The partner of former EastEnders actress Sian Blake has admitted killing her and their two children.

Arthur Simpson-Kent's lawyer told the Old Bailey the jury would be told this at his trial in October. He is yet to enter a formal plea.
Ms Blake, 43, Zachary, eight, and Amon, four, were found at the family home in Erith, London, in January after being reported missing on 16 December.
He was arrested at Heathrow Airport after being extradited from Ghana.
The 48-year-old hairdresser is expected to enter pleas on 29 July.
Ms Blake played Frankie Pierre in 56 episodes of EastEnders between 1996 and 1997.
As well as EastEnders, Ms Blake also appeared in the 1998 film Siberia and TV movie May 33rd in 2004 under her stage name Syan Blake, according to her IMDB profile.
She had motor neurone disease before she died.
The Met has referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over how the investigation was handled.
It is also conducting a serious case review, which is standard in all major cases, to look at what lessons can be learned from the investigation.


One of British comedy's best loved scenes was reprised - sort of - in Belfast city centre on Saturday night.

In Only Fools and Horses, Del and Rodney, dressed as Batman and Robin for a fancy dress party, emerge from the London fog to scare away muggers.
Belfast's caped crusaders were stopped on their mopeds at traffic lights on their way to... who knows where?
Kim O'Neill was getting cash from an ATM when she spotted the not so Dynamic Duo.
"It was just outside the Hudson bar in Gresham Street, I was just at the cash machine and turned around," Kim said.
"They were just going past, they were stopped at the traffic lights and I just turned round and said 'look at those two'."
The Lisburn woman quickly took a picture and tweeted it.
"There was hardly anybody about, nobody tooting their horns or anything," Kim said.
"I'm sure they got a reaction along their wee journey, wherever they were going.
"I don't know if they were heading out somewhere, maybe to a fancy dress party or something. God knows where they were going.
"Belfast is in safe hands anyway with those two running about. I just thought it was so funny."
So, does Belfast have a new pair of crime fighting superheroes, or was it just two punters on their way to a fancy dress party?
We may never know.


Ambulances have met a new target for responding to the most life-threatening callouts for a second month.

A total of 70.8% of red calls were reached within eight minutes in November, official figures have shown.
It is the second month of a year-long pilot to test changes to the way the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust responds to patients.
In October, almost 69% of code red calls were responded to within eight minutes compared with the 65% target.
The latest figures showed more than a third of patients who received red callouts had a response within four minutes.
Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said he expected the service to "continue to improve to ensure people who need the life-saving skills of ambulance clinicians do so in the quickest time possible and get the best possible outcomes".
Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar said: "It's no surprise that Labour's watered-down ambulance service targets have been met again this month.
"Frontline staff deserve to be commended for their hard work but it is the experience of patients that counts and many are still waiting too long for ambulances to turn up when they need them."
Plaid Cymru's health spokeswoman, Elin Jones, added: "These figures come as little surprise given that the Labour Welsh government recently manipulated the targets. The reality is that far too many people are still waiting far too long for emergency attention."


The drummer of rock band AC/DC has pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs.

Phil Rudd was excused from appearing in New Zealand's Tauranga District Court, with his lawyer entering his plea.
The 60-year-old Australian-born musician was originally charged with attempting to procure the murder of two men.
That charge was dropped because of a lack of evidence.
In an earlier ruling, the names of the alleged murder targets and that of the alleged hit-man were suppressed.
Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones on Tuesday applied for witness names and any statements they made to be suppressed, according to New Zealand media outlet stuff.co.nz.
The court agreed but ruled that because of strong public interest in the case, details of the charges and a summary of facts should be released by the Crown.
Mr Rudd remains on bail and his case will be called again in February.
The drummer was kicked out of AC/DC in 1983 and rejoined in 1994.
He did not appear in a new photo of band members released in October to promote their upcoming album Rock Or Bust, and was reportedly absent from the filming of a new music video, prompting online speculation about whether he was still in the band.


England began their Under-20 World Cup campaign in South Korea with a 3-0 victory over an Argentina side reduced to 10 men after the intervention of a video assistant referee.

Lautaro Martinez was sent off after the video assistant spotted him elbowing Fikayo Tomori and alerted the referee.
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed the opener, Newcastle's Adam Armstrong added a second and Chelsea's Dominic Solanke scored a late penalty.
It was a first finals win since 1997.
Paul Simpson's side now face Guinea on Tuesday before a game against hosts South Korea next Friday.
"The difference between the two teams was that we were outstanding in both 18-yard boxes," he said.
"It's not just about possession, it's about taking your chances and doing the other side of it as well."
Video reviews are being trialled at this competition, and may be introduced in some competitions in England next season.
They have previously been used to correct two wrong decisions as Spain beat France in a friendly in Paris in March, as well as in domestic leagues.
Last September, Willem's Anouar Kali was the first player to be shown a red card on the advice of a video referee in a Dutch Cup contest against Ajax.
Meanwhile, England Under-17s came agonisingly close to lifting the European Championship trophy in Croatia on Friday.
England Under-17s coach Steve Cooper said he was proud of his side despite a penalty shootout defeat by Spain in the final.
Cooper's side had been seconds from victory when Nacho Diaz scored a stoppage-time equaliser with the last touch.
Spain defender Mateu Morey cancelled out Callum Hudson-Odoi's opener, before Phil Foden's second-half strike had restored England's lead.
But in a new penalty shootout format Spain triumphed 4-1 to clinch victory.
"We've had a fantastic tournament and a fantastic season, which I've said to the players," said Cooper.
"We managed to take the lead and tried to see the game out, but I don't think anybody would have written that script at the end of the game. It hurts."
The new shootout format being trialled in the tournament sees an 'ABBA' system rather than the traditional ABAB pattern - it is similar to the tie-break format in tennis and is designed to make the shootouts fairer.
England were aiming to become the first nation to win the competition for a third time having triumphed in 2010 and 2014, but it was Spain who clinched a third tournament victory instead.
Despite the defeat, England secured qualification for the Under-17 World Cup in India in October. The draw for the group stages takes place on 7 July in Mumbai.


Lee Haskins says he is a worthy world champion heading into his first IBF bantamweight title defence against Ivan Morales in Cardiff on Saturday.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The Briton was crowned champion last November when Randy Caballero was stripped of the title after failing to make the weight for their fight.
The Bristol southpaw has won 32 of his 35 fights and is unbeaten since losing to Belgium's Stephane Jamoye in 2012.
"I class myself as a world champion 100%," said the 32-year-old.
"I feel like I won the world title when I beat Ryosuke Iwasa. He was very tough and had only been beaten once before, and that was by the guy who is now the WBC champion [Shinsuke Yamanaka].
"Caballero was out of the equation, nobody thought he was coming back.
"If he just handed the belt in, because he knew he wasn't going to make the weight, then that would have been a legitimate world title fight between me and Iwasa.
"So if you asked me if I feel like the world champion then 100% I do, yes, and people will get to see that I am world class on Saturday night."
Haskins' opponent at the Cardiff Ice Arena is the 24-year-old brother of Erik Morales, the first Mexican to win world titles at four different weights, and Diego Morales, a former WBO super-flyweight champion.
"Just because his brothers can box doesn't mean he can," said Haskins.
"His record shows that he's a good fighter, so I'm guessing he can whack a bit. But I haven't watched him, I've left that to my trainers.
"He could be as talented as his brothers, but I want to put on a great show and stop the guy."
Media playback is not supported on this device


A celebrity chef has been appointed as the new chancellor of Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.

Prue Leith is a writer, restaurateur, cookery expert and judge on the BBC TV show Great British Menu.
She succeeds Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Farmer.
The new chancellor built a business from scratch in the 1960s which grew to become the event caterer Leith's Good Food. In 1969, she opened Leith's, her Michelin starred restaurant.
In 1975, Ms Leith founded Leith's School of Food and Wine which trains professional chefs and amateur cooks.
The group reached a turnover of Â£15m in 1993, when she sold out all but the restaurant, which she went on to sell in 1995.
Ms Leith said: " Following the wonderful Tom Farmer will not be easy, but I look forward to it.
"I much admire the way QMU has consistently regarded food, nutrition and health as practical and socially important (as well as academic) subjects.
"And I love the enthusiasm and can-do attitude of students. So I know it will be interesting and fun. And I hope I will be useful."
Prof Petra Wend, principal and vice-chancellor of Queen Margaret University, said: "Prue Leith's career and background resonates deeply with the values and ethos of Queen Margaret University, as well as with our flagships in health and rehabilitation, creativity and culture, and sustainable business.
"She is a highly respected public figure who has strong beliefs about the importance of education and in its transformational importance to society.
"Much of her life's work has been in food and drink, in which she has shown significant entrepreneurial qualities, but she has also worked hard to help develop and highlight the UK's culinary talent, the importance of good healthy food for all, and to tackle inequalities.
"She is therefore an excellent fit for our work in food and drink, which dates back to our inception in 1875 when we were established to help improve the diet of the urban poor."


Saracens became champions of Europe for the first time as they ground out victory in the rain against Racing 92 in the Champions Cup final in Lyon.

Parisians Racing had Dan Carter at 10, but he was unable to take kicks at goal and went off injured after 42 minutes.
Saracens' Owen Farrell landed four first-half efforts, to two from Johan Goosen, to make it 12-6 at half-time.
Sarries dominated the second half and three more Farrell penalties ensured the title was heading back to London.
Saracens also became the first team in the competition's history to win all nine games in the tournament on their way to becoming champions.
The match was played in torrential rain in the first half and, although conditions eased after the break, the sodden pitch and greasy ball made handling a hazardous occupation.
It meant the side who made fewer mistakes, whose pack got on top and who played the game in the right areas of the park were always going to be the likely winners, and Saracens, beaten finalists two years ago, duly delivered this time round.
The north Londoners are the reigning English champions and they host Leicester next weekend in the Premiership semi-finals with a view to once again reaching the final this season and giving themselves the chance to add more silverware to the groaning shelves in their trophy cabinet.
The script could not have been better for Saracens, who have built their game around a territory and power-based style that was ideal for the conditions in the east of France.
The reigning English champions have broadened their approach this season but, with the rain hammering down and Racing looking to play a game based on power around the fringes, Saracens were happy to hammer them backwards in defence, pin them deep through the boots of Farrell and scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, and profit from the French side's numerous mistakes.
Up front, England second rows Maro Itoje - still only 21 - and George Kruis continued their fine form this season and, with the whole pack refusing to give an inch, the front row won three penalties at scrum-time to help Farrell take them into a six-point lead at the break.
After guiding New Zealand to the World Cup last year Carter, 34, was looking to add European champion to his long list of accomplishments, but he was carrying a knee injury going into the game and struggled to make his mark.
With the leading points scorer in Test history unable to kick, it was left to Maxime Machenaud and Goosen to build Racing's score.
France scrum-half Machenaud missed an early penalty attempt and when he was forced off in the first half, to be joined immediately after the break by Carter, Racing's brains trust was on the bench, something that was no doubt a factor as they struggled to get a foothold in the game for long periods of the second half.
A lively 15-minute spell after the hour mark did give Goosen the chance to land his third kick and get them back within six points, but they never looked like winning.
Before the game former England and Lions centre Jeremy Guscott likened the two fly-halves to Jedi master Yoda and Luke Skywalker.
With Farrell's pack gaining the upper hand for long periods and his opposite number hobbled by injury, it was the young apprentice who was the stand-out fly-half in Lyon.
Four nerveless penalties in the first half gave Saracens control on the scoreboard and the England 10's laser-guided boot landed three more after the interval to punish Racing's mistakes.
It may not have been pretty, but with Saracens having set out several years ago to become the most ruthless, focused and dogged team around, Saturday's victory was apt testimony to the character that has taken them from a team playing in a north London park to champions of Europe over the past two decades.
"Saracens were too big, too strong, too well organised with a brilliant game plan. You can't allow for star players being injured and Racing losing their nine, 10 and 12, the heart of their side, was always going to be tough to come back from."
Racing 92: Dulin; Rokocoko, Goosen, Dumoulin, Imhoff; Carter, Machenaud; Ben Arous, Szarzewski, Tameifuna, Charteris, Van Der Merwe, Lauret, Le Roux, Masoe.
Replacements: Chavancy for Dumoulin (56), Tales for Carter (42), Phillips for Machenaud (21), Lacombe for Szarzewski (65), Ducalcon for Tameifuna (67), Carizza for Van Der Merwe (65), Claassen for Le Roux (76).
Not Used: Vartanov.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, D Taylor, Barritt, Wyles; Farrell, Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, Brits, du Plessis, Itoje, Kruis, Rhodes, Fraser, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Spencer for Wigglesworth (79), Barrington for M Vunipola (76), George for Brits (51), Figallo for du Plessis (67), Hodgson for Itoje (79), Wray for B Vunipola (42).
Not Used: J Hamilton, Bosch.
Ref: Nigel Owens (Wales).


A Chinese wingsuit flier, has become the first person ever to fly with a wingsuit along the world's longest glass-covered bridge.

10 April 2016 Last updated at 12:21 BST
Zhang Shupeng jumped from a helicopter 2,000 meters above the ground, before opening his wingsuit to fly along the 50-meter-long bridge.
He zigzagged to swoop over the bridge for about 30 seconds before opening his parachute to land safely.
The wingsuit has fabric under the arms and between the legs so that the flier glides through the air, as if he has wings.


Construction of a UK-funded wall near Calais' so-called Jungle migrant camp will begin soon, the Home Office says.

Dubbed the "Great Wall of Calais" by some media, the 4m (13ft) wall will run for 1km (0.6 miles) along both sides of the main road to Calais port.
Road hauliers called the wall a "poor use" of public money.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd told MPs that while the UK provided money to help secure Calais, it was up to the French to decide which measures to use.
Work is expected to start this month, with the wall due to be finished by the end of the year.
Numerous fences have been built to protect the port, the Eurotunnel terminal and train tracks on the other side of Calais, and the BBC understands the wall will not replace any of those.
Ms Rudd told the Home Affairs Committee the wall was "not a new initiative", but what mattered was making sure the French had the right amount of security to prevent "illegals" trying to get to the UK.
"We support the French with money to help them do that," she said. "It is up to them how they decide to secure their borders in Calais and around it."
Labour committee member Chuka Umunna suggested the French were inspired by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump - who wants to build an "impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall" between the US and Mexico.
Ms Rudd replied: "I couldn't possibly comment on that."
The government refused to confirm the cost of the wall, but reports suggest a Â£1.9m price tag - to be paid for out of Â£17m announced by David Cameron earlier this year.
Home Office minister Robert Goodwill told the committee on Tuesday that security at the port was "being stepped up with better equipment".
"We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. We've done the fence; now we are doing a wall."
But Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, called the plan a "poor use of taxpayers' money".
He said funding for a wall "would be much better spent on increasing security along the approach roads".
Vikki Woodfine, of law firm DWF, works with many hauliers and said a wall "isn't the answer".
"It is simply a knee-jerk reaction that is unlikely to make a difference in the long run - particularly since the route to the Calais port is already surrounded by fences and barbed wire," she said.
She said "chaos reigns in the Calais region", but the "real problem" was a lack of policing.
Many of the migrants living at the Jungle and other camps in northern France attempt to reach the UK by boarding lorries as they approach ports or the Channel Tunnel.
Last month, BBC footage showed people-smugglers wielding sticks and dragging a felled tree onto the main Calais port road to stop lorries and allow migrants to climb on board.
On Monday, French lorry drivers and farmers blockaded the main motorway route into Calais in a protest calling for the closure of the Jungle.


Sophie Hitchon is the first British woman to win an Olympic hammer medal - but can she answer questions while hula-hooping?

Media playback is not supported on this device
If you want to find out how to get into athletics, take a look at our special guide.


The Welsh Rugby Union has outlined a major structural overhaul in a bid to modernise the way the game is governed.

Chairman Gareth Davies has written to each of the Union's 320 member clubs.
"The changes we are making are part of our continued aim to modernise the way in which the game is governed in Wales," he said.
"We have created four new 'sub-boards' which will meet to discuss specific areas of governance, prior to full Board meetings."
Davies added: "All sporting bodies are being scrutinised closely on their governance structures and composition of their management boards, and, partly in response, but mainly as it is the right thing to do, we have recently reviewed our internal structures."
Four new sub-boards have been created to discuss specific aspects of governance prior to full board meetings, with the aim of streamlining the decision-making process in Welsh rugby.
Each sub-board will discuss their specific areas - Commercial, Financial, professional/performance and community game.
The Union says this means full board meetings will not need to be held as regularly and should be "less cumbersome."
The sub-boards, which can co-opt members, will meet every month, while the full WRU Board will now be scheduled to meet in its entirety four times a year instead of 12.


Six Newsround viewers have been to interview one of the world's most famous actresses - Angelina Jolie Pitt.

17 May 2016 Last updated at 07:29 BST
She's well known for starring in movies like Maleficent, but the group weren't asking her about her films...
Angelina also works for the United Nations, campaigning about the growing refugee and migrant crisis caused by war in places like Syria.
What's happening in Syria?
She talks about how her kids give her stuff to take to the refugees and what life is like inside the camps.


California engineers investigating a balcony collapse that killed six people and injured seven others say water damage may have caused the structure to give way.

The incident happened during a 21st birthday party in the early hours of Tuesday in the city of Berkeley.
Authorities said 13 people were on the fourth-floor balcony when it collapsed.
The victims were mostly Irish students who were living temporarily in the US as part of a work exchange programme.
An initial investigation found that the balcony support's beams may not have been sealed properly at the time of construction, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said.
"More than likely, it was caused by rain and water damage," Mr Bates said.
Read more: Tributes to Berkeley balcony victims
Building inspectors also ordered that another balcony at the Library Gardens apartment building be demolished, saying it was unsafe and could collapse.
A former city official familiar with the apartment complex told the San Francisco Chronicle that the 5ft by 10ft (1.5m by 3m) balcony was "decorative" and not designed to hold a large number of people.
"This was meant just to be a place where someone could stand out for bit," Carrie Olson told the newspaper. "Not for something like 13 people."
People left flowers and other tributes at the scene on Wednesday as flags on both sides of the Atlantic flew at half-mast.
A memorial service was planned for Wednesday evening in nearby Oakland, with victims' relatives travelling from Ireland to California.
Meanwhile, many in Ireland and the US criticised coverage of the story in the New York Times, accusing the newspaper of "victim-blaming".
The newspaper wrote a story about the work-visa programme that some of the victims were on, mentioning "a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments".
The newspaper's public editor said in a blog that many of the complaints were valid. New York Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy said in an email: "It was never our intention to blame the victims and we apologize if the piece left that impression."


DJ Pete Tong has defended BBC Radio 1's first ever Prom, a musical homage to Ibiza, saying those opposed to dance music at the Proms need to "chill out".

He told Radio 4's Front Row: "I think it's important that the Proms continues to reach out to different audiences and the younger demographic to keep the whole idea of the Proms alive."
He added: "To the audience that go to Ibiza... these are our classics."
The late night Prom will be aired live from the Royal Albert Hall on 29 July.
Tong - who has been presenting regular dance music shows on Radio 1 since the 1990s - said it was important to be open-minded, "whatever area of music you're in".
"Just to stay stuck in the past or stay stuck within rigid guidelines, whatever you're doing, you'll struggle over a longer period of time," he said.
Billed as "less concert and more dance-party", the event will help mark the 20th anniversary of Radio 1 in Ibiza. Special guests including Ella Eyre and John Newman will perform with Jules Buckley and his Heritage Orchestra.
"It's going to be an entertaining evening," said Tong, "hopefully it's going to be a bit of a riotous evening. That's not necessarily a first at the proms."
He said he'd worked closely with the orchestra to come up with "an interpretation of the Ibiza classics".
"I started out by getting together with some of the music team of Radio 1 and some of my fellow DJs and also some faces on the island.
"We got into a bit of a debate to discuss what music should be represented. It was a constant trimming down process, but we've ended up with probably about 20 tracks which will be presented on the night."
Earlier this month Radio 3 presenter Suzy Klein branded critics of the event "snobs and scaremongers".
Last week Proms host Katie Derham also defended the event, calling it a "celebration of electronic dance music".
"There'll always be the odd raised eyebrow," she told BBC Breakfast, "but ever since the Proms began 120 years ago, the idea was to bring good music to as many people as possible, for it to be accessible, for it to be a celebration of great tunes.
"So the fact that we're pushing the boundaries and bringing in new audiences in this way, I don't think should upset anybody."
She added: "When they get down to it there is the most amazing classical music being celebrated with the most fantastic musicians from all over the world - all the greats are going to be there."
The First Night of the Proms kicked off the eight week event on 17 July. It runs until the Last Night of the Proms on 12 September.


It might have been the general consensus that the floppy disk, which was big in the 1980s, had had its day - but after the US government's revelation that the technology remains in use at the Pentagon, enthusiasts wonder whether there is still a place for old tech in today's hi-tech world?

I am a pilot, and I understand the role of new equipment allied with old stuff that, in my life at least, still has a role to play in life.
I have a Sharp VHS recorder purchased in 1999 in my drawing room, and an Aiwa hi-fi stack system, all still going strong.
I have cassettes from when I was a child in the 80s.
I am proud to say I still use video cassettes and vinyl, and have a huge record collection, supplemented by CDs to play in the car.
I get disillusioned with this throwaway society where once something is not fashionable anymore it's discarded.
I don't see why serviceable films on VHS from the 80s have to be digitally re-mastered, so that people must replace their video collection with DVDs.
Then, we have to do the same thing again with Blu-ray, and replaced again with downloads.
I don't like waste.
What I don't see is why I need to keep changing my collections because of marketers and society - it's nonsensical.
I bought my 1972 Akai 4000D player about a year ago from eBay and reconditioned it.
I'm an enthusiast and collect equipment like that.
You get 45 minutes on each reel, and it is very high-fidelity.
It still provides much (easy) listening pleasure.
I use the Apple Extended Keyboard II on my home computer as my main keyboard.
I write quite a bit for my day job and for pleasure, and I feel much more productive typing on a keyboard like this.
The only thing is that they are loud compared to more recent types; everybody in the house knows when I'm typing.
But that's a small price to pay for the pleasure of a mechanical keyboard.
Technological progress isn't always for the better, and our desire to have computers (and smartphones) as compact as possible has meant that keyboard design has suffered.
I collect and restore old British computers.
In the 1980s and 1990s the UK was a world leader in computing, developing the ARM processor which now runs in almost all smartphones.
The systems still have their uses. Everything from music notation to complex mathematics.
I use mine to teach my children about computing and to help them understand how modern computers work.
Compiled by Andree Massiah


Coventry City have appointed Tony Mowbray as their new manager.

The 51-year-old Yorkshireman, who succeeds the sacked Steven Pressley, was officially unveiled at a Tuesday lunchtime press conference.
The former Hibernian, West Bromwich Albion, Celtic and Middlesbrough manager has been out of football since leaving Boro in October 2013.
"We've secured the services of a highly-rated, experienced candidate," said chief executive Steve Waggott.
"Tony is a manager who has enjoyed plenty of success at a higher level. He has experience in coming into a club in challenging times and steering them through to safety and, on top of that, has enjoyed promotion too."
Mowbray, who has been appointed until the end of the season, becomes the club's 12th manager in 13 and a half years since the sacking of Gordon Strachan in September 2001.
He starts his reign with Coventry currently in 20th place in League One, a point clear of the relegation zone. But he takes charge of a team who have shown their potential by picking up four points out of a possible six from their past two matches, both against teams in League One's top six.
The Sky Blues were in the bottom four when Pressley was sacked on 23 February after two years in charge.
But Saturday's surprise 2-1 home win over MK Dons under the caretaker charge of Dave Hockaday and Neil MacFarlane, their first victory at the Ricoh Arena for four months, lifted them back out of trouble.
"We wanted someone who could come in and hit the ground running," added Waggott. "We have 14 important games left this season and the number one priority is to preserve our League One status.
"We were all very impressed with Tony during the interview process and it speaks volumes that the club are able to attract a manager of his calibre."


A plan to pilot the use of spit hoods by the Met Police has been abandoned after London's mayor voiced concerns.

The mesh fabric hoods are placed over the heads of suspects to protect police officers from being spat at or bitten.
The restraining device was to be trialled at 32 custody suites across the capital from October.
Mayor Sadiq Khan responded after human rights groups including Liberty, Amnesty and Inquest said the hoods belonged in "horror stories".
A City Hall spokesman told the BBC the mayor asked the Met to pause the pilot scheme to give him an opportunity to look at the detail and to consult with the wider public as well as the police themselves.
In a statement, the Met said: "The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) does not currently use spit guards, although their national use and development has been closely monitored for a number of years.
"There are now a number of forces where spit guards are used both operationally in response to incidents and in custody.
"The MPS has a duty of care to its officers and staff - the issue of spitting and biting is a real problem, particularly in a custody environment, and is a significant health risk.
"Over a number of years, the MPS has been looking at potential ways of minimising the threat this issue poses to officers and staff.
"One of the options that has been considered has been spit guards in custody suites."
Earlier Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty, called the use of spit hoods "primitive, cruel and degrading " adding their use would inspire "fear and anguish".
"Police have the power to use force against citizens when they have to - using handcuffs, arm restraints, leg restraints, pepper spray, batons," she said.
"The suggestion that officers need to be able to cover people's faces and heads is as far-fetched as it is frightening.
"Spit hoods belong in horror stories, not on the streets of a civilised society - we urge the Met Police to think again."
The Police Federation has called for the use of spit hoods to protect officers.
British Transport Police has used a hood 151 times since introducing them in June 2014.
The force is being investigated by the police watchdog over an incident where officers put a spit hood on a man at London Bridge in July.
Shamik Dutta, the solicitor representing the man who had the hood put on his head, said: "The application of a spit hood can be deeply distressing and humiliating, causing panic in the detained person.
"By obscuring someone's face, the use of a spit hood can prevent witnesses, including police officers, from quickly identifying whether a person is suffering breathing difficulties, is choking or has suffered some other serious facial or head injury requiring immediate medical attention to avoid life-threatening consequences."
Lord Adebowale, former chair of the commission on the Met Police's response to mental health, said: "There is an awful trend of these devices being misused and being used in a way which tends to impact minority ethnic groups, those with mental health challenges, those with learning difficulties."
He added he was concerned they could be used "in situations where the police may not be trained to deal with it", leading to individuals being "forced into positions where breathing can be restrained".
He also said it was a question of human dignity.
But former senior Met officer Hamish Brown, said: "What's the other option? Putting a hand across someone's mouth or a handkerchief in their mouth?
"It is pretty awful to have this, but unfortunately it's the way society has gone. It is for the police to be sensible and use their discretion."
A Met spokeswoman said officers would be trained to ensure use was proportionate, but added they were necessary "to meet the duty of care owed to officers when a detainee spits at or attempts to bite them".


Wales manager Chris Coleman has left Gareth Bale out of his squad for the friendly against Netherlands following "correspondence" with Real Madrid.

Bale will remain in Spain to undergo special training after playing only 45 minutes for Real since 13 October because of a calf injury.
"He misses this game [so] the Madrid medical team can get him up to scratch. It's in our interest," said Coleman.
Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey will also miss the match with a hamstring problem.
Bale has missed Real's past four games but has resumed light training and could feature in the La Liga game against Sevilla on Sunday.
"After correspondence with Madrid, he'll probably figure in the next game for them I'd imagine, but they want to use this time wisely and carefully to get him up to scratch, and we respect that," added Coleman.
"I think Gareth also wants to do what's right and we've never taken risks with players, it's not in our nature.
"It's not that Madrid have said we can't take him, but we've got to look at it and think it's a wise thing to do."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Ramsey suffered his injury in Arsenal's Champions League win over Bayern Munich on 20 October.
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger criticised Wales for playing the 24-year-old in the 2-0 win against Andorra after their Euro 2016 qualification was already secured.
This is the first time Bale and Ramsey will both be missing for Wales since they last faced Netherlands, losing 2-0 in a friendly in June 2014.
Reading forward Hal Robson-Kanu will also miss the Netherlands game after suffering an ankle injury against Andorra.
Walsall striker Tom Bradshaw is included for the first time in the absence of Bale and Robson-Kanu, while defender Paul Dummett returns after missing the last four games in Euro 2016 qualifying with a hamstring injury.
Bournemouth midfielder Shaun MacDonald replaces David Cotterill in the squad as the Birmingham City winger has a knee injury.
Goalkeepers
Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Daniel Ward (Aberdeen, on loan from Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness Caledonian Thistle).
Defenders
Ashley Williams (Swansea City), James Chester (West Bromwich Albion), James Collins (West Ham United), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Gunter (Reading), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Adam Henley (Blackburn Rovers), Paul Dummett (Newcastle United).
Midfielders
Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), Joe Allen (Liverpool), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Emyr Huws (Wigan Athletic), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace), Andy King (Leicester City), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shaun MacDonald (Bournemouth).
Forwards
Tom Lawrence (Leicester City), Tom Bradshaw (Walsall), Simon Church (Milton Keynes Dons), Sam Vokes (Burnley).


Over 500 pupils at a Perth and Kinross school have been trained in life-saving CPR techniques from emergency care professionals in a single day.

Pupils from P7 to S6 at the Community School of Auchterarder were shown how to restart a heart as part of the Save a Life for Scotland campaign.
The campaign aims to train half a million people to be able to carry out the procedure.
The Auchterarder event was also open to the public.
The British Heart Foundation, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Trossachs Search and Rescue and NHS Tayside helped provide the CPR training.
The school believes it is the largest such event held in Scotland.
Head teacher Stuart Clyde said: "The pupils are absolutely loving it.
"We thought it would raise the awareness much more if we made it a whole school event.
"We've also included the P7 pupils from the three associated primary schools in our area.
"We have the assembly hall split into two so at any one time there can be 100 people watching the training video and then go to the other side which is kitted out with about 50 mannequins to practice their skills on."


A former soldier who lost both legs in Afghanistan is to attempt the Isle of Man TT course using a hand-powered bike.

Cpl Stuart Robinson was injured when his vehicle hit an explosive device near Camp Bastion in February 2013.
He will be joined on the 38 mile (60km) course by former colleague Kurt McGuinness, the brother of 23-time TT winner John McGuinness.
The 33-year-old said the challenge had been a "lifesaver" for him.
He said that after the "life changing situation... I just had to get on with it. I lost my legs but got away with my life".
"Kurt is really into the Isle of Man TT and suggested the challenge."
The pair will be joined on the charity challenge by Blackburn's Anton Shepherd, who was paralysed from the chest down following a motocross accident, and soldier Darren Norman.
Mr McGuinness said their training for the attempt, which will take place on 26 March, had been "brutal".


Striker Daniel Sturridge returned to training with England on Monday, on the eve of the final 23-man squad announcement for Euro 2016.

The 26-year-old missed Friday's 2-1 win over Australia having sustained a calf problem during Liverpool's Europa League final loss to Sevilla.
Southampton full-back Ryan Bertrand sat out the early session as he received treatment on a knock.
Centre-back Gary Cahill recovered from a hip problem to train with the squad.
England coach Roy Hodgson initially named a 26-man squad after the final round of Premier League games, having intended to reveal his final selection on 12 May.
That was cut to 25 when Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph was moved to the standby list after picking up an injury.
England play Portugal in their final warm-up match on Thursday, 2 June before their first game at Euro 2016 against Russia on 11 June.
Who do you think should start? It's crunch time at Euro 2016 so pick your XI - and then share it with your friends using our team selector.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.


Vladimir Putin has accused US agents of directly aiding rebel fighters in the second Chechen war.

The Russian President made the comments in a film on state-run television marking his 15 years in power.
The documentary gives considerable time to the conflict in the North Caucasus, a battle for independence that mutated into an Islamist insurgency.
Mr Putin accuses the West of trying to tear Russia apart by supporting terrorists.
"Our security services recorded direct contact between North Caucasus fighters and representatives of US intelligence in Azerbaijan," Mr Putin discloses in the lengthy film.
Once informed, he says, US President George W Bush promised to "kick ass".
But he claims US intelligence then wrote to their Russian counterparts instead, proclaiming a right to support all "opposition forces" in the country.
The first, devastating war with Chechen separatists ended with Russian troops forced to withdraw in 1996.
Three years later, Mr Putin launched a second campaign vowing to "wipe out the terrorists".
The war was punctuated by attacks within Russia by Chechens, including the Beslan school siege in 2004 that left more than 300 people dead.
The revelation fits President Putin's often-repeated narrative of a Russia that sought strong ties with the West as equals after the end of the Cold War, only to be constantly deceived and rebuffed.
"Even I thought that with the end of the ideological barrier in the form of the Communist Party's monopoly on power, things would change radically," Mr Putin says.
"But it turns out [â€¦] there are geopolitical interests not linked to any ideology at all."
The documentary highlights his efforts to rebuild Russia's military alongside the economy, both from a perilous state.
With a cast of characters ranging from former ministers to the patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church, it centres on a fawning interview with Mr Putin himself.
The resulting portrayal is of a leader who barely sleeps: focused and determined, but a man of the people and a worthy opponent to the hostile West.
The film bypasses critical issues such as media censorship, the handling of the Beslan siege or the role of the judicial system in jailing oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
It is the second major production about Putin's Russia to be screened in a month, following a big-budget, special effects-laden film on the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Despite the economic sanctions and isolation that the annexation brought, Mr Putin declares he has "no regrets" over Crimea.
As for what pleases him most about his 15 years in power, he returns to the Chechen theme to conclude: "Keeping the country together."


Yorkshire veteran Ryan Sidebottom took three quick wickets late on day one at Taunton to help the Tykes get out of trouble against County Championship Division One bottom club Somerset.

From 95-6, Andrew Hodd's battling 59 was followed by Sidebottom and Karl Carver sharing 31 for the last wicket.
Having scraped a batting point on 202, the Tykes reduced Somerset to 41-3.
Sidebottom removed the hosts' top three - Dean Elgar, Tom Abell, in successive balls, then Marcus Trescothick.
After both Elgar, caught at slip and Abell, caught behind, went in the fifth over, Trescothick was then bowled by 39-year-old Sidebottom in the ninth.
His burst had Somerset in some peril on 18-3 but James Hildreth (21) and Steven Davies (6) have so far added 23 for the fourth wicket.
Earlier, on a track being used for the third time this season, Somerset took seven wickets between lunch and tea as Jamie Overton did the main damage, taking three of the visitors' first five wickets,.
He accounted for Adam Lyth (24), Peter Handscomb (25) and Jack Leaning, while spinner Jack Leach's two victims included bowling Tykes captain Gary Ballance round his legs for 19.
But it was left to wicketkeeper Hodd to guide Yorkshire towards 200 before he finally departed, brilliantly caught by Abell at mid off.
Somerset's Jamie Overton told BBC Radio Bristol:
"It was slightly frustrating to finish the day as we did, losing three wickets. However, hopefully we can get some good runs tomorrow and get ourselves back in there.
"We have some good players. It's just a pity they are all out of form. Still, we have full belief in them and they are certainly trying their hardest.
"I was pleased with the way I bowled. The last two or three weeks, it has been coming out nicely. I was just trying to hit the pitch as hard as I could. If you could get it just back of a length, it was doing a bit."
Yorkshire's Andrew Hodd told BBC Radio Leeds:
"Ryan's contribution was big again. He is amazing, on and off the field. He just has that ability to get the big players out and he has done it again.
"Everyone down here has said that the game might not go beyond three days, so we knew every run was crucial. That was why it was important to go on the counter attack.
"It's been quite a good start to the season for me and nice to get a few scores and a few contributions. But, to be fair, I didn't see my first ball. Jamie was bowling well and it was really quite hostile."


There's just one week left of Wimbledon and we've already been stunned by the skills displayed by players such as Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.

4 July 2015 Last updated at 07:54 BST
The main contenders are starting to inch closer and closer to the biggest championship in tennis.
But there's one job that's being done extremely well that no-one really gets to see.
Ayshah's been to meet a special worker at Wimbledon.


The East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) has unveiled plans for a new £10m centre in south Norfolk.

The five-acre site on the corner of Pigot Lane and Long Road in Framingham Earl hopes to meet "increasing demands" for the charity's support services.
Graham Butland, EACH chief executive, said: "We're looking at options for a new purpose-built hospice to provide even better care and support."
The charity said its site at Quiddenham is becoming "less fit for purpose".
Mr Butland added: "Before we apply for planning permission we felt it was important to meet with local residents.
Source: EACH
"Not only to show exactly what we're proposing and to explain the plans, but also to give people the opportunity to ask questions."
EACH supports families and care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk. Its patron is the Duchess of Cambridge.
"Our Quidenham hospice is one of the oldest children's hospices in the UK and has been a wonderful home-from-home to many families for more than 20 years," said Mr Butland,
"But, as time goes on, the building will become less and less fit for purpose. We need to plan now to be ready for the future.
"A new hospice would bring Norfolk in line with services we offer in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk."
A planning application for the Framlingham Earl site is to be submitted later this month.
EACH will be at Poringland Community Centre to meet with residents between 11:00 and 18:00 GMT on 6 December.


Sunderland defender Lamine Kone has told manager David Moyes that he wants to leave the club.

The 27-year-old Ivorian, who is a target for Everton, joined the Black Cats in January and helped them avoid Premier League relegation last season.
Kone says his decision comes after the club failed to offer him the improved deal that they said they would.
"It is therefore with much regret that I can only assume that I do not figure in David Moyes' future plans," he said.
"With that being the case, it is with much sadness that I have asked the manager and the chief executive to be allowed to leave Sunderland.
"However, until that time, I give my word that I will give my utmost in training and on the field."
Sunderland begin the Premier League season away to Manchester City on Saturday at 17:30 BST.


Russia have been given a 3-0 win over Montenegro by forfeit following the abandonment of their Euro 2016 qualifier in Podgorica.

Uefa has ordered Montenegro to play their next home tie in an empty stadium and pay a 50,000 euros (£36,000) fine.
Russia keeper Igor Akinfeev was struck on the head by a flare in the first minute, and taken off on a stretcher.
The match was delayed by 30 minutes, and abandoned in the second half after a brawl involving players and staff.
The Russian Football Union was also fined 25,000 euros (£18,000) for improper conduct by its supporters, which included the throwing of flares and other missiles.
The Group G clash at the Gradski Stadion was stopped for the final time when fighting broke out between the two teams after Russia midfielder Roman Shirokov's penalty was saved and team-mate Dmitri Kombarov was struck by a missile.
Meanwhile, Croatia's crucial Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy in June will also be behind closed doors as punishment for fans setting off fireworks, throwing missiles and racist behaviour in their 5-1 win over Norway last month in Zagreb.
Croatia, who are two points clear of Italy at the top of Group H, were also fined 50,000 euros (£36,000).


Solving problems in England's jails will take months or longer the justice secretary has warned, following Friday's riot at Birmingham prison.

Liz Truss said the priority was to make jails "stable and safe" while the government went ahead with reforms.
She told MPs 380 inmates had been moved from HMP Birmingham after the riot.
Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon said there was "a crisis in our prisons which was a symptom of a failing government which had lost control".
There were incidents at Cardiff Prison and Hull Prison on Sunday involving Birmingham prisoners, it has emerged.
The Birmingham riot followed trouble at Bedford and Lewes prisons in recent weeks.
Ms Truss said she had ordered "a full investigation" to be led by National Offender Management Service director Sarah Payne and she did not "want to prejudge the outcome of this".
She said the disorder at Birmingham represented a "serious disturbance" which took more than 12 hours to bring under control.
Stairwells were set on fire and paper records destroyed during trouble in four wings of the category B prison, run by private firm G4S.
At Cardiff, four prisoners who were transferred from Birmingham after the riot were believed to have barricaded themselves into a cell in protest at the move, according to BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw.
After two hours the matter was resolved when the prisoners surrendered and were taken to the segregation unit. Nobody was injured.
As well as the incident at Hull Prison, there were minor outbreaks of trouble at several other jails over the weekend.
09:15 Six prisoners in N wing climbed on to netting. When staff intervened, one of them had their keys snatched. Staff withdraw for own safety. Prisoners then gained control of that wing and subsequently of P wing. G4S immediately deploy two Tornado teams
11:20 Gold Command is opened and a further seven Tornado teams dispatched to prison
13:30 Prisoners get access to two more wings. Gold Command needs more reinforcements and despatch four more Tornado teams to prison
14:35 Police and Prison Service secure perimeters of all four wings which remain secure throughout day
15:00 Reports of an injured prisoner. Paramedics and staff tried to intervene, but were prevented from doing so by prisoners
During afternoon plan prepared to take back control of wings minimising risk to staff and prisoners.
20:35 Ten Tornado teams swept through the wings. Shortly after 22:00 all four wings are secured.
Injured prisoner treated by paramedics and taken to hospital with two more prisoners.
Riots have followed repeated warnings about low staffing levels across prisons, watchdog the National Council of Independent Monitoring Boards said.
Ms Truss said staffing levels were being increased by 2,500 officers and she repeated plans to hire more staff through apprenticeship schemes and invest more than Â£1bn in prison buildings.
She said: "The issues in our prisons are long-standing and they are not going to be completely solved in weeks or even months."
Ms Truss said levels of violence were "too high in our prisons" and she said there were "very concerning" levels of self-harm and deaths in custody. Action was being taken against "drugs, drones and phones", she said.
Of the 2,500 figure, a Prison Officers Association spokesman said: "The issue we have is that while we welcome that announcement, the question we ask of Liz Truss and the Ministry of Justice is that how do we intend to recruit and retain staff when last year we had more leavers than people recruited?"
Mr Burgon asked whether Ms Truss "regretted" previous cuts of prison staff made by the government.
"This is a failure to protect society," he said.
"Privatisation of the probation service, savage cuts to prison staffing, overcrowding in our prisons, cuts to through-the-gate services, all stop prison working and put the public at avoidable and increased risk."


An indestructible, teleporting deer is causing chaos in a version of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V game.

Artist Brent Watanabe has programmed the virtual deer to wander around the large San Andreas game world.
In its first few days of wandering, the deer has been caught in a gangland gun battle, invaded a military base and been chased by the police.
More than 200,000 people have tuned in to watch the deer via a video stream on the Twitch site.
The project uses a modified version of GTA V that let Mr Watanabe change the player to look like a deer. The animal wanders around the virtual 100 square miles of the San Andreas world in which the game is set.
"The most difficult thing during the creation of the project was simply teaching myself to modify GTA V," Mr Watanabe told the BBC. "There is an incredibly active modding community and I figured out how to programme the mod through a lot of forum searches and trial and error.
"The biggest difficulty was getting it stable enough to run for 12-14 hours at a time without crashing," he said.
He made the deer impervious to harm so it can keep on wandering despite being regularly shot at, beaten up, run over by cars and trucks, shelled by tanks and falling off buildings.
The trouble it has caused on military bases, beaches and on city streets led, at one point, to it having a four star wanted rating.
The deer regularly teleports to a new position on the game map so it does not get stuck in one part  and to make sure it samples the games's many different environments and meets lots of its artificial inhabitants.
"I was really drawn to the project because of the slapstick but tragic nature of it," he said. "And then there is an odd draw to simply keep watching, to see what the deer is going to do next."
Mr Watanabe said he was "surprised and thrilled" by the popularity of his creation.
"This is the best version of GTA V," wrote Adam Smith on the Rock, Paper Shotgun game news website. He said he enjoyed the stream for the way the AI-controlled deer triggered responses from the other computer-controlled elements of the game.


Three days after Theresa May called the general election, I interviewed the chancellor about what we could expect from any new Tory government.

On tax the signal was clear.
Philip Hammond was no fan of the triple tax lock David Cameron promised voters before the 2015 election - no increase in income tax, national insurance contributions or VAT.
He suggested the lock should be dropped, and it was.
Towards the end of the interview I turned to immigration and, given the events of last Thursday, it is worth going back to the exchange.
And understanding that Mr Hammond's backing for an immigration target of "tens of thousands" per year is at best luke-warm.
I asked the chancellor: "Immigration is a big issue for businesses - skilled and less-skilled immigration coming into the country. Do you agree that immigration in the UK should be brought down to the tens of thousands even though many businesses say that will damage economic growth?"
Mr Hammond replied: "What businesses want to do is bring skilled migrants in, move skilled migrants around their global businesses to do the jobs that are open in the UK.
"No businesses are unable to bring skilled workers into the UK to work in their companies because we have run out of space on a visa cap.
"At the moment we cannot control migration from the European Union into the UK. That situation will end.
"We will regain control of our borders and we will use that control to manage the migration system in the interests of our economy and our society. "
Me: "Do you think it should be brought down to the tens of thousands a year, immigration in the UK?"
Mr Hammond: "We've got to get migration back to sustainable levels; we've got to focus on skilled migration. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that she believes that needs to be tens of thousands a year."
Me: "Do you believe it?"
Mr Hammond: "The Prime Minister has been very clear that is the target that we are going for - tens of thousands."
Mr Hammond is a careful man.
And the fact that he refused to say directly that he supported the target is worthy of note.
Those close to the chancellor have revealed his concern.
Far from putting up barriers to immigration, many in the Treasury believe that Britain will be engaged in a "global battle for immigrants" to support the economy.
Now, that is not to say that Mr Hammond is in favour of free movement of people from the EU.
As he made clear to me, "that situation will end".
And nothing has changed sufficiently enough since last Thursday to alter that.
Which seems to me to rule out unfettered membership of the single market unless the European Union decides to reform one of the four principles of membership - open borders.
And the chance of that appears vanishingly small.
What has changed is that Mr Hammond is much strengthened in government - as Theresa May has been weakened.
Many in Number 10 were no fans of the Treasury and wanted to curtail its influence at the centre.
That power relationship has shifted.
And Mr Hammond's reluctance to back an immigration numbers target has become much more significant.
"Jobs and skills" to support the economy will be a new mantra in the Brexit discussions - pushed by the chancellor.
Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the CBI writing in this morning's Financial Times, talks about the need for "access to the skills and labour companies need to grow".
My colleague Simon Jack reports this morning that businesses feel their voice should now be heard more loudly.
Michael Gove's reappearance in the Cabinet provides another "pro-skills" voice.
Yes, Mr Gove is a firm Brexiter, but of the "open-but-controlled borders" variety.
"People who come here who have got skills that can contribute to our economy are welcome," he said during the referendum campaign.
There is much talk that a "soft" Brexit may now be more likely given the perceived weakness of the Prime Minister.
As far as "soft" means an economically closer relationship with the EU - and a more porous approach to immigration controls - that certainly appears to be the case as far as the chancellor is concerned.


South Africa batsman Stephen Cook will bring mental toughness to Durham's batting order during his Riverside stint, says head coach Jon Lewis.

Cook, 34, will appear for Durham as an overseas player before he is likely to join up with his country for their Test series with England in July.
Durham lost top-order batsman Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick to Surrey at the end of 2016.
"He's got some old school opening batting qualities," Lewis said.
He told BBC Newcastle: "He loves to bat long, he's got a real appetite for scoring runs. When he gets in, he goes big.
"In just nine Tests he's already got three hundreds against three different nations, home or away so he adapts well. His mental strength is one of the major facets of his game."
Cook's journey to Test cricket was a long one, having played 16 years in the domestic game before his debut.
He became only the sixth South African to make a century in his maiden Test when he scored 115 against England in January 2016.
"Mike Hussey (Australia batsman who made his debut at the age of 30) was quite late in his career before he got a look in and made the most of it," Lewis said.
"Stephen was well into his thirties, he worked really hard to get into that side and wants to continue with that for a while yet.
"We've got him for the first part of the summer. There's the England v South Africa series from July so he should be selected, but we should see him for the first part of the summer without interruptions."


A conservation charity has asked the Scottish government to protect a family of beavers found to have been released illegally in a part of the Highlands.

Trees for Life said a mother and at least two kits have been observed on a river near Beauly.
It has asked that the mammals be allowed to remain where they are or be relocated.
The government has instructed that the beavers be trapped and then kept in captivity.
Trees for Life believes the animals have been in the area for at least five years.
The presence of beavers has been found previously in the Highlands.
In 2008, one was found dead on a beach at Eathie on the Black Isle after suffering what police described as a "cruel" death after ingesting a large quantity of sea water.
Police suspected the animal was linked to illegal releases of beavers in other parts of Scotland.
Native Scottish beavers were hunted to extinction in the 16th century.
Last year, the Scottish government announced that beavers reintroduced to Scotland could remain and were given protected status.
Eurasian beavers taken from Norway were released at Knapdale in Argyll in 2009. An illegally-released population has also been discovered in Tayside.
Both groups will be allowed to expand naturally but will be managed to protect farmers and land owners.
But in the case of the Beauly beavers, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the animals had been released illegally and must be removed.
She said: "We have been clear that we are minded that beavers can remain in Scotland and that their range can expand naturally.
"But the unauthorised release of beavers is a criminal offence and will damage the beaver reintroduction project.
"That is why I am asking Scottish Natural Heritage to take swift action in the Beauly area. We must avoid a repeat of the experience on Tayside."
Alan McDonnell, conservation projects manager at Trees for Life, said the government's decision was "disappointing".
He said: "Whilst we understand that the minister wants to address the concerns of landowners in Tayside, the situation here is very different and we think it is possible to consult and negotiate with landowners in the immediate vicinity of the family and upstream to find an alternative outcome for the animals.
"We think these beavers have been active at this site for at least five years without any local concerns being raised. Which just goes to show that in the right location, beavers and other land use interests can co-exist successfully."


Hundreds more people have been evacuated as flooding continues to sweep across the north of England.

Residents in West and North Yorkshire and Lancashire were rescued from their homes on Saturday and thousands were left without power.
The Environment Agency has 24 severe flood warnings in place for Yorkshire, indicating there is a danger to life in those areas.
Up to 3,500 properties nears the Rivers Ouse and Foss in York are at risk.
Businesses and homes in Leeds, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and Greater Manchester are also affected.
Latest updates from northern England


A man had to be lowered 80ft (24m) when he was injured after being flipped upside down and dropped in a freak bell-ringing accident at a cathedral.

Dramatic pictures show Ian Bowman being brought to the ground at Worcester Cathedral by a specialist rescue unit.
The accident happened during evensong on Saturday when the bell-ringing rope caught Mr Bowman's heel. He was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
Mr Bowman, 51, fractured a bone in his back but is able to walk.
Mr Bowman, who was performing as a visiting bell-ringer, said: "[The rope] pulled me up in the air and I came crashing down on the floor with a big bang."
The mechanic, from Widecombe-in-the-Moor, in Devon, said he had been ringing the tenor bell, which requires two people.
Mark Regan, ringing master at the cathedral, told the Worcester News it was a "freak accident".
"He went up in the air a couple of feet and landed awkwardly," he said.


A long-distance swimmer has had to abandon a 215km (133 mile) charity challenge after suffering an "enormous number of jellyfish stings".

Anna Wardley was intending to swim between the Balearic Islands for charity, but began falling in and out of consciousness due to the stings.
The 40-year-old from Gosport had to be taken to hospital for treatment after the swim was abandoned on Thursday.
She has since been released from hospital and is recovering in Mallorca.
Ms Wardley announced the swim last year. She intended to swim between Menorca to Mallorca, then Mallorca to Ibiza and finally from Ibiza to mainland Spain.
Her previous swims include completing a solo 60-mile (96.6km) non-stop route around the Isle of Wight in 2013.
She was the first person in 30 years to make the swim which was the culmination of her Five Island Swim Challenge.
Ms Wardley has also swum the English Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar.


The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a complaint brought by one of Joseph Stalin's grandsons over an article accusing the Soviet dictator of being a "bloodthirsty cannibal".

The report, in Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, looked at the Soviet leader's role in the 1940 massacre of Polish prisoners at Katyn.
The grandson, Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, said it violated his right to privacy.
But the court said Stalin remained "inevitably" open to criticism.
Novaya Gazeta, a frequent critic of the Kremlin, published the article in 2009.
It accused wartime Soviet leaders, including Stalin, of being "bound by much blood" by ordering the execution of some 20,000 Polish prisoners of war at Katyn.
Stalin, who died in 1953, was described as a "bloodthirsty cannibal".
Mr Dzhugashvili considered the article defamatory and sought damages in a Moscow court, which ruled against him.
A further claim, made after Novaya Gazeta published an article discussing the defamation hearing, was also rejected.
He then lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, saying the Russian courts had failed to protect his grandfather from attacks on his reputation.
The court agreed that in some circumstances, attacks on a dead person could affect a living relative's rights.
But it ruled the Russian institutions had successfully balanced journalistic freedom of expression and Mr Dzhugashvili's right to privacy.
The court said the articles "concerned an event of significant historical importance and that both the event and historical figures involved, such as the applicant's grandfather, inevitably remain open to public scrutiny and criticism".
For years, the Soviet Union said the Nazis were responsible for the massacre at Katyn.
Former leader Mikhail Gorbachev admitted Soviet responsibility in 1990, and in 2010 Russian President Vladimir Putin joined his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk at a memorial - the first time a Russian leader had publicly commemorated the killings.


A cyclist found using a section of the M25 as a shortcut, has been stopped by police.

The woman, 74, was on the hard shoulder cycling between junction 10 for Cobham and junction 11 for Chertsey.
Police said she was seen earlier using the motorway as a shortcut at about 14:20 BST, Surrey Police said.
A spokesman said the woman, from New Haw, was given a fixed penalty notice and "words of advice" before her bike was put in the back of a patrol car.
She was then taken to another road to continue her journey.


A second case of Ebola has been confirmed in Liberia, following the death of a teenager from the virus on Sunday, officials say.

The country had been declared Ebola-free more than seven weeks ago.
The new case was in Nedowein, the same village where the boy died, the ministry of information said.
Liberia's authorities quarantined the area after the teenager's death and said his funeral was carried out safely.
The BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia says the man who tested positive for Ebola did not live with the teenager who died, and has been moved to a treatment centre.
Health official Cestus Tarpeh told AFP news agency that the person had been in physical contact with the 17-year-old before his death.
He added that a herbalist who had treated the boy had evaded the authorities and was on the run.
It is not clear how the teenager who died was infected.
There has been some confusion over the number of new cases after Liberia's Ministry of Information tweeted "2 persons from the home of 17yrs-old #ebola victim diagnosed & confirmed #Ebola positive".
People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola.
More than 11,000 people have died of the disease since December 2013, the vast majority of them in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
African news updates


A £125m shopping centre has opened in an East Yorkshire market town on the site of a former chemical works.

The Flemingate scheme in Beverley includes a multi-screen cinema, 80-room hotel and a college campus.
Graham Tait, centre manager, said Beverley was one of the top five places to live and "growing all the time".
Martin Sweetland, a sweetshop owner, hoped the scheme would bring people to the town but said he wanted to preserve "our lovely high street."
The development covers 16 acres (6.5 hectares).
It has brands including Debenhams, H&M and Costa Coffee, as well as a 500-space car park and 130 new houses, said developers Hull-based Wykelands.
Beverley is less than 10 miles (16 km) from Hull and one expert said the new centre would have an impact on the city's retail trade.
Matthew Hopkinson, of retail analyst Local Data Company, said: "Shiny new shopping centres with new brands that's where people start to flock. There will be an impact on Hull, but it doesn't mean Hull can't fight back.
"It's not about being the same, it's how you differentiate yourself."
There are also some fears among smaller retailers within Beverley.
Martin Sweetland, who runs a sweetshop said: "We hope the new development will bring people to Beverley both to Flemingate and the town."
"But if there are too many smaller shops in there... that's our concern."
Beverley is a historical market town with a population of about 30,000 perhaps best known for its 13th Century Minster.
In 2014 it was named as one of the best places in Britain to live by the Sunday Times.


The latest Star Wars film franchise has begun shooting, production company Bad Robot has announced on Twitter.

The film company, founded by the movie's director JJ Abrams, tweeted a picture of a branded clapper board with the hashtag "#dayone".
A dusting of sand on the picture appears to confirm initial scenes are being shot in Abu Dhabi.
On Wednesday, actor Oscar Isaac told BBC Radio 4's Front Row that production was due to start this month.
The 34-year-old said: "The whole process is under way. We're shooting in the studios here in London."
Isaac was one of the new cast members announced for the film in April, alongside Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.
Recently seen in Inside Llewyn Davis, the actor said his family were "very excited" by his latest role.
"My uncle and my cousin have galleries of the Star Wars toys they've collected," he told Kirsty Lang.
"So once I told them I had been cast, he nearly fainted, my uncle. He got sweaty and pale. He was very excited.
"The idea that I could be a toy for him is the craziest thing."
Little is known about Isaac's role in Star Wars: Episode VII, and the actor admitted he was under strict orders not to reveal details.
However he spoke about being cast in the movie by director JJ Abrams, saying he had been called to a meeting in Paris earlier this year.
"I'm a huge Star Wars fan but at the same time I'm defensively pessimistic, so I assumed that maybe it was a different project," he said.
Once Abrams confirmed the meeting was about Star Wars, Isaac said he "tried to play it cool - but, I mean, it was clear I was just so excited he wanted me to be a part of the whole thing."
The actor also confessed he used to dress up as characters from the outer space blockbuster franchise as a child.
"Not as a Jedi Knight," he stressed, "but I dressed up as a gonk droid a couple of  times.
"I liked the tertiary characters or the ones you don't necessarily look at. I was a huge Boba Fett fan."
The film will be the first Star Wars title released by Disney, after creator George Lucas sold the rights to the franchise in 2012.
It will also see the return of the three principal characters from the original trilogy - Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford).
Earlier this year, Guatemalan-born Isaac was nominated for several awards, including a best actor Golden Globe, for starring in the Coen Brothers'  folk music drama Inside Llewyn Davis.
He told Front Row the accolades led directly to his latest role, in the thriller The Two Faces of January.
"Early on, before I'd been cast in Llewyn Davies, [director Hossein Amini] had shown me the script because we'd worked together on Drive.
"At the time there was very little chance I'd be cast - but once I was cast in Llewyn Davies, that opened up a lot of doors."
Laughing, he added: "They couldn't get the money to make the movie with some weirdo named Oscar."
"It's kind of crazy that's how it works, but that's how it's worked for a very long time."


Police hope to seize thousands of pounds from a man who grew cannabis in a freight shipping container buried in his back garden.

Adrian James used a mechanical digger to bury the container and he also dug a tunnel from his house to his garden.
Cannabis worth up to Â£86,000 was seized from the container and house in Hungerhill Road, St Ann's, Nottingham.
The 43-year-old was jailed for three years on 29 January and police now hope to confiscate some of his profits.
PC Steve Fenyn of Nottinghamshire Police, who led the investigation, said finding the "sophisticated" set-up was "quite a surprise".
He said: "It would have taken significant time and efforts to dig up the garden, put the freight container in and cover it up, then dig a tunnel into the house."
James had set up hydroponics equipment with timer switches and an automatic watering system.
PC Fenyn added: "The automatic set-up inside the container required very little maintenance from James."
He was arrested in October 2011 after officers searched his home.
He pleaded guilty to production of cannabis at Nottingham Crown Court.
Police are trying to establish how much money James made from the operation.
An application to seize the money and other assets will then by made in court under the Proceeds of Crime Act.


The White House has labelled "bananas" a ruling that blocks President Donald Trump's order barring funding for cities that shelter illegal immigrants.

A San Francisco judge has placed January's executive order in limbo, but the White House is vowing to appeal.
San Francisco and Santa Clara County sued in February.
The Trump administration has warned so-called sanctuary cities they could lose federal funds if they do not co-operate with federal immigration officials.
On Tuesday, Judge William Orrick issued a temporary injunction against the presidential order as the case continues in the courts.
"It's the 9th Circuit going bananas," White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said, in reference to the San Francisco-based appeals court, which conservatives often accuse of liberalism.
Mr Trump's measure cast doubt on the transfer of some $1.2bn (Â£940m) for San Francisco and $1.7bn to Santa Clara County, home to many Silicon Valley communities.
It is another legal defeat for President Trump in his efforts to curb immigration - his plan to curtail travel from seven Muslim-majority nations was twice blocked in federal courts.
Lawyers for the federal government had argued in the sanctuary cities case that only funding related to law enforcement would be withheld.
But Judge Orrick said any doubt about the scope of the "vague" order was erased by public comments made by President Trump, such as those calling the measure a "weapon" to use against jurisdictions that disagree with his immigration policies.
He accused the Trump administration of a "schizophrenic approach" to the order.
The 49-page court ruling added that the plaintiffs challenging President Trump's order are likely to succeed in proving the order unconstitutional.
"Federal funding... cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the President disapproves," the judge wrote.
However, Judge Orrick's ruling allowed the justice department to follow through with threats made to nine cities last week to cut specific programme grants if they do not adequately co-operate with federal immigration officers.
In a press release last week, the department accused sanctuary cities of "crumbling under the weight of illegal immigration and violent crime".
There are several sanctuary cities across the US, including Mr Trump's home of New York.
New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio praised Tuesday's ruling, saying the president went beyond his authority to cut funding to cities that "don't share his illogical and unconstitutional desire to scapegoat immigrants".
Trump starts a 'sanctuary city' war with liberal America


Google says it has made no changes to its Android Market payment policies.

This follows a Reuters report that Google threatened to remove developers' software from its store unless they accepted payments exclusively using its own payment service.
Google told the BBC its app distribution agreement had always made developers use Google Wallet.
But the internet search giant refused to say if it has started enforcing its payment rules more rigorously.
The story emerged just days after Android Market was merged into Google Play, an online store similar to Apple's iTunes. It offers music, movies and music as well as apps for its Android mobile phone operating system.
Todd Hooper, chief executive of Seattle-based Zipline Games, said that Google appeared to be changing its approach to payments.
"On Android it used to be laissez faire - you could use any payment provider you liked," he said.
"It's probably naive of developers to think they could keep choosing different payment providers."
Reuters reported that several developers that offered payment methods such as Paypal, Zong and Boku had been warned that their apps faced removal from Android Market.
An email sent by Google in August to a developer and obtained by Reuters said the developer had 30 days to comply, otherwise the developer's apps would be "suspended" from the market.
Unlike Apple, Google does not vet every app before it is made available for sale in its app store. That means that Google can normally enforce its policy after an app has appeared in the store.
Apple has taken a far stricter approach to app payments, insisting that all purchases are made using its iTunes payment system, including purchases of ebooks and magazine subscriptions.
"This is one of the things that has helped Apple succeed," said Charles Hudson of Bionic Panda Games, a San Francisco-based games company.
"Every single developer is using the Apple payment system. Google sees the benefits that provides for the Apple platform and wants to create a similar system."
Research in Motion, which makes Blackberry phones, allows multiple payment methods for apps sold in its Blackberry App World.
Google only permits alternative payment services for certain types of "in-app" transactions made using apps sold in its store. These include purchases of physical goods or digital content such as ebooks or movies.
These exceptions allow retailers such as Amazon to sell their goods from within their own apps without having to pay a cut to Google.
Developers are still free to sell applications using any payment methods that they want from alternative sites such as their own web-based stores.


Guardians of the Galaxy, The Fault in Our Stars and Bad Neighbours lead this year's MTV Movie Award nominations with seven each.

22 Jump Street and Whiplash have five.
In the running for the best male performance category is Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) and Miles Teller (Whiplash).
Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher), Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars) make up the rest of the list.
British star Rosamund Pike is flying the flag for the UK with three nominations, including a nod for breakthrough performance.
Those nominations are for her role in Gone Girl, in which she starred alongside Ben Affleck.
Despite picking up the best actor Oscar last month, Eddie Redmayne got one nomination for his performance as Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything for best on-screen transformation.
British star of the Martin Luther King Jr-inspired film Selma, David Oyelowo, is nominated for best breakthrough performance despite being snubbed at both the Oscars and Baftas.
Model Kate Upton is the only female in the best shirtless performance.
She'll be going up against the likes of Zac Efron, Chris Pratt, Channing Tatum and Ansel Elgort.
The ceremony, which is due to be held on 12 April at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, will be hosted by comedian Amy Schumer.
See the full list of nominations on MTV's website
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


French President Francois Hollande has met Cuba's 1959 revolutionary leaders Fidel and Raul Castro on a historic trip to Havana.

Mr Hollande also called for an end to the decades-long US trade embargo against Cuba.
He said the embargo badly damaged development of the island.
Mr Hollande is the first French president to visit Cuba since 1898, and the first Western European leader on the island since the 1980s.
President Hollande and Fidel Castro spoke for an hour, according to Liberation journalist Laure Bretton who tweeted his comments (in French) after the meeting.
"I had in front of me a man who had made history," Mr Hollande told her.
He later met Fidel's brother and current President Raul Castro.
Speaking earlier on Monday at the University of Havana, Mr Hollande said France would do its utmost to ensure that "the measures which have so badly harmed Cuba's development can finally be repealed".
He was referring to the US trade embargo, which remains in place, although relations between the US and Cuba have improved in recent months.
The diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the US was announced in December.
Mr Hollande announced plans to double the number of scholarships to enable Cuban students to continue their studies in France, as part of attempts to increase academic and scientific co-operation between the two nations.
The president's first appointment on Monday morning was to bestow France's highest award, the Legion of Honour, on the head of the Catholic Church in Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega.
The Cuban Catholic Church has acted as a mediator between dissidents and the Communist government.
The BBC's Will Grant in Havana says that unlike some other European countries, France has long maintained reasonably good relations with Cuba and wants to benefit from the new economic openness.
After landing at Havana airport, Mr Hollande said the visit was a moment of "great emotion".
Before arriving, he told reporters that France sought to "be the first among European nations, and the first among Western nations, to be able to say to the Cubans that we will be at their side if they decide themselves to take needed steps toward opening up".
Mr Hollande later travelled to Haiti.
A number of high-ranking US and European politicians have visited Cuba since 17 December, when the US and Cuba announced they would move towards re-establishing diplomatic ties.
They include New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini and top diplomats from Japan and Russia.
But Mr Hollande is the first Western European leader in Cuba since Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzales in 1986.


Indian artist PK Mahanandia met Charlotte Von Schedvin on a winter evening in Delhi in 1975 when she asked him to draw her portrait.

What eventually followed was an epic bicycle journey from India to Europe - all for love.
Ms Von Schedvin was visiting India as a tourist when she spotted Mr Mahanandia in Delhi's Connaught Place district.
He had made a name for himself as a sketch artist and enjoyed a good reputation in the local press.
Intrigued by his claim of "making a portrait in 10 minutes", she decided to give it a try.
But she wasn't impressed with the result and decided to come back the next day.
The next day sadly, proved no better.
In his defence, Mr Mahanandia says he had been preoccupied with a prediction his mother had made several years ago.
As a schoolboy growing up in a village in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, he often faced discrimination from upper-caste students because he was a Dalit - considered to be at the bottom of India's caste hierarchy.
Whenever he felt sad, his mother would tell him that according to his horoscope, he would someday marry a woman "whose zodiac sign would be Taurus, she would come from a far away land, she would be musical and would own a jungle".
So when he met Ms Von Schedvin, he immediately remembered his mother's predictions and asked her if she owned a jungle.
Ms Von Schedvin, whose family comes from Swedish nobility, replied that she did own a forest and added that not only was she "musical" (she liked to play the piano) her zodiac sign was also Taurus.
"It was an inner voice that said to me that she was the one. During our first meeting we were drawn to each other like magnets. It was love at first sight," Mr Mahanandia told the BBC.
"I still don't know what made me ask her the questions and then invite her for tea. I thought she would complain to the police."
But her reaction turned out to be quite the opposite.
"I thought he was honest and wanted to know why he had asked me those questions," Ms Von Schedvin told the BBC.
After several conversations, she agreed to visit Orissa with him.
The first monument she saw there was the famous Konark temple.
"I became emotional when PK showed me the Konark. I had this image of the temple stone wheel framed in my student room back in London, but I had no idea where this place actually was. And here I was standing in front of it."
The two fell in love and returned to Delhi after spending a few days in his village.
"She wore a sari when she met my father for the first time. I still don't know how she managed. With blessings from my father and family, we got married according to tribal tradition," he said.
Ms Von Schedvin had driven to Delhi with her friends from Sweden along the famous hippie trail - crossing Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan - to reach India in 22 days.
She said goodbye to him to start her return journey, but made him promise that he would follow her to her home in the Swedish textile town of Boras.
More than a year passed and the two kept in touch through letters.
Mr Mahanandia however, did not have enough money to buy a plane ticket.
So, he sold everything he owned, bought a bicycle and followed her along the same hippie trail.
His journey started on 22 January 1977 and he would cycle for around 70km (44 miles) every day.
"Art came to my rescue. I made portraits of people and some gave me money, while others gave me food and shelter," he said.
Mr Mahanandia remembers the world as being very different in the 1970s. For instance, he did not need a visa to enter most countries.
"Afghanistan was such a different country. It was calm and beautiful. People loved arts. And vast parts of the country were not populated," he said.
He said that people understood Hindi in Afghanistan, but communication became a problem once he entered Iran.
"Again art came to my rescue. I think love is the universal language and people understand that."
"Those were different days. I think people had more free time then to entertain a wanderer like me."
But did he ever feel tired?
"Yes, very often. My legs would hurt. But the excitement of meeting Charlotte and seeing new places kept me going," he said.
He finally reached Europe on 28 May - via Istanbul and Vienna, and then travelled to Gothenburg by train.
After several cultural shocks and difficulties in impressing Ms Von Schedvin's parents, the two finally got officially married in Sweden.
"I had no idea about European culture. It was all new to me, but she supported me in every step. She is just a special person. I am still in love just as I was in 1975," he says.
The 64-year-old now lives with Charlotte and their two children in Sweden and continues to work as an artist.
But he still doesn't understand "why people think it was a big deal to cycle to Europe".
"I did what I had to, I had no money but I had to meet her. I was cycling for love, but never loved cycling. It's simple."


A senior druid has been told he can take English Heritage to court to challenge "pay to pray" car parking charges at Stonehenge.

King Arthur Pendragon argued a parking fee of £15 for the 2016 summer solstice breached his human rights.
Parking at the Neolithic monument, managed by English Heritage (EH), usually costs £5.
A judge at Salisbury County Court granted Mr Pendragon a full hearing at a small claims court.
Mr Pendragon, who was joined by other druid and pagan supporters to protest outside the court, believes the £15 fee was "illegal" and excluded 12,500 from the event.
He told the judge at the allocation hearing that the claim was not about money or costs, but the fact it "unfairly targeted his religion".
The increased charge was introduced to encourage more people to car share or travel by bus, but Mr Pendragon said he wanted to prove EH was wrong to turn him away when he refused to "pay to pray".
A spokeswoman for EH said: "This was a procedural hearing establishing the next steps and we look forward to presenting our full case at a later date.
"As legal proceedings are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further."
Mr Pendragon asked that the date for the full hearing does not clash with the spring or summer solstice.


Police are failing to properly record tens of thousands of offences, including rape and violent crimes, according to inspectors.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) assessed four forces' crime recording.
Merseyside and Devon and Cornwall were both rated "inadequate" after inspectors found they were under-reporting serious crimes including violent and sexual offences.
Inspectors said Northumbria and Avon and Somerset "required improvement".
Surrey Police 'still not doing enough to protect children'
HMIC said Merseyside Police recorded only about 84% of crimes reported to it and failed to record an estimated 19,200 reported crimes each year.
Inspector of Constabulary Mike Cunningham said crime recording processes within the Merseyside force were "not fully effective".
Merseyside was under-recording too many reports of violent and sexual offences, excluding rape, the report said.
It added: "Those failings are depriving many victims of the services to which they are entitled and are a cause of concern."
Deputy Chief Constable Carl Foulkes, of Merseyside Police, said the force had already implemented some recommendations and was "working to rectify other areas raised".
Devon and Cornwall Police was also rated "inadequate", after inspectors found it was only recording 82% of crimes, amounting to more than 17,400 crimes not being recorded.
Source: HMIC
"I was most concerned to find that the [Devon and Cornwall] force had failed to record reports of rape, serious sexual assault and offences of serious assault and human trafficking," Wendy Williams, another inspector from the watchdog, said.
She said victims were not getting enough service when they initially reported crime.
Devon and Cornwall Police accepted it had to put better processes in place to accurately record all crime.
"We don't believe that in the vast majority of circumstances we have not supported a victim," Deputy Chief Constable James Vaughan said.
"This is more about recording a crime, helping a victim, but then not properly updating systems around supplementary crimes related to the same investigation."
The Avon and Somerset and Northumbria forces were both judged as "requiring improvement" after they were found to be recording about 90% and 93% of crimes reported to them respectively.
They were both criticised for under-recording serious offences such as rape.
Both forces said they recognised that, while they had made improvements since inspections in 2014, "there was still more work to be done".
The forces are the latest to come under scrutiny as part of rolling inspections looking at the crime data integrity of every police force in England and Wales.


Software firm Valve has launched a Linux version of its Steam game store.

The games made available via the online Steam store are playable on the Ubuntu version of the Linux open-source operating system.
Through the store, Ubuntu users can get at almost 60 games including popular titles such as CounterStrike and Team Fortress 2.
The launch comes as Valve lays off about 10% of its staff including some who were working on hardware projects.
Open-source software gives users access to all its underlying programming code and stands in contrast to closed or proprietary software which locks such information away,
Players can get access to the Steam store using an add-on application available via the Ubuntu software centre.
As well as games made by Valve, the Linux version of Steam also sells titles made by other companies.
They include Amnesia, FTL, Serious Sam 3 and World of Goo.
As it opened the Linux store, Valve also cut the prices of the PC and Mac versions of games available to Ubuntu users by up to 75%. The sale will run until 21 February.
David Pitkin, who works for Ubuntu developer Canonical, said he now expected "a growing number of game developers to include Ubuntu among their target platforms".
Currently, few game makers produce a version that can run on Linux or other open-source operating systems.
While almost 60 titles are available on Steam, the store sells more than 2,000 games that run on Windows.
The launch is important for Valve because Linux is expected to be the operating system for the console it is developing to allow Steam games to be played on TVs.
As the curtain was being lifted on the Linux store, Valve sacked about 30 members of staff including high-profile developer Jeri Ellsworth who was reportedly working on the hardware behind the company's console.
Valve boss Gabe Newell took the unusual step of issuing a statement about the lay-offs to curb speculation about what they would mean for the company's many projects.
He said the sackings did not mean it was cancelling any projects or changing its priorities.
"We're not going to discuss why anyone in particular is or isn't working here," he said.


A woman has won £50,000 after her boss placed a £10 bet on Leicester City winning the Premier League as a joke.

At the start of the season, bookies gave odds of 5,000/1 for the Foxes to win the league.
Fan Mandy Clarke said her boss, a Nottingham Forest supporter, placed the bet as a gift "to take the mickey".
She was offered cash-outs but an inspirational poster at the hospital in Oadby where she works convinced her to keep the faith, she said.
"He bought it as a joke because he was taking the mickey out of my team because he's a bit of a closet Nottingham Forest fan," Ms Clarke, a Leicester City season ticket holder of over 20 years, said.
"It was never going to happen."
Leicester season ticket holder Ms Clarke said she pinned it next to a poster that read, "Believe and all things are possible".
"I was having so many meltdowns about the cash-outs, I felt as if I'd be a traitor. I felt you have to believe, as Leicester City fans - you have to believe you can do it," she said.
"I just couldn't move it to take it anywhere."
Asked which is better, the money or her team winning the Premier League against the odds, she said: "The £50,000 is fabulous, I can't take it in.
"But the icing on the cake is Leicester City winning because that will live on and on and on."
Other fans are doubly celebrating, including Keval Nakesheree, from Gloucestershire, who placed an each way bet on Leicester winning the title at 5000/1, netting himself £33,000.


Wrexham have offered new deals to seven squad members for 2016-17, but club captain Lee Fowler is not among them.

Fowler is one of 16 players released by the National League club while Kayden Jackson has turned down his offer.
Manny Smith, Wes York, Adriano Moke and Blaine Hudson are also among the departures.
Defender Sean Newton has signed a new one-year deal and Wrexham are in talks with goalkeeper Rhys Taylor, who has been on loan from Newport County.
Jackson was joined in being offered a new deal with Mark Carrington, Rob Evans, Jamal Fyfield, Simon Heslop, Connor Jennings and Sean Newton.
The full list of players not retained is: Cameron Belford, Louis Briscoe, Iwan Cartwright, Jake Doran, Fowler, James Gray, Hudson, Moke, Danny Reynolds, Jonathan Royle, Aaron Simpson, Smith, Javan Vidal, Ross White, Joe Williams and York.
Wrexham finished eighth and 11 points off the play-offs in their last campaign, prompting manager Gary Mills to say they did not deserve to make the top five.


A homeless man who knocked over a frail London pensioner to steal just £5 has been jailed for 30 months.

Solomon Bygraves followed 92-year-old Stanley Evans into his block of flats in Soho and pushed him over as he lunged for his wallet.
Southwark Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of Bygraves running away as Mr Evans fell to the ground.
The pensioner remained lying in the entrance to the flats for several minutes after the attack on 31 January.
Mr Evans, a retired camera assistant who worked on films including the 1947 classic Brighton Rock, eventually managed to get to his feet and call 999.
Police described the attack as "totally unprovoked, callous and sickening".
The pensioner suffered a shoulder and arm injury in the incident.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Evans said: "He tried to con me by offering to help me with my bags, I believe purely to get into the block of flats to rob me."
He said he struggled to get to his feet following the attack by Bygraves, who at more than 6ft (1.82m) tall, towered over him.
"Due to my age I found it very difficult to get up," Mr Evans said.
Undeterred by the assault, he added: "I'm independently minded and determined not to allow this to change how I live or where or when I go out."
Bygraves, who is homeless and has 21 convictions for 49 offences, pleaded guilty to robbery via prison video-link last month.