Unemployment in Scotland rose by 11,000 between September and November 2016, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that unemployment in Scotland now stands at 139,000.
The number of Scots in work over the period also fell by 14,000, a figure which is higher than the drop seen across the UK as a whole.
Scotland's unemployment rate now stands at 5.1%, while the UK rate is 4.8% - its lowest rate for more than 10 years.
ONS labour market statistics show there were 2,604,000 people employed in Scotland.
The Scottish government said youth unemployment had decreased by 3.6 percentage points over the past year to 9.4% - a lower rate than the UK - and gave Scotland the second lowest unemployment rate in the EU.
Over the quarter, Scotland also had the second highest employment rate out of the four UK nations at 73.4% - though it is below the UK average of 74.5%.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in Scotland fell 1,100 to 52,700 in December, which was down by 11,200 on the same month of 2015.
The UK government's Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said the statistics painted a "worrying picture" for Scotland.
"Whereas across the UK the news is better, here in Scotland unemployment is up, employment is down and Scotland's economy continues to lag behind that of the UK," he said.
"The UK government has devolved a raft of new powers to Holyrood, agreed a fair financial settlement as a strong foundation, and delivered Â£800m of extra investment for the Scottish government to spend.
"The Scottish government now needs to use all of these powers to secure and strengthen Scotland's economy".
Across the UK as a whole, unemployment fell by 52,000 to 1.6 million between September and November 2016. The jobless rate was steady at an 11-year low of 4.8%, in line with forecasts, the ONS said.
UK average earnings increased by 2.8% in the year to November, 0.2% up on the previous month. However, the number of people in work slipped by 9,000 to just over 31.8 million, according to the ONS.
Holyrood's Employability Minister Jamie Hepburn, said the Brexit vote had caused "significant economic uncertainty" which was threatening economic recovery and the jobs market.
He added: "It is clear that the Scottish and UK economies, are currently facing challenging economic conditions nevertheless, despite a slight rise in the unemployment rate over the most recent quarter, it has fallen over the past year.
"It is also heartening to see how strongly we are performing in the youth labour market, where we see the unemployment levels among young Scots steadily declining.
"Scotland is also leading the UK in terms of the proportion of young people currently in work, which is testament to the effectiveness of our youth employment strategy, 'Developing the Young Workforce', and our commitment to support Modern Apprentices, providing 30,000 places by 2020."


Women using IVF to get pregnant should be aware that they will be more likely to have a boy than a girl, say experts.

Australian researchers found the odds of a boy went up from 51 in 100 when conceived naturally to 56 in 100.
But another assisted reproduction technique called ICSI, which singles out the sperm that will fertilise the IVF egg, makes a girl more likely.
The study reported in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at nearly 14,000 births.
This group comprised all live births following fertility treatment in clinics in Australia and New Zealand between 2002 and 2006.
In the UK, over 35,000 women a year undergo IVF.
The University of New South Wales researchers say patients should be counselled about the side effects of different assisted reproduction techniques.
Couples undergoing IVF - where an egg is taken from the woman and mixed with the man's sperm in the lab for fertilisation before being put back into her womb - can expect a slightly increased chance of having a boy, they say.
However, for couples undergoing ICSI - where a single sperm is selected for injection and fertilisation of the IVF egg - the odds lean slightly towards having a girl.
In their study, the likelihood of an IVF birth resulting in a boy was between 53% and 56%, depending on how soon the fertilised egg was put back into the woman.
Taking the higher value, this would mean that in every hundred births, 56 would be baby boys and 44 would be girls.
This compares with 49 boys in every hundred births for ICSI and 51 boys in every hundred births with natural conception.
Editor-in-chief of the BJOG Professor Philip Steer said the balance of boys and girls born in a population - known as the secondary sex ratio (SSR) - varies over time naturally, in response to external factors such as times of hardship with famine or war.
But the latest findings suggest man's interference in reproduction may also be having an impact.
And this could have future implications for public health, says Professor Steer.
"We know that already in some parts of India and China, a higher proportion of male babies have been born or survive because of parents deliberately choosing the gender of their baby, and this is leading to significant social problems with some men being unable to find a wife.
"It is important that we don't allow such imbalances to occur unintentionally, simply because we have neglected to study the factors that influence the secondary sex ratio in the increasing proportion of the population who use assisted reproductive technology."
Fertility expert Dr Allan Pacey, from the University of Sheffield, said: "There is no evidence I am aware of to show that sex ratios at a national level have changed as a consequence of assisted conception procedures, although nature can impose some big variations following natural phenomena and man-made events.
"Patients should certainly not consider using this as a method of trying to have a boy or girl, since the procedure used needs to be selected to try and maximise the chance of pregnancy."


A nationwide minute's silence has been held in memory of the victims of the shooting in Tunisia last Friday.

Cumbernauld couple Jim and Ann McQuire and Billy and Lisa Graham of Bankfoot were among 30 Britons killed in Sousse by a gunman with extremist links.
Their bodies were flown back to the UK on Thursday.
A candlelit vigil was planned in Perthshire for the Grahams, while a special church service was held in Cumbernauld in memory of the McQuires.
Following the service in Abronhill Church, where Mr and Mrs McQuire were members, session clerk Linda Gray said: "The church was full. There were lots of people there and we were happy to be together to share our prayers with the community.
"We would like to thank everyone who came and also the very many people - some we knew and some we did not know - who sent messages of love and support. It was very kind."
A total of 38 people were killed in the attack by Seifeddine Rezgui last Friday. The gunman, who had links to the Islamic State group, was himself shot dead following the incident, and Tunisian authorities have arrested several people on suspicion of helping him.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who are in Glasgow, joined in with the minute's silence during a visit to the University of Strathclyde.
The silence was also marked by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who signed a book of condolence which has been opened by North Lanarkshire Council.
She said: "Today is a day to remember all of the victims of this senseless and cowardly terrorist attack and my thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
"I hope that the families of James and Ann McQuire and Billy and Lisa Graham can take some comfort from the fact that right across Scotland people have come together to condemn these mindless acts and pay respects to their loved ones during today's minute's silence - just as I hope all the bereaved families will take comfort from the expression of solidarity right across the UK."
Shoppers and staff in Aberdeen and Inverness paused to mark the occasion, while passengers at Glasgow Airport also fell silent.
Flags are being flown at half-mast at the Scottish Parliament, Whitehall and Buckingham Palace.
A special ceremony was held at the scene of the killings in Sousse, and events were held at churches and mosques across the country.
The candlelit vigil in Bankfoot was due to be held at a park near the Graham family home. A local councillor said the village had been "very subdued" since the death of the "very well-known couple", who had been in Tunisia celebrating Mrs Graham's 50th birthday.
North Lanarkshire and Perth and Kinross Councils are flying flags at half-mast, and have opened books of condolence.
The first inquests into the deaths of the Britons are also set to begin, with the bodies of more of the dead expected to arrive back at RAF Brize Norton.


A double suicide bomb attack on a Shia mosque in Yemen's capital Sanaa has killed at least 20 people and left many more injured, medical officials say.

Eyewitnesses report that one bomber blew himself up as worshippers left the mosque, before a car bomb was set off as people came to help the casualties.
On Twitter, Islamic State militants claimed they had carried out the attack.
Earlier in the day, two aid workers were shot dead in northern Yemen.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that two of its local aid workers were killed as they travelled in a convoy to Sanaa.
It is believed a lone gunman opened fire on their vehicle as they travelled through the northern province of Amran on the way from the Houthi stronghold Saada.
IS militants have claimed a series of suicide bombings against Houthi targets in recent months.
The mosque is in a neighbourhood that supports the Houthi rebels, who seized the capital in February.
Fighting in Yemen has escalated since a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily against the Houthi rebels at the end of March.
The fighting has now reached 21 out of 22 provinces and some 4,500 people - including at least 2,112 civilians - have been killed, according to the UN.
More than 1.4 million people have also been displaced and 21 million - almost 80% of the population - are in need of some form of humanitarian aid.
Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe
Who is fighting whom?
Meeting the Houthis and their enemies


Up to 200 jobs are being created by mobile phone company EE at its call centre in south Wales with another 100 in north east England.

Customer services and sales jobs will be based at Merthyr Tydfil as well as Darlington and North Tyneside.
A total of 15 apprenticeships are also being offered in south Wales in a link up with College Merthyr Tydfil.
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney MP Dai Havard said the decision was a "vote of confidence" in the local community.
The Labour MP added: "EE knows that Merthyr Tydfil is a place of opportunity and I am pleased to work with them to build our digital economy."
EE, owner of Orange and T-Mobile, provides mobile and broadband services and has over 15,000 employees and 27m customers.
It was also the first to offer a 4G network in the UK which provided increased broadband speed.
Assembly member Huw Lewis praised the company's commitment to create the 15 new apprenticeships in November on top of 25 due to start soon.
"I was pleased to visit the EE customer centre here in Merthyr Tydfil recently and to meet with 12 of the new apprentices who were all incredibly enthusiastic about working for the company," he said.
"Today's announcement of additional jobs is a welcome boost for Merthyr Tydfil and a sign of the confidence EE rightly has in its Merthyr workforce."
Recruitment starts this month.
Dr Kath Ringwald, from the business school at the University of South Wales, told BBC Radio Wales an influx of 200 jobs was always extremely welcome, especially in an area like Merthyr Tydfil where there is a high level of unemployment.
She said call centres make a significant contribution to the Welsh economy.
"The significance of the apprenticeships is that it signifies that these are jobs that are going to endure and go on in the longer term and will offer some good training and security in the longer term," she said.
Francoise Clemes, EE's chief of customer service, said the town was already home to one of its customer centres and would be good news for local job-seekers.
"As well as providing a much-needed jobs boost for an area which has been badly hit by the downturn, the increase in employees at our customer centres reinforces our commitment to providing the best service possible to all EE customers," she said.


Gloucestershire all-rounder Benny Howell has signed a three-year contract extension to stay with the Championship Division Two county until 2019.

Howell was the club's leading wicket-taker in the T20 Blast this summer, with 24 at an average of 16.04.
The 28-year-old will join up with Bangladesh Premier League side Khulna Titans in November, despite warnings about the security of western players.
"We are a club on the up and I want to be a part of that," he said.
"I love playing with this group of players and I believe we can win more trophies together."


Sydney Roosters have suspended scrum-half Mitchell Pearce for eight National Rugby League games after he was filmed committing a lewd act with a dog.

Pearce, 26, was also fined Aus $125,000 (£65,000), of which Aus $50,000 (£26,000) was suspended for two years.
He admitted he had a "problem with alcohol" and entered rehab after the footage emerged in January.
"Now this has been decided, I can get on with my rehab and work each day on making the right choices," he said.
The sanction, which will mean Pearce can return against the Newcastle Knights in the last week of April, was agreed upon by the Roosters and the NRL.
"This was a complex and unprecedented matter that required careful consideration," Roosters chief executive John Lee said.
"It was paramount we delivered the appropriate level of discipline, but neither could we ignore the player welfare component."
Pearce, the son of rugby league legend and NRL commissioner Wayne Pearce, was stripped of the Roosters captaincy after the incident.


Thousands of people have gathered by Manchester Town Hall to remember the victims of Monday night's terror attack at a concert.

24 May 2017 Last updated at 07:08 BST
Children and adults lit candles, put down flowers and held a minute's silence in tribute, on Tuesday evening.
Events were also held in other cities.
Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said he was heartened to hear about the acts of kindness from emergency service workers and normal people.
He said: "The people of Greater Manchester showed the people of the world how much we care, how much we care about one another, and how much we care for those in need."
Martin was at the vigil and has more...


A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 20-year-old found with severe head injuries near Leeds railway station.

Billy Mankelow was found in a railway arch, on Swinegate near Commercial Garages, at 03:20 BST on Saturday. Police said he had been assaulted.
The 20-year-old from Tonbridge, Kent had surgery but died on Sunday.
A 31-year-old man from Leeds has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held in police custody.
Det Insp Mick Jackson, of British Transport Police, said Mr Mankelow had been living in the Hyde Park area of Leeds.
He added: "Our thoughts are with Billy's family at this difficult time."


A Belgian minister who cycled to an event to announce investment in bicycle lanes had his own bike stolen.

Ben Weyts, minister of mobility for the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders, had locked his bike to a rack at Halle railway station, south of Brussels, a spokesman said.
But when he returned half an hour later, he found it had been stolen.
The minister then had to call his driver to pick him up from the station, the spokesman added.
Mr Weyts now hopes CCTV footage of the area will help police identify the suspect. On Twitter, he posted a link to a report in which police announced they would increase patrols and cameras in the station.
In the news conference, he announced a plan to invest â‚¬300m (Â£254m; $316m) in cycle lanes until 2019, as part of a programme to promote alternative transport. He unveiled it wearing a cycling shorts and long shirt.
Cars are the main way of commuting to work in Belgium, and the country has some of the worst road congestion in Europe.


Britain's Olympic sprinter Chijindu Ujah was second in the men's indoor 60m at the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland.

The 22-year-old, who reached the semi-finals of the 100m at the Rio Olympics, ran 6.56 seconds, a tenth of a second behind America's Ronnie Baker.
Ethiopian's indoor and outdoor world record holder Genzebe Dibaba ran the sixth-fastest indoor 1500m in history.
Her performance was one of five world leads at the penultimate meet in the IAAF World Indoor Tour.


American cyclist Tejay van Garderen says he will not be competing at the Olympics in Rio this summer because of concerns over Zika.

The virus is linked to serious birth defects and the 27-year-old's wife is currently pregnant.
"If Jessica were not pregnant right now, assuming I was selected, I would go," he told Cyclingtips.
"But I don't want to take any chances. If anything were to happen, I couldn't live with myself."
USA Cycling is yet to announce its men's squad for the Olympics but confirmed to BBC Sport that Van Garderen had withdrawn from consideration.
Brazilian authorities say there will be no risk to athletes and spectators, except pregnant women, when the Rio Games take place in August.
The infection has been linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains.
The World Health Organization insists the Olympics do not need to be moved or postponed because of the outbreak, despite more than a hundred medical experts signing an open letter saying it would be unethical for the Games to go ahead.
Fiji's Vijay Singh and Australian Marc Leishman have already announced their withdrawal from the golf event in Rio because of worries relating to the mosquito-borne virus.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live on Monday, Great Britain's Olympic tennis champion Andy Murray said he will be seeking medical advice over whether to travel.


Everton have rejected a transfer request from defender and Chelsea target John Stones.

The 21-year-old England international asked to leave on Tuesday after the Toffees refused three bids from Chelsea, the last for £30m.
"John is not for sale," said Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.
It is understood Chelsea feel they have gone as far as they can and do not currently intend to make another offer for the central defender.
Stones played the full 120 minutes of Everton's 5-3 extra-time victory over Barnsley in the League Cup second round on Wednesday.
After the game, manager Roberto Martinez said Everton would turn down any bids for the player.
"Sometimes money can't buy everything and that is going to be a very strong statement at Everton," said Martinez.
Stones, who arrived from Barnsley for £3m in February 2013, has four years left on his contract after signing an extension in August 2014.
He was seen as a possible replacement for Chelsea captain John Terry, who was substituted at half-time during his side's 3-0 defeat by Manchester City and then sent off against West Brom on Sunday.


A former police officer has denied changing his statement to include more references to fans drinking, the Hillsborough inquests heard.

Keith Wilkinson claimed he did not "accentuate the negative and eliminate the positive" about fans' behaviour in a second statement in 1990.
In his first statement nine days after the 1989 disaster, he made no reference that his horse could have been hit.
The Merseyside Police officer said his first statement was the most accurate.
Mr Wilkinson told the inquest jury in Warrington on Thursday no-one told him to make the alterations.
Ninety-six fans died following a crush during the Liverpool v Nottingham Forest FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield.
Mr Wilkinson's second statement in January 1990 included detail about some fans at the side of the road drinking from cans and bottles.
There was a claim about his horse potentially being hit on the head.
BBC News: Profiles of all those who died
He was one of 14 mounted officers from Merseyside Police who was sent to police the match on 15 April 1989.
Peter Wilcock QC, who represents a group of the Hillsborough families, said the inquests would hear evidence that "a number of Merseyside Police officers" all made "second statements" on the same day in January 1990.
Mr Wilkinson, who was on duty at the Leppings Lane end, said he did not remember the second statement.
Mr Wilcock asked: "Is it the case - you have been encouraged by others to accentuate the negative and eliminate the positive as far as the behaviour of Liverpool fans was concerned on that day?"
"That is not the case," Mr Wilkinson replied.
A reference to "no hostility" from fans who were asked to move from a bridge was also removed, the jury was told.
Mr Wilcock asked Mr Wilkinson whether his first statement was inaccurate and if he had "overemphasised how nice they were" and "not emphasised how much they were drinking".
Mr Wilkinson replied: "That's not the case."
He said he could not remember when the second statement was made and for what reason, the coroner heard.
Mr Wilkinson added his first statement was the most accurate and denied he was told to make alterations to his second.
The inquests continue.
Correction 19 September: Keith Wilkinson's evidence was heard on Thursday afternoon. BBC News Online's report on Thursday did not contain this material and a new story was published as soon as this oversight came to light.


People have been using Your Questions to tell us what they want to know about the West Midlands.

We were asked if there were any photographs of a windmill that once towered over Penkhull and Hartshill in Stoke-on-Trent.
You wanted to know why there were circular holes high up in the walls of hay lofts.
And you wondered about the history of the Alexandra colliery in Coventry. Here are some of the answers.
Local historian Richard Talbot said the windmill stood on Kirkland Lane. It dates roughly from 1780 and was built for farmers for milling.
However, by 1891 the mill had been demolished and Mr Talbot does not believe anyone took a picture while it was standing.
A semi-detached house now stands where the windmill once was.
An archaeological dig was carried out before building work started and found some remains of the windmill including the foundations "but nothing significant"," Mr Talbot says.
You can find out more about the Penkhull Windmill here and if you have a photograph of it use the form at the bottom of this page to get in touch.
Blists Hill Victorian museum in Ironbridge has examples of these holes in the side of barns.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust told us it was so that loosely bundled bales of hay could be thrown, from a pitch fork, into the loft.
In the past, bales were not rectangular and tidy like they are today, so they were less likely to catch on a round hole than a square one.
The trust also said that some barns have smaller holes near the eaves to attract owls, in the hope they would control mouse-numbers - and they were known as "owl holes".
The Alexandra Colliery was one of three in the area operated by Wyken Collieries Ltd, which started work at the Warwickshire Coalfield from 1862.
The Alexandra and Wyken Collieries were the first to open. When the Wyken was worked out by 1881 miners moved to the Alexandra until it too became exhausted by 1919.
The third, and last, Craven Colliery, closed in 1927. The history of some of the surrounding railway lines can be found on this site.
Have you got a question about the West Midlands?
Is there something you have seen or heard that you would like us to investigate?
It could be a burning issue or something you have always wondered about the area or its people.
Use the tool below to send us your questions.
We could be in touch and your question could make the news.


The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the Glasgow bin lorry crash will look at the driver's medical background and his fitness to hold a licence.

It will also consider the technical aspects of the vehicle itself and whether it was appropriate for it to take the route it did.
Six people died and 10 more were injured when the council bin lorry crashed into pedestrians in Glasgow city centre on 22 December.
The inquiry is due to start on 22 July.
A preliminary hearing for the inquiry, which is expected to last four weeks, was held at  Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.
Scotland's second most senior law officer, Solicitor General Lesley Thomson QC, who will lead the inquiry, said the FAI will cover three main areas.
Ms Thomson said: "The issues fall into three categories which are firstly around the driver of the vehicle, his medical background, his fitness to hold the licence, his employment record and training.
"Secondly the vehicle itself and the technical aspects, if there could have been any measures or interventions to have brought that vehicle to a controlled stop.
"And thirdly the safety of the refuse collection route taken by the motor vehicle. In relation to that I would intend to explore not just the route but the time of week and the time of year and assess the appropriateness of that route at that time of year."
Erin McQuade, 18, her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife Lorraine, all from Dumbarton, died in the incident in the city's Queen Street and George Square.
Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, were also killed when the truck mounted the pavement before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel.
Lawyers for the families of the victims, the driver, the DVLA and Glasgow City Council were present at the preliminary hearing.
The Crown said it was ready to proceed with the inquiry.
The other parties said they would need to see productions and reports before they could advise whether they were ready.
Another preliminary court hearing is scheduled to take place on 18 May.


Channel 4's overall share of viewing has fallen 11.4% over the past year, figures show.

The broadcaster's share fell from 6.5% to 5.8%, according to industry paper Broadcast, in part due to bumper Paralympics audiences last year.
ITV scored the channel's first share increase in 23 years from 15.7% to 16.5% including its timeshift services.
BBC One suffered a slight drop from 21.3% to 21.1%, but it remains the UK's most popular channel.
1. BBC One - 21.1%
2. ITV - 16.5%
3. Channel 4 - 5.8%
4. BBC Two - 5.7%
5. Channel 5 - 4.5%
Figures include +1 services where applicable recorded between 1 January and 22 November 2013
Although Channel 4 has screened ratings hits including US terrorism drama Homeland and Southcliffe, other shows such as Bedtime Live and One Born Every Minute struggled.
BBC One's decision to scrap children's content from afternoons also contributed to Channel 4's decline.
A spokesman for the broadcaster told Broadcast: "There are easier ways to maximise audience share, but Channel 4 has a remit to take creative risks, champion alternative voices and stimulate debate.
"We have done this across 2013 with programming that has also achieved audience success - from The King In The Car Park, Utopia and Murder Trial to Southcliffe, The Mill and Educating Yorkshire."
The channel also stressed that 28 of its top 50 shows were new titles.
ITV was the only one of the five main channels to increase its audience share, after a steady decline in recent years as well as a big slump in 2012 as viewers switched to the BBC to watch the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Jake Kanter, Broadcast
Channel 4's decline is concerning at a time when advertisers are increasingly discerning about where they spend their money.
But they must be viewed against the backdrop of bumper viewing last year, when its coverage of the London 2012 Paralympics enthralled the nation.
ITV has been the biggest winner this year. Dramas such as Broadchurch and record I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ratings have helped the channel to its first increase in viewing since John Major was prime minister.
However,  ratings winners I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! - whose launch show was the most-watched programme of the year so far - Britain's Got Talent, Downton Abbey and Broadchurch helped secure an improved performance.
"We needed to bounce back and we have," Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, said.
"We're coming good on drama, we've got good entertainment and more new entertainment shows that will return."
ITV also benefitted from BBC Two replacing original programming in its afternoon schedule with repeats of old shows as part of its cost-cutting plans, resulting in its share falling from 6.1% to 5.7%.
BBC controller Janice Hadlow said the channel had performed "exceptionally well" despite its "loss of daytime origination".
She pointed to ratings successes including James Corden's comedy The Wrong Mans - which gave the channel its biggest comedy launch in more than eight years - Horizon: The Secret Life of the Cat and Gillian Anderson drama The Fall.
With BBC One's largest audience share for five years in 2012 due to the Olympics, it had been expected ratings would likely fall this year, but other notable events and stable ratings winners such as Strictly Come Dancing and Mrs Brown's Boys helped its performance.
"BBC One is the nation's favourite channel, bringing audiences together for the big events including Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory and the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary which topped the charts as the highest rating drama of the year across all channels," a BBC spokesman said.
Channel 5's ratings remained fairly stable, with its share marginally down 0.4% to 4.5%.
Ben Frow, director of programmes, said the channel was "in a very good place".
"We've worked hard this year and it's paying off. Programmes like On Benefits and Proud show that we can be populist and smart and at the same time unexpected, with something like The Bible," he said.
Sky One was the top digital station, increasing its share to 1%.


After he was dropped by, Nantes, his boyhood club, Franco-Ivorian striker Ghislain Guessan floundered in the French and Italian lower leagues.

As it became apparent that European clubs were no longer willing to wager on the 23 year-old target-man, he decided to try his hand in Algeria.
The North African league has long proved fertile ground for journeymen or prodigious sub-Saharan talents looking to make a name for themselves and eventually play in Europe.
In 2014 he signed for RC Arbaa and has made a success of the move - this season he has scored 10 goals and made one assist.
Yet as the the current campaign comes to a close, Guessan and 20 other foreign players around Algeria are preparing their respective departures as a new law will force a footballing exodus of sorts.
On 25 July, 2015, the Federation of Algerian Football issued a statement announcing that, effective June 2016, it would implement a law stipulating that foreign players could no longer come to Algeria to play in the professional leagues.
"I did not believe it at first, as every professional league has foreigners and that improves the quality of football," said Guessan.
However, the president of the FAF, Mohamed Raouraoua, rationalised the decision by questioning Algerian clubs' recruitment record.
"Forty-six percent of the 28 foreign players have played less than half of the season," he stated.
"The idea behind signing foreign players is that they are supposed to contribute. There even two players who have not played a single minute. So what is the point? We must ask questions."
Reaction to the federation's announcement has varied.
ES Setif president Hassen Hammar declared that he backed the federation's verdict, as he believes clubs are not recruiting responsibly.
MC Alger president, Omar Ghrib, contested the decision, claiming that professional leagues should not interfere with how clubs make transfers.
"If the federation wants to run the club, they should pay the players," Ghrib said.
While the quality of foreign players has been being closely scrutinised, the FAF's principal justification for the law is a lack of fiscal responsibility.
In February, video emerged of Mohamed Coumbassa, a Guinean midfielder, collecting donations from USM El Harrach supporters because he had not been paid for six months.
To exacerbate matters, it later emerged that Coumbassa had played 18 matches for El Harrach without ever being granted a work permit.
Conversely, CR Belouizdad's Gilles Ngomo is planning his departure from Algeria after spending eight years in the country with three different clubs.
"I had some wonderful years in Algeria. I adapted very well and the people were fantastic," he said.
'Hoping for change'
The Cameroonian midfielder is married to an Algerian and even considered applying for Algerian citizenship in 2012.
He told BBC Sport: "If the law is necessary, then I hope it will improve living conditions for foreign players."
Though the President of the Professional League, Mahfoud Kerbadj, insists that the law pertains to "all foreigners, not just Africans", analysts around the continent believe the law will primarily impact sub-Saharan African players, who will be denied access to a league seen as a springboard to European football.
Another Cameroonian midfielder, Abenego Tembeng, who currently plays for DRB Tadjenanet, told BBC Sport that he had begun planning a move abroad immediately after hearing about the law.
"I started making plans with my agent right away, but while we're waiting for the end of the season, we're hoping something will change," he said,
"I do not know if this law will be temporary. I hope things work out and I can remain with Tadjenanet next season."
But if Tembeng would like to remain at Tadjenanet for another year, Guessan himself has no hope of remaining in Algeria.
After scoring 10 goals in 21 matches for RC Arbaa - and being the leading goalscorer in the Algerian league for much of the 2015/16 campaign - the former Nantes man is looking to play across the Mediterranean basin once again.
"I planned a lot of projects in Algeria. Big clubs here had followed my progress, but now I am going to focus on moving to Europe," he said.
"It is a shame because the Algerian league is not an easy league to play in. If you have success here, you can succeed anywhere."


Home Secretary Theresa May is looking into tougher rules for visas for overseas university students, BBC Newsnight has learned.

The proposals would require students to have more financial savings on arrival.
In a confidential letter to other ministers, she argues that universities should "develop sustainable funding models that are not so dependent on international students".
The Home Office refuses to comment on leaked documents.
Student migration is a significant political problem for the government, which has a target of reducing net immigration to below 100,000 people per year.
Earlier this week, immigration minister James Brokenshire announced a tightening of immigration rules relating to non-EU students in further education.
The government is some way off its immigration targets. At the last estimate, so-called "net migration" was running at 318,000 in the 12 months to December 2014. That was caused by gross immigration of 641,000 and gross emigration of 323,000. According to the International Passenger Survey, a total of 193,000 people came to the UK in 2014 for "formal study".
Theresa May's letter - a so-called Cabinet "write-round" sent between ministers - argues that students should be required to demonstrate a higher degree of financial backing as a condition for receipt of a higher education visa than is currently required.  At the moment, they must demonstrate they have as much support as a British student could expect to receive from official sources.
The document also proposes that postgraduates' dependents should be prevented from doing less-skilled work. This element of the letter, reported earlier this week by The Times, would affect up to 20,000 people who have visas as the dependents of students in the past year - as well as their student partners and families.
The concerns about "sustainable funding models that are not so dependent on international students" was in the context of worry about the multiplication of London "satellite campuses" for universities based elsewhere in the UK.
The letter says they have "quadrupled" in number in recent years. An official report published earlier this year believed that there were 13 of them.
That investigation by the QAA, a higher education regulator, found: "The main reason was to increase the recruitment of international students who would be more attracted to London than to the home campus. Student numbers on these campuses range from under 100 to over 2000, with the average being 652 students".
The confidential letter from Ms May notes concern about the quality of these London centres which, it says, often offer non-STEM courses which are often quite different in character to the courses on offer at the home campus.
Under the coalition, Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat business secretary, fought within Whitehall against immigration restrictions. Since May, Sajid Javid, his Conservative successor, has been less sympathetic to the academy.
So while universities have been cheered that the government wants to increase education exports to £30bn per annum by 2020, up from £18bn in 2012, they also worry that they lack strong enough allies within Whitehall to make sure that immigration laws do not restrict their work.
Universities make a large amount of money from overseas students. Higher education is considered a key element of Britain's export strategy. The Higher Education Funding Council for England, the sector funding body, estimates that English universities made £3.2bn from non-EU student fees in 2013-14. That constituted 12.9% of their £25.6bn of income in that year.
Home Office officials say they remain interested in cutting abuse, not numbers doing conventional study at reputable universities. The home secretary's letter contains an annex citing the websites and advertisements of companies and agencies seeking to help students to use student visa rights as a means of immigration.
One of those adverts offers help to people "looking for a public-funded college or universities that will allow you 10/20 hours work" and has a "qualified team of panel lawyers who can assist you in relation to your immigration matters".
Another asks "if you are worried your college has lost the [visa-sponsoring] license, and you are not finding any option with reliable education provider in UK to keep your status... if you want student visa that allow you to work... Please call us!"
The document also notes that 1.6% of visas sought by students at the research-intensive Russell Group universities were refused in 2014, compared with 4.7% at other universities. At public further education and other colleges, 8.4% of student visas were refused. At private colleges, that number rose to 12.9%. These are taken as indicators of where abuse is likely to be occurring.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "Higher education is one of the UK's success stories, so it is vital that we present a welcoming environment for talented international students and staff. This is increasingly what our competitors are doing."


West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has signed a new contract with the club until the end of the 2020-21 season.

Kouyate, 26, joined the Hammers from Anderlecht in 2014 and has made 63 appearances, scoring eight goals.
"There is a lot of work for me still to do and I need to continue working hard," Kouyate told the club's website.
West Ham are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points off a Champions League place, and move to the Olympic Stadium next season.


South Korea's Su-Yeon Jang will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the weather-hit Lotte Championship.

Su-Yeon, who finished her second round on Friday after bad weather affected Thursday's play, then shot a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to reach 17 under.
American Cristie Kerr's 62 equalled the tournament and course record to move into a tie for second with Canada's Alena Sharp on 14 under in Hawaii.
Wales' Becky Morgan shot a 72 to drop to 10th, nine shots off the lead.
World number one Lydia Ko of New Zealand matched Su-Yeon's 65 and is tied in seventh on nine under.
England's Bronte Law is on six under, while Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow is further back on two under.
Friday's third round was affected by the weather with a delay of just over an hour, with more rain forecast for Saturday.
Su-Yeon, who was invited to the tournament by the sponsors, said: "Because I had to finish up the second round this morning and play another 18 I was a little bit tired.
"But I know I'm so far away from home and I travelled so long to play this tournament, so I try to tell myself just to suck it up and have a good time and play a good round."


New Zealand sealed their place in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 as Martin Guptill's brilliant 80 helped them to a 22-run win over Pakistan.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Guptill's total, scored off 48 balls, was the driving force behind the Black Caps' 180-5 on a good Mohali wicket.
Sharjeel Khan's rapid 47 gave Pakistan hope but they were unable to maintain their momentum and ended on 158-5.
New Zealand top Group 2 with three wins from three, while Pakistan's chances of progressing depend on other results.
Shahid Afridi and his side have two points, the same as their final opponents Australia and also India, both of whom have played one game fewer.
New Zealand's highest score of the tournament so far was built around the brutally brilliant innings from Guptill, who made a mockery of the decision by Indian Premier League teams to overlook him for next month's competition.
He signalled his intent by hammering Mohammad Irfan for a huge straight six as part of a 39-run contribution to a 62-run opening stand with Kane Williamson.
Despite the loss of the skipper and Colin Munro, Guptill continued his assault, scoring 31 from his last 15 balls before he played on to the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, Mohammad Sami, who took 2-23 in his four overs.
Another powerful hitter, Corey Anderson, fell soon after Guptill, caught by Shoaib Malik off Shahid Afridi, to somewhat stall the Black Caps innings.
But Ross Taylor's intelligent innings steered them to an ultimately match-winning 180.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Pakistan have illustrated already this tournament that they are capable of big scores in this format, with a total of 201-5 in the victory over Bangladesh in their opening game in Kolkata.
They scored 55-1 in the powerplay at the start of that innings but were even more aggressive against the Kiwi seam attack as Sharjeel Khan smashed nine fours and a six in an opening stand of 65 with Ahmed Shehzad before he was caught by Guptill off Adam Milne three balls into the fifth over.
Spin bowlers Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi then came to the fore, checking Pakistan's progress with some tight bowling and timely wickets.
The former had both Khalid Latif (three) and Shehzad (30) caught as they strove to keep up the pace set by Sharjeel, before Sodhi claimed the big wicket of Afridi (19) - caught superbly on the boundary by Anderson.
With Umar Akmal still at the crease, Pakistan retained hope of victory but when he was caught by Guptill off the bowling of Milne, Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik were left with too much to do.
Media playback is not supported on this device
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson: "It's nice to be on a good surface. Off the back of a superb knock from Martin Guptill we played nicely to get a really good total.
"After a tough start with the ball, our bowlers showed composure. I think our total was slightly above par, we knew the first six overs would be key for Pakistan but credit to our bowlers because we pulled it back nicely.
"Our spinners have been consistent and smart. They adapted well on a wicket that didn't have a lot of spin. The way the guys adjusted was very good."
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who has said he intends to retire from international cricket after the World Twenty20: "First of all I want to congratulate Kane [Williamson] and his team. I think it was a chaseable total - we played well in the first six overs and after that we didn't play well.
"We played a lot of dot balls. Against the spinners we didn't score an eight or nine an over on the powerplays.
"The next game [against Australia on Friday] is important but we still keep repeating the same mistakes - if you make fewer mistakes we will win the game.
"Maybe I'm going to play the last game of my career, so let's see what happens."
New Zealand's final game is against Bangladesh in Kolkata on Saturday. The race is on for who will join them in the last four. India play Bangladesh in Bangalore on Wednesday, with Australia facing Pakistan in Mohali on Friday. The same city will host the final Group 2 game between India and Australia on Sunday.


The findings of two reports into the "Trojan Horse" allegations of an attempted takeover of some Birmingham schools have been published.

Peter Clarke's report, ordered by the government and leaked to The Guardian, found there was a "co-ordinated effort" to impose an "Islamist ethos" in some schools.
A council-commissioned report by Ian Kershaw found "no evidence" of a conspiracy.
The BBC gathered a number of responses.
Mr Kershaw's report did find evidence of "key individuals" moving between schools but stopped short of identifying an overarching plot or conspiracy.
Mr Hobby said the NAHT could not "fully support the conclusions" of the city council's report because it has used "too narrow a definition of extremism" and limited its process and terms of reference "in a way which excludes critical evidence".
"We entirely understand the pressures faced by the council but do not feel that their conclusions reflect the full reality in schools," he said.
"The Clarke review, sections of which have been reported on in the press ahead of formal publication, reaches a very different set of conclusions from access to a different evidence base.
"The discrepancies between the two are regrettable and unhelpful."
He said the union would continue to support the council in its efforts to address issues raised.
Ruby Kundi, head of Highfield School, one of the 25 investigated in Ian Kershaw's probe, said she thought the differing accounts could create more confusion.
"I'm thinking the differences in the reports could cause more mess, with people denying what Clarke said because Kershaw didn't find it," she said.
"Compared with Clarke, he played some of the findings down, though he did suggest the council are not really giving the full picture and are too frightened to upset Islamists or Muslim people."
"He said it was only a few governors and not a co-ordinated effort, but to me what he described was co-ordinated and all these people, governors at different schools, were connected.
"There should have been just one investigation where they worked together. I feel sorry for the parents and children in all this."
Labour MP Mr Mahmood said he agreed with Mr Kershaw's finding that identified the issue as a "minority problem" caused by a handful of disruptive governors, but said there was "still more to look at" and called for Birmingham City Council to be held to account.
"Kershaw's report confirmed what I've been saying for a long time and now the idea that the letter was a fake can be put in the dustbin and the real issues raised can be dealt with," he said.
"Unfortunately, some people still have their heads buried in the sand but we're moving forward with new governors to change the culture in the schools involved.
"This is the main issue, to do this as quickly as possible to get our children back to proper integrated education for the new school year."
Ms Bano has two daughters at Oldknow Academy, one of five schools placed into special measures by education watchdog Ofsted.
"First they were out to isolate us, now they are out to divide us by talking about different forms of Islam," she said.
"The Birmingham city council report totally contradicts what Peter Clarke is saying.
"The authorities need to pull their socks up.  I've lost complete faith in Peter Clarke.
"It's all going to end with no apology, it's all going to end with children paying the price."


Swansea City were the only development side to make it through to the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy as four under-21 teams went out on Tuesday.

A brace from Oli McBurnie saw the Swans' under-21s beat Wolves' academy side 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium.
Leicester City, Reading, and Brighton's development teams all exited the competition after away losses.
Meanwhile, a Luton Town side showing seven changes beat Chesterfield 4-0 to reach the last eight.
The Hatters were fined £15,000 in November for failing to field "full-strength" sides in the group stage.
However, they will avoid another punishment as they included five to their top 11 starters in all league and cup matches this season.
Crowds were once again sparse for the evening's third-round ties, with just 60 Brighton supporters making the trip to the Ricoh Arena to watch their under-21 side lose 3-0 against League One strugglers Coventry City.
However, 2,085 fans turned out in total following the Sky Blues' lowest-ever attendance for a first-team game of 1,338 in December's second-round tie against Crawley.
A lowest-recorded attendance at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium of 1,383 included a home contingent of just one more fan than the U's took to Rotherham for their FA Cup third round tie on Saturday.
By comparison, a crowd of 1,917 watched the National League match between Eastleigh and Forest Green Rovers held on the same evening.
Many supporters have boycotted the competition this season after the EFL approved the introduction of 16 academy sides alongside clubs from Leagues One and Two.
Last season's runners-up Oxford United beat Scunthorpe 4-1 thanks to a Kane Hemmings hat-trick while two late goals from former Oxford striker Pat Hoban saw Mansfield Town beat Oldham Athletic 2-0.
League Two Yeovil Town profited from an early red card for Reading midfielder Sandro Weiser in their 4-2 win against the Royals' under-21s at Huish Park.
Blackpool and Wycombe needed penalties to be separated after a 1-1 draw at Bloomfield Road - Wycombe progressing 5-4 on spot kicks as Will Aimson hit the post with the final penalty for the Tangerines.
In the last remaining second-round tie, a Diego De Girolamo hat-trick saw Cheltenham Town hammer Leicester City Under-21s 6-1. The Robins will face Bradford City at home in the third round next Tuesday.
The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Thursday at 11:30 GMT.


Egypt's all-time leading scorer Hossam Hassan has been spared a possible prison sentence - thanks to his daughter's emotional Facebook message.

Hassan was due to appear in court charged with assaulting a police photographer after a match.
The photographer read the social media post and dropped his case against the former striker, who is now coach of Egyptian side Al-Masry.
"Her words made me sad," Reda Abdelmaged told reporters.
"I saw what Hossam's kid wrote on her Facebook when she said she was sad because she might see her dad in prison," he added.
"I decided to end the case as I love the city of Port Said [where Al Masry is based] and let me tell you that I love Hossam Hassan and his twin Ibrahim as they made the Egyptians happy."
The alleged incident happened as players and officials from Al Masry and Ghazl Al Mahalla clashed after the sides drew 2-2 in a league match on Friday.
Despite the case being dropped, Hassan will stay in custody as the charges must be officially dropped in court.
Al Masry chairman Samir Halabiya said: "The policeman has dropped the case but Hossam will stay in the prison until next Saturday and he will still appear in court and that's when the case will end."
The Egyptian Football Association had suspended Hassan for the next three matches and fined him about US$1,100 (£825).
Al Masry will play Ismaili on Friday in the Egypt Cup with Hassan's twin brother Ibrahim, who is team director, in charge alongside assistant coach Tarek Soliman.
Hassan played for Egypt at the 1990 World Cup and scored 69 goals in 169 games for his country.


More than 100 people will sleep rough outside Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday night to help prevent youth homelessness.

Byte Night is taking place in 10 cities across the country, and for the first time in Cardiff.
Last year more than 1,300 people gave up their beds to raise more than Â£1.1m for Action for Children.
The charity supports young people to rebuild their lives by offering accommodation, education and training.
Among them is 19-year-old Jess Williams who was homeless for two years in the Aberdare area. She was helped into accommodation by the Rhondda Cynon Taff youth support team.
Ms Williams said: "The help, guidance and support they've given me has taken me from the streets into my own flat so I can live an independent life in a warm place of my own.
"I don't know what would've happened to me otherwise, it's that simple."
The people sleeping rough in Cardiff are from a variety of businesses, such as KPMG, Admiral, BT and Barclays.
Among them is KPMG director Jeremy Thomas.
He said: "Although it'll be a hard night, it'll also be fun - but the difference is we can return to our warm homes, full fridges and cosy beds in the morning.
"For many children and young people living in the UK this simply isn't the case."


Importing trees from Italy to create a "boulevard effect" has been called a waste of taxpayers' money after they had to be replaced with European Acer trees.

The 29 London Plane trees, which cost £1,100 each, were planted by Cornwall Council on Tolvaddon Road in Pool.
The authority said they were chosen for being good in urban areas, but they did not grow as well as expected.
Former councillor Dave Biggs described it as a "£100,000 mistake".
More on the trees and other stories
"The advice was very clear that the trees were unsuitable, but for whatever reason [the council] went ahead and ordered them from Italy anyway," he told BBC News.
Mr Biggs said the cost of buying, transporting, planting and maintaining the London Planes would have been in excess of £100,000, which the council could not afford to waste.
"I can't believe it's anything less than a £100,000 mistake... and for the life of me I can't understand why London Plane trees couldn't be sourced in the UK."
According to the Woodland Trust, the origin of the London Plane is uncertain, but is thought to have been brought to the UK from Spain in the 17th Century.
The council said it was unable to say why London Planes, which thrive in other UK urban settings, were used or imported from Italy, as the forestry team leader of the project in 2009 had since left the council's employment, however it said they were planted in 2010 "in accordance with recommendations".
It said that despite aftercare and watering, the trees had not developed "at a rate that was expected" and tree officers had recommended trialling some alternative species.
In a statement, it said the London Planes had been removed and replaced with 16 Acer trees at an additional cost of nearly £6,000.


Twelve pupils have been treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after becoming ill during a school scuba diving lesson, police have said.

The group of boys at Manchester Grammar School in Fallowfield were taken to hospital at about 15:10 BST on Monday.
Eleven were later discharged following treatment, while one, aged 14, remained in hospital in a stable condition.
Greater Manchester Police are investigating whether carbon monoxide was present in the boys' air tanks.
Officers are also working with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure "there is no wider risk to the public or diving community", a force spokesman said.


Two women who failed to report the death of a man and went on to claim his benefits have been jailed for 20 months.

Geoffrey Sturdey, of Beth Berith, Tregaron, Ceredigion, was 60 when he disappeared in October 2008.
His widow Rebekah Sturdey, 56, and friend Boqer-Ore Adie, 43, admitted preventing his burial and fraudulently claiming £77,318 of his benefits.
Karmel Adie, 25, was given a suspended sentence for preventing his burial.
All three are from Beth Berith, Tregaron.
Swansea Crown Court heard the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began investigating after staff noticed money in Boqer-Ore Adie's account exceeded her benefits amount.
Between October 2008 and 2012 Boqer-Ore Adie and Sturdey unlawfully claimed £21,718 in disability living allowances, £9,415 in carer's allowance, £10,143 income support and £36,041 in pension credits.
Sturdey, who was referred to in court as Ladan rather than Rebekah, told investigators her husband had left the country to travel Europe.
But the investigators later found he did not have a valid passport.
A specialist team of officers searched land at Beth Berith last year and found Mr Sturdey's body buried near a rockery.
He had died of natural causes.
More than £6,000 in cash and handwritten notes were also found indicating the time and date of his death.
The documents claimed Mr Sturdey had chosen his own burial plot and the women buried him in it immediately after his death.
Shortly after he died Boqer-Ore Adie made inquiries about buying gold worth £15,000, the court was told.
The women were arrested in June 2013 and refused to co-operate with police.
Christopher James, defending Sturdey, said the widow had expressed remorse and regret for her actions.
Carina Hughes, representing Boqer Ore-Adie, said the women simply intended to carry out Mr Sturdey's wishes.
Judge Paul Thomas said the pair had taken advantage of Mr Sturdey's death to claim benefits they were not entitled to.
"Whatever your intention for burying on your land without notifying the authorities, it gave you the opportunity to enrich yourself at the expense of the rest of us," he said.
"Although there is no suggestion of foul play, there is a clear public interest in deterring people from acting as you have, the three of you.
"His body was only discovered after an expensive police search, with you three having refused to co-operate.
"You could have said quite easily said where his body was to save the public from even more expense."
Adie was given a nine month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and must complete 150 hours unpaid work.


Full access to Europe's single market is vital for UK businesses and jobs, a group campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU has said.

The chair of Britain Stronger In Europe, Stuart Rose, said leaving that market would be a "huge risk".
However, "out" campaigners accused him of "scaremongering" and said he ignored the costs of being in the EU.
Out campaigners also claimed support from new research by the independent think tank Civitas.
It says membership of the single market has not had a significant impact on export growth.
The prime minister, who wants the UK to stay within a reformed European Union, is pushing to renegotiate Britain's terms of membership ahead of an in/out referendum, which must be held by the end of 2017.
If agreement with other EU leaders is reached next month, a vote could potentially be held as early as June.
Lord Rose told the BBC that campaigns to leave the EU had not explained how the benefits of the EU single market would be replaced.
If Britain votes to leave, "it's a huge risk, we're taking a huge risk", he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
About 50% of UK exports are to Europe whereas BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - accounted for 8%, he said.
Lord Rose presented his campaign's case at the plant of Britain's biggest bike manufacturer, Brompton Bicycle, in west London.
He said: "Those who want Britain to leave Europe cannot guarantee that Britain will retain full access to Europe's single market. They are putting the benefits at risk. Their proposed deal, whereby Britain would somehow retain access to the single market without obeying any of the rules, is a fantasy."
In response, Robert Oxley from the Vote Leave campaign said: "I think this is just further scaremongering from the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign which ignores the cost of the EU."
Britain Stronger in Europe said one piece of research showed UK goods trade with the EU was 55% higher because of EU membership.
Their claim is based on research by the Centre for European Reform that was first published in January 2014.
The research used a statistical model to estimate how much extra trading of goods the UK does with other EU members, than would be expected without the single market.
Vote Leave said it was "out of date research from a pro-EU think tank".
Vote Leave used research from Civitas to support its case.
Civitas studied official trade statistics and said that Britain had recorded slower export growth than any of the other founding nations of Europe's single market.
Michael Burrage, who wrote the report, said: "While the single market cannot be counted a success in export terms for the EU as a whole, for the UK it must be counted at the very least a massive disappointment, and not far short of a disaster."
His report found growth in UK exports had tended to drop after European Commission trade deals, whereas independent countries Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea increased exports in the majority of cases after they negotiated their own trade agreements.
Mr Burrage added that UK export growth was 22.3% lower since joining the single market at the end of 1992 than it would have been had it continued at its rate during the common market between 1973 and 1992.
Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "The unquestioning mantra that the single market has been good for British trade is wrong and should be challenged as this research makes crystal clear."
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical executives warned that a British exit from the EU could isolate the country's scientists and reduce its influence in medicine.
John Lechleiter, chief executive of the US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, told the Financial Times it would be a "shame and a mistake" if the UK left the EU, adding a vote to leave would "isolate the UK, to its detriment".
The boss of Unilever, Paul Polman, said the consumer goods giant would not scale back its 7,500 UK jobs in the case of an "out" vote, but he did feel the UK had "got a lot of benefit from the union".
Mr Polman told the Guardian it would be "very good" if Britain voted to stay in the EU.
David Cameron last week urged business leaders who want Britain to remain in a reformed EU not to "hold back".
Referendum timeline: What will happen when?
Guide: All you need to know about the referendum
Q&A: What does Britain want from Europe?
More: BBC News EU referendum special


A 33-year-old man has appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court in connection with an alleged bomb threat at Raigmore Hospital.

Gareth Benbow, of Inverness, was charged with culpable and reckless conduct. He made no plea or declaration.
Mr Benbow was committed for further inquiry and remanded in custody.
His next appearance is expected to be on 4 September.


Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt is under pressure to clarify a report that his government is helping Saudi Arabia plan an advanced arms plant.

According to Swedish national radio, the country's Defence Research Agency (FOI) led the project to build weapons including missiles and torpedoes.
While not confirming the report, Mr Reinfeldt said Sweden had signed an initial deal with the Saudis in 2005.
There were no rules preventing deals with non-democratic states, he added.
Sweden has been involved in arms sales to Saudi Arabia in the past, but the planned factory is seen as unprecedented.
Although the plant has not yet been built, Swedish radio says Project Simoom began under FOI's leadership in 2007, but was handed to a private company in 2009, when it was felt that the defence agency was "legally hindered" from continuing.
The company, named SSTI, was then said to have been given an export permit to buy equipment for missiles, bombs and other weaponry.
"Today, we have no project agreement with that country," FOI head Jan-Olof Lind said, adding that any talks that had taken place between Stockholm and Riyadh were classified.
Under Swedish law, all military exports have to be regulated by the independent Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls (ISP).
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Reinfeldt emphasised that he presumed that Sweden's export laws had been observed.
Sweden's opposition Greens Party has called for an investigation and for the defence minister to report on the issue to parliament.


Swansea will decide on the future of record signing Borja Baston at the end of the season, the club's owners say.

Forward Borja, 24, joined from Atletico Madrid for £15m but has scored just one goal in 17 appearances for the Swans.
He was left out of the squad for Wednesday's defeat against Tottenham, casting further doubt over his future.
"Certainly we had higher expectations for Borja Baston," said Jason Levien, who bought a controlling stake in Swansea with Steve Kaplan last summer.
"He's still quite a young player and he certainly showed an ability to put the ball in the back of the net when playing in Spain.
"He hasn't had a tremendous amount of opportunities to play and, when he has played, we haven't got what we're hoping to get in those short periods of time.
"The question with Baston will go on until the off-season and we're going to have to evaluate what's our best path towards most efficiently using our resources to put on the pitch players who help us win."
Borja arrived at the Liberty Stadium with a burgeoning reputation, having scored 19 goals on loan at Eibar last season.
However, he has struggled to secure regular first-team action with Swansea, making only four Premier League starts so far.
Three of those starts came under former manager Bob Bradley, whose ill-fated reign lasted just 85 days and ended with the Swans bottom of the table.
Bradley has since been replaced by Paul Clement, who has overseen a significant improvement, although defeat against Tottenham saw Swansea drop back into the Premier League relegation zone.
Levien says the decision to appoint Bradley was primarily his and Kaplan's, albeit having consulted chairman Huw Jenkins and the other existing directors.
"We took that decision. I take responsibility for that decision," he said.
"It was our first 60 days as owners of the club and there was a decision made in our boardroom among all of us that we would make a managerial change [to sack Francesco Guidolin and appoint Bradley].
"We took decisive action and, for 85 days, we saw the action play out and we realised we needed to make another change. Once again we took decisive action.
"That responsibility falls on us. We made decisions that we thought were in the best interests of the club. When we realised there was an opportunity to do something swiftly to move forward in a different direction, we did that."


A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in Caerphilly town centre.

Gwent Police was called to Cardiff Road at about 17:45 BST on Thursday.
A 61-year-old man has been taken to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales with life-threatening injuries. A 43-year-old man is being held in custody.
Insp Jason White said: "We are fully committed to establishing all the circumstances surrounding what happened this evening."


As he prepared to go in search of his seventh Scottish National Championships title, Alan Clyne issued a warning to his countrymen and players beyond Scotland's borders.

He is 30 years old but the Scottish number one believes he is only now approaching his peak and has plenty of room to improve.
It's a scary prospect for those hoping to dethrone the defending champ at Edinburgh Sports Club this weekend.
Ranked 34th in the world singles, Clyne has been training with national coach Paul Bell at the sport's high performance centre at the Oriam complex in the capital.
"I love playing at home against the players I train with a lot of the time," Clyne told BBC Scotland.
"You've got Dougie Kempsell and you've also got Kevin Moran and Rory Stewart. They are all playing well so it will be a good tournament."
Clyne has been competing on the professional circuit for about a decade and is feeling fit, strong and hungry for titles.
He points to players such as England's Nick Matthew (ranked fourth in the world, aged 36) and the French "physical beast" Gregory Gaultier (ranked third, aged 34) as proof that he has several seasons left in the tank.
"Most people are going into their peak roughly where my age is, maybe late 20s, early 30s. I feel like I'm still improving and getting better. I feel I'm in my peak at the moment and can last a lot longer.
"Making technical adjustments to my grip and swing has been great. It's showing on court.
"I'm also working with the psychologist on the mental aspects. That has helped massively."
Clyne has been playing squash since before he started school and has noticed big changes over the years, not just in terms of the physical dimensions of the doubles court and the lowering of the tin by four inches, but in the styles of play.
"The Egyptians have been coming through massively," he said.
"They've been dominating the juniors and now they are beginning to dominate the seniors. They have a lot of players up in the top 10.
"A lot of them play a new brand of squash, which is very attacking, very explosive, rather than the attritional squash, which is more associated with the English style."
Clyne is from the Black Isle, north of Inverness, which is also the hometown of another squash star in Greg Lobban, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury.
And while the duo have a distance to go to hit the heights of Dunblane's tennis superstars the Murray brothers, the two former Fortrose Academy pupils have already brought glory to the Black Isle.
In August 2016 they won the World International Doubles Championship in Darwin, and Clyne is hoping that triumph was just the start.
"For me and Greg, in our first international tournament, to go there and win it was crazy, considering we are from the same school," he said.
"We get to defend our title in August [in Manchester]. We work well together and get on really well. We have different strengths and weaknesses and complement each other well."
Other highlights in Clyne's career to date were playing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he and Harry Leitch came fourth, and playing in the Tournament of Champions in an iconic location in New York.
Clyne said: "Only the main draw is in Grand Central Station, and I managed to qualify and played Nick Matthew. They put up a glass court in the train station.
"Once you're on court you don't really think about what's going on, but if you did look through the wall you could see all these people walking past. It's an amazing event, everyone wants to play it."


Nicola Sturgeon is "likely" to make a statement on her independence referendum plans by the end of next week, her spokesman has said.

The first minister has been reflecting on Scottish government proposals for a fresh ballot on the issue in the wake of the general election result.
It saw the SNP lose 21 seats at Westminster after the party's share of the vote fell from 50% to 37%.
But the party's 35 seats meant it remained the largest in Scotland.
The first minister called in March for a second independence referendum to be held in the autumn of next year or spring of 2019, once the results of the Brexit deal are known.
She has insisted a vote was needed to give Scots an alternative to a "hard Brexit" after nearly two-thirds of voters in Scotland backed the UK remaining in the EU.
But she has faced calls from opposition parties to ditch her plans - while some figures from her own party have called on her timetable to be "parked".
Ms Sturgeon discussed a referendum when her cabinet team met in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning.
Her spokesman said afterwards: "There was a discussion led by the first minister on an independence referendum and related issues.
"That forms part of the process she laid out after the election and she will continue to consult with government and party colleagues, and will lay out her views on the way forward in due course."
When asked if this would be before Holyrood breaks up for the summer recess at the close of business on Thursday of next week, he stated: "I think it is likely before then."
The spokesman added there was not "an exact timetable" for when any announcement would be made.
In the immediate aftermath of the general election, Ms Sturgeon conceded her plans for a second independence referendum were "undoubtedly" a factor in the results.
She said at the time: 'We will reflect on these results, we will listen to voters and we will consider very carefully the best way forward for Scotland, a way forward that is in the interests of all of Scotland."
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said at the weekend that he can see "no circumstances" under which an independence referendum could be held before the Holyrood elections in 2021.
Responding the comments by Ms Sturgeon's spokesman, Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: "It's welcome that Nicola Sturgeon will set out her thinking in the next couple of weeks.
"She now has to tell Scots what they want and need to hear - that plans for a second referendum on independence are unequivocally off the table."
Labour and the Liberal Democrats also called on Ms Sturgeon to shelve her plans - arguing that another referendum was not wanted by most Scottish voters.
And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Will Rennie said: "After a clear message from the electorate a few weeks ago the first minister must take independence off the table or be seen to be ignoring the will of the people of Scotland."


Taiwan's top judges have ruled in favour of gay marriage, paving the way for it to become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex unions.

The highest court ruled that current laws preventing members of the same sex from marrying violated their right to equality and were unconstitutional.
It gave parliament two years to amend existing laws or pass new ones.
Wednesday's landmark decision came as the LGBT community faces increasing persecution in the region.
In a press release following the ruling, the court said that "disallowing two persons of the same sex to marry, for the sake of safeguarding basic ethical orders" constituted a "different treatment" with "no rational basis."
The court concluded that "such different treatment is incompatible with the spirit and meaning of the right to equality" as protected by Taiwan's constitution.
Taiwanese couple: 'We're just like any other parents'
The court's ruling means Taiwan's parliament will have to amend existing laws or pass new legislation.
But it's still unclear how far parliament will go.
The LGBT community hopes legislators will simply amend the existing marriage laws to include same-sex couples, which would grant them the same rights enjoyed by opposite-sex couples, including in cases of adoption, parenting and inheritance - and making decisions for each other in medical emergencies.
However, they fear parliament won't do that and will instead pass a new law that recognises same-sex marriages but gives them only some rights, not equal treatment in all matters.
Religious and parents groups opposed to gay marriage say they will lobby parliament not to pass any laws on legalisation. They argue such an important matter that affects the whole of society shouldn't be decided by just a few grand justices, but by the people in a referendum.
Both sides will now focus their attention on persuading the legislators.
Self-ruled Taiwan, over which China claims sovereignty, is known for its liberal values and holds the biggest annual gay pride event in the region.
Momentum for marriage equality has been building since last year, when President Tsai Ing-wen, who is openly supportive of the move, came to power.
But the debate has prompted a backlash, with mass protests by conservatives in recent months.
Now that the 14-judge panel has ruled in favour of the legal challenge, the parliament, known as the Legislative Yuan, will begin the process of amending the laws.
It can either legalise same-sex marriage or introduce new separate civil partnership legislation.
If legislators fail to meet the court's two-year deadline, it said same-sex couples could register to marry based on its ruling.
A bill to legalise same-sex marriages is already making its way through parliament, but that process has slowed because of opposition from traditionalists, who do not want Taiwan to become the first place in Asia to allow such weddings.


Australia's inclusion in Eurovision for a second year still seems to shock purist spectators of the electrifyingly strobe-lit, synth-laden song contest.

But K-Pop powerhouse Dami Im has defied criticisms over the geographic absurdity of Australia's presence by sidling up to Russia as second favourite to win in Stockholm this weekend.
Australian bookies slashed the odds on Im winning after her stellar semi-finals performance of "Sound of Silence".
It followed BBC Eurovision commentator Graham Norton's controversial quips that she should abandon her efforts.
"I know some countries aren't technically in Europe but, come on - Australia is on the other side of worldâ€¦ I just think it is kind of stupid," he was quoted as saying.
Considering the continent is closer to the South Pole than Stockholm, Norton has a point.
But as Korean-born Dami Im - who migrated to Australia at the age of nine and learnt English from the Spice Girls - has said, it has been a long-running romance.
"Australia has been a big fan since the 1980s, we love watching Eurovision," she said at a finalists' news conference in Stockholm. "We just love the concept of coming together and playing music."
Australian broadcaster SBS said last year's broadcast, which included Australia's debut contestant Guy Sebastian, reached four million Aussies. He came a surprise fifth.
With the groundswell of support from an ever-growing Australian fanbase, along with cultural connections with Europe, being invited back to one of the world's campest parties seems only natural for some.
The cringe factor also charms Australians, who like to laugh at themselves, and not take things too seriously.
This year, organisers have continued to stretch the boundaries as part of a push to take the eisteddfod on steroids to a truly global audience.
The contest is being aired in the United States and China for the first time.
And rumour has it Australia could host the first instalment of a Eurovision hybrid built for the Asian market in 2017.
For arguably Australia's biggest Eurovision fan, Sharleen Wright, fitting into the Asia Pacific mould makes more sense.
The logistical challenge of sending that many sequins so far south to a separate hemisphere would be hazardous to start, but Europe would be forced to endure the dreaded time differences.
Bleary-eyed fans in Perth had sore heads on Friday after setting their alarms for 02:00 to take part in the live broadcast for the semi-finals and hold house parties.
Ms Wright, a travel industry professional who is also president of the Eurovision Song Contest Fans of Australia Network, says she has selected new destinations to visit on the basis of "I saw it on Eurovision".
For Helen Kellie from SBS, Australia's love for the show goes back to the very essence of the first event more than 60 years ago - the aura of cultural inclusion that manages to draw in so many outsiders.
"We celebrate multiculturalism and Eurovision is a wonderful way to celebrate people's heritage, and it's just an amazing party and we love a good party," Ms Kellie told the BBC from Stockholm.
Ms Kellie acknowledges that the Australians are copping plenty of rival banter "at the party", but says that because they don't have the political history of other entrants, "we can play with everyone".


Nearly three-quarters of Welsh voters think only EU citizens with the right skills should live and work in a post-Brexit UK, a BBC Wales poll suggests.

Over half - 57% - of those questioned felt MPs should support the referendum result, while 24% said they should take account of their constituents' view on Brexit and 17% their own conscience.
On the economic impact, 44% thought it would be negative and 33% positive.
Meanwhile a majority of 60% said Donald Trump's state visit should go ahead.
Only 38% wanted the UK government to withdraw the invitation.
On the freedom of movement to live and work in the UK post-Brexit, the poll showed 74% agreed that only those EU citizens with the "right" skills or qualifications should be allowed in, with 19% believing that nothing should change and just 6% wanting the door firmly shut to EU immigrants.
When questioned about the impact of Brexit on the Welsh economy, 44% thought it would have a negative impact with 33% saying it would be positive.
When it came to personal finances, 17% thought Brexit would be positive, 30% negative and 45% thought it would make no difference at all.
Martin Boon of ICM Unlimited, which carried out this year's St David's Day poll for BBC Wales, said: "With the triggering of Article 50 likely to be no more than a month or so away, the decision to leave the EU still has the power to somewhat mystify.
"Wales voted marginally to leave, and this BBC Cymru Wales data confirms that the public probably did so despite knowing that it would harm the Welsh economy and their own personal finances."
He added: "What's been described as 'project fear' may not have been convincing in comparison to immigration and control arguments, but that doesn't mean it failed to get through: 44% think the Welsh economy will be negatively impacted and 30% think their own finances will suffer - both being higher than those who think that positive outcomes will accrue.
"Despite this acknowledgement, 'carry on' is the main message that people in Wales want Theresa May to hear."
On devolution, the poll showed Welsh voters are keen for the Welsh Government to take more powers over day-to-day life in Wales but do not want an increase in the number of assembly members elected to Cardiff Bay.
Only 27% of those questioned want to see an increase, with 43% saying the current total of 60 AMs is sufficient - 26% believe fewer AMs are actually needed.
Asked to choose their preferred option for the future of devolution, 44% said they wanted an assembly with greater powers - an increase of one percentage point on a year ago. This option has been the most popular in every BBC Wales poll since it was first asked in this format in 2010.
The status quo is preferred by 29%, down one point from last year, with 3% wanting an assembly with fewer powers, and 13% wanting the assembly abolished.
That figure has remained stable since the Scottish independence referendum in September 2014, having previously been as high as 23% in March 2014.
However, only 6% back the idea of Welsh independence, unchanged from the polls in 2015 and 2016.  Support has been under 10% since 2011.
The poll also found:
ICM Unlimited interviewed a representative sample of 1,002 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 17 and 21 February 2017. Interviews were conducted across Wales and the results have been weighted to the profile of all Welsh adults.


A man who was struck by lightning a year ago has said life will never get back to the way it was before the freak accident.

Geordie Allen, 37, was picking his two children up from sports day when he was critically injured in the storm.
His six-year-old son, also called Geordie, was thrown across the schoolyard of Killowen Primary School in Lisburn, County Antrim, when his father was hit.
Mr Allen spent a month in a coma.
He told the BBC's Sunday News programme he woke believing he was in his 20s.
"I thought I only had one child," he said.
"I didn't even know I was married."
Mr Allen said he still had no recollection of the day his life changed forever.
Attempting to explain what happened, he said: "I was up at their sports day, there was meant to be a storm coming, I was supposed to have been running away from the storm with the kids, but I don't remember.
"It's still all a blank, I don't even try to remember any more, I think there's a reason why I forgot it."
His wife, Sharon, does recall the day of the storm. She believes defibrillators, available at the school and used on Mr Allen, saved his life.
"I just remember trying to find everyone, everybody was running past me," she said.
"When I saw Geordie he was lying in a pool of water - about 6ft of water lengthways.
"It was a nightmare. It repeats on me every day, every day I see it.
"Geordie was carrying wee Gerodie - he was holding Georgia's hand whenever the lightning hit - and wee Geordie was catapulted across the playground."
When Mr Allen woke from his coma, he was told he would never walk again.
But the father-of-six said he did everything he could to prove them wrong.
"Life will never get back to the way it was, but that's not my goal, my goal now is just to get on my feet and have a normal life," he said.
Listen to the interview in full on Radio Ulster's Sunday News programme at 13:00 BST.


One third of WPP investors have failed to back Sir Martin Sorrell's £70m pay deal at the advertising firm's annual general meeting.

Excluding abstentions, 33.5% of investors failed to back the pay deal, but the vote was non-binding.
The chief executive's 2015 pay package is one of the biggest in UK corporate history.
Sir Martin has previously said his pay was based on the performance of WPP, the world's largest advertising group.
In March, WPP reported a 2.8% increase in yearly profit to £1.5bn compared with 2014.
The company's remuneration policy will now face a binding vote by shareholders at next year's annual meeting, and under the firm's new scheme, Sir Martin's pay is set to fall next year.
Asset manager Hermes, a WPP shareholder, said before the vote that it would not support the remuneration package, in part because of "historic concerns about board composition and the remuneration committee's apparent lack of vigour and stress-testing".
This week Campaign group ShareAction said it objected to Sorrell's pay and last week advisory firm PIRC asked WPP shareholders to oppose it.
Recently there has been investor concern about excessive executive pay in a number of companies.
In April, BP shareholders voted against chief executive Bob Dudley's £14m pay deal for 2015 after the company recorded a record annual loss.
In March, WPP defended Sir Martin's pay package by noting that the company's share price had risen by 98% between 2011 and 2015, compared with a 5.8% rise in the FTSE 100 over the same period.
On Wednesday, WPP said sales, profits and revenues were all "well above budget" in the first four months of 2016.


A food bank for pets has been launched in Denbighshire - believed to be the first of its kind in the area.

It has been set up by Marjorie Summerfield, who runs The Pet Rescue Welfare Association, in Dyserth.
She said there had been a rise in the number of people unable to feed their pets, which she believes is down to austerity measures.
"If we can intervene before a pet has to be rehomed, surely that's better for the animal and their owner," she said.
Ms Summerfield, who also runs a veterinary practice, said the service was not means tested and would "rely on people's honesty".
All they need to show is a utility bill with an address to access the service.
"This is the first one I'm aware of in the country," she said. "I'm hoping that other areas eventually will have little branches like ours in other communities.
"If you ring any rescue centre they're getting at least four or five calls a day from people saying 'I'm having to rehome my pet because I can't afford to feed it'.
"Some might say, if they can't afford to feed it then should they have a pet? But if you've had a pet for years but have had your [work] hours dropped or lost your job or your home, what are you meant to do?"
Donation points will be set up in Tesco and Dudley & Friends pet shop in Prestatyn.
The project will also recruit volunteers to help sort donations and deliver packages to people who are unable to visit the pet food bank in person.


The number 13 may be unlucky for some, but it seems not for Phoenix Nights fans.

Following a "phenomenal demand" for tickets, comedian Peter Kay has announced on Twitter that a 13th date for his charity gig has been added.
The star originally said there would be just two Phoenix Nights Live shows next year.
However, an extra 10 shows were added within the first 60 minutes of the tickets going on sale.
According to organisers, more than 120,000 tickets were sold in three hours on Sunday.
Then on Sunday evening, Peter Kay confirmed tickets for a 13th date at the Manchester Arena would go on sale the following day.
To put those numbers into context, Phoenix Nights Live will now have more shows at the venue than Take That's 2015 run.
Peter Kay's project has also beaten comedy legends Monty Python, who performed 10 shows at the O2 Arena in London in July.
Cast members are donating their time for free so all the money raised can go to Comic Relief.
A spokesperson for the charity said: "This is the first time a comedy show has been produced solely for Comic Relief on this scale and what an unbelievable result so far."
The award-winning Channel 4 comedy is based on one man's dream to run a popular nightclub in Bolton.
Unfortunately for Brian Potter, played by Peter Kay, his venues keep burning down.
Kay had previously admitted that he was concerned that he would struggle to reunite the original cast, 12 years after the show finished.
He told Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 that he thought everyone would be too busy with their own careers, including Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness, who plays doorman Paddy.
"I rang all the cast and they overwhelmed me with their generosity. Everybody's doing it for free," he said.
"We're all looking forward to doing it.
"It's been lovely getting together with everybody and working out ideas and what we're going to do."
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Police chased a tractor between two counties in a pursuit involving six patrol cars and a force helicopter.

The vehicle was taken from a farm in Tilney St Lawrence, near King's Lynn, Norfolk shortly before 20:00 GMT on Saturday.
It was abandoned in Oakroyd Crescent in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, after it was driven in to a dead end.
A man in his 20s from Wisbech has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Norfolk and Cambridgeshire Police forces were involved in the pursuit.


Over the past few months Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has packed arenas for campaign appearances around the country.

His speech before a crowd of 12,000 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Monday was the first such event to start with a Christian rock band and multiple group prayers, however.
This evangelical university in the foothills of central Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains is certainly an unusual venue for the self-proclaimed "democratic socialist" senator from Vermont. Founded in 1971 by the late Christian political activist and television evangelist Jerry Falwell, the school usually hosts religious luminaries and conservative politicians, and made headlines in 2009 for rescinding official recognition for its chapter of the College Democrats because of the party's position on abortion and gay marriage.
Liberty officials extended invitations for presidential candidates from both parties to speak at their weekly convocation, however, and Mr Sanders is the only Democrat so far to accept. Republicans Ben Carson and Scott Walker are scheduled to address the mandatory weekly student meetings later this year.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination at Liberty in March.
Mr Cruz, however, was preaching to ideological soul-mates. Mr Sanders, on the other hand, has admitted that the majority of the students at Liberty "look at the world differently" than he does.
At the very start of his speech Mr Sanders defended his liberal positions and took note that they likely weren't viewed favourably among this audience.
"I understand that issues such as abortion and gay marriage are very important to you. We disagree on those issues. I get that," he said.
"But let me respectfully suggest that there are other issues out there that are of enormous consequence to our country and in fact to the entire world and that maybe, just maybe, we do not disagree on. And maybe, just maybe, we can try work together to resolve them."
The senator then spoke about the central focus of his campaign - income inequality and economic justice - leavened with the occasional biblical verse, a nod to the religious bent of the crowd.
"When we talk about morality, and when we talk about justice, we have to in my view understand that there is no justice when so few have so much, and so many have so little," he said.
It's the kind of line that's usually met with thunderous applause. This time, however, the auditorium was largely silent, save for the fierce cheers from a small knot of non-student supporters packed near the stage.
The Liberty convocation building doubles as its sports arena, and the whole thing had the feeling of visiting fans at a sold-out basketball game celebrating after their team made a game-winning shot.
And so it went for much of the speech. Calls for raising the minimum wage, providing more support for new mothers and making college education free largely fell flat save for approbation from the loyal few.
At the conclusion of his speech, Mr Sanders was presented with several questions from the students.
His response to the first, on racism, garnered polite applause. The second, on abortion, revealed just how large a chasm remained between the candidate and his audience.
What would the senator do to protect "children in the womb", he was asked, to thunderous cheers.
"This is an area in which we disagree," he said. "It is improper for the United States government or state government to tell every women in this country the very painful and difficult choice that she has to make on that issue."
He went on to attack a budget proposed by Republicans in Congress that reduces funding for children's healthcare, college aid and low-income food programmes, while cutting taxes "to the top 2%".
"I don't think that is a moral budget," he said.
The efforts for finding common ground - at least for this morning - were at an end.
After the speech, members of the audience offered mixed reviews.
"I didn't really agree with anything he had to say," said Star Perez, a freshman from Chester, Virginia. She said that while she and Mr Sanders might be able to join together on some basic principles, that's where the "common ground" ends.
"When it comes to what to do with those, and as president what are you going to do to affect the country, how he's going to do those things, that's where there's a total disconnect."
Thomas Howard, a sophomore from Kentucky, gave Mr Sanders credit for making an appearance in a possibly hostile environment. "I thought it was awesome to get another view than what we're used to here," he said.
He added that he strongly disagreed with the senator's views on abortion and healthcare, however, and couldn't see himself ever supporting his candidacy.
On the social networking site Yik Yak, which made headlines when Liberty University students offered snide comments during Mr Cruz's speech, the comments were often sharper.
"If you don't like being poor, work to become rich," wrote one commenter. "That's what we call the American Dream, and it's what makes America great."
"Saw a guy with a Bernie shirt on my way to class today," posted another. "Took everything in me not to punch him. Lord give me strength to hold back."
Bethany Dupre, who received her master's degree in counselling from Liberty University in June, said she was disappointed in the reception given to Mr Sanders from the student body.
"It sounded like in this big place there were only 10 of us clapping for him," she said.
"I would like to think that a lot of students would go home and do some more research into the issues, but I think a lot of them will just go with the Liberty University pat answer for those questions."
Mr Sanders' speech comes on the heels of the latest round of polls that show him leading in the key early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
And although he still trails Hillary Clinton by double-digit margins in national polls, her support has dropped precipitously over the past few months.
All of this has some analysts wondering if Mr Sanders has a rightful claim to title of frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
It's a development that the 73-year-old Mr Sanders has admitted has caught him a bit off guard.
"Yes, I'm stunned," Mr Sanders said in  a recent television interview. He said he didn't think his campaign's ascent would be as dramatic, but added: "Look, we have a message that I believed from day one was going to resonate with the American people."
Mr Sanders' message is definitely resonating with the Democratic voters in places like New Hampshire and Iowa right now.
Winning over the American people, however, will be a much more challenging task. He'll have to talk to, and convince, voters who are not within his natural base of support.
His speech at Liberty University is a step in that direction - but also shows how much work he has yet to do.