The festive season is over and for supporters of Scottish Premiership clubs it's cold turkey time - otherwise known as the winter shutdown.

It will be two weekends of enforced abstinence for followers of top-flight teams before they are back in action for the Scottish Cup fourth round on 21/22 January.
So how are the 12 clubs spending the break?
After a week off, a few are heading for sunnier climes to recharge the batteries and regroup for the second half of the season.
For Celtic, it's destination Dubai - with an average temperature of 19C, an average of eight hours of sunshine per day and just 10mm of rainfall expected this month.
Boss Brendan Rodgers is promising his side will be back for 2017 better than before.
Third-placed Aberdeen are also making for the city state of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The Dons have arranged a match against FC Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan.
Partick Thistle are the only other sun-seekers in the Premiership, with Alan Archibald's players migrating from Maryhill to La Manga in Spain for a training camp. They have also arranged a friendly game against Belgian side Lokeren.
Kilmarnock are taking more of a budget break. Lee Clark's team are going to Gateshead in the north-east of England (average temperature 7C) for a couple of friendlies. They play Gateshead and then Newcastle Under-23s in a closed doors game.
Rangers are on the road too. Mark Warburton's team are testing themselves against the club currently second in Germany's Bundesliga, Red Bull Leipzig - home to Scotland's Oliver Burke.
The rest are staying put - unless they book last-minute deals or set up bounce games.
"It's important to give the players a break, they'll have a few days off and then they'll get back to work next week," says Dundee manager Paul Hartley. "Our next game is St Mirren in the cup, we'd like to bring one or two players but one or two will probably have to go out too, but we've got four weeks to sort that out."
St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright is a fan of the winter break. "I'm all for more midweek games to try and free up maybe a longer break in the summer and maybe a longer break in the winter," he told BBC Radio Scotland last month.
Motherwell are among those staying in Scotland, choosing to channel their 'staycation' savings towards improving the squad for the last four months of the campaign.
Ditto the Highland clubs Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with a Caley Thistle spokesman saying: "Aside from having a few days off to spend with family, there will be nothing out of the ordinary for the players and they're back in for training next week."
Hamilton Academical released players earlier this week as they set about shaping their squad for the rest of the campaign while Ian Cathro will have his first transfer window as Hearts head coach, commenting recently: "We are not ruling out any market.
"If you look at the history of this league, very few clubs are spending transfer fees. However, if there were unique circumstances that represented good value and it was an opportunity, I think this is one of the few clubs that could be in a position to do that."


Drivers fined for crossing York's Lendal Bridge while traffic restrictions were in place have just days to apply for their money back, officials have said.

About 47,000 fines totalling Â£1.3m were issued during a trial to restrict traffic during the day.
The trial took place between August 2013 and April 2014.
Refunds can be obtained by calling City of York Council or by visiting the website.
Refunds were offered to drivers after a traffic adjudicator said the council had "no power" to issue fines because signage and CCTV were inadequate.
Last year, the council spent about Â£150,000 writing to 27,000 drivers who had not claimed a refund. The deadline has been extended twice.
The authority said it would publish the total cost of the Lendal Bridge "settlement" after 31 March when the application process ends.
It disputes the findings of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal "regarding the lawful ability to regulate traffic in this way" and said the trial was aimed at reducing congestion in the city centre, not making money.


A British terror suspect killed in a drone attack was being groomed to head an al-Qaeda splinter group in the UK, the BBC's Newsnight has learnt.

The man, named in Pakistan as Abdul Jabbar, died in the north west of the country in September.
Newsnight spoke to a "a trusted, senior security source" overseas who said Jabbar intended to lead a group called the Islamic Army of Great Britain.
Whitehall officials have declined to comment on the BBC's report.
Europe plot
The programme also said the security source confirmed that Jabbar was a British citizen with a British wife. He was living in the Jhelum area of Punjab in Pakistan.
According to Newsnight, intelligence agencies monitored a meeting of 300 militants three months ago in the Ambarshaga area of North Waziristan, attended by Jabbar and militants from the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
The source said that Jabbar was put forward as the leader of the new terrorist group, which was tasked with preparing Mumbai-style commando attacks against targets in Britain, France and Germany.
Details of the plot first emerged in the US media, and the suspicions were confirmed by security sources to the BBC last month.
The revelations saw the US, UK, Sweden and Japan issue updated advice to citizens travelling in Europe to warn of the possibility of terror attacks there.
Newsnight's source said the intelligence led to the drone attacks on 8 September, in which Jabbar and three other militants were killed.
Analysts say the US is the only force capable of deploying drone aircraft in the region but the American military does not routinely confirm such operations.
Western intelligence sources have said the plan in Europe was for small teams of militants to seize and kill hostages
They were to model their mission on the bloody attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai on 26 November 2008, which left 166 people dead.
Ten gunmen attacked buildings including the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels, the city's historic Victoria Terminus train station, and the Jewish cultural center, Chabad House, during the three-day siege.
All but one were killed.


Apple has started offering a service to fix a fault on iPhone 6 Plus phones known as "touch disease".

Touchscreens on smartphones that have this problem gradually become unresponsive.
The fault was highlighted by gadget sites which said it was caused by a manufacturing issue that meant some screen controller chips became loose.
Apple was criticised by one expert who said it was the phonemaker's responsibility to fix it.
Apple is charging $149 in the USA for the service that will only be available on phones that are "in working order".
In a statement on its website, Apple said it had "determined" that displays on some iPhone 6 Plus handsets flickered or became unresponsive if the device was dropped several times on a hard surface and was then subjected to "further stress".
An iPhone 6 Plus suffering this problem, which worked and did not have a cracked or broken screen, was eligible for the repair programme, it said.
The service is available worldwide and costs Â£146.44 in the UK.
Apple said that customers who had already paid to get their phone cured of "touch disease" should get in touch to be repaid for the amount they spent beyond the programme fee.
The repair programme will run for five years beyond the initial date on which the iPhone 6 Plus went on sale, said Apple.
Stuart Miles, founder of gadget news site Pocket-lint, said: "I think if it's a known defect that isn't caused by the user then it should be the responsibility of Apple to fix the phone free of charge regardless of the age."
The manufacturing problem with the iPhone 6 Plus was first highlighted by gadget site iFixit which said it had seen an "influx of faulty iPhones".
In a blogpost about the problem posted in August, iFixit said there were "pages and pages" of messages from aggrieved iPhone 6 Plus owners on the Apple support site complaining about the fault.
An investigation by iFixit and specialist repair shops found the cause of the fault was the placement of the touchscreen controller chip. Several rough knocks could dislodge this chip making phones unresponsive, it said.


A bright green meteor was caught on camera flying through the sky in parts of America.

7 February 2017 Last updated at 11:35 GMT
Hundreds of people reported seeing the glowing green meteor, from places like Wisconsin, Illinois, Ontario, and even Canada, according to the American Meteor Society.
The fireball also created a sonic boom, which shook some homes in the areas nearest to it.
Sonic booms happen when something flies faster than the speed of sound.
When an object moves through the air it makes invisible pressure waves in front and behind it, like ripples.
If an object goes faster than these waves it breaks through them creating a really loud banging noise, called a sonic boom.


Two Conservative councillors who were suspended by the party over offensive posts on Twitter have been reinstated after apologising.

Alastair Majury and Robert Davies were both elected as Stirling councillors in May.
But it later emerged that Mr Majury was behind a Twitter account which likened Scottish nationalists to the Nazis.
He was suspended from the party alongside Mr Davies, who had tweeted racist jokes.
Mr Majury used his Mulder1981 account on Twitter to make derogatory remarks about Catholics, attack benefit claimants and say the SNP was too busy talking about gay marriage.
He also boasted about the size of his manhood on an online dating site.
The pair were suspended by the Scottish Conservatives on 17 May, but a spokesman for the party confirmed they had both now been readmitted.
The spokesman said: "Having served a suspension, both councillors have been readmitted to the party after offering unreserved apologies for any offence caused.
"It has been made abundantly clear that behaviour like this will not be tolerated in future."
SNP MSP James Dornan accused Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson of hypocrisy over the decision to allow the two councillors to remain in the party.
Mr Dornan said: "She is keen to call out racism, sexism and other unacceptable behaviour, except when her own colleagues are the guilty ones.
"But this issue goes beyond mere hypocrisy, and exposes the ugly reality of Davidson's Tories - a party which offers a home to extremist views, turns a blind eye to prejudice and allows those who spout offensive nonsense to hold elected office."
Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon said it was shocking that the suspension had been lifted because the two Tories had made "racist and sectarian remarks that have absolutely no place in our society".
Green MSP Mark Ruskell, who was previously a Stirling councillor, said: "Imagine a racist and an internet troll now deciding on Stirling Council school bullying and equalities strategies."
The Lib Dems also criticised the move, which the party said had shown the "true heartlessness of the Scottish Conservatives".


Five people have been rescued after their fishing vessel ran aground and capsized in the Sound of Mull.

The fishermen aboard the St Apollo escaped into their life raft during the incident early on Monday.
A rescue helicopter was sent from Prestwick but the group were reached first by the Oban lifeboat at about 03:30.
They were taken ashore at Oban. It's thought no one was been injured.


Welshman Jamie Donaldson is three shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the weather-affected Houston Open.

The 40-year-old Ryder Cup player was one of 27 players who had to finish their second rounds on Saturday after thunderstorms caused a 90-minute delay to the start of Friday's play.
Donaldson had three holes to complete but dropped a shot and returned a 68.
Charley Hoffman, who finished his round of 70 with a bogey on Friday, leads at 10 under, one clear of Jamie Lovemark.
Donaldson had climbed 29 places up the leaderboard after seven birdies in the 15 holes he was able to play before bad light curtailed Friday's action at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas.
Scotland's Martin Laird had two holes to finish and also dropped one shot to slip to five under.
World number two Jordan Spieth is six shots back in a share of 21st after a 73.
Players from level par down missed the cut, including Englishman Greg Owen and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.
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Donetsk, the most important city under rebel control in eastern Ukraine, is now an empty, eerie place.

The streets echo regularly to the sound of artillery fire, as the pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian army fight for control of the airport.
But in the warm autumn sun, Donetsk still retains some measure of normality.
The central market is quite lively with shoppers browsing the clothes, music and other stores.
Rebel fighters in camouflage uniform, armed with Kalashnikovs or pistols, occasionally mingle among them.
And yet the shock of this well-heeled, tranquil city being transformed into a battleground, has taken a huge psychological toll on those who have chosen to remain.
"We can't bring back those who have been killed," says Oksana, immediately breaking down in tears as we speak inside her tiny dress shop.
"I want my mum to stop crying, I want my son to stop being afraid when they bomb. We want to end this whole mess, this war, so life can be like before."
In one western suburb which has been under fire for weeks, people lined up to receive bags of food being handed out by local officials from the back of a van.
They have been spending much of their time sheltering in basements. Several older women said they had no money because their pension payments had stopped.
And yet the overwhelming yearning for peace is, for some in this city, tempered by fear of what a ceasefire agreement might lead to.
Senior rebel leaders have been demanding that any agreement should include a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the region.
"If the Ukrainian army leaves this area, then Ukraine will become part of Russia and we are all finished. We would have a life without water, without light, without money without any resources," says Igor who used to be an engineer, but now has no work because of the conflict.
"Russia won't be able to provide anything [for this region], because it is bankrupt, they don't have enough money for themselves."
Igor is also horrified at the prospect of the rebels remaining in control of this region.
"They are not rebels," he says, "they are criminals who came here to steal money and cars."
But for all the talk of a possible ceasefire, there has been no let-up in the fighting across the region so far.
If anything the fighting has intensified with a move by rebels and possibly Russian troops towards the vital port city of Mariupol which lies on the Azov Sea.
While in Donetsk, heavy shelling late on Thursday afternoon hit homes in the city leaving at least one person dead and setting a line of garages on fire engulfing the area in thick smoke.
And even if a ceasefire is signed in Minsk on Friday, there is scepticism on both sides about whether it will hold.
The rebels who have been making rapid advances on the battlefield over the past 10 days, suspect their success is the reason the Ukrainian government now wants the fighting to stop.
"As soon as the army of the Donetsk People's Republic is advancing, as soon as there is some serious success for our army, the Ukrainian side offers some sort of agreements," says a commander of a rebel reconnaissance and intelligence unit, who did not wish to give his real name.
"And usually they break those agreements themselves."


The two leading candidates in Zambia's presidential election are in a tight race, according to partial results from the election commission.

With nearly three-quarters of the 150 constituencies having reported results, the governing Patriotic Front (PF) candidate, Edgar Lungu, was on 48.8%.
Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development was on 46.8%.
Final results are expected to be released later on Friday.
The vote was caused by the death in office of Zambia's then president, Michael Sata, last October.
The winner will serve the remainder of Mr Sata's term, leading up to elections in 2016.
Both main parties requested a meeting on Friday morning with the electoral commission to discuss the vote.
Those talks have taken place but there has been no public comment so far by those involved.


Indonesian police have named Jakarta's governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, as a suspect in a blasphemy investigation.

Popularly known as "Ahok", he is accused of insulting the Koran while campaigning in governorship elections.
Mr Purnama is a Christian from the Chinese ethnic minority and the first non-Muslim to lead the city.
The case has prompted fears of a rise in tensions in the largely Muslim country.
Profile: Who is Jakarta Governor Ahok?
The naming of Mr Purnama as a suspect means prosecutors can bring him to trial. If found guilty he faces up to five years in prison.
Police said they would not detain the governor despite calls for his arrest from Islamist groups, but barred him from leaving the country during the investigation. They also recommended that the case be tried in an open court.
He has not been barred from the February governorship election, in which he is seeking a second term.
Mr Purnama told reporters: "This is not the end, there will be a court process which we hope will be open. We will still take part in the election."
In a September speech Mr Purnama said Islamic groups who were using a Koranic verse to discourage support for him were deceiving voters. The verse is interpreted by some as prohibiting Muslims from living under the leadership of a non-Muslim.
Islamic groups said he had criticised the Koran and lodged complaints with the police. Mr Purnama later apologised.
Earlier this month, at least 100,000 people took part in a protest led by a hardline Muslim group in Jakarta calling for his resignation and prosecution.
The movement against Mr Purnama has taken on anti-Chinese overtones. Police said that ahead of the protest there were "provocative statements and images" on social media which called for violent action against Mr Purnama.
However, Mr Purnama remains popular for his hardline stance against corruption and reformist policies.
He was appointed governor of Jakarta after his predecessor, Joko Widodo, became president.
In 1998, a wave of anti-Chinese sentiment led to mobs looting and burning Chinese-owned shops and houses.
Ethnic Chinese make up about 1% of Indonesia's population of 250 million people.


Oxford United is closing in on a deal to use Oxford City Football Club's home ground as its training facility.

In a joint statement, both clubs said the move could be a "win-win solution".
United needs a long-term training ground after BMW Mini got permission to expand its plant onto the site.
Oxford City said the deal would help secure its future, months after an inquest into its chairman's death heard he was worried about the club's finances.
The clubs plan to create a joint trading company which will lease and operate the Marsh Lane facilities, providing income for both Oxford United and Oxford City.
Oxford United previously trained on the 24-acre site of the Oxford Sports and Social Club and Oxford Cricket Club for six years.
However, following a Â£4.9m deal between BMW Mini and Oxford City Council the land is set to be built on.
United and the council have been at odds over who would run a new complex on Horspath Road, leaving the football club to seek its own solution.
The U's would still play league and cup games at the Kassam Stadium and the facility in Marsh Lane would remain Oxford City's match day home.
United chairman Darryl Eales said: "This really is a win-win solution.
"We are delighted to be able to help Oxford City whilst also establishing a broader base for Oxford United commercially, as well as hopefully for our first team and our women's team."
The news comes after the death of former Oxford City chairman Colin Taylor, who took his own life in July last year.
An inquest heard Mr Taylor, whose body was found at Oxford City's ground, was worried about the club's financial difficulties.
Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said: "The council initiated these discussions in the wake of Colin Taylor's sad death and the realisation of OCFC's financial position."
It is understood the agreement will allow the construction of an artificial surface, which will replace Oxford City's Court Place Farm pitch.


Uber's head of finance, Gautam Gupta, is leaving the company, the third senior executive the ride hailing firm has lost this week.

Uber said losses narrowed in the first three months of 2017 to $708m (Â£549m) from $991m in the previous quarter.
The company does not report financial results publicly, but said it was "on a good trajectory towards profitability".
In recent months Uber has been shaken by scandals, high-profile sackings and allegations of sexism.
Mr Gupta, who has been head of strategic finance since 2015, will leave next month to join another start-up in San Francisco.
Uber chief executive and co-founder Travis Kalanick said: "Gautam is a world-class financial talent. Over the last four years, he has been indispensible in helping build Uber from an idea into the business it is today."
Uber is now looking for a chief financial officer who it is thought will help steer the company towards a flotation on the stock market in the next two years.
Uber is still growing fast, although it has never made a full-year profit.
In the first three months of the year, revenue rose 18% from the previous quarter to $3.4bn. In 2016, the company carried 700 million passengers in more than 70 countries, booked $20bn in rides and generated $6.8bn in net revenues.
However, it has also raised what is estimated to be more venture capital than any start-up in history, some $11bn, and it needs to prove to its private investors that it can turn a profit.
Meanwhile, the company has been haemorrhaging senior executives since the beginning of the year.
New York general manager, Josh Mohrer, and the head of Uber's self-driving unit, Anthony Levandowski, both left this week.
Mohrer is credited with building Uber in New York city from its early beginnings. He is leaving for a job at Tusk Ventures, which advises start-up businesses on regulatory issues.
Mr Levandowski, who was considered critical in the development of Uber's self-drive projects, was fired for declining to testify in the lawsuit that Google owner Alphabet has brought against Uber.
The case involves the alleged theft of self-drive technology from an Alphabet subsidiary.
Other high-profile departures include vice-president of product Ed Baker; Uber president Jeff Jones; vice-president of engineering Amit Singhal; policy and communications chief Rachel Whetstone - a Briton; and the head of mapping, Brian McClendon.
Uber has also hired former US attorney-general Eric Holder and Tammy Albarran, both partners at the law firm Covington & Burling, to conduct a review of sexual harassment claims made by a former employee.
In March, Mr Kalanick was forced to apologise after a video emerged of him swearing at one of the company's drivers.
And at the end of last month, Mr Kalanick was struck by personal tragedy when his mother died in a boating accident near Fresno, California. His father, who was also on the boat, was seriously injured.


Employers in England are being offered an extra £2,000 to take on teenagers, care leavers and those with special education needs as apprentices.

Under the plans, small businesses will be subsidised with 90% of the costs of providing apprenticeships.
Larger firms will be required to contribute 0.5% of their payroll to the new apprenticeships scheme from 2017.
Employers group the CBI said firms were ready to play their part but April's proposed start date should be delayed.
The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) said keeping to the date was vital for achieving the government's target for three million apprenticeships.
"Any delay would have made the task very difficult," it said.
The government said its overall £2.5bn apprenticeships plan would help people of all ages gain high-quality skills and experience and build a talented workforce.
It also said it would help to ensure every young person, regardless of background or ability, had the chance to make their first step into work.
Manufacturers organisation EEF said: "Recruiting young people can sometimes be seen as a little riskier so today's announcement is a nice sweetener and will act as an added incentive."
Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Robert Halfon said: "We need to make sure people of all ages and backgrounds have a chance to get on in life. Apprenticeships give young people - especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds - a ladder of opportunity.
"That's why we continue to work tirelessly to deliver the skills our country needs. The apprenticeship levy is absolutely crucial to this."
The government say its plans also:
CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said business was ready to play its part. "However, the Apprenticeship Levy in its current form risks turning the clock back on recent progress through poor design and rushed timescales."
General secretary of trade union group the TUC Frances O'Grady said: "After the vote to leave the EU, it is vitally important that we make a serious investment in skills."
Jonathan Clifton of think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, said the plans did not go far enough. "The proposed apprenticeship levy will still only cover 2% of employers," he said.
"In the long term, the government should expand the levy to cover all employers - because every firm has a role to play in training up the next generation."


Apprenticeships at a helicopter repair site which currently maintains the UK's Chinook fleet have been stopped for the first time in its history.

Vector Aerospace, which runs the Fleetlands site in Gosport, Hampshire, blamed a drop in workload for its decision to suspend the 2017 intake.
It comes after the firm recently lost out on a contract to upgrade some of the Chinooks, putting 60 jobs at risk.
The site was sold by the MoD to Vector in 2008.
It has offered apprenticeships at its training facility for the past 75 years, taking about eight apprentices each year in Gosport in recent times.
The three-year programme offers successful applicants the chance to get hands-on experience on the maintenance, repair and overhaul of rotary wing aircraft.
Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage, who has been in talks with Vector and union representatives at Fleetlands, said it was "extremely disappointing" to see the scheme suspended.
She added: "The company provides an excellent pipeline for young people from our area to gain technical skills for a rewarding career. I understand this decision will be reviewed over the coming year and I will be urging them to reconsider."
A Vector spokesman said it was disappointed to suspend the scheme but was "fully committed to our current apprentices" and would review the programme in the coming year.
The private firm works closely with Boeing, which builds military craft for the Ministry of Defence, and had been expecting to secure a contract to upgrade the fleet with a Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS).
But Boeing decided to take the work in-house, despite Vector previously completing another Chinook upgrade package for the manufacturer.
Vector is talking with union officials to try and transfer some staff to Boeing but no guarantees have been given.
The company's long-term deal with Boeing to provide maintenance of the Chinook fleet has not been affected.
Steve Burnell, managing director of Aircraft Support Boeing, said the decision not to award Vector the contract came after a "long and detailed study on the grounds of cost".
A Unite spokesperson said it was "engaged in constructive negotiations with the Vector management" but declined to comment further.
The Fleetlands site, which has historically supported the MoD's helicopter fleet, has seen its workload shrink in recent years after the Sea King and Lynx helicopters went out of service.
Vector, which employs 800 people in Gosport, moved into the civil aviation market to boost its workload.


Braintree Town moved into the National League play-off places with a hard-fought victory at 10-man Gateshead.

Taylor Miles' free-kick gave Braintree an early lead, only for Ben Clark to level from close range soon after.
Miles' 20-yard shot put the Iron back in front, before Heed centre-back James Curtis was sent off for bringing down Michael Cheek before the break.
Mitch Brundle's shot made it 3-1 and the Iron held on for the win, despite Alex Whitmore's goal for the hosts.
Braintree are now one point clear of sixth-placed Eastleigh, while Gateshead are 10th in the table.


US activists have called for a recount in battleground states where Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton, fearing the ballot was skewed by foreign hackers.

Data experts are asking why Ms Clinton performed worse in counties that relied on electronic voting machines compared to paper ballots and optical scanners.
While they have found no evidence of hacking, they argue that an independent audit is required.
Mrs Clinton admitted defeat hours after the election on 8 November.
She lost to Mr Trump by at least 58 votes in the all-important electoral college tally, decided on a state-by-state basis, but won the popular vote by at least 1m ballots.
California has still to complete its official count because, according to the LA Times, of its complex electoral laws although the state has already been called for Mrs Clinton.
During the bitter election campaign, the FBI began an investigation into allegations that Russians had hacked the private email of John Podesta, her campaign chairman.
The hacked communications, which portrayed the Clinton campaign in an unflattering light, were published by WikiLeaks.
Now a "growing number of academics and activists" are calling for an audit of the results in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the UK's Guardian newspaper reports.
"I'm interested in verifying the vote," Dr Barbara Simons, an adviser to the US election assistance commission and expert on electronic voting, was quoted as saying. "We need to have post-election ballot audits."
According to a CNN report, a group of scientists including J Alex Halderman, director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, has privately told the Clinton campaign it believes there was a "questionable trend".
The group has reportedly informed Mr Podesta that Mrs Clinton received 7% fewer votes in counties that relied on electronic voting machines, suggesting they may have been hacked.


A US fashion firm has settled a case in which it was accused of failing to flag paid Instagram endorsements as being adverts.

Lord & Taylor had been charged with paying 50 "influencers" to post photos of themselves on the same weekend in March 2015 wearing one of its dresses.
The US trade regulator said the company had failed to disclose it had provided the dresses for free and paid each person thousands of dollars.
The firm did not admit wrongdoing.
However, as part of the settlement, it has agreed that in the future any influencers it uses must disclose they have been paid.
It marks the first case of its kind since the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published guidelines for so-called native advertising last year.
The regulator's complaint said that Lord & Taylor's paid-for Instagram posts reached 11.4 million users over two days and led to its Paisley Asymmetrical Dress "quickly" selling out.
It noted that the "influencers could style the dress any way they chose", but had to include the company's Instagram account handle and use its hashtag - actions that helped the images go viral.
"The company also pre-approved each proposed post," the FTC added.
"In addition... Lord & Taylor did not require the influencers to disclose that the company had compensated them to post the photo, and none of the posts included such a disclosure."
The watchdog also complained that Nylon, a fashion news website, had also posted a photo of the dress on its Instagram account with a caption that Lord & Taylor had reviewed and approved, in addition to a "seemingly objective article" about the piece of clothing, neither of which indicated that they were paid-for ads.
Although the FTC has the power to impose a penalty of up to $16,000 (Â£11,140) for any such violation, Lord & Taylor has not been fined.
However, it has agreed to establish a monitoring and review programme for future endorsement campaigns and must report back to the FTC about its implementation.
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has already taken action of its own against social media product placements.
In 2014, it reprimanded Oreo-maker Mondelez for contacting vloggers to promote its biscuits without revealing they had been paid to do so.


New helicopter-style drones with 1.8 gigapixel colour cameras are being developed by the US Army.

The army said the technology promised "an unprecedented capability to track and monitor activity on the ground".
A statement added that three of the sensor-equipped drones weredue to go into service in Afghanistanin either May or June.
Boeing built the first drones, but other firms can bid to manufacture others.
"These aircraft will deploy for up to one full year as a way to harness lessons learned and funnel them into a program of record," said Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Munster, product manager at the US Army's Unmanned Aerial System Modernization unit.
The A160 Hummingbird systems are capable of vertical take-off, meaning access to a runway is not necessary.
The army also confirmed that they have hovering capabilities - something its existing unmanned aircraft lack.
Test flights will be carried out in Arizona at the start of the year before they are shipped to the Middle East.
The drones will take advantage of the Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance-Imaging System first deployed earlier this year.
The Argus-IS's acronym was chosen to recall Argus Panoptes - the one-hundred-eyed-giant of Greek mythology.
The technology is based on a 1.8 gigapixel camera - the largest video sensor used in tactical missions.
It offers 900 times the number of pixels of a 2 megapixel camera found in some mobile phones. The system can provide real-time video streams at the rate of 10 frames a second.
The army said that was enough to track people and vehicles from altitudes above 20,000 feet (6.1km) across almost 65 square miles (168 sq km).
In addition, operators on the ground can select up to 65 steerable "windows" following separate targets to be "stared at". Vehicles, people and other objects can be tracked even if they move in different directions.
"If you have a bunch of people leaving a place at the same time, they no longer have to say, 'Do I follow vehicle one, two, three or four,'" said program manager Brian Leninger ahead of the system's launch.
"They can say: 'I will follow all of them, simultaneously and automatically.'"
The equipment has had new antennas attached to it to optimise its performance on the new aircraft.
Once the one-year trial is completed, the army said it planned to hold a "full and open" competition for defence companies to bid to build second generation vertical-take-off drones.
Night sensors
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is also working with the UK-based defence contractor BAE Systems to develop a more advanced version of the Argus-IS sensor that will offer night vision.
It said the infrared imaging sensors would be sensitive enough tofollow "dismounted personnel at night".
In addition, the upgrade promises to be able to follow up to 130 "windows" at the same time.
The system's first test flight has been scheduled to take place by June 2012.
Flightglobal's website has also reported that the trials will includethe use of stub wings"intended for carrying weapons".
While the army discusses the advantages of unmanned drones offering valuable intelligence to troops on the ground, the programme has run into controversy.
Pakistan has criticised drone strikes which killed 24 of its troops in November on the Afghan border.Previous attacks killed children.
Iranian officials have also shown off a captured surveillance aircraft which they have refused to return to the US, demanding an apology for the "invasion" of their airspace.


Scottish business confidence has risen for the first time in almost two years, according to a survey.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found confidence improved slightly in the first quarter of 2017, but remained in negative territory.
That contrasted with the UK as a whole, where more firms were optimistic rather than pessimistic about their prospects.
More than 300 Scottish firms responded to the survey, which took place between 30 January and 17 February.
The study suggested that employment growth was flat for small businesses during the quarter.
While some companies expected an increase in staffing levels over the next three months, hiring intentions were still much lower in Scotland than the UK average.
The survey also suggested that revenues for Scottish small businesses declined during the quarter at the fastest rate for four years.
However, a majority of Scottish firms said they expected sales and turnover to grow over the course of this year.
The state of the domestic economy was highlighted as the largest barrier to growth by almost half of respondents.
Four in 10 firms cited consumer demand as a brake on growth, while a quarter blamed skills shortages and an increasing number of firms raised concerns about rising costs for inputs, fuel and utilities.
FSB said the statistics suggested Scottish economic growth would remain below trend in the near future.
Andy Willox, FSB's Scottish policy convener, said: "Scottish business confidence couldn't fall much further at the end of 2016.
"A bounce at the start of this year is welcome, but looks like it will be tricky to sustain given that firms are reporting falling revenues.
"Too few Scottish businesses have faith that our economy is travelling in the right direction.
"The UK government needs to convince firms that their plans for Brexit will safeguard their interests.
"The Scottish government and our local councils also need to put local growth at the top of their agenda."


A blue plaque has been unveiled at entertainer George Formby's former home in St Annes, Lancashire.

Formby lived at the house, named Beryldene after his wife, for nearly ten years until his death in 1961.
Members of the George Formby Society performed at the unveiling on Inner Promenade in Fairhaven.
Marion Coupe, from the Lytham St Annes Civic Society, said she was "amazed" there was still so much interest in the entertainer.
"We didn't publicise the event, but so many people have got to hear about it, it's wonderful," she said.
The house, built in 1932, was originally named Cintra and has another musical link - Formby bought it from tenor Joseph Locke.
Formby, who was born George Hoy Booth in Wigan, Greater Manchester, in 1904.
He was a comedian, actor, singer and songwriter who appeared in 21 films and was awarded an OBE in 1946 for entertaining British and American troops during World War II.


Several rockets have hit the high security Green Zone in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, hours after clashes at a protest left at least five dead.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies in Baghdad.
Earlier on Saturday, thousands of protesters, demanding electoral reform, tried to storm the area.
Police fired tear gas. At least 200 people are reported to be hurt.
The protesters, mostly supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, want changes to the electoral commission that oversees elections.
They say the commission is not independent because all its members are linked to political parties.
Pro-Sadr protesters have entered the Green Zone during previous protests.
It is not clear who fired the missiles into the area on Saturday.
However, military officials said several Katyusha-style rockets seem to have been fired from the eastern district of Baladiyat, where Sadr is reported to have a lot of followers.


A man accused of leading an al-Qaeda plot to set off bombs in Manchester has been extradited to the US.

Abid Naseer has been described by a High Court judge as an "al-Qaeda operative" who "poses a serious threat to the national security of the UK".
UK prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to charge him.
However, the US wants to put him on trial, arguing the Manchester plot was part of a wider conspiracy to also bomb New York.
In December his bid to stop the extradition was thrown out of the European Court of Human Rights, where his lawyers had argued he could be tortured if returned to Pakistan from the US.
Mr Naseer was arrested on 8 April 2009 along with 11 other mainly-Pakistani nationals in counter-terrorism raids in Manchester and Liverpool but no-one has been charged by British prosecutors.
Four police forces carried out the dramatic raids in daylight and Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quoted as saying "we are dealing with a very big terrorist plot".
Eleven of the arrested men were Pakistanis, most of whom came to the UK as students. The intelligence services suspected they were part of an international al-Qaeda plot directed from Pakistan and Abid Naseer was said to be the leader of the British end of the operation.
Suspicions were first aroused because of intercepted email exchanges between Mr Naseer and an al-Qaeda suspect in Pakistan known as "Ahmad".
Police made their arrests after an email about a Nikkah (Islamic wedding ceremony) which was believed to have been code for the attack. It read "I met with Nadia family and we both parties have agreed to conduct the Nikkah after 15th and before 20th of this month."
Mr Naseer maintains that he was looking for a wife, but a High Court hearing dismissed his explanation, saying "we are sure that email conveyed a sinister and alarming message".
The judge concluded Mr Naseer was "an al-Qaeda operative who posed and still poses a serious threat to the national security of the United Kingdom" but that he could not be deported to Pakistan because there was a risk he would be tortured by the intelligence services there.
The British authorities were now faced with a serious dilemma. The police and MI5, supported by a High Court judge, viewed Mr Naseer as a danger to national security but the CPS found there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him and the courts had ruled he could not be deported.
A potential breakthrough was made in July 2010 when the FBI announced it had charged Mr Naseer and wanted to try him in New York. They allege he was part of an international terror plot which also included a thwarted suicide attack on the city's subway.
Mr Naseer was charged with providing material support for a foreign terrorist organisation and conspiracy to use a firearm. David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said: "these charges underscore the global nature of the terrorist threat we face."
But questions remain as to why a man accused of plotting to blow up targets in central Manchester will be tried in America. The public statements of prosecutors on both sides of the Atlantic also contain some inconsistencies.
A US Justice Department press release in July 2010 stated that the "UK authorities conducted searches of the plotters' homes, where they found large quantities of flour and oil, as well as surveillance photographs of public areas in Manchester and maps of Manchester's city centre posted on the wall, with one of the locations from the surveillance photographs highlighted".
Yet the High Court ruling spoke of the "complete absence of any evidence of the handling or preparation of explosives by Naseer and his alleged associate." Despite searches of buildings "nothing was found, apart from an irrelevant trace of RDX in one of the properties".
Though the police and MI5 believed the photos of the men posing around central Manchester was evidence of reconnaissance, the CPS concluded there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm that today Abid Naseer was extradited to America where he is accused of terrorism offences. His case is now a matter for the US authorities."
The removal of Mr Naseer follows three months after Abu Hamza al-Masri, Babar Ahmad and three other terrorism suspects were finally extradited to the US after years of legal wrangling.
They will stand trial later this year. If convicted, Mr Naseer faces a possible life sentence in a supermax prison.
Mr Naseer is the eighth defendant to face charges in Brooklyn federal court related to the al-Qaeda plot.
Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay were jailed in 2010 after admitting their role in the foiled plot. They subsequently gave evidence against a Bosnian-born US citizen, Adis Medunjanin, who was jailed for life in November.
US prosecutors claim that, at the culmination of the plot in April 2009, Mr Naseer used coded language to tell al-Qaeda associates he was ready to carry out the attack on the New York subway. Mr Naseer said he was planning a large "wedding" for many guests between 15 and 20 April 2009.
Last year Zazi, Ahmedzay and a third turncoat, Bryant Neal Vinas, gave evidence in a Norwegian court which led to three other al-Qaeda suspects being convicted of plotting a similar terrorist attack in Denmark.
New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said, "New York and London, and now Manchester, share a history of terrorism and outstanding law enforcement cooperation in bringing those allegedly responsible to justice, as this case illustrates. Al-Qaeda has attacked on both sides of the Atlantic, and it has been brought to justice on both shores too."
Naseer is due to appear before a court in New York on Monday.


A police force is appealing for information on some of the first female police officers it recruited.

Rebecca Lipscombe and Evelyn Miles joined West Midlands Police in April 1917, the first women to do so.
By 1919 the force had 11 female officers, though no more were recruited until 1931.
Three of the officers in an archived picture of the unit remain unidentified and now the force is asking for help from the public.
West Midlands Police said files on four officers - Elsie Chapman, Mary Dwelly, Lizzie May Peers and Malenda Shawe - have not survived.
Corinne Brazier, who has worked with Insp Steve Rice on a book to mark the centenary of the force's first female officers, said they have been "unable to match names with faces" and would "love to complete the picture".
"These women paved the way for the many female officers we see in the force today," she said.
"I'd love to hear from anyone who believes they may be descendants of our pioneering WPCs or anyone who has old photographs or information on our early police women."


Records, as the sporting cliche goes, are there to be broken, but while Simone Manuel's Olympic record time in the women's 100m freestyle final will eventually be surpassed, she achieved a first that no-one can take away.

Touching home at the end of a remarkable race, Manuel became the first black female swimmer to win an Olympic gold. She said she hoped her victory would encourage greater diversity in her sport.
"This medal is not just for me, it's for some of the African-Americans who have been before me and been inspirations," she said.
"I hope I can be an inspiration for others. This medal is for the people who come behind me and get into the sport."
Here is why Simone Manuel's win is so significant.
Swimming pools have been a racially sensitive flashpoint in the US for generations. African-American people were often denied access to pools in the segregation era, and even after its abolition white people found other ways to exclude them. Nor has building pools for black areas been a priority.
Jeff Wiltse, in his book Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, argues that white anxieties over contact with black people fuelled this historic lack of integration at US swimming pools.
Parents who do not swim are often unlikely to teach their children, and the legacy today is that a disproportionate number of African-American children cannot swim - USA Swimming puts the figure at 70%.
Swimming lessons still are not compulsory in the US, something USA Swimming wants to change. Despite all this, outliers can emerge.
Cullen Jones's mother, for instance, took him to swimming lessons after he nearly drowned at a theme park aged five. By eight he was swimming competitively. At the 2008 Olympics, he won gold as part of the US 4Ã—100m freestyle relay team.
Why don't black Americans swim?
Black winners in swimming events remain a rarity. The Netherlands' Enith Brigitha became the first black swimmer to win a medal, coming third in the 100m freestyle at the 1976 Montreal Olympics behind two competitors later found to have used doping, according to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF).
The next breakthrough came in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when Anthony Nesty of Suriname became the first male swimmer of African descent to win gold.
A select few black swimmers have represented the US: Anthony Ervin was first, at Sydney in 2000, while four years later at Athens, Maritza Correia became the first female medal winner. Lia Neal has also won medals.
Manuel cited Jones, Neal and Correia as trailblazing figures in her comments after her victory.
Why hasn't there been a black female champion swimmer until now? A number of factors are at play.
Particularly in developing countries, access to top-class or even basic facilities remains difficult.
Lack of participation at elite level feeds into a lack of participation at grassroots. Without role models like Manuel, there may be an impression among would-be swimmers that "this isn't for me".
Then there is the thorny issue of nature vs nurture in athletes.
The crude stereotype, that black people are less buoyant than white people, has been debunked, but it remains the case that certain sports are seen as the preserve of particular races.
Such perceptions are deeply culturally ingrained, but pioneers like Manuel can help shift them.
In any other circumstances, the post-race chatter would be about the event itself, a dramatic dead heat. Manuel shared her gold medal, and an Olympic record, with her 16-year-old opponent, Canada's Penny Oleksiak.
Speaking afterwards, Manuel looked forward to a time when the focus would be on sport and not on her race.
"I would like there to be a day where there are more of us and it's not 'Simone, the black swimmer,''' she said,
"The title 'black swimmer' makes it seem like I'm not supposed to be able to win a gold medal or I'm not supposed to be able to break records and that's not true because I work just as hard as anybody else. I want to win just like everybody else.''


More than 92% of voters in Congo-Brazzaville's controversial referendum have approved constitutional changes to allow President Denis Sassou Nguesso to run for a third term, results show.

Under the current constitution, the president has been unable to seek re-election because he is over the age of 70 and has already served two terms.
The opposition say turnout was low and the vote should be annulled.
However, official results put the turnout in Sunday's referendum at 72%.
More than 1.2 million people voted in favour of the change - 92.3% of voters - while nearly 102,000 rejected it, the electoral commission said.
The opposition called for a boycott of the poll and one of its leaders described the official results as a "fraud".
"From what we could see on the day of the vote, the announcement that turnout was more than 72% is extremely scandalous," Clement Mierassa told the AFP news agency.
President Sassou Nguesso, 71, is one of Africa's longest-serving rulers, first coming to power in 1979 and ruling until 1992 when he lost elections. He returned as president in 1997 after a brief civil war and has since won two elections.
He is now coming to the end of his second seven-year term.
Tens of thousands of people took part in a peaceful demonstration against the referendum in September.
Four people died last week, when security forces dispersed angry protesters in the capital, Brazzaville, and the economic hub of Pointe-Noire.
The election is due to take place in 2016.
Africa's longest-serving leaders:
The arrogance of power
The Mobutu and Gaddafi effect


Prime Minister David Cameron has urged British overseas territories to "get their house in order" and sign up to international treaties on tax.

He wrote to 10 territories and crown dependencies, including the Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man, which operate low-tax regimes.
Critics claim such places are used by companies for tax avoidance or evasion.
The plea came ahead of a G8 summit in June, when the UK is expected to push for tighter tax measures.
"With one month to go, this is the crucial moment to get our own houses in order," Mr Cameron wrote in the letter.
"I respect your right to be lower tax jurisdictions... but lower taxes are only sustainable if what is owed is actually paid."
The 10 territories that received the letter are Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Anguilla, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
Some have been described by the UK government as having "complex tax arrangements".
Low taxes and light touch regulation have seen some of them become major centres for international business.
But the lack of transparency in their banking systems has left them open to accusations that they are being used to avoid paying taxes.
Mr Cameron urged them to sign international protocols designed to allow tax information to be shared more easily between countries, and also to take measures to improve their own transparency.
"Put simply, that means we need to know who really owns and controls each and every company," he said.
Tax avoidance, where companies operate within the rules to avoid paying taxes, and tax evasion, which is outside the law, have risen high on the political agenda in recent months.
High-profile companies like Google, Amazon and Starbucks have faced criticism in the UK for the low levels of tax they appear to pay compared with the size of their businesses.
On Sunday, Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt defended the company's tax affairs.
He said the search engine giant "has always aspired to do the right thing", but added that "international tax law could almost certainly benefit from reform".
Writing in the Observer, he said he wanted "to move the debate forward".


The designs for S4C's new Carmarthenshire headquarters have gone on show at the Eisteddfod in Abergavenny on Tuesday.

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David has submitted a planning application to Carmarthenshire council.
The headquarters, Yr Egin, will be built at the university in Carmarthen.
It should house about 25 companies who are expected to contribute more than Â£11m a year to the local economy and create 98 jobs.
Seventy five jobs will be relocated including 55 S4C jobs from Cardiff.
People can find out more and view a 3D model of the building, which is due to open in 2018, at the university's stand at the Eisteddfod.


A teenager from Londonderry has been sentenced to six years for the unlawful killing of a man and seriously wounding his brother.

The offences took place in May 2016 when Gerard Quinn, 24, was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle which severed his jugular vein.
His twin brother, Michael, was also wounded.
The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and wounding.
The boy, who was 16 at the time of the offences, will serve three years in custody and a further three on licence.
Gerard Quinn was stabbed in the front garden of a house at Milldale Crescent in the Currynierin area of Derry.
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Harvey said: "Our thoughts today are very much with the Quinn family who are still coming to terms with the loss of their loved one.
"Gerard was a beloved son and brother and a doting father to his three-year-old daughter. While I hope today's sentencing goes some way to bringing them some closure, they will still face a lifetime without their loved one - a life sentence.
"Gerard Quinn was denied a future with his family and his daughter, not to mention all of the other important life events he will now not get to experience.
"I hope today's sentence acts as a deterrent to others who may think about getting involved in violence. The consequences are plain to see."


Plans for the future of the information and communications technology department at Scottish Borders Council have been delayed by two months.

It had been hoped full proposals could be tabled in October but they will now come just before Christmas.
There have been concerns they could see 80 jobs transferred to an outside company in a joint arrangement with the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Unite union has criticised any attempt to move the posts.
A report to the local authority said plans for the department would not meet the originally intended deadline of 8 October.
Instead, they will be presented on 17 December.
The delay has been attributed to the time needed to analyse the cost implications of any switch.


A man has been found guilty of the "depraved" rape and murder of a mother in Aberdeen.

Bala Chinda, 26, denied killing 37-year-old Nkechi McGraa - an escort also known as Jessica - at a flat in Union Terrace in February last year.
Chinda sobbed as he was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 18 years, after a jury at the High Court in Aberdeen returned its verdict.
Police Scotland said it was a "horrific" case.
The murder verdict was unanimous, and the rape verdict decided by a majority.
Chinda, whose father works at the Nigerian embassy in Beijing,  killed Ms McGraa only a few weeks after arriving in Scotland to study at Robert Gordon University.
Her body was found partially clothed on 12 February 2016, in the bedroom of the flat she rented.
CCTV footage revealed that she had travelled to Chinda's student accommodation on King Street with him in a taxi the previous evening, before they returned to her apartment a short time later.
The taxi driver said he heard them discussing money before she was killed.
She made her last call on her mobile phone a few minutes before surveillance cameras recorded Chinda walking down the street away from her flat.
The court heard that Ms McGraa died of asphyxiation and was probably smothered with a pillow and possibly strangled with her scarf.
During the trial it emerged that Ms McGraa had a seven-year-old son who lived with her adopted mother in London.
Ms McGraa was originally from Nigeria and was orphaned as a child. She used to send money back to her two sisters and brothers who lived abroad.
Det Ch Insp Stuart Houston said: "At the heart of this horrific crime was a young mother, daughter and friend whose life was cut tragically short in what must have been terrifying circumstances.
"Throughout, Chinda has shown no real remorse for his depraved action and taken no responsibility for robbing a young boy of his mother."
He said the victim's involvement in prostitution had been reported throughout the case, and the policing of prostitution presented complex challenges.


Midfielder Harry Clifton has signed a one-year contract extension with League Two side Grimsby Town.

Clifton, 18, spent the 2016-17 season on loan with Grantham Town in the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier division.
He turned professional in July 2015 after coming through the academy, but is yet to play a game for the Mariners, who finished 14th this season.
However, Clifton has earned a new deal after impressing manager Russell Slade, who replaced Marcus Bignot in April.


Cinemagoers may think they already know what it takes to be a spy.

Generations of James Bond fans have cheered 007 as he shoots and sleeps his way through a world of sinister villains and exotic women.
The image is hi-tech, violent, romantic and more than a little cynical.
It's a world-beating brand, but one today's spymasters are doing their best to keep at arm's length.
And so, for the first time, MI6, officially known as the Secret Intelligence Service, is taking on the Bond image on 007's home turf - the silver screen.
On Monday, MI6 launches its first ever cinema advert, aimed at attracting different types of candidate.
A young woman of ethnically indeterminate background is shown demonstrating people skills and emotional intelligence in a range of everyday situations. This woman, we're told, does not work for MI6.
"But she could," the advert concludes.
Steely-eyed, white male killers, it seems, need not apply.
"There is a perception out there that we want [Bond actor] Daniel Craig, or Daniel Craig on steroids," the SIS' current head of recruitment told the Guardian.
"He would not get into MI6," says the recruitment chief, identified only as Sarah.
Recruiters have long worried about the pervasiveness of the image first portrayed in the pages of Ian Fleming's novels and then seared into public consciousness via the biggest movie franchise of all time.
The aim of the advert is to wean the public off this grotesquely misleading stereotype.
According to the accompanying press release, the advert aims "to attract people who rule themselves out of a career in MI6 based on their misconceptions about the agency."
It sounds like a long shot, but those behind it seem optimistic.
"The whole point," Sarah says, "is about getting people who would never, ever think of joining."
"People tend to deselect themselves," adds Mark, head of HR. "We want to prevent that. We want the service to be representative, but also to draw in the capabilities of the workforce at large."
It's part of a continuing drive to recruit from the widest, most diverse cross-section of society, with a particular focus on women and ethnic minorities, both still under represented in the service.
Another aspect of new effort sees a return of the old "tap on the shoulder" method employed for decades, mostly in the cloisters of Oxford and Cambridge universities.
But if the method will be the same, the locations will be different.
"Diverse organisations," is how Mark puts it, without elaborating.
Some say that the agency's elite image may be punctured by the revelation that a 2:2 degree will make you eligible. Mark says work experience in other sectors is sometimes just as important as a good degree.
Other recruiting tactics display a little playfully appropriate subterfuge to seek out those with interpersonal skills and the ability to influence people.
Unbranded fliers invite you to click on goodwithpeople.uk and take a series of tests. Only those who succeed in the online games find out that they have what it takes for a life in the intelligence services.
This correspondent scored well on the "emotion detector", but not so well on the "human polygraph". And when it came to the "mind changer," I failed a text message exercise designed to persuade a friend to attend a surprise party.
I have not been invited to join MI6.
The advert will run for a month, in cinemas in London, the West Midlands and north west England, partly reflecting the sort of urban areas recruiters look to but also the fact that MI6 can't afford a nationwide release.
And will it be shown in cinemas where Bond or similar spy capers are showing?
Emphatically not.


A fund to help young people with the costs of education is being considered as a lasting tribute to former Teesside MP Mo Mowlam, who died 10 years ago.

A mosaic celebrating the life of the former Northern Ireland secretary is in place in the Redcar constituency she represented for 14 years.
But the town's sitting MP, Anna Turley, said a more practical tribute would be a "fitting legacy".
Ms Mowlam died from the effects of a brain tumour in August 2005 aged 55.
An 800-tile mosaic illustrating the Coventry-born former MP's life and passions, was unveiled next to Redcar boating lake in October 2009.
But Labour MP Ms Turley said: "A lot of people have contacted me asking for more to be done to commemorate Mo's achievements.
"We have talked about the possibility of a blue plaque outside her house.
"We also discussed a statue, but she wasn't a big fan of statues because she put them in Room 101 when she was on the TV show.
"What I would like to do, and which I think would be in keeping with her and be lasting, is something to help particularly young people in the area.
"So we've thought about some kind of fund to help young people study."
Ms Mowlam was MP for Redcar from 1987 to 2001.
She was Northern Ireland secretary in Tony Blair's first term in government and oversaw the talks that led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Ms Turley said she would seek input from the public before any final decision was taken.


St Helens have signed back rower James Bentley from Championship side Bradford Bulls on a three-year deal.

The 19-year-old, who started as a junior with Oulton Raiders, has scored 15 tries in 23 appearances since making his debut for the Bulls last term.
"He'll fit well into the St Helens system," Bradford Bulls head of youth John Bastian told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"He's high energy, he certainly plays with a lot of enthusiasm. He's got a really good work ethic."


A nurse supporting inmates with addiction issues took drugs from the jail for personal use, it has emerged.

Catherine Gronkowski was dismissed from the 840-capacity HMP Peterborough in September 2013.
She had been taken on six months earlier as part of the prison's recovery team to help prisoners with alcohol and drug issues.
Miss Gronkowski, who admitted stealing diazepam, has been suspended by The Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Miss Gronkowski will be struck off if no appeal against the order is lodged within 28 days.
A conduct panel heard Miss Gronkowski, who did not attend the hearing because of "work commitments", had also been a user of mephedrone, ketamine and ecstasy.
In suspending her, the panel said: "This case involves persistent misuse of illicit drugs over a period of time and there is nothing before this panel to confirm that this is no longer the case.
"Miss Gronkowski put patients at unwarranted risk of harm and acted dishonestly, thereby negatively affecting the reputation of the profession."
Sodexo, which runs the prison, has not yet commented on the case.


Strict regulations will need to be introduced before large drones are allowed to appear in the UK's skies, pilots association Balpa has said.

It says the public must be protected against remotely-controlled drones sharing airspace with regular aircraft.
Current rules on small drones could not apply to commercial operators, such as those carrying cargo, Balpa's chief is to tell a House of Lords committee.
The government says "robust safety measures" will remain in place.
The call from Balpa follows a number of incidents involving drones which have raised safety concerns.
A recent report from the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-miss incidents in UK airspace, said on 30 May one drone may have been flown "deliberately close" to a passenger plane and could have caused a collision.
The drone came within 25m (82ft) of a plane coming in to land at Southend airport. The report assessed the risk of collision as "high", and that the drone had been flown close enough to the plane "to cause its pilot concern".
Drones, which are officially known as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), range in size from small craft operated by enthusiasts, TV companies, police forces and surveyors and weighing a few kilograms, to larger military devices.
Balpa says remote aircraft the same size as small passenger planes could be operated commercially in the UK within 10 years.
It says they must meet the same safety standards as piloted aircraft and tough security measures at ground level be in place to ensure they cannot be seized or their computer systems hacked.  A full public consultation should also be carried out before government rules on larger commercial drones are introduced.
Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: "The UK should become a 'safe drone zone' so we can make the most of the major business and leisure opportunities offered by remotely piloted aircraft, while protecting passengers, pilots and residents.
"Large unmanned aircraft, when they come, should be as safe as manned aircraft and the British public should be fully consulted before companies fly large, remotely-piloted aircraft over their homes alongside passenger planes."
Dozens of clips appear on the internet showing the aircraft, which can be bought for Â£300, over populated areas of the UK.
Current Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules prohibit the flying of large drones over or within 150m of built-up areas and require operators to have permission and demonstrate basic flying skills.
Smaller unmanned aircraft, weighing less than 20kg, only need permission from the CAA if they are being used for aerial work or if flown within a congested area or close to people or property.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Civilian RPAS are closely regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority and are treated in the same manner as equivalent manned aircraft.
"Robust safety measures are currently in place to ensure that large RPAS are segregated from other airspace users. We will not allow the integration of RPAS with other air traffic until RPAS can demonstrate that this can be done safely.
"The UK is at the forefront of efforts to develop Europe-wide regulations on unmanned aircraft to become a global leader in this field. We are currently looking at how we can further engage with the public on this issue."


Sophia Grace Brownlee's face is probably one you recognise.

18 January 2015 Last updated at 10:03 GMT
The 11-year-old found fame on American TV by appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with cousin, Rosie McClelland, three years ago.
They were plucked from Essex and flown to America after the chat show host fell in love with their version of a Nicki Minaj track.
The pair's YouTube video has been seen by 47 million people.
Sophia Grace and Rosie soon became very popular in the US - interviewing stars like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
They also went on to make a movie and tour Australia.
But now, Sophia Grace is going it alone and has just entered America's Billboard music chart for best-selling songs.
She's been telling BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat all about her new song Best Friends and revealed what she would like to do next.


The chairman of Egyptian giants Zamalek, Mortada Mansour, has rejected the resignation of coach Moamen Soliman and his technical staff.

Soliman quit after a 1-0 win over Al Masry in the Egyptian league on Friday.
Despite the victory Mansour had expressed his anger at his side's performance insisting the team did not deserve the three points.
Zamalek, who were runners-up in this year's African Champions League, have already had five coaches this season.
Soliman has been in charge of Zamalek since August and first of all guided the club to victory in the Egypt Cup.
He then offered to step down as they lost to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in last month's African Champions League final.
However Mansour also rejected that offer and had backed Soliman, saying he would stay in his role "until the end of the season".


The bucket of a JCB has carried a man's coffin in celebration of the belief he was the digger's first driver in Bristol.

Paul Nowicki, 90, who died earlier this month, first drove one of the vehicles in the late 1950s.
His son John said his father wanted a JCB to be used for the funeral and "did not want a huge religious ceremony".
He said his father was a "remarkable man" who was forced into the German army in World War Two or face death.
"At 17 years of age, when Germany invaded Poland, he was given the ultimatum to join the army or else his whole family would have gone to the death camps with the Jews," he said.
"If you were not a Jew but old enough to join the German army you had to do it.
"He was a hero. He saved the lives of 11 people - his mother, father, brothers and sisters."
Source: goodfuneralguide.co.uk
Mr Nowicki's coffin was driven from his home in the village of Pucklechurch near Bristol to Westerleigh Crematorium - a journey of about 1.5 miles (2.5 km).
Mr Nowicki arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker after the war, settling in Avonmouth, where he worked as a building labourer and started driving digging machinery for work.
"He was the first driver to operate a JCB - a JCB Dinkum - in Bristol, in about 1959," his son said.
"He was a very sought after driver. On one occasion the foundations of a property had to be dug right in the middle of a swamp.
"Everybody said it would be impossible, but my dad built a wooden bridge to sit the digger on and the job was done."


The founder of bus-maker Wrightbus has said the main reason he backed a Leave vote in the EU referendum was over immigration.

28 June 2016 Last updated at 22:14 BST
William Wright also said the fall in the pound would help his business. However, another business described the decision to leave the EU as a "kick in the back of the legs".
BBC News NI's business correspondent Julian O'Neill reports.


Fire crews have tackled a fire at the derelict Colwyn Bay pier in Conwy.

About 10 firefighters used cherry pickers to reach the flames which broke out on the Grade II-listed Victoria Pier at about 16:30 BST on Friday.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the incident was under control but crews had been unable to determine if the blaze was extinguished because the tide has restricted access.
A crew will stay overnight and an investigation will start on Saturday.
Part of the structure collapsed into the sea last month and then it was further hit by Storm Doris three weeks later.
The 116-year-old pier was already closed to the public for safety reasons.
Work to demolish the damaged parts of the pier, which has been closed since 2008, began earlier this month.
The remainder of the seaward section is to be redeveloped into a shortened boardwalk with plans to restore its 1930s Art Deco pavilion also being looked at.
Conwy council voted to demolish the structure in 2013 and a report at the time said restoring the pier would cost more than Â£15m.
But demolition was refused by the Welsh Government in 2015.


A charity is a step closer to building a new children's hospice in Wiltshire after an anonymous donor pledged £1m to the project.

The donation takes Dorset-based Julia's House's fundraising total to £3.1m of the £3.5m needed to open the hospice.
Chief executive Martin Edwards said it was "wonderful news for Wiltshire" and the pledge meant the hospice could open as early as autumn 2017.
In April, actor Robert Downey Jr helped raise nearly £1m for the project.
Other stars including film director Guy Ritchie, David Beckham and comedian Michael McIntyre have also helped raise money for Julia's House.
Mr Edwards said: "The £3.5m covers the cost of building or converting a property to create a hospice.
"The fundraising appeal doesn't close when the doors open."
The charity has not yet found a site for the new hospice but said it was looking in the Devizes area.
It already offers home-based community care in Dorset and South Wiltshire.
The hospice will allow it to extend its support county-wide to other families with life-limited children.
There is currently no equivalent service for children and families in Wiltshire.


US Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson has defended comments that suggested the Holocaust may have been avoided if people had been armed.

"The likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed," he told CNN on Thursday.
An anti-Semitism monitoring group says linking US gun control to the Holocaust is "historically inaccurate".
Mr Carson is polling second in the Republican race behind Donald Trump.
On Friday, Mr Carson reiterated his views about gun control.
"Basically, what I said is when tyranny occurs traditionally around the world, they try to disarm the people first," Mr Carson told the National Press Club in Washington.
The retired neurosurgeon drew condemnation last month for saying a Muslim should not run for president because Islam was inconsistent with the US constitution.
On Friday, he compared his view to the constitutional requirement that a president be a natural-born citizen.
America's founders, he said, didn't "even want to take the slightest chance to put someone in that position who had divided loyalties".
After a week of uttering one controversial remark after another, many of which made US headlines, Ben Carson gave a lunchtime address in the proverbial lion's den - the National Press Club in Washington.
Early in his speech, he acknowledged what everybody in the audience already knew.
"I'm not politically correct," he said. "And that's one of the reason why some of the people in the press don't like me. But it's OK. What I really love is this country. I don't really care if the press likes me or not."
As his speech concluded, Mr Carson left little doubt about what he thought of criticism in the media of comments he said were taken out of context, noting that the American people "were on to" a biased press corps.
"We're doing well," said the man who is second only to Donald Trump in national polls. "And the more they attack me, the better I do."
During the CNN interview, Mr Carson was asked about part of his new book, A More Perfect Union, where he wrote "through a combination of removing guns and disseminating propaganda, the Nazis were able to carry out their evil intentions with relatively little resistance".
He was then asked by CNN presenter Wolf Blitzer: "Just clarify, if there had been no gun control laws in Europe at that time, would six million Jews have been slaughtered?"
Mr Carson said he doubted Hitler would have been able to achieve his goals if Germans had been armed at that time.
"I'm telling you that there is a reason that these dictatorial people take the guns first," he added.
The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-Semitism monitoring group, has previously said that drawing comparisons between the gun control debate in the US and the Holocaust was "historically inaccurate and offensive", especially to Holocaust survivors and their families.
In 1943, armed Jews in the Warsaw ghetto fought the Nazis. Jews killed about 20 Nazis, but about 13,000 Jews died in the uprising.
Ben Carson's comments come days after a mass shooting at a college in the US state of Oregon, in which nine people were killed.
Speaking after the attack, Mr Carson said: "I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, hey, guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can't get us all."
Survivors and relatives of gun attacks in the US have described his comments as insensitive.


Care services for elderly and disabled people in England are "at breaking point" and planned council tax rises are not enough to cover the growing costs, local authorities are warning.

Nine out of 10 councils say they expect to increase bills by 2% from April to boost social care funding.
But the Local Government Association says rising demand and the new National Living Wage will absorb most of the cash.
Ministers insist supporting those most in need is an absolute priority.
The findings come as a ComRes survey for BBC 5 live suggests three quarters of people in England and Wales do not want local authorities to cut social care spending and are happy to pay more in council tax to enable payment of the National Living Wage, which represents an increase of 50p per hour over the existing National Minimum Wage.
Social care covers a wide range of services, from help in the home to eat, get dressed or move around, to day centres and residential care.
Demand is growing enormously - official figures show the number of people aged over 85 increased by 30% between 2005 and 2014.
The LGA says there will be a shortfall of more than £2.9bn in care services by 2020, and despite the power - granted by the chancellor - to raise more money from council tax, cuts in other areas will mean extra money must still be found.
"The quality and quantity of services on offer could drop," LGA vice-chair Councillor Nick Forbes said.
"Councils will continue to do all they can to maintain the services that older and vulnerable people rely on, but services supporting the elderly and disabled are at breaking point. It cannot be left to council taxpayers alone to try and fix them.
"Vital social care services will increasingly be unable to help ease the growing pressure on the NHS and the threat of a care home crisis is still very real."
The warning was echoed by Labour, who said government plans to fund social care were "completely inadequate".
"The significant shortfall in social care funding is going to leave many local authorities unable to raise enough money from a 2% council tax increase to cover rising costs, particularly in more deprived areas," the party's spokeswoman Barbara Keeley said.
The LGA recently found that 90% of councils in England are considering, or have approved, plans to raise council tax next year - costing taxpayers on average £24 a year for a Band D property.
The move will raise about £372m a year, but the LGA says increases to the minimum wage - which will be replaced by the National Living Wage in April - will wipe out nearly 90% of that.
Ryan Godwin, the owner and manager of Holme Manor, an independent care home in Rossendale, Lancashire, told BBC 5 live the new money would not be enough to address "chronic under-investment over the last few years".
A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said that by 2020, councils would be receiving £3.5bn a year through the council tax rise and money available from a joint fund with the NHS.
"Supporting those most in need is an absolute priority and we have provided a £3.5bn social care package - compared to the £2.9bn councils said they needed," he said.
BBC Radio 5 live asked more than 900 adults in England and Wales to prioritise the three services they thought should be spared from funding cuts.
The highest support was for services which support vulnerable people - 74% of those asked said they wanted to protect services for the elderly, and 65% wanted to protect children's services.
There was also support for housing (29%), community safety (23%) and roads and planning (21%).
The same survey also found 71% of adults thought local authorities should increase council tax to help care home workers get the living wage.
5 live Daily with Adrian Chiles will be broadcast live from Holme Manor care home on Tuesday 23 February from 10:00 GMT to explore the issues around paying for social care.  You can listen to 5 live at bbc.co.uk/5live.


Five Irish people have died in Western Australia this week, according to a charity that helps to bring home the bodies of people who die abroad.

The news comes as tributes have been paid to two Northern Ireland men killed on a building site in Perth.
Joseph McDermott of Omagh, County Tyrone, and Gerard Bradley from near Macosquin, County Londonderry, were working on an apartment block.
Reports suggest a concrete slab fell from a crane.
Friends and family of the two men have been describing their shock, following the accident on Wednesday.
Mr Bradley's brother, Gregory, said: "What happened in Australia this week has come as a tremendous shock to our family and friends and to those of the McDermott family, whose grief we share.
"It is impossible to describe the hurt and loss we are all feeling now.
"Gerard was one of the happiest people you could ever meet.
"He was a wonderful son, grandson, brother and friend and whilst his death will leave a great void in all our lives, he will leave us with some wonderful memories.
Mr McDermott worked for 10 years at the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh, and his former manager, Carla Hosie, said he was "a massive part of our working lives here".
"He was such a vivacious character - he was a cheeky charmer who got away with everything because he was so charming.
"He practically grew up here with the guys, and it's just simply devastating."
Matthew Sweeney, who worked with Mr McDermott for two years, said: "Joe was always kind of the head barman even before he got the title, and as soon as a shift started he'd come in and make everyone smile straight away and feel at home.
"He was here 10 years and finally built up the money and courage to go off to Australia, and from what we heard, he was having a ball - it just breaks your heart."
The owner of a bar in Perth where Mr Bradley had worked has spoken of his shock at the accident.
"He was a good mate and a good employee," said Paul North.
"He was a great representative, not just of Ireland, but of Northern Ireland - we're all devastated."
Floral tributes have been left at the building site where the two men worked, and David Dobbs, the chief executive of Jaxon Construction, has visited it.
Colin Bell, who helped to set up the The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust after his son, Kevin, died in New York, said it was a difficult time.
"I'm sure the families are devastated, and it's just the feeling of helplessness and distance," he said.
"I'm sure they feel like they should be able to do something but they have to wait and see what people on that side can do."
The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust was set up just over two years ago by the Bell family from Newry, County Down, after the 26-year-old was killed in a suspected hit-and-run in New York in June 2013.
On Saturday, Alan Haughey, 28, from Craigavon was killed in a car crash at Kilgoorlie in Western Australia, and Mr Bell said five people from the island of Ireland had died in the area in the space of a week.
"There was a young lad who fell off a ladder, that young man who was killed in a car crash and a young girl who contracted a virus and all of her organs shut down," he said.
Repatriating bodies can cost several thousand pounds and it can be a lengthy and distressing process, but Mr Bell said he understood that the construction firm that Mr McDermott and Mr Bradley worked for had offered to pay to bring them home.
Liz O'Hagan of the Claddagh Association, a group that supports Irish people during times of crisis and trauma in Western Australia, said the deaths have brought "a sense of devastation" to the ex-pat community in Perth.
"I've never witnessed this level of grief and devastation before," she said.
"It's estimated that over 75% of Irish people here are connected to the construction industry in some way, and so people have come out from across Western Australia, offering to help in any way, because they want to look after their fellow Irish.
"By the sheer nature of the tragedy this week and the fact that it was a workplace accident, it has attracted huge attention locally.
"But there's this comforting support and warmth in the midst of the devastation, because people are so affected and they want to join forces and say prayers in some instances."
The Claddagh Association has been offering support to the families of Mr McDermott and Mr Bradley.
Liz explained that most of the people the charity deals with are young, without a solid support system, which compounds their grief.
"For some, this might be the first real experience of this kind of bereavement. So we keep an eye on them and encourage them to look out for each other."
Meanwhile, there are plans for a church service in Perth next week, followed by a wake and a fundraiser for the two men who died at the building site.
Fr Brendan Mulhall, parish priest of St Malachy's in Coleraine, said he had spoken to relatives of Mr Bradley.
"It goes without saying that they're devastated, but they are aware and thankful for the support of so many people who have been expressing their sympathy and condolence," he said.
"I've heard so many things about him today and all of them positive.
"He was a very popular, kind, caring, generous young man with a great future ahead of him, and it's just so sad that this has been snuffed out by this awful tragedy."


Transport Scotland has published a list of the busiest trains in the country.

The data compiled over a six-month period shows the busiest services and worst-affected points along each route.
Top of the list is the 17:21 service from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central via Shotts, which was found to run at a maximum of 146% of planned capacity between Haymarket and Livingston South.
Transport Scotland said the data would help ScotRail "improve passenger experiences".
Last November, a major improvement plan was published in response to widespread criticism of ScotRail's reliability since its Dutch owners Abellio took over the contract in April 2015.
Statistics published since then have shown that ScotRail's performance has improved for five consecutive months.
The rail company said 160 extra carriages had been introduced on routes across the country, with another 180 to follow in the next 24 months.
How busy is Scotland's busiest train ? Lewis Macdonald finds out
I took the 17.21 train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Central via Shotts.
Far from being standing room only there were still a number of empty seats once we pulled out of Haymarket.
And once we'd reached Livingston South there was plenty of space.
I spoke to some of my fellow passengers. One said she took this train at the same time every day and that people were sometimes standing in the gangways - but not always.
Another said the stretch between Haymarket and Livingston was often busy, but nothing remarkable.
It seems Scotland's busiest route might not be worthy of the title.
Transport Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "The Scottish government is delivering the most ambitious programme of rail investment ever seen in Scotland, committing over Â£5bn across the current funding period.
"We wholly appreciate busy trains can be uncomfortable and can assure passengers we are focused on delivering the value-for-money service they both want and deserve.
"We will achieve this in the near future, meanwhile, this busiest trains information will help make informed journey planning choices simpler in the here and now."
Scottish Labour said the report revealed "the alarming scale of overcrowding on trains across Scotland".
The party's transport spokesman Neil Bibby said: "The fact that a train with room for 185 passengers, including those standing, can have 270 people on board is simply staggering.
"Passengers are fed-up with overcrowded, delayed and expensive trains.
"When the SNP awarded the contract to run our railways to Abellio, SNP ministers said it was a 'world-leading' deal. It is clearly nothing of the sort."
1. Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Shotts, 17:21. Planned loading passengers - 185. Maximum capacity recorded - 270 (146%)
2. Glasgow Central-East Kilbride, 17:01 during the summer. Planned loading passengers - 185. Maximum capacity recorded - 249 (135%)
3. Neilston-Glasgow Central, 08:07. Planned loading passengers - 282. Maximum capacity recorded - 375 (133%)
4. Neilston-Glasgow Central, 08:24. Planned loading passengers - 282. Maximum capacity recorded - 367 (130%)
5. Edinburgh-Glenrothes w/Thornton, via Dunfermline, 17:53. Planned loading passengers - 282. Maximum capacity recorded - 337 (120%)
6. Balloch-Airdrie, 07:07. Planned loading passengers - 282. Maximum capacity recorded - 333 (119%)
7. Edinburgh-Dunblane, 16:03. Planned loading passengers - 273. Maximum capacity recorded - 323 (118%)
8. Glasgow Central-East Kilbride, 18:47. Planned loading passengers - 185. Maximum capacity recorded - 212 (115%)
9. East Kilbride-Glasgow Central, 07:59. Planned loading passengers - 555. Maximum capacity recorded - 624 (115%)
10. Dalmuir-Larkhall, 08:18. Planned loading passengers- 281. Maximum capacity recorded - 305 (109%)


Mortgage experts are predicting a "gentle recovery" in activity in the UK housing market as new figures show lending rose slightly.

Gross mortgage lending rose by 2% in May compared with April to Â£16.2bn, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
This, and economic indicators, signalled a "limited" increase in activity in the coming months, it said.
However, it pointed out that lending was 3% lower than in May last year.
Mortgage rates are currently at very low levels as lenders aim to entice buyers to enter the market.
But brokers say there remains a shortage of properties being put on the market.
"The gap between what people earn and what they can afford to buy continues to be an issue. There is little incentive to sell when there is a lack of choice as to what to buy," said Jonathan Harris, director of mortgage broker Anderson Harris.


Steel workers have called on Scottish ministers to help secure the industry's future by backing a "short-time working programme" if plant closures go ahead.

An announcement from steel firm Tata is expected on Tuesday on the future of its plants in Motherwell, Cambuslang and Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire.
It is believed about 1,200 jobs will be affected, including 400 in Scotland.
The Scottish government said it continued to "explore all options" to find a viable future for Tata's sites.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told her party conference in Aberdeen on Saturday that "if our worst fears are realised", she would immediately establish a task force to work with the company, the trade unions and local authorities.
Tata employs about 70 people at its Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang, with the remainder of its Scottish workforce based at its Dalzell plate rolling works in Motherwell.
Trade union Community, which represents steel workers, said it wanted any task force to support a programme which would keep the plants open while a long-term solution was sought.
Assistant general secretary John Park said: "We are in the middle of the worst slump in steel prices in living memory and it is essential we maintain our capacity to produce steel in Scotland.
"We welcome Nicola Sturgeon's announcement of a steel task force, but it cannot simply be an exercise in managing decline.
"If the Scottish steel industry is to have a future, then Nicola Sturgeon must ensure the strategic assets at Dalzell and Clydebridge are maintained."
Mr Park also called for a "proper industrial strategy" for the sector to be developed.
He added: "For steel to have that future we must secure the skills of the men and women who work in the industry.
"That is why we are calling on the Scottish government to support short-time working programme, should that be necessary over the coming weeks."
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "Since last year, when Tata Steel first announced the potential sale of its long products division, the Scottish government and its agencies have been in constant contact with both Tata Steel and with the trades unions.
"We continue to be in contact to explore all possible options to find a viable future for the company's sites in Scotland."
Labour MSP John Pentland said: "When Grangemouth, Fergusons and Prestwick Airport were at risk, the Scottish government stepped in to provide support and to secure jobs.
"They need to do the same now - anything less will not be acceptable.
"This is an iconic industry for our nation and the men and women who work at Clydesdale and Dalzell deserve all possible support."


A cancer surgeon accused of carrying out unnecessary mastectomies rushed a woman into an operation instead of exploring whether antibiotics could treat her, a court heard.

Breast surgeon Ian Paterson denies 20 counts of wounding with intent against nine women and one man.
He assumed Rachel Butler had already been offered them by her GP and said she had "no alternative" to surgery.
She "seemed of a mind to get on with it", he told Nottingham Crown Court.
The court heard the 59-year-old said Mrs Butler was suffering "chronic inflammation" in her left nipple, near an area where he had carried out an operation on her six years earlier.
More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country
He was asked by prosecutor Julian Christopher QC why there was no mention of antibiotics in a letter he had written to Ms Butler's GP.
"Well, antibiotics are a natural GP's reaction to any infection," Mr Paterson said.
"Perhaps I assumed the GP had explored conservative measures before referring the patient for consideration of a surgical procedure."
He said he had offered Mrs Butler a "wait-and-see" approach, suggesting she stopped smoking.
But when asked by Mr Christopher if the operation was "rushed into" six days after he saw her, Mr Paterson said he had been honest with her and she seemed like she wanted to get on with it.
He denied scaring her into stopping smoking "the moment" she left his office.
Continuing to give evidence on other alleged cases, Mr Paterson said he was not calling his patients liars but suggested his contemporaneous notes were more reliable.
"I just think they remember what they remember now, 10 years after the fact," he said.
He also denied "deliberately exaggerating" the condition of landlady Carole Johnson to her insurance company to ensure it would pay for her operation.
Regarding another patient, Judith Conduit, Mr Paterson said it had been "her idea" to have a mastectomy and she was pleased with the outcome of her breast reconstruction.
Ms Conduit, who claims the surgeon told her she might have a rare condition causing benign lumps, required 94 follow-up appointments after complications from the second operation in 2001.
Mr Paterson, Ashley, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, worked at hospitals run by the Heart of England NHS Trust and Spire Healthcare. The charges relate to procedures he carried out between 1997 and 2011.
The trial continues.


A child rapist jailed for grooming young girls for sex has had his "unduly lenient" sentence increased.

Michael David McCauley, 41, of Cwmbran, denied abusing children as young as six but was convicted of a string of offences and jailed for 15 years at Cardiff Crown Court in January.
The case was sent to the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, where the term was upped to 20 years.
Lord Justice Treacy described it as a "serious catalogue of offending".
"The result of the offending, certainly in the first girl's case, amounts to serious psychological harm," he said.
"What took place was planned and involved grooming."
McCauley was found guilty of six rapes and seven sexual assaults.
He also admitted having child abuse images, which police found stored on his computer, visiting sites and discussing paedophilia online, the court heard.
Lord Justice Treacy added: "We are satisfied that the overall sentence passed was unduly lenient."