of 15 months following treatment, two thirds (68.5% or 30 of the 48) of the skin cancer lesions were still showing a complete response.
The researchers say large-scale studies are now needed to test the active ingredient in the weed's sap, a substance called Ingenol mebutate, as a potential new treatment option.
Studies show that when Ingenol mebutate is applied to the skin it not only kills the cancerous cells but also recruits white blood cells known as neutrophils that appear to reduce the risk of relapse by destroying any residual malignant cells that could allow the tumour to re-grow.
Kimberley Carter of the British Association of Dermatologists said: "This is a very small test group so it will be interesting to see what larger studies and the development of the active ingredient in E. peplus sap will reveal.
"Whilst it would not provide an alternative to surgery for the more invasive skin cancers or melanoma, in the future it might become a useful addition to the treatments available to patients for superficial, non-melanoma skin cancers.
"Any advances that could lead to new therapies for patients where surgery is not an option are definitely worth investigating.
"It is also very important to note that this is definitely not a treatment people should be trying out at home.
"Exposure of the sap to mucous producing surfaces, such as the eyes, results in extreme inflammation and can lead to hospitalisation."
Cancer Research UK said that people with suspect skin lesions should continue to see doctors who can advise the best treatment.


Council tenants have argued a plan to place surface-to-air missiles on their tower block during the Olympics could make them a terrorism target.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) rejected the claim, saying missile deployment as part of security measures for the Games was legitimate and proportionate.
Residents of Fred Wigg Tower in Leytonstone, east London, have applied for permission for a judicial review at the High Court.
A judgement is expected on Tuesday.
The residents' barrister, Marc Willers, said their block could become the "focus of a terrorist attack" to make an "evil statement".
Mr Willers told Mr Justice Haddon-Cave: "It is the unprecedented siting of a military base or missile site in peace time on English soil that brings us to this court."
Of the residents, he said: "They have a fully justified fear that installation or deployment of the missile system on the roof of the Fred Wigg Tower gives rise to the additional risk that the tower itself may become the focus of a terrorist attack.
"That fear is not just genuine and legitimate but justified given the nature of the forthcoming occasion - the Olympic Games - and given the nature of the deployment and the current threat level, which is said to be substantial."
Mr Willers filed documents to the court calling for the residents to be moved out of their homes and compensated during the Olympics if the missiles are set up.
The BBC's home of 2012: Latest Olympic news, sport, culture, torch relay, video and audio
He suggested building a tower or gantry on Wanstead Flats to house the missiles.
Mr Willers also warned that part of the missile falls away when fired, claiming it could drop on to a passer-by or set a building on fire.
The MoD plans to deploy either Rapier or High Velocity missiles at six sites as part of security measures for the London Games.
David Forsdick, appearing on behalf of the MoD, said the decision over where to position the missiles was taken at the "highest levels after rigorous scrutiny".
He said it was signed off by the prime minister, deputy prime minister, home secretary and defence secretary in "defence of the realm".
He rejected the allegation that the block could become a focus of terrorism.
By Danny ShawHome affairs correspondent, BBC News
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He told the court: "The MoD, intelligence agencies and the Metropolitan Police do not consider there is any credible threat to the Fred Wigg Tower from terrorism."
He said that view was supported by a witness statement from Dr Campbell McCafferty, head of UK counter-terrorism at the MoD.
The judge hearing the application said the case was "urgent" and hopes to give a judgment on Tuesday.
Mr Willers said it was now probably too late for a full consultation process to be ordered.
The residents want an injunction preventing the siting of the missiles until their legal challenge is heard.
The defence secretary is accused by the local residents' association of breaching Article 8 and Article 1 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
These protect an individual's right to a private life and peaceful enjoyment of their home.
But Mr Forsdick said the missile deployment was "legitimate and proportionate", and the MoD was not legally obliged to relocate residents or offer them  compensation.
The missiles, including Rapier and High Velocity systems, will be in place from mid-July, the MoD confirmed last week.
The sites and types of systems set to be deployed are:
Plans also include the use of the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, which will be moored on the River Thames.
RAF Typhoon jets will be stationed at RAF Northolt, and Puma helicopters at a Territorial Army centre in Ilford, east London. The aircraft, which arrived back at the base on Monday, could be scrambled at short notice.


Immigration has long been a divisive issue on Hispaniola, the Caribbean island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

For decades, large numbers of Haitians have migrated - many of them without papers - to the Dominican Republic, to escape the poverty and lack of employment in their homeland.
In 2013, the Dominican Republic's highest court ruled that children born there to undocumented migrants were not automatically eligible for Dominican nationality.
An 18-month period followed in which undocumented migrants were asked to "regulate their status".
Thousands who did not meet the deadline left the Dominican Republic, with many saying they were forced out by the authorities.
As the BBC's Will Grant found, the Catholic Church has played a key role in the migration crisis with some priests defending the rights of the returnees while others have been criticised for promoting what activists describe as a policy of division.
Weekly Mass at Parc Cadeau is a simple affair.
The church is a small hut made of wicker and palm, the congregation spread out over a few wooden benches.
Looking around the camp, one of several along Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic, you might think that the parishioners have little to be thankful for.
It is surely one of the poorest places in Latin America.
A year ago thousands of returning Haitians arrived at Parc Cadeau.
Some had been forcibly deported from the Dominican Republic, others left voluntarily to avoid confrontation with the authorities.
Today hundreds of families remain on the dusty ranch, living in hastily erected shacks of plastic sheeting, cardboard and rope, trapped in near stateless limbo.
Soinicier Giles is typical of many in the camp.
He spent 22 years living as a farmer in the Dominican Republic, before being deported last year.
He takes me to a ramshackle hut to meet his wife Eleny and six of their eight children. The other two were left behind when he was deported.
The conditions are extremely harsh, especially for the youngest. "We sleep directly on the floor and it gets wet inside when it rains," Eleny explains.
The children were all born in the Dominican Republic itself.
They are showing signs of malnutrition and have developed a skin condition since arriving at the camp.
"They're very hungry, we all are, because we can only afford one meal a day," she says in Creole-accented Spanish.
One of the few local figures helping the returnees is the parish priest, Father Luc Leandre.
With funds from the International Organisation for Migration, he has helped relocate some of the most desperate families to nearby communities in Haiti.
"It's a grave crisis, very, very bad," Father Leandre tells me.
"The Church is like a mother for everyone and I have a duty to help. Not only that, the Pope told everyone they have to help the refugees wherever they are."
But Father Leandre says the attitude of some conservative priests on the other side of the border, particularly in the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo, has complicated his work.
"The cardinal in Santo Domingo is personally very vocal in his support for the deportations. He supported sending all the Haitians back to their country."
"It's racism," he laments, saying the law specifically targeted black Haitians, a charge denied by lawmakers in the Dominican Republic.
The priest Father Leandre was referring to has been the most influential voice in the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic for almost 40 years: the controversial and outspoken Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez.
Earlier this month, Pope Francis accepted the cardinal's resignation, which all archbishops are obliged to offer once they reach the age of 75.
But he will remain an important figure in the Church and in Dominican public life.
The BBC repeatedly requested an interview with Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus so he could respond to the criticisms against him but both he and his press secretary declined.
In many ways, the Haitian migrant crisis has exposed greater divisions within the Catholic Church in Hispaniola over where it should position itself in the 21st Century.
Pope Francis - both the first Jesuit pope and the first from Latin America - designated 2016 as the "Year of Mercy" and certainly Jesuits have been instrumental in supporting the Haitian returnees.
In a video that went viral, the cardinal was filmed in a furious diatribe about a Jesuit priest called Mario Serrano calling him "shameless" and a "leftist".
"He's not very accustomed to being publically confronted," Mario Serrano tells me from the northern border region of Dajabon, where he works with undocumented Haitians.
"I just said that (his) kind of speech was not according to the Catholic teaching and was not for a priest or a Christian.
"I think that really made him mad."
Supporters of the new regularisation law, such as the former Dominican ambassador to the US, Flavio Espinal, deny that the legislation was either cruel or motivated by racism.
"Nothing's perfect and the process here has not been perfect. Yet this has been an extraordinary step forward in the direction of regularising close to 300,000 people who were undocumented in this country.
"That's not an easy decision to make nowadays."
At night, to avoid detection, the farmer Soinicier Giles leaves Parc Cadeau and slips back into the Dominican Republic, the border marked by the Pedernales River.
There he strips the trees for firewood to make charcoal, to sell to Dominican traders for a few dollars.
He knows the practice damages the fertility of the soil, but it's the only available source of income.
"This is the only way we can survive," he says, motioning at his family, stuck inside the world's forgotten migrant crisis.
You can hear more of Will Grant's report on Heart and Soul on the BBC World Service.


Borussia Dortmund's Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang said Wednesday's Champions League hat-trick against Benfica was inspired by his poor performance in the first leg in Portugal.

The striker scored after 4, 61 and 85 minutes to inspire Dortmund to win 4-0 on the night - and 4-1 on aggregate.
He made amends for spurning a host of chances in Lisbon, including a missed penalty.
"After the first leg, I was very sad and really unsatisfied with my performance," the 27-year-old the official club website.
"I made a lot of mistakes throughout that match. So I wanted to show my team-mates today that I'm capable of much more.
"I'm very happy that we won and that we made it through. Tonight was absolutely fantastic."
After Dortmund reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2014, coach Thomas Tuchel joked about Aubameyang's performance in the first leg.
"After we had fielded Aubameyang's twin in Lisbon, we were happy to have him back for tonight's game," he told reporters.
The striker now has seven goals from seven games in this season's competition.
The hat-trick could hardly have come at a better time after Aubameyang irritated club officials on Saturday when sporting a Nike 'swoosh' logo in his hair during the 6-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
The athletics brand's rival Puma is a shareholder in Dortmund, so prompting club officials to say they would be talking to the 2015 African Footballer of the Year about the matter.
One of those was sporting director Michael Zorc, who adopted a different tone when talking about Aubameyang's heroics at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday.
"I said to 'Auba' after the first leg: 'You'll decide the second leg' - and that's exactly what happened," Zorc beamed.


Fugitive Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has contacted his lawyer, according to an unconfirmed report.

Abdeslam has been on the run since he was driven back to Belgium hours after the gun and bomb attacks which left 130 people dead on 13 November.
Quoting a reliable source, the Belga news agency said he had got in touch with lawyer Sven Mary.
Mr Mary has refused to comment on the report and the federal prosecutor has described it as "only a rumour".
Meanwhile, the Paris prosecutor's office has named Chakib Akrouh as the suicide bomber who blew himself up in a Saint-Denis flat linked to the attackers. Akrouh was a Belgian-Moroccan national, born in Belgium in 1990.
Abdeslam's lawyer told Belgian media he would neither confirm nor deny that contact had been made and Belga did not say when it had happened. "I cannot and do not want to talk," he told Belgian TV news.
Mr Mary denied a similar report last month by Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
He has said he would be prepared to represent the fugitive, who is thought to have dropped off three suicide bombers before the attack at the Stade de France.
CCTV pictures emerged this week showing Abdeslam at a petrol station close to the Belgian border in northern France, hours after he allegedly took part in the Paris attacks. He is seen with Hamza Attou, one of two men who are said to have driven him back to Belgium.
Belgian prosecutors said yesterday they had identified three properties used by men involved in the attacks in Paris.
Investigators discovered fingerprints of ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Stade de France bomber Bilal Hadfi at a flat in Charleroi.


Al Jazeera is launching a new TV news channel in the United States.

Al Jazeera America will be available in almost 48 million US households, offering 14 hours of news each day.
The new network replaces Current TV, the cable television network founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, which the Qatar-owned broadcaster acquired in January 2013 for around $500m (Â£308m).
However, it has yet to sign agreements with major operators, such as Time Warner Cable, to carry the channel.
Al Jazeera America said that they will give less airtime than other US networks to advertising, typically carrying six minutes of adverts each hour, less than the industry average of 15 minutes.
By Nick BryantBBC News, New York
From the thumping beat of its news anthems to the familiar faces of its on-screen talent, Al-Jazeera America looks and feels like a US network.
It claims the new channel will look at news through an American lens. Why, it has even opened a bureau in Nashville, the country and western capital.
Its main problem is reputational. Al Jazeera was the network of choice when Osama Bin Laden wanted to broadcast threats to the world. Some Americans confuse Al-Jazeera with Al-Qaeda. Some actively conflate the two.
The channel's big-name hire Ali Velshi, a former CNN presenter who made his name covering the 2008 financial crash, draws an interesting analogy with Japanese products launched in America.
Honda and Toyota overcame consumer animosity because their products proved so attractive. He says the same will be true of Al-Jazeera America, with its emphasis on hard news rather than punditry and comment, a point of difference with Fox News, the market leader, and MSNBC, the number two.
So, the new channel faces a dual challenge: is there still an appetite for straight news, and will Americans trust Al-Jazeera to deliver it.
Globally, Al Jazeera is seen in more than 260 million homes in 130 countries.
However, the network has previously struggled to attract a US audience, partly due to it being perceived as anti-American.
In 2010, Al-Jazeera English blamed a "very aggressive hostility" from the administration of former President George W Bush for reluctance among US cable companies to show the network.
After the takeover of Current TV was announced in January 2013, Time Warner Cable dropped Current from its line-up.
"Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service. We are removing the service as quickly as possible," the nation's second-largest TV operator said.
Al Jazeera said that its new schedule "fulfils its promise to provide unbiased in-depth coverage of domestic and international news important to its American viewers".
"We're breaking in with something that we think is unique and are confident, with our guts and some research, that the American people are looking for," said Kate O'Brian, president of Al Jazeera America and a former ABC News executive.
The new US network will employ around 850-900 journalists at launch, based in 12 US cities.


The world's bestselling drone-maker has unveiled models that warn their operators when there is a risk posed by nearby aeroplanes or helicopters.

The M200 series use ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance broadcast) receivers to detect broadcasts from nearby manned flights.
The transmissions allow users to see the position, altitude and velocity of surrounding aircraft so they can take evasive action if required.
One expert praised the move.
"It's an extra safety measure and will help drone operators work in restricted airspace," explained Dave Black from the commercial drone services firm Blackwing Aerial.
"The way we tend to do this is to contact air traffic controllers before we fly, tell them where we are flying and then they contact us by phone if there's going to be any conflict.
"But in time, the authorities may well also want this kind of feature fitted as standard before they approve operations with larger drones."
Mr Black added that some enthusiasts had created their own ADS-B kit by connecting a receiver to a Raspberry Pi computer with customised software and then tying this to their drone. But he added that an integrated unit would be appreciated.
The announcement was made at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.
DJI announced last July that it intended to develop an ADS-B collision avoidance system in conjunction with uAvionix, a specialist in the technology.
The M200 series drones, which debut the feature, are designed for industrial applications such as inspecting power lines and mapping construction sites.
They have a range of 7km (4.3 miles) and can stay airborne for up to 38 minutes, but some country's regulators currently require them to stay within line-of-sight.
The aircraft are bigger and heavier than many consumer drones - they weigh 3.8kg (8.4lb) and can carry a further 2kg of equipment - so potentially pose a greater risk if involved in a crash.
However, one analyst warned that the new safety system could give drone pilots a false sense of confidence.
"The problem is that ADS-B isn't yet required for all aircraft, so even if you had a receiver you're not necessarily seeing all the traffic in the area," explained Colin Snow, chief executive of the Skylogic Research consultancy.
"Its use is also not required at the low altitudes at which commercial drones tend to fly.
"So, let's say you are a farmer in a rural area using a drone. There's a danger a crop duster could come into your zone - and they often do not use ADS-B - and catch you unaware.
"The other issue is that you only 'see' other aircraft when their ADS-B pings are retransmitted from towers on the ground and sometimes that doesn't happen."


Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson has revealed his delight at finally signing Burundi midfielder Gael Bigirimana.

The 23-year-old, who had a loan spell at Rangers from Newcastle in 2015, signed a two-year deal at Fir Park after deciding to leave Coventry City.
"He's another who we have had several attempts at recruiting; it's a big coup for us to get Gael here," Robinson told the club website.
"He showed a real hunger and desire to come and play with us."
Bigirimana started his career at Coventry before Newcastle paid for his signature in 2012.
After a loan spell at Rangers, during which he did not feature for the first team, he returned to Coventry on loan before formalising a switch to City.
The midfielder was the club's player of the year last season and Robinson is excited to see what he will bring to the Steelmen.
"He brings a real composure to the midfield, something that perhaps we've missed, someone to dictate and run the game," the manager said.
"He certainly provides that, but he also brings energy and a vast amount of experience at a good level for such a young guy."
Bigirimana told the Well website: "I know Motherwell has a great history and I look forward to pulling on the top.
"I've met the manager before when he was at Oldham and I was playing for Coventry, I had a really good game and afterwards he came up to me and told me that but I told him it wasn't even my best yet."
The Burundi international became Motherwell's second capture of the summer following the signing of striker Alex Fisher from relegated Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
"His stats in terms of how he finished the season, eight goals in nine games, speaks for itself," Robinson said of Fisher.
"However, what impressed me very much was the different type of goals that he scored. He's played in the Scottish Premiership, so is familiar with the league, and will give us height and strength in attack."
Overall, Robinson is more than happy with his summer recruitment so far.
"We aren't able to offer the best wages about, but what we did is sell a vision of what we want to do and the togetherness we want to bring to the football club," he added.


Welsh triathlete Non Stanford says she is not concerned about competing at the Olympics in Brazil following the outbreak of the Zika virus.

Kenya threatened to pull out if the Zika virus reaches "epidemic levels".
There are also concerns about water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, but Stanford is happy to represent Great Britain.
"I know that health and safety would never be compromised," she told BBC Wales Sport.
"The medical representatives from Team GB have been in touch to reassure us that they will do everything possible to make sure we're not affected by these issues.
"If by the time the Games come around there is a serious threat, then I'm sure the necessary steps will be taken to make sure we don't come into any harm."
Stanford earned her place in the Great Britain triathlon team by finishing second at the World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago in September 2015.
The 2012 World Under-23 champion Stanford won the senior title the following year.
But injuries ruled Stanford out of most of the 2014 season, including the Commonwealth Games, and began her bid to win selection for Rio at the ITU event in Yokohama in May 2015.
That campaign ended successfully in Chicago where fellow Welshwoman Helen Jenkins finished 11th.


I've been in Los Angeles for just one day, but in driving around the swanky streets of Beverly Hills and Bel Air, I haven't seen much evidence of brown lawns or shrivelled flowers.

Even the golf course outside my Burbank hotel looks deliciously green. So, how much impact is a four-year-long historic drought having on water consumption in America's most populous state?
A new poll here reveals a very human reaction: "Yes, there's clearly a water shortage but I personally can't do much more to cut back."
The poll shows an overwhelming majority of Californians say that the water shortage is extremely serious, and they also support the governor's new stronger water consumption limits. But 44% of homeowners say they will find it hard to actually reduce their usage.
Interestingly, if you happen to be an anthropologist or a behavioural economist, wealthier households, who naturally consume more water to start with, say it will be even harder to cut back.
So, as we head into summer and these restrictions go into effect will those lawns and flower beds actually start to look a little less perfect?


Lesotho's former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's ABC party has defeated bitter rival Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili's party in a snap election.

Mr Thabane's party won 48 of the 80 directly contested seats in the 120-strong parliament, the Independent Election Commission said.
Mr Mosisili's Democratic Congress came second with 30 seats. The ABC now needs to form a coalition in order to govern.
It is the third election in three years caused by a bitter power-struggle.
Lesotho has experienced several coups since independence from Britain in 1966. There was no winner with a clear majority in the last election.
The ABC is expected to form a coalition with three other parties in a bid to obtain the 61-seat majority needed to form a government, Reuters news agency reports, quoting a joint statement by the parties.


New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution, the government is set to announce.

Ministers are also to unveil a £255m fund to help councils tackle pollution from diesel vehicles, as part of £3bn spending on air quality.
The government will publish a court-mandated clean air strategy later, days before a High Court deadline.
Campaigners said the measures were promising, but more detail was needed.
The government was ordered by the courts to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide.
It came after judges agreed with environmental campaigners that previous plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits.
Ministers had to set out their draft clean air strategy plans in May with the final measures due by 31 July.
Local measures could include retrofitting buses and other transport to make them cleaner, changing road layouts, altering features such as speed humps and re-programming traffic lights to make vehicle-flow smoother.
Campaigners want government-funded and mandated clean air zones, with charges for the most-polluting vehicles to enter areas with high air pollution, included in the plans, as well as a diesel scrappage scheme.
It is thought ministers will consult on a scrappage scheme, but there is no firm commitment.
Ministers have been wary of being seen to "punish" drivers of diesel cars, who, they argue, bought the vehicles after being encouraged to by the last Labour government because they produced lower carbon emissions.
The UK announcement comes amid signs of an accelerating shift towards electric cars instead of petrol and diesel ones both at home and abroad:
The government's plans will not contain a vehicle scrappage scheme. And it won't mandate councils to charge dirty vehicles to enter cities.
Compulsory clean air charging zones were identified by the government's own experts as the best way to tackle pollution.
And the decision not to include them in the policy leaves the government in breach of a court order to produce a comprehensive clean air strategy by the end of this month.
Ministers argue that it is better to have a scheme for tackling the worst pollution hotspots rather than rushing out a botched comprehensive strategy.
But clean air campaigners will accuse the government of failing to obey the court yet again, having already lost a case on this issue in April.
ClientEarth, the legal group which brought that case, previously warned it would consider going back to court if the government failed to meet its legal obligations to ensure clean air for people to breathe.
Air pollution is thought to be linked to about 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK, and transport also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
A government spokesman said poor air quality was "the biggest environmental risk" to public health in the UK.
"This government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible," he said.
"Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots - often a single road - through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people.
Environmental law firm ClientEarth welcomed the measures, but said it wanted to see more detail.
Its chief executive James Thornton said: "A clear policy to move people towards cleaner vehicles by banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans after 2040 is welcome, as is more funding for local authorities.
"However, the law says ministers must bring down illegal levels of air pollution as soon as possible, so any measures announced in this plan must be focused on doing that."


The prime minister has expressed irritation at comments by military chiefs about the UK's role in Libya.

It comes after the RAF's second-in-command said "huge" demands were being placed on equipment and personnel.
David Cameron said: "There are moments when I wake up and read the newspapers and think: 'I tell you what, you do the fighting and I'll do the talking'."
He said military leaders were "absolutely clear" the mission could be kept going for as long as necessary.
"Time is on our side, not on Gaddafi's side," he said in a news conference.
He insisted that when he had spoken to airmen, morale and enthusiasm for the job was "extremely high".
Last week, the First Sea Lord, Sir Mark Stanhope, warned that continuing operations in Libya beyond September would mean taking ships away from other tasks.
And in briefing notes obtained by The Daily Telegraph and published on Tuesday, Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant, said morale among personnel was "fragile" and their fighting spirit was being threatened by being over-worked.
He said the service was being stretched by intense air operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
According to the briefing paper, ACM Bryant warned MPs in May that many areas of the RAF were "running hot", while service personnel's sense that the nation valued their efforts was being undermined by the government's defence cuts.
ACM Bryant said: "The true strength is in our people in continuing to deliver, despite all that's asked of them.
The UK's defence dilemma
"Morale remains fragile. Although fighting spirit remains positive, this assessment will be challenged by individual harmony targets as Operation Ellamy [in Libya] endures [after September]."
He continued: "The impact of SDSR [strategic defence and security review] continues to undermine the sense of being valued. There is concern over the perceived lack of strategic direction which is restricting confidence in the senior leadership."
The RAF faces cuts of 5,000 personnel over the next three years - a reduction of almost 15%.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the assumptions on which the government's defence review had been based were "fundamentally flawed".
"It is time to listen to military advice, review the review and provide our forces with capabilities which match our foreign policy ambitions," he said.
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the government's worry is that warnings of overstretch in the military are sending the wrong message to Col Gaddafi and Libya, as well as handing ammunition to Labour, which is calling for defence cuts to be reversed.
For the moment, there is no sign of a government u-turn on defence, but all three services are clear that there is very little in reserve for any new military mission as long as Libya and Afghanistan continue, she added.
Armed forces minister Nick Harvey said tough but necessary measures had to be taken in the strategic defence and security review but the MoD continued to have the resources it needed.
Meanwhile, George Osborne has said the Ministry of Defence will give an update on the cost of the Libya campaign in the next week.
Pressed by Ed Balls about the issue during Treasury questions in the Commons, Mr Osborne said the cost was being met by the Treasury special reserve and was "very much lower than the ongoing operation in Afghanistan".
The RAF is involved in a Nato mission to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians using "all necessary measures" short of a ground invasion.


At least 13 people have been killed and 29 injured in attacks in the Pakistani city of Quetta, officials say.

Eight Shias were killed by gunmen who fired on a bus at a market. A ninth was shot dead in another attack soon after.
Elsewhere in the city a bomb attack on a security convoy left two people dead.
Later two more people were killed when a rally by one of Pakistan's biggest religious parties, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), was bombed. Party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was unhurt.
He said he thought he had been the target.
"I was in a bulletproof car and that's why I survived," the cleric is quoted by AFP as telling local media.
"My car was badly damaged, almost destroyed. The windscreen of my car was completely cracked, we received a big shock but me and friends inside the car are safe and alive," he said.
The cleric has been targeted before by militants, correspondents say, because he has committed to working within Pakistan's electoral system.
The day's first attack took place outside a local vegetable market.
Police told the AFP news agency that four gunmen had killed six men in a minibus before chasing down another two and shooting them dead.
The ninth Shia to be killed was shot dead in the Hazara Town area.
Sunni militants regularly attack members of the city's minority Shia community.  On 4 October a suicide bomber killed at least five people in a Shia neighbourhood.
Hundreds of Shia Hazaras in Quetta have been killed in such attacks in recent years but there was no immediate claim for Thursday's attack.
Over the years Pakistan's Shias have been angered by what they say is a lack of protection for them against sectarian attacks.
Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, and has been plagued by a separatist rebellion as well as a Taliban insurgency and sectarian violence.


More than one billion smartphones were shipped last year, with Samsung extending its lead as the world's biggest vendor, a new survey has showed.

According to market research firm IDC, 1.004 billion smartphones were shipped last year, marking a 38.4% increase from the previous year.
South Korea's Samsung accounted for the bulk of that figure, followed by Apple and China's Huawei.
Smartphones made up more than half of the 1.8 billion mobile phones sold.
IDC said this was the first time more than one billion smartphone units were shipped in a single year.
"Among the top trends driving smartphone growth are large screen devices and low cost," said Ryan Reith, program director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
"Of the two, I have to say that low cost is the key difference-maker."
"Cheap devices are not the attractive segment that normally grabs headlines, but IDC data shows this is the portion of the market that is driving volume," he said.
"Markets like China and India are quickly moving toward a point where sub-$150 smartphones are the majority of shipments, bringing a solid computing experience to the hands of many."
South Korea's Samsung extended its market dominance with 42.9% growth, the IDC survey said.
Apple, however, saw its market share decline, posting slower growth than the overall market with 12.9% growth.
A separate survey released by Strategy Analytics posted slightly differing figures.
It said there were 990 million smartphones shipped last year, from an overall figure of 1.7 billion mobile phones.


The former Bishop of Gloucester said he has "lost confidence and weight" after being cleared of alleged sex assaults.

The Right Reverend Michael Perham said "only time will tell" how the episode will affect him in the long term.
He was questioned by police over two allegations of offences dating back 30 years but was cleared by both the Church of England and police.
The Bishop's farewell service took place at Gloucester Cathedral on Saturday evening.
It was due to have taken place in November but was cancelled when the allegations of offences came to light.
The Metropolitan Police and the Church of England carried out separate inquiries and no action was taken.
Bishop Michael said: "It was very difficult because there was a very public series of allegations and an instant withdrawal from a ministry I was fulfilled in  and building towards retirement.
"It was, and has continued to be, horrible."
He said he never felt "isolated and abandoned" because of "huge support an encouragement" from friends, family and people in the diocese.
"I'm sure it has [changed me], but I'm not sure how yet. I suspect I have lost confidence in some respects, but only time will tell.
Bishop Michael added that he had also "lost a bit of weight".
The Venerable Rachel Treweek was appointed as the new Bishop of Gloucester in March.
You can listen to the full interview with Bishop Michael as he speaks to BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Richard Atkins on Sunday 14 June.


A DNA profile matching the man accused of murdering Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll was found on a carrier bag in which a gun was discovered, a court has heard.

Scientist Marie Campbell told the High Court in Glasgow she analysed the bag found in Coatbridge on 26 January 2010.
She said the probability of the DNA being anyone other than William Paterson's was one in a billion.
Mr Paterson, 35, denies fatally shooting 29-year-old gangland figure Mr Carroll in Glasgow on 13 January 2010.
Mr Carroll was killed at the Asda car park in the city's Robroyston area.
The court heard that a bag containing guns, which had been wrapped in other bags, was found in shrubbery behind a library in Coatbridge by a council gardener in January 2010.
Forensic scientist Mrs Campbell prepared a report after analysing the items and comparing them with a number of reference samples including former murder accused Ross Monaghan.
She told the jury that from a sample, taken from the grip plate on the handle of one of the guns, was analysed and a DNA match was found for the profile of Mr Monaghan.
She also told the jury that the DNA profile on a Tesco carrier bag, which contained a gun, had initially been called "male A".
Last year it was known that "male A" was Mr Paterson.
Advocate depute Iain McSporran, prosecuting, asked about one of the samples taken from a black handgun.
He asked what her findings were about that sample.
She said: "The DNA profile contained DNA from at least three people, the majority of the DNA matched the profile of Ross Monaghan."
Mrs Campbell said that "male A" and the other reference samples were eliminated.
The jury were told that she could not "categorically" say that it would be as a result of Mr Monaghan handling the gun and that it "could well be that it is secondary transfer".
She also said that the probability of it being anyone other than Mr Monaghan is estimated as being more than one billion to one.
Mrs Campbell said items were analysed and a report was compiled last year using a DNA sample from Mr Paterson.
The expert witness told the court: "The taping from the handle of the Tesco carrier bag was analysed and the DNA profile obtained matched the DNA profile of William Paterson."
Defence lawyer Des Finnieston asked about a stab proof vest that was examined.
It was put to her that the DNA profiles of Mr Paterson and Mr Monaghan were eliminated and she said "That's correct."
In relation to the Tesco bag that was examined Mr Finnieston asked: "There's no way of telling the date and time or how long the DNA had been on it?"
Mrs Campbell said: "That's correct."
Mr Paterson denies the charges and incriminates six other people including Ross Monaghan.
He has lodged a special defence of alibi claiming he was at an address in Cumbernauld at the time of the shooting.
The trial before judge Lord Armstrong continues.


Scotland's rural affairs secretary has said 90.4% of EU farm payments were made before the midnight deadline.

Fergus Ewing said it meant 16,521 farmers had now received their Common Agricultural Policy payments.
The government has been facing pressure to deal with "failures" in the subsidies payment system.
It emerged on Friday that any fine may be waived and an extension to the deadline no longer required if a 90% target was met.
Mr Ewing said: "As of close of business last night, and subject to final confirmation, we have made BPS, Greener and Young Farmer payments to 16,521 farmers and crofters, valued at Â£343m. This represents around 90.4% of expected total payments for those schemes.
"We are awaiting a final determination from the European Commission regarding an extension to the payment deadline to 15 October, if necessary, on the grounds of the acutely challenging delivery and implementation issues we face in Scotland.
"Our payments made to date, along with the national loan scheme mean that the majority of farmers and crofters have received their money."
He added: "Over the coming weeks we will be working hard to ensure that we complete the remaining payments due to farmers and crofters as quickly as possible."
The government has accelerated payments in recent weeks amid political pressure from opposition parties, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has apologised to farmers for "failures" with the system.
An extension was granted in 2016, after problems arose with a new Â£178m IT system for delivering the payments.
Audit Scotland has estimated that fines for missing the deadlines could run to Â£60m, and have warned there are still "significant costs and risks for the Scottish government" over the IT problems.
The latest deadline pressure has sparked a political row at Holyrood, with Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson accusing Mr Ewing and Ms Sturgeon of "not being straight" with MSPs and farmers.
The first minister said "rapid daily progress" was being made in getting payments through, and insisted she and her ministers had been clear with parliament. Mr Ewing described criticism as "fanciful".


La La Land took more than £6m in its first weekend in UK cinemas, nearly £5m more than any other film.

The musical, which broke the record for the most Golden Globe awards with seven, has also been nominated for 11 Bafta awards, including best film.
The record opening weekend takings for a musical was the £8.12m paid to see Les Miserables when it opened in 2013.
Assassin's Creed, the most popular film last weekend, dropped down to fourth behind Rogue One and Moana.
La La Land stars Ryan Gosling as a jazz pianist and Emma Stone as a hopeful actress who are both trying to fulfil their dreams in Los Angeles.
They each won individual awards in the Golden Globes with the film itself scooping the best motion picture (comedy or musical) prize.
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Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyhoeddi cynlluniau ddydd Llun i ddiddymu cynllun Hawl i Brynu ar draws y wlad.

Cafodd addewid i wneud hynny ei wneud ym maniffesto'r Blaid Lafur ar gyfer etholiad Cynulliad 2016, ac mae cynghorau unigol eisoes wedi cael y pŵer i atal y cynllun.
Dywedodd y llywodraeth mai'r bwriad oedd amddiffyn stoc dai Cymru a sicrhau bod digon o gartrefi fforddiadwy i bobl sydd methu fforddio prynu neu rentu.
Roedd y cynllun Hawl i Brynu, sydd yn caniatáu i denantiaid cartrefi cymdeithasol brynu eu heiddo ar ôl byw yno am bum mlynedd, yn un o'r polisïau amlycaf gafodd eu cyflwyno gan Margaret Thatcher pan oedd hi'n brif weinidog.
Mae cynghorau Ynys Môn, Sir Gâr ac Abertawe eisoes wedi dod â'r polisi i ben, tra bod cynghorau Caerdydd, Sir Ddinbych a Sir y Fflint wedi cyflwyno cynlluniau tebyg i weinidogion.
Dywedodd yr Ysgrifennydd Cymunedau, Carl Sargeant mai'r bwriad oedd annog landlordiaid cymdeithasol i adeiladu mwy o dai, ac mae'r cynlluniau wedi eu croesawu gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru.
Fe allai gymryd o leiaf blwyddyn yn dilyn pasio'r ddeddf i'r trefniadau newydd ddod i rym.
"Yn ogystal â thai cymdeithasol, byddwn ni hefyd yn cynnig cynlluniau fel Cymorth i Brynu a Rhentu i Brynu, fel bod pobl sy'n ennill incwm gweddol isel yn gallu perchen ar dŷ eu hunain," meddai'r ysgrifennydd.
"Rydyn ni'n cefnogi dulliau rhad o brynu tŷ, ac rydyn ni'n ehangu'r stoc o dai cymdeithasol. Bydd diddymu'r Hawl i Brynu yn cyd-fynd â'r camau gweithredu eraill hyn yr ydyn ni'n eu cymryd i gefnogi pobl y mae angen tai arnyn nhw."
Ond mae'r cynlluniau wedi cael eu beirniadu gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, sydd yn dweud y bydd yn tanseilio "symudedd cymdeithasol".
"Mae'n hawdd i weinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru bregethu, ond yr unig beth fydd y ddeddfwriaeth yma'n ei wneud fydd amddifadu teuluoedd sy'n gweithio'n galed o'r cyfle i fod yn berchen ar eu tai eu hunain," meddai David Melding, llefarydd y blaid ar dai.
"Y rheswm am y diffyg tai fforddiadwy yng Nghymru yw oherwydd nad yw Llafur wedi adeiladu digon ohonynt, nid oherwydd bod tenantiaid cyngor wedi cael y cyfle i brynu eu rhai nhw."


The UK's largest Antarctic research station is to receive a £100m upgrade funded by the government.

Rothera Research Station will be home to the exploration ship RRS Sir David Attenborough. An online public vote had favoured the name Boaty McBoatface.
Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey will use the money to build a new wharf, storage and living quarters.
Its director of operations Tim Stockings said it was "an exciting moment for polar science".
Rothera is a centre for biological research and a hub for supporting deep-field and air operations.
It supports a range of British university and international science programmes, including the Dirck Gerritsz laboratory operated by the Netherlands.
The Department for Business and Science said the upgrade would allow teams to conduct more ambitious expeditions to untapped areas of the Antarctic and the Arctic.
Science minister Jo Johnson said the investment would help ensure "our world-class research sector has the tools it needs to thrive on a global stage".
Construction company BAM has been appointed to build the facilities, which can only be done during the four month-long Antarctic summers.
The money will also fund the modernisation of buildings and facilities at British Antarctic Survey stations in Signy in the South Orkney Islands and at Bird Island and King Edward Point, both in South Georgia.
The whole project is expected to take between seven and 10 years.


Associated Newspapers has lost its challenge to a High Court decision to award £10,000 privacy damages to rock star Paul Weller.

It has also been refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Weller and his wife won the damages last year after pictures of his three youngest children were "plastered" on Mail Online in 2012.
The couple complained that the un-pixellated shots were "plainly voyeuristic".
They sued Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and Metro, for misuse of private information on behalf of their daughter Dylan, who was 16 when the pictures appeared online, and twin sons John-Paul and Bowie, who were 10 months old.
Associated Newspapers appealed against the ruling because it said it created what was, in effect, an "image right" - that is, giving legal control to the subject of the photograph - for the first time and this would have far-reaching adverse effects on the freedom of the UK media.
However three High Court judges today dismissed the appeal and refused Associated Newspapers permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Seven paparazzi photos were published in October 2012 under the headline "A family day out: Paul Weller takes wife Hannah and his twin sons out for a spot of shopping in the hot LA sun".
A photographer had followed the family on a shopping trip in Santa Monica, California, and took photographs without their consent despite being asked to stop.
Lawyers for Mail Online had argued the publication of the images was entirely in line with the law in California where they were taken by a freelance photographer.
The judge agreed the images could have been published legally in California, but said their appearance in the UK violated the right to privacy enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Since their win at the High Court, Hannah Weller has campaigned to stop papers publishing photos of children without their parents' consent.


Teachers are to step up industrial action by boycotting some work associated with the Curriculum for Excellence.

Teachers' union the NASUWT said it had given notice it will escalate its current action from Thursday 12 May.
The union claims that curriculum changes have "simply piled on the pressure" on to teachers.
The Scottish government said it was "disappointed" but would work with teachers to address their concerns.
In January ministers set up a working group to examine ways of reducing bureaucracy and extra workload linked to the new curriculum and qualifications.
But at the weekend, another teaching union, the EIS, said the working group's recommendations did not go far enough and announced it would ballot members over industrial action.
The NASUWT said it would instruct its members to refuse to comply with planning, assessment and reporting work linked to Curriculum for Excellence which does not meet the recommendations made by the working group.
That could see them refusing to submit daily or weekly plans as well as not producing detailed folios of pupils' work to support assessments.
Union general secretary Chris Keates said the industrial action would protect teachers and pupils "in the face of the failure of government and employers to do so".
She added: "Excessive workload is blighting teachers' professional lives and affecting their health and wellbeing, yet the government and employers are failing to act.
"The reforms to the curriculum and qualifications systems have simply piled on the pressure.
"Recommendations made by a government working group set up to examine these issues are being ignored by employers and schools.
"With 87% of teachers citing workload as their biggest concern and two thirds considering leaving the profession all together, this situation cannot be allowed to continue.
"Teachers are tired, exhausted and disillusioned."
Jane Peckham, national official for the NASUWT in Scotland, said: "Talented teachers are being driven out of the profession because of the burden of excessive workload.
"Yet the government and employers fail to act.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: "The decision to recommend industrial action is disappointing and is in no one's interests, least of all pupils and their families.
"We will continue to work with unions and teachers on issues relating to planning and assessment."


Four people have been sentenced for money laundering and fraud offences as part of a £3m scam against the NHS.

Leeds Crown Court heard Neil Wood , 41, was a senior executive within NHS England responsible for providing training for managers.
He used his position to award contracts to companies run by family and friends who then billed the NHS with inflated invoices.
Wood then split the excess money with his three co-defendants.
Simon Higginbotham, specialist fraud lawyer at the Crown Prosecution Service, described the level of fraud as "staggering".
"Wood outsourced services which could have been undertaken in-house so that his wife, friends and contacts received vast sums of money they were not entitled to," he said.
"However, of the money his friends received, Neil Wood more often than not received a 50% cut.
"In total over £3m was fraudulently spent in this way and Neil Wood received over half of that."
Wood, of Heydon Close, Leeds, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by misrepresentation.
He was jailed for four years and eight months.
His wife Lisa Wood, 40, also of Heydon Close, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and received a suspended jail sentence of 16 months.
The court heard money was transferred to the Woods through a company run by her.
Huw Grove, 45, from Bristol, was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position. He was jailed for four years.
Grove ran a training company which was given NHS contracts by Wood.
Terence Dixon, 46, from Monmouth was sent to prison for for 12 months after being found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position.
The court was told Wood paid Dixon an £18,000 "administration fee" for work that was not carried out.
Four other people were acquitted of all charges following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in November.


Derbyshire were denied a chance of a first Championship win for two years as bad light and rain saw their match with Nottinghamshire end in a draw.

Rain delayed play until 13:45 BST and Notts, who resumed on 313-6, added only 36 runs to be dismissed for 349 as Tom Taylor (4-67) took three quick wickets.
Chasing 216 to win, Wayne Madsen scored 61 and put on 67 with Shiv Thakor (25).
Derbyshire were 190-5, needing 26 off 7.5 overs, when rain forced the players off for the final time.
It was harsh on Derbyshire who had seemed poised for their first Championship win over Notts since 2002.
After the visitors slipped to 36-2, Madsen and Thakor scored at more than five an over to swing the game in their favour.
With the victory target in sight, the players first went off for bad light which meant Derbyshire had nine overs to score the 36 required for victory.
The restart lasted seven balls and in that time Alex Hughes (24) was trapped lbw by Luke Fletcher (2-46), but heavy rain forced the players off the field again with Derbyshire agonisingly close to a famous win.
Notts move 13 points clear of second-placed Kent who did not play this week, while Derbyshire are eighth with 36 points from five matches.
Notts head coach Peter Moores:
"I think we have to give credit to them. Derbyshire were in a great position to win the game. It was unfortunate for them that the weather came at the wrong time, but credit to how they played.
"Now with all the weather apps around we get that many reports, but at the start of the day we knew we'd have a chance of some cricket.
"We prepared as if we were going to play but we wanted to get a lead of 250-270. They bowled well at us and it was a good run chase from them. They put us under pressure."
Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman:
"Obviously we are disappointed that we weren't able to play the game through and seal the victory.
"We've spoken internally about putting together quality first-class cricket across four days, not just a session or a day, so I'm really pleased the group were able to play good solid cricket across all four days.
"I think everyone has played their part. It has been a real team effort and everyone has contributed. We are just disappointed that the weather and light intervened and stopped us from a certain victory."


A crackdown on fake universities in England has been ordered by ministers.

The aim is to prosecute and take down fraudulent websites masquerading as genuine degree-awarding institutions, says the government.
The move follows evidence of 190 bogus universities offering fake degree certificates.
"It will help protect the reputation of the UK as a provider of high-quality education," said England's Universities and Science Minister, Jo Johnson.
Mr Johnson said the government had appointed Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) - set up four years ago to provide degree verification for job applications and postgraduate courses - to "expose unscrupulous organisations and remove misleading websites wherever they make an appearance".
"Such action is in the interests of all legitimate providers and genuine students," he said.
Last year, a BBC investigation found fake University of Kent degree certificates on sale online for Â£500.
BBC Radio Kent discovered a website in China selling degree certificates from dozens of UK universities.
HEDD business services director Jayne Rowley said: "Degree fraud is a serious problem.
"In the first quarter of this year alone we added 42 bogus institutions to the database, and there are thousands of fake degree certificates in circulation.
"It is easy to see why people would be tricked into thinking they could get a genuine degree from these websites.
"On the surface they appear credible.
"They use the word university in their title, and many imitate legitimate sites with all of the information you would expect from study guides to lecturers words of welcome and student testimonials.
"Innocent applicants can be duped out of thousand of pounds to end up with a worthless piece of parchment with a fancy seal."
"Campuses" described on the websites were often "actually just mailing addresses or virtual offices", said Ms Rowley.
"Coursework can amount to no more than listing your skills based on life experience or specifying the degree you want," she said.
"If you are offered a degree for little effort and a minimal fee, you have to question its legitimacy."


Debris has been found in the search for a light aircraft which went missing as it flew over the Irish Sea.

The aircraft, which had one person on board disappeared from radar three miles out at sea.
It had been due to land at Blackpool Airport at 09:15 GMT after its journey from the Isle of Man. The debris was found off the Lancashire coast.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said further searches had been suspended due to failing light.
Matthew Mace, duty controller at the UK Coastguard, said: "We have used all the means and assets available to search an extensive area off the Blackpool coast.
He said crews would "review overnight what searches will be conducted tomorrow".
Lifeboat and helicopter teams had been searching a 45 sq nautical mile (154 sq km) area.
The Coastguard said there was a "strong likelihood that this aircraft may have ditched into the sea".


It's the biggest jigsaw puzzle you've ever seen but in this case, there are no instructions on the box.

Hundreds of bones are laid out on the floor and Dr Hilary Ketchum, of the Oxford Museum of Natural History, has kindly offered to piece them all together.
It takes more than an hour to slot the makeshift skeleton of Eve the plesiosaur into place.
And you can clearly see the giant scale of the animal, with its large flippers and long neck.
Plesiosaurs ruled the oceans for more than a hundred million years before dying out at the same time as the dinosaurs.
Despite their dominance of the prehistoric oceans, there are still many unanswered questions about their biology, anatomy and evolution.
Plesiosaurs are really unusual animals, says Dr Ketchum, who looks after geological specimens at the museum.
"They're a type of reptile related to other reptiles like dinosaurs, crocodiles, ichthyosaurs and turtles for example, but actually we're not really sure where they fit in the grand scheme of things."
The animal was spotted by a group of amateur archaeologists from a shard of bone at a quarry.
"One day, one of the members found a little bone over there from the flipper just lying on the clay," explains Dr Ketchum,  gesturing at the 165-million-year-old skeleton  beside her on the floor.
"On further investigation, they found more and more bone and eventually they discovered the entire skeleton, which is very exciting.
"We think it's possibly a new species but even if it's not, it's very unusual. They're very rare fossils - plesiosaurs, especially nearly complete ones like this."
The fossil was discovered at the Must Farm quarry near Peterborough.
Mark Wildman and members of the Oxford Working Group - a team of amateur and professional archaeologists who search for fossils - nicknamed her Eve, as she was their first major find.
The true gender of the fossil is unclear, as the only confirmed female plesiosaur is a fossil found with a baby inside.
The quarry hit the headlines earlier this year, when a Bronze Age settlement was unearthed.
Eve was discovered in 2014 in a much older layer of the Earth  - a swathe of rock from Jurassic times which was once beneath the ocean and is known for containing fossils of marine animals such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.
The Oxford Clay, as it is called, stretches across much of England, and is exposed in quarries around Oxford, Peterborough and Weymouth, where many of the fossil discoveries of Victorian times were made.
The fossil was donated by quarry owners Fonterra to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, where staff have spent months cleaning and repairing it.
In a laboratory at the side of the museum, conservator Juliet Hay is delicately paring away mud from the reptile's skull with a scalpel.
The skull is still encased in clay that is being removed a flake at a time in order to preserve the delicate bones and teeth.
It is a painstaking task, requiring nerves of steel, but essential to get the skull of the specimen ready for further analysis.
A few weeks later, in the basement of the Life Sciences Building at Bristol University, I meet Dr Roger Benson, who is investigating the fossil.
As the skull goes round in the CT scanner, he tells me about the find.
"I think we're going to see some really beautiful bones," he says.
The skull has already been scanned once at the Royal Veterinary College in London to examine the positioning of the bones and teeth inside the block of clay.
This more powerful CT scanning machine at the University of Bristol could unlock the secrets of Eve the plesiosaur and determine whether she is a new species.
"It's really clear in these high-resolution scans that we've got lots of really well-preserved bones that are going to give us lots of information," says Dr Benson.
"From what we've seen already from the body, we know it has some features that are different to the other animals that we've seen before so it's very likely that this is an animal that is new to science."
He says further examination of the new details of the skull will help to confirm this.
It will also help Juliet Hay to extract the bones with more precision.
"This is a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle when you do have the lid and its picture," he adds.
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A canoeist killed in a river near Beddgelert in Snowdonia  has been named as 24-year-old Thomas Lloyd, from Whittington, Staffordshire.

Mr Lloyd was a third-year environmental management student at Bangor University.
Emergency services were called at 14:50 BST on Tuesday to a river at Aberglaslyn, near Beddgelert.
His body was recovered following a "complex operation" involving mountain rescue and underwater search teams.
"Staff and students at Bangor University are saddened to hear of the death of Tom Lloyd," said a spokesman for the college.
"An experienced outdoor pursuits enthusiast, he had just spent the summer in Norway working as a kayak instructor, as well as carrying out field research as part of his studies.
"He will be sadly missed by all his friends at Bangor, and our thoughts are with them and his family."
North Wales Police said investigations into Mr Lloyd's death are continuing, and his family are being supported by liaison officers.


Russia claimed its first medal of Rio 2016 as Beslan Mudranov won Olympic gold in the judo men's -60kg.

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Mudranov is one of 271 Russian athletes competing in Brazil despite calls for a blanket ban on the country following evidence of state-sponsored doping.
He beat reigning world champion Yeldos Smetov, who eliminated Great Britain's Ashley McKenzie, in the final.
Meanwhile, Argentina's Paula Pareto added the Olympic crown to her world title by winning the women's -48kg.
Pareto, 30, beat South Korea's Bokyeong Jeong to claim her nation's first medal of the Games in neighbouring Brazil.
Later on Saturday, three-time European champion Mudranov, 30, won his first Olympic medal in a tight final against Smetov.
Neither man scored in the initial five-minute contest, with Mudranov eventually winning just 44 seconds into the golden score decider.
Smetov, 23, had earlier ended McKenzie's hopes of becoming Britain's first male judo medallist since Raymond Stevens at Barcelona 1992.
The 27-year-old from Surrey is ranked 20th in the world and was an outside medal chance.
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A Sydney teenager from the same school as the 15-year-old who shot dead a police worker on Friday has been arrested on his way to class.

Police said the boy was asked about alleged social media posts, but became threatening and intimidated officers.
Facebook posts which local media say were written by the boy, who has not been named, defended and praised teen gunman Farhad Jabar's actions.
Jabar was shot dead by police after killing police veteran Curtis Cheng.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione on Saturday said Jabar's actions were politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism.
The boy detained on Tuesday was taken away in handcuffs for further questioning at Parramatta Police Station.
He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that police had taken offence to him filming them on his phone as they patrolled outside the school.
Media reports said he had written posts on Facebook saying the nearby Merryland police station "is next".
The arrest comes as classes resumed for the first time since Friday's shooting, and the end of school holidays.
The NSW Department of Education is offering counselling to Arthur Phillip High School students and staff.
Police accountant Curtis Cheng, 58, was gunned down on the street as he headed home for the long weekend.
Floral tributes were laid for Mr Cheng outside the New South Wales Police Headquarters over the weekend, which is 300m from Arthur Phillip High, by friends, colleagues and even strangers.


Prince Harry has grown up in the media spotlight - from a young royal dealing with his mother's death, through his partying teenage years, to his career in the military and, most recently, in charity work.

He has attempted to walk the line between his public and private lives. Inevitably, he has had to embrace publicity at times in order to promote the good causes he supports, but has also drawn a line when the attention has become too much.
Harry's military career came to an end in June 2015, shortly after he was pushed down to fifth in line to the throne by the birth of his brother Prince William's second child, Charlotte.
During his 10 years in the Armed Forces, Captain Wales, as he became known, saw action in Afghanistan twice, most recently in 2012 to 2013 as an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner.
The prince, now 32, has said his Army experience will "stay with me for the rest of my life".
In this new phase of his life centred around voluntary work, he has worked with conservation experts in sub-Saharan Africa.
And, like his mother before him, his work in Africa has also focused on humanitarian causes, via the charity he set up, Sentebale, to help children affected by HIV and Aids.
Last autumn, Harry continued his support of the charity Walking With the Wounded by joining five wounded service personnel for part of their 1,000-mile (1,600km) trek around Britain.
This follows a previous trek with the charity in which he walked 200 miles to the South Pole as patron of the South Pole Allied Challenge 2013.
Harry has publicly supported a number of other military charities too, including Help for Heroes and ABF the Soldiers' Charity.
In March 2014, he launched the Invictus Games for injured members of the armed forces and in May 2016 the second incarnation of the event was held in Orlando.
But as well as his military and charitable work, the prince has previously been in the spotlight for less admirable reasons.
An early upset involved Harry smoking cannabis.
St James's Palace confirmed in January 2002 that the then 17-year-old had "experimented with the drug on several occasions" but said the use was not "regular".
In October 2004, there was a scuffle with a photographer outside a club.
A royal spokesman said at the time that the 20-year-old prince "was hit in the face by a camera when photographers crowded around him".
"In pushing the camera away, it's understood that a photographer's lip was cut," the spokesman added.
In 2005, there was widespread outrage when an image came to light of the prince at a fancy dress birthday party dressed as a Nazi.
Clarence House later issued a statement saying: "Prince Harry has apologised for any offence or embarrassment he has caused. He realises it was a poor choice of costume."
And in 2009, Harry was forced to apologise for using offensive language to describe an Asian member of his Army platoon after video footage of the incident emerged.
St James's Palace said the prince was "extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause" but said he had "used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon".
Clarence House complained in 2005 that the prince's safety was put at risk when paparazzi followed Harry and his then girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, as they were driven along a dirt track in Botswana.
There was further difficulty for the prince when a former art teacher at Eton claimed she had done some of Harry's A-level coursework - allegations later rejected at a tribunal.
Harry was a constant presence at the London 2012 Games, during which he was an Olympic ambassador.
He was highly visible during the Queen's Jubilee in the same year, and as part of the celebrations completed his first royal solo tour overseas with visits to Belize, the Bahamas, Brazil and Jamaica.
However, photos appeared in August 2012 of the prince and a young woman naked in a Las Vegas hotel room - a reminder of his partying image.
The two photos, first published on US gossip website TMZ, were taken on a private break with friends, with the site reporting the prince was in a group playing "strip billiards".
He later said he had "probably let myself down, I let my family down, I let other people down".
"But at the end of the day I was in a private area and there should have been a certain amount of privacy that one should expect."
Prince Harry's military career has undoubtedly been affected by media attention.
He was left disappointed in May 2007 when Army chiefs decided not to send him to Iraq because of "unacceptable risks".
He then spent 10 weeks serving in Afghanistan in 2008 - the first royal in more than 25 years to serve in a war zone - but had to pull out amid concerns for his safety after news leaked of his unpublicised deployment.
He returned to Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot from September 2012 to January 2013, before qualifying as an Apache commander in July 2013.
Despite his decision to leave the Army, Harry will return to work in a voluntary capacity with the Ministry of Defence's Recovery Capability Programme, supporting wounded or sick servicemen and women.
Born at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, on 15 September 1984, the prince was christened Henry Charles Albert David by the Archbishop of Canterbury in December 1984 in St George's Chapel, Windsor.
But it was officially announced from the start of his life that he would be known as Harry.
He attended the same schools as his brother William, starting at Jane Mynors' Nursery School in London in September 1987.
In 1989 Prince Harry joined Prince William at Wetherby School, moving to Ludgrove School in Berkshire in September 1992 and entering Eton in 1998.
He left Eton with a grade B in his art A-level and a D in geography. He had dropped his third A-level subject, history of art, after taking the AS-level exam.
Before joining the Army, Harry took a gap year, working on a sheep farm in Australia and with Aids orphans in Lesotho.
Although he is now 32, many people around the world will find it hard to forget the image of him as a 12-year-old at the funeral of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
He walked behind the hearse that carried his mother's coffin to Westminster Abbey, accompanied by his brother, father, grandfather and uncle.
Harry was best man at his brother William's wedding in April 2011 and has since spoken of how hard it was not to have his late mother there.
In recent years he has had counselling to help him deal with his grief.
In a candid interview with the Daily Telegraph, he describes shutting down all of his emotions for nearly 20 years and refusing to thinking about his mother.
This, he said, had a "quite serious effect" on his personal life and his work, and brought him close to a breakdown "on numerous occasions".
As one of the world's most high-profile bachelors, Harry's love life has drawn much interest over the years.
In early 2014 speculation had been mounting that he might propose to girlfriend Cressida Bonas, but the couple then split up.
In late 2016, he confirmed a new relationship with US actress Meghan Markle, but felt forced to issue a statement accusing journalists of harassing her.
He described nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers, attempts by reporters and photographers to get into her home and the "bombardment" of nearly every friend and loved one in her life.
Ms Markle, 35, may not have been a familiar name to British audiences, but she is better known in the US for her role as Rachel Zane in TV drama Suits.


Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott hopes Australian hooker James Segeyaro will return to the club despite the player saying he is homesick.

Last week, chief executive Gary Hetherington said Segeyaro would stay at Leeds despite interest from the NRL.
The 26-year-old subsequently told the Australian Sunday Telegraph that he did not want to return to the UK.
"Some of the things he's said are disappointing. We expect him to be back," McDermott told BBC Radio Leeds.
"We made a commitment to James and he made a commitment to us.
"I spoke to him on the phone and he expressed some concerns to me about coming back."
He added: "We've got a contract with him and that's not to be broken lightly. I'm not talking about the legal part of it but if you look someone in the eye and say 'I'll see you whenever' and then say 'I'm not coming now'... I don't think you should do that too often in your life."
Segeyaro joined the Rhinos from NRL side Penrith in June and is contracted to the Super League side until the end of the 2018 season.
McDermott said the club were prepared should Segeyaro not come back to England.
"There's always a plan B. There's always a fluid list of players who are available," McDermott added.
"We hope he comes back and comes back in the right frame of mind but if he doesn't we have plans in place."


A post-mortem examination is expected to take place on Friday after the death of a baby girl who was found in a car in County Tipperary.

The girl has been named locally as seven-month-old Chloe Fogarty.
She was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick after being found unresponsive at about 13:30 BST on Thursday.
It is believed the girl was left in the car for several hours.
GardaÃ (Irish police) are investigating the incident and have described it as a tragedy.
A reporter with the Irish Independent told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster that it is possible the baby died from sunstroke.
"People are stunned," said Ralph Riegel. "It was a beautiful day in Tipperary yesterday, the hottest day of the year.
"It wasn't realised or appreciated that the little girl was left asleep in the vehicle for a significant period of time.
"One of the theories being looked at is that she had already suffered sunstroke and doctors just simply were not able to save her."
Mr Riegel added that the girl was an only child and that her parents had married in the last two years.
"They're both from the area, a very respected and very popular couple. They're both involved in business activity and sporting activities in Tipperary.
"We're expecting a full post-mortem examination to take place today and, at the moment, they're being comforted by family and friends."
Mr Riegel said that police are preparing a file for the Tipperary County Coroner although an inquest into the death is "almost definitely not going to happen before next year".


In some parts of the United States, high school American football is a huge deal.

Widely regarded as the third tier of the sport, after the NFL and college leagues, some matches are televised at prime time on Friday nights.
But one school from Washington is struggling to get on the pitch, with three successive opponents forfeiting matches against them.
The Wildcats from Archbishop Murphy High School (AMHS) won their first three matches this year by a combined score of 170-0.
But their next three opponents - South Whidbey, Sultan and Granite Falls - have all refused to face them.
AMHS have six players weighing at least 17 stone, including three at more than 21st, and are so dominant staff and parents from other schools are becoming increasingly concerned about player safety.
A private Catholic school, AMHS is able to recruit students from a wider catchment area than the local comprehensive schools.
"The level of athletes they've been able to bring in on one team doesn't match up with a lot of the teams in our league," said Tim Dennis, head coach of Granite Falls.
"It's not that we're afraid to play the game, it's an injury issue."
During a tense meeting of parents, players and officials, the mother of one Granite Falls player said: "My 14-year-old son is 5ft 8in and weighs 117 pounds (8st 5lbs). They've got 18-year-old players that are 6ft 5in and weigh 330 pounds (23st 5lbs).
"That's like putting a Volkswagen Bug against a truck."
But AMHS head coach Jerry Jensen said forfeiting matches did not "ring true" to what schools should be teaching their pupils.
"This is their opportunity to face adversity, power through it, and it will serve them well in their life," he said.
AMHS play in the Cascade Conference, but there are growing calls for them to play in a higher division.


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Forty-eight matches, 271 tries, admirable ultimate champions and a host of brilliant memories from arguably the best Rugby World Cup ever.
As the dust settles on New Zealand's win over Australia in Saturday's finale, I have been casting my mind back to remember the highs and lows of six weeks of often-scintillating rugby.
David Pocock
The Australia number eight had a huge impact, making a massive contribution in every game he played in.
He made crucial turnovers against the best teams - and back rows - in the world. They knew he would be coming but still could not limit his brilliance.
Bernard Foley's second try in Australia's 33-13 win over England.
This try was beautifully constructed and thrillingly executed.
From a breakdown in the middle of the pitch, Foley suckered the England defence into believing the Wallabies were attacking down the left, before doubling back, bringing Kurtley Beale with him to form a dangerous attacking arrowhead with Israel Folau on the outside.
England scrum-half Ben Youngs was isolated and exposed in the guard position and Foley left him rooted to the Twickenham turf with a simple inside pop to Beale, continuing his run to take the return pass and coast unopposed to the try line in a delicious move.
New Zealand beating Australia 34-17 in the final
The final was a tremendous battle between two top teams whose individual stars pushed themselves to their limits.
Australia's comeback - recovering from 18 points down shortly after half-time to be within just four of the All Blacks with 15 minutes to go - was the drama the match needed to make it great.
However the best team in the world ruthlessly finished off the Wallabies with fly-half Dan Carter running the show in his final match for his country.
New Zealand play the game in a style that looks enjoyable to be part of.
From the sidelines it is certainly pleasing to my eye. They are deserving world champions.
Japan replacement Karne Hesketh scoring a match-winning last-minute try against South Africa.
It has been a long time since I have shouted at the television screen, but I could not believe what I was witnessing as Japan beat the two-time champions to win their first World Cup match in 24 years.
It was a truly inspirational rugby moment and Japan's decision to go for victory rather than take the kick that would have drawn the match when awarded that late penalty was sensational.
Nehe Milner-Skudder
The New Zealand wing only made his international debut in August but just seven matches and less than three months later, he scored a try in the World Cup final.
He is full of snap, crackle and pop, able to beat defenders in a tight space with a huge side-step and rapid acceleration.
He made more metres (561m) and clean breaks (15) than any other player at the World Cup and scored six tries.
His skill set is also sufficiently extensive to allow him to play full-back because he is confident under the high ball and has a solid kicking game.
Scotland
Vern Cotter's team got within 45 seconds of making the semi-final before falling to an agonising late and, as it turned out, erroneous penalty call against Australia in the last eight.
I had not given them much of a chance before the game. I thought they would do well to stay within 10 points of Australia.
It will not feel like any great consolation but they did themselves and everyone involved with the Scottish rugby team proud.
It was a fantastic performance after finishing bottom of the 2015 Six Nations table.
It has to be hosts England
England were 22-12 up with less than half an hour to go against Wales in their Pool A meeting but 'lost' the closing stages of the match 16-3 to find themselves on the wrong end of a 28-25 scoreline at the final whistle.
A team in form would not have let that lead slide.
It was a real shame for all the guys who had worked hard for three months building up to the tournament that they could not find their best form when it counted most.
Daniel Hourcade
Argentina's head coach was promoted to the job in autumn 2013 after a spell in charge of the country's second-string side and has had a huge impact over the two years he has been in place.
The team he had inherited had recently lost 73-13 against South Africa, but he has motivated and inspired them to play fearless running rugby and their progress to the semi-finals showed their more expansive game is paying off.


Record numbers of GP practices closed last year, forcing around 265,000 patients to move, data suggests.

A Freedom of Information request by Pulse magazine revealed 57 practices closed in 2016, with a further 34 shutting because of practice mergers.
The Royal College of GPs said doctors could no longer cope with growing patient demand without more funding.
NHS England said investment in general practice had increased by Â£1bn over two years.
The number of patients having to change surgeries was up by 150% from 2014, according to the data, and up 15% from 2015.
The figures also highlighted areas particularly affected, including Brighton, which saw seven practices close in the past two years, Pulse said. Four of the closures meant 9,000 patients had to find a new surgery.
In April 2016, NHS England announced an extra Â£16m for this year for a so-called "practice resilience programme", with another Â£24m in subsequent years.
But Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said the needs of surgeries, both with funding and staff, were not being met.
"GP practices are the lifeblood of our local communities so the complete closure of any practice will always be a last resort when all other options have proved unworkable," she said.
Prof Stokes-Lampard added that, while there may be funding available, practices needed to be able to get to it "without having to wade through convoluted red tape".
32,628
GPs in England
5,000 more planned for 2020
1 in 3 considering retirement in next five years
13% of GP training places went unfilled last year
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, told Pulse that the money could make a difference, but blamed local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for stopping the cash getting to where it was needed.
"The tragedy is CCGs have not delivered their part in making the resource available," he said.
"Many practices that should have received support have had none to date. That's been a failing of local delivery."
An NHS England spokesman said anyone wanting to register with a GP was guaranteed a place and funding had been increased.
"These figures as presented don't reflect the full picture as they include patients whose records automatically transfer after a merger and therefore don't have to change practice," he said.
"As part of our plans to improve general practice services and boost the workforce, many practices are choosing to merge in order to offer patients a much greater range of services."
But Labour's shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said more needed to be done to help GPs, which would, in turn, take the pressure off struggling hospitals.
"Tory ministers need to take urgent action to address this spike in GP practice closures and explain what they will do to make sure patients can easily and safely access the GP services they need," he added.


An extra 500 modern apprenticeships are to be funded over the next year through a £3.8m investment, the Scottish government has announced.

The funding will also be used to create more opportunities for senior secondary pupils through work-based foundation apprenticeships.
These are designed to provide industry recognised qualifications and first hand insight into the world of work.
The announcement coincides with the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
The 500 places are the first step towards expanding Skills Development Scotland's current apprentice programme from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Apprenticeships not only offer our young people better job prospects - they also have a positive impact on businesses and industry, bringing value to employers and our economy.
"We have already seen youth unemployment reach its lowest level in seven years and with further investment in our young workforce - like these 500 apprenticeships - we can hope to see that continue to improve."
Ms Sturgeon was due to meet some of the female apprentice mechanics at GTG Training, which is owned by Arnold Clark. The firm has seen 160 apprentices start this year, of which 31 are female.
The first minister said she wanted to make sure that apprentice opportunities are open to women as well as men.
The Scottish government pledged last week to encourage equality in Scotland's modern apprenticeship programme.