Next year's planned rise in fuel duty has been cancelled by Chancellor Philip Hammond - the seventh successive year that the tax has been frozen.

Fuel duty has been held at 57.95p per litre since the March 2011 Budget.
In his Autumn Statement, Mr Hammond also revealed plans for investment in transport, including £1.1bn for English local networks.
And he pledged £390m for work on low emission vehicles and the development of connected autonomous vehicles.
Fuel duty remains the biggest component of the price of diesel and petrol. Motorists also pay 20% value added tax on those fuels.
It was last increased in January 2011 from 58.19p to 58.95p a litre and cut by a penny in the Budget two months later.
Mr Hammond said: "This will save the average car driver £130 a year and the average van driver £350 a year.
"It is a tax cut worth £850m next year and means the current freeze is the longest for 40 years."
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Drivers could also find their journey times cut after the chancellor announced investment of £220m to "address traffic pinch points on strategic roads".
He also promised £110m for an Oxford to Cambridge Expressway as well as East West Rail to create "a transformational tech-corridor" to link "the world-class research strengths of our two best-known universities".
In addition, the government will invest £450m to trial digital signalling on the railways to "achieve a step change in reliability and to squeeze more capacity out of our existing rail infrastructure".
Mr Hammond added: "Reliable transport networks are essential to growth and productivity so this Autumn Statement commits significant additional funding to keep Britain moving now and to invest in the transport networks and vehicles of the future."
He said the money for low emission vehicles would "build on our competitive advantage" in the field.
The chancellor added that the Department for Transport would continue to work with Transport for the North to develop detailed options for the Northern Powerhouse rail system.


The National Theatre has embarked on a major project to tell the story of modern Britain following the vote to leave the European Union.

The theatre is conducting interviews about life in the UK with people in more than a dozen towns and cities.
That "massive verbatim archive" will then form the basis of future shows.
"We will attach a load of writers and theatre-makers to that and they will draw from that what they will," artistic director Rufus Norris said.
The National has already sent interviewers to Londonderry, Merthyr Tydfil, Leicester and Glasgow, and will canvas members of the public in 10-20 further locations from October.
"We've got to try to do what little we can to address the complete vote of no confidence in our system that that was," Norris said.
"I don't believe 17.5 million people are racists or idiots. I categorically don't. I think we've got to listen."
Norris said the project - dubbed Missing Conversations - was on the scale of We're Here Because We're Here, the National's highly acclaimed memorial that saw "ghost soldiers" appear on the streets to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme in July.
The director, who voted to remain in the European Union, took over the National last April.
He is known for shows including London Road, a musical play about murders in Ipswich that used the words of real people performed by actors.
The London-based theatre will make "an immediate artistic response" to the referendum, he pledged.
"I think there's something very, very true in that vote. I'm not sure it's exclusively about membership of the European Union. But it doesn't matter what I think.
"In the first instance it's about getting out and finding out what people all over the country are thinking."
He said the venture, called Missing Conversations, was a "huge listening project".
Norris added: "This is, in a sense, a follow-on from We're Here Because We're Here - a very different kind of community project - just to gather a massive verbatim archive of what people think about where they live, where they think the power lies, what they think of British values, what their values are. Just to listen."
Norris was speaking at The Lowry arts centre in Salford, where he announced that War Horse will visit Edinburgh, Salford and Milton Keynes in 2018 as part of a UK tour.
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A skilled hacker has shown how to hijack a smartphone via a short-range radio technology known as Near Field Communication (NFC).

Charlie Miller created tools that forced phones to visit websites seeded with attack software.
The software on the booby-trapped websites helped Mr Miller look at and steal data held on a handset.
NFC is becoming increasingly common in smartphones as the gadgets are used as electronic tickets and digital wallets.
Mr Miller, a research consultant at security firm Accuvant, demonstrated the work at the Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas.
During his presentation, Mr Miller showed how to attack three separate phones: the Samsung Nexus S, the Google Galaxy Nexus - which both run Android - and the Nokia N9, which runs on the MeeGo system.
To attack the phones Mr Miller wrote software to control a reader tag that works in conjunction with NFC. As its name implies, NFC works when devices are brought close together or are placed near a reader chip.
In one demo Mr Miller piped commands through his custom-built chip that abused a feature of the smartphones known as Android beam. This allows phone owners to send links and information over short distances to other handsets.
He discovered that the default setting in Android Beam forces a handset to visit any weblink or open any file sent to it. Via this route he forced handsets to visit websites that ran code written to exploit known vulnerabilities in Android.
"The fact that, without you doing anything, all of a sudden your browser is going to my website, is not ideal,"
          Mr Miller told tech news website Ars Technica
.
In one demonstration using this attack Mr Miller was able to view files on a target handset.
On the Nokia phone, Mr Miller demonstrated how to abuse NFC and take complete control of a target handset, making it send texts or make calls, via the weaknesses exploited by his customised radio tag.
Mr Miller said that to successfully attack the Android phones they must be running a particular version of the operating system, be unlocked and have their screen active.
Nokia said it was aware of Mr Miller's research and said it was "actively investigating" his claims of success against its N9 phone. It said it was not aware of anyone else abusing loopholes via NFC.
Google has yet to comment on the research.


A stoppage-time own goal from Josh Law ended Oldham's stubborn resistance as Fleetwood Town left it late to claim a narrow win.

It took nearly half an hour for either keeper to be tested, a mistake from Fleetwood gifting the Latics their first opportunity.
Conor McLaughlin and Ash Hunter collided allowing Darius Osei space to break down the right, with Billy McKay firing into the arms of Alex Cairns from a tight angle.
Ryan Flynn then blazed just wide for the visitors who were barely troubled by the hosts before the break.
Fleetwood's first sight of goal came eight minutes into the second half, Hunter surging into space on the right of the box, his blast parried by Connor Ripley.
The introduction of Devante Cole lifted the home side's spirits, the former Manchester City man almost setting up an opener as he slipped past his man on the Fleetwood right but David Ball was unable to make contact as he raced to finish the move.
Cole's pace caused problems for the Latics and he could easily have put Fleetwood ahead on the hour, the striker showing a lack of composure in the final six yards as he sent the ball flying over the angle.
At the other end, a last-ditch Cian Bolger challenge denied Osei another chance to test Cairns.
A sloppy clearance from Nathan Pond then handed Lee Croft a chance to shoot from inside the box but his effort smashed into the side netting.
Chris Long might have settled it late on, cutting in from the left and forcing the save of the game from Ripley, the Latics keeper tipping over the bar.
But it was Cole who finally broke the visitors a minute into stoppage time, skipping in from the left, his cross from inside the six-yard box turned over the line by Law to leave the visitors stranded at the bottom of the table.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Fleetwood Town 1, Oldham Athletic 0.
Second Half ends, Fleetwood Town 1, Oldham Athletic 0.
Attempt saved. David Ball (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Chris Long (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josh Law (Oldham Athletic).
Own Goal by Josh Law, Oldham Athletic.  Fleetwood Town 1, Oldham Athletic 0.
Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Brian Wilson (Oldham Athletic).
Corner,  Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Connor Ripley.
Attempt saved. Chris Long (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Billy McKay (Oldham Athletic).
Attempt missed. Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town).
Freddie Ladapo (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Oliver Banks replaces Ryan Flynn.
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Chris Long replaces Ashley Hunter.
Attempt missed. Lee Croft (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Freddie Ladapo replaces Darius Osei.
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Victor Nirennold replaces Jack Sowerby.
David Ball (Fleetwood Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by David Ball (Fleetwood Town).
Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town).
Darius Osei (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josh Law (Oldham Athletic).
Attempt missed. Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Lee Croft (Oldham Athletic).
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Lee Croft replaces Paul Green.
Attempt missed. Devante Cole (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt missed. Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Devante Cole (Fleetwood Town).
Brian Wilson (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town).
Josh Law (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Peter Clarke.
Cameron Burgess (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.


In the US every summer, millions of children are sent away to camp.

Friends are made, games are played, and nights are spent sleeping in dormitory bunk beds. It is very much a rite of passage.
By why should children have all the fun?
That was the thinking behind Camp No Counselors (CNC), one of a small but growing number of companies that organise adults-only summer camps.
The idea is that grown-ups can release their inner child and participate in many of the same adventure activities that kids do at camp.
But with two significant improvements - freely available alcohol and late-night partying. Although you do still have to sleep in a dormitory.
CNC was founded by Adam Tichauer, a 33-year-old Canadian, and former boss of a New York-based technology start-up.
He first came up with the idea for adult summer camps when trying to organise a reunion weekend with old friends back in the spring of 2013.
"I was working lots of nights, and needed a fun weekend with my best friends," he says.
"I always loved organising events, and I'd gone to summer camp growing up, and I thought - wouldn't it be a tonne of fun to rent out a camp for a weekend with friends?"
Adam's mates all loved the idea of taking a trip down memory lane, and so he booked a summer camp venue in upstate New York for three nights.
Encouraging his friends to invite others as well, about 90 people attended that first weekend, where activities included water-skiing and dancing to DJs.
Adam says it was so successful that six months later he arranged a winter camp, with the number of attendees rising to 120.
It was after that second camp that Adam decided that he could turn his idea into a full-time business, buoyed by the encouragement of his friends, who said he was a natural party organiser.
"It was the aha moment," he says. "All my friends thought it was so directly in line with who I am, and what I love to do."
So Adam quit his job in May 2014 and formally launched CNC. The company's name is in reference to the fact that unlike kids' summer camps, there are no camp officials spoiling the fun.
"I only had a little bit of savings, but I thought I could start with one camp and then two," he says. "Once word got out it moved quickly."
Adam says he had to work hard initially to "explain and justify" the concept to the sometimes perplexed owners of the summer camp venues.
What brought them on board was the fact that CNC allows the venues to extend their opening seasons, as it typically hires them out before and after the school holidays.
"This is incremental income to the camps as they are typically closed during the spring and fall seasons when we rent them out," says Adam.
The Los Angeles-based company quickly grew thanks to word of mouth, and this year will be running 30 camps across 10 locations, including Maine, Tennessee and California in the US, and Ontario in Canada.
Typical activities include kayaking, rock climbing, softball and tug-of-war, while cocktails such as Bloody Marys and Mimosas (similar to a Buck's Fizz) can be sipped with breakfast.
Each weekend lasts for three nights, and numbers are limited to 200 people. The average age of attendees is 30.
All dormitories are unisex, so if you are a women, there could be a man you have never met before in the bed above you, and vice versa. This is not said to put people off.
The cost is typically $575 per person (Â£430) but the events are all-inclusive so you don't have to pay any more for your food or drink. To run the camps CNC employs eight full-time and 15 part-time members of staff.
So why is CNC proving to be so popular? Adam pinpoints several reasons.
"There's the nostalgia of it all. Wouldn't it be cool to go back to camp with friends, and be able to drink and stay up all night?
"The other idea is that a lot of people didn't go to camp [as children], so there is the curiosity about it and now they get to go."
Adam adds that none of the camps have wi-fi, so people are having "to put the phone down, forget about work, and just have fun and meet new people".
Daphne Kasriel-Alexander, a consumer trends consultant at research group Euromonitor, agrees with Adam's arguments for the growth of CNC and other companies in its field.
She says: "More adults are opting for active summer camps as a way for them to enjoy the perceived carefree times of childhood.
"However, the real drivers of this interest in, and success of, adult summer camps are over-connectivity, work-life balance stresses, and sedentary lifestyles."
CNC has, however, come in for criticism over the fact that its camps aren't open to all. Instead anyone wishing to attend has to register, which includes filling out a questionnaire about themselves, and giving the details of your social media accounts.
The company then "specially selects" or "curates" the 200 people that can attend each camp.
One critic dubbed this "slightly creepy social engineering", but CNC defends its approach.
Dave Kushner, CNC's director of community engagement, says: "Because of limited space we make sure the 200 people who are coming to camp are the people that want to be there the most.
"We want to make sure that this camp community will respect each other's space, and doesn't demonstrate any hateful or unsafe attitudes.
"We're very proud of the fact that we've never had anyone get into a fight at camp, even with people partying with an open bar available."
Looking ahead, Adam is planning further expansion across the US and Canada, as well as looking overseas.
He says: "I love making people happy, and enabling adults to forget about the stresses of adult life, while making new life-long friendships."


World Cup-winning former England captain Martin Johnson believes Eddie Jones' side is building a level of experience that could see it emulate his all-conquering team of 2003.

England play Australia on Saturday and a win will equal the record 14-match winning streak set by Johnson's men.
"We had a very experienced team at that point," Johnson, 46, told BBC Sport.
"You've got a group now who have been around for a couple of World Cups, and have got a lot of caps."
As England team manager from 2008 to 2011, Johnson was responsible for giving the likes of captain Dylan Hartley and scrum-half Ben Youngs their Test debuts.
Both are now integral parts of the set-up, with Hartley leading the side throughout 2016 and Youngs a consistent presence at scrum-half.
"Players like Ben Youngs and captain Dylan Hartley have 50 caps-plus, so they are getting into the part of their careers when they are at their peak," added Johnson, who was recently inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
"We still need more players to come through and really hit that world-class level, and when you have a squad of 20-plus guys like that, you have a chance to really do something."
A year ago, England were knocked out of their home World Cup at the group stage, but recovered to win the Grand Slam the following spring.
And Johnson, who won 84 England caps, feels the players have used their setbacks as motivation.
"They have had some disappointments like we all do, and you either fall away or use them to motivate yourself," he added.
"I hope they are enjoying what they are doing. When you are winning it does create that momentum of good fun, and everyone wants to be in the group."
Twice a captain of the British and Irish Lions, Johnson hopes England's success will have a big impact on next year's tour to New Zealand.
"It's a Lions year and it would be great to see a whole chunk of Englishmen go on that tour," he said.


A powerful new telecommunications satellite for the UK military has blasted into orbit.

The five-tonne Skynet-5D platform was sent up on an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.
It complements three others already in operation, enabling British forces to stay connected over most of the globe.
The Skynet system, which includes the radio equipment deployed on ships, on vehicles and in the hands of troops, is the UK's single biggest space project.
It is valued at up to Â£3.6bn over 20 years and is run by a commercial company, Astrium, in a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
UK forces pay an annual service charge for which they get guaranteed bandwidth, with spare capacity then sold to "friendly forces".  These third party customers include the Nato allies such as the US.
The Ariane left the ground at precisely 18:49 local time (21:49 GMT) and dropped off Skynet-5D 27 minutes later over the east coast of Africa. 5D will now use its own propulsion system to move into a geostationary position at an altitude of 36,000km. The eventual operating position early next year will be at 53 degrees East.
The first three spacecraft in the Skynet series were launched in 2007-2008.  They all match the sophistication of the very latest civilian platforms used to pass TV, phone and internet traffic, but have been "hardened" for military use.
Classified technologies on board will resist, for example, attempts to disable the spacecraft with lasers or to "jam" their operation with rogue signals.
Putting a fourth spacecraft in the fleet gives some assurance to the MoD that a basic service can be maintained through this decade even if there is a failure in orbit of one or two satellites.
5D is largely a clone of 5A, 5B and 5C, and even includes a number of spare parts held in reserve.
"From a distance you would not be able to tell the difference between them all," said Van Odedra, the Skynet programme manager at Astrium, Europe's biggest space company.
"It is inside though that there have been some subtle changes in terms of the configuration - particularly the UHF payload.  We were able to introduce some design changes to be able to provide more than double the number of channels compared with 5A, 5B and 5C."
UHF (Ultra High Frequency) is much in demand. The frequency supports "comms on the move" - soldiers in forward deployments with backpack radios, and the like.
The MoD wants more of it and Astrium is keen to be able to sell additional capacity to its third-party customers.
A lot of key encrypted data will go through the satellite's X-band (SHF, Super High Frequency) payload.
Astrium intends to purchase further X-band capacity on a Canadian satellite launching next year.  This will be positioned over the Americas and when combined with Skynet's own X-band offering will give UK forces coverage from 178 West to 135 East - near global coverage.
Although principally a military system, Skynet is finding use also in civilian sectors.
"Using Skynet, we also support something called the High Integrity Telecommunication System (HITS) for the UK Cabinet Office," explained Simon Kershaw, executive director of government communications at Astrium Services.
"HITS is a civil-response, national-disaster-response capability. It was deployed during the Olympics. It provides emergency comms support. The network runs from police strategic command centres across the UK into the crisis management centres, and into government as well," he told BBC News.
"And we still fly three of the old Skynet-4 satellites, one of which is now 22 years old - not bad for a design life of eight years.
"Skynet-4C is now in such an inclined orbit that we offer several hours of coverage over the South Pole each day. It's a niche and unique capability for what is a geostationary satellite."  The British and American Antarctic operations make use of this service.
5D represents probably the completion of the current generation Skynet system. Already, Astrium is in discussion with the MoD about the shape of a possible follow-on.
It is not clear just yet what the military's requirements will be in the 2020s but it is almost certain to include some satellite capability.
Whatever happens, those spacecraft still working at the end of the Astrium contract will pass to the ownership of the MoD for the sum of Â£1.
Ariane's second "passenger" for Wednesday's flight was the three-tonne Mexican telecommunications platform Mexsat Bicentenario.  It was released by the rocket's upper-stage 36 minutes after launch.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


First held in 1973, the Women's World Cup predates the men's event by two years - and returns to England for its 11th staging.

Australia, chasing an unprecedented seventh World Cup triumph, are favourites to retain the title they won in 2013, but England fans can take heart from the fact they have won on both previous occasions when it has been held on home soil.
While the prize fund for 2017 has increased tenfold to $2m (£1.57m), just as important for the women's game will be an unprecedented increase in media coverage, with every game available to watch live - 10 televised (featuring the Decision Review System making its debut in women's cricket) and the remaining 21 live-streamed on the ICC website.
The BBC Sport website will have in-play highlights on the 10 televised games, with post-match highlights of all the others.
Former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who died in January, was the driving force behind the first tournament in 1973, which came about after she successfully badgered her friend and fellow Wolverhampton Wanderers devotee Sir Jack Hayward to sponsor the event to the tune of £40,000.
Heyhoe Flint captained England to the title in that first event, which featured a Young England side and an International XI making up the numbers.
West Indies did not appear as a unified team until the 1993 tournament, while the International Cricket Council (ICC) did not oversee matters until 2009, having absorbed the International Women's Cricket Council in 2005.
Eight teams have contested each World Cup since 2000, and this year's event reverts to the one-division round-robin format (followed by semi-finals) last used in 2005.
Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent, now a BBC Test Match Special summariser, feels Australia are rightly regarded as pre-tournament favourites.
"Even though it's not their home conditions, they just pip England with their experience of winning tournaments," she told BBC Sport. "Captain Meg Lanning and a lot of her team have had that taste of success, and have been consistent.
"But England are very strong contenders. Coach Mark Robinson has done a brilliant job in getting a lot of the girls to tap into their potential.
"If you look at players like Tammy Beaumont, Natalie Sciver and Alex Hartley, some of them have been around a while but weren't necessarily firing in the way you'd expect them to. But they're now starting to come through and make the most of it.
"Sarah Taylor coming back is a massive plus but, while they've done well against Pakistan and West Indies in the last year, they've not had a big series against New Zealand or Australia to test themselves as hard as they need to be."
However, Rainford-Brent sees the potential for plenty of World Cup shocks.
"South Africa are definitely going to cause an upset - they're a massively rising team - and India are on a bit of a wave at the moment," she said.
"Having won the World Twenty20 last year, West Indies should cause an upset or two, although they've struggled in the 50-over format to be competitive over a long period.
"But boundary count will have a massive impact - I think the team who hits the highest number of boundaries, playing aggressive, intelligent cricket will win the World Cup.
"At last year's World T20 final, Australia scored 148 and thought they'd won, but West Indies' Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor came out and smashed boundaries and took the game away from them."
Aside from Australia captain Meg Lanning, who leads the ICC's ODI women's batting rankings, Rainford-Brent has picked out four other players to watch during the World Cup.
"South Africa's Marizanne Kapp is the number one ODI bowler in the world, and is shaking up a storm," she said.
"She played in the Women's Big Bash League and knows the Australians, so she could be one to keep an eye on.
"Seeing Nat Sciver's form in county cricket, she's been hitting hundreds in ways she's not done before. She's ready to go and she's fired up.
"I always talk about Sri Lanka's Eshani Lokusuriyage [also known as Eshani Kaushalya] - she's a dangerous player who can hit sixes and bowl yorkers at the death. She caused that upset when Sri Lanka beat England in 2013, and if Sri Lanka cause anyone problems, it'll be her who does the damage.
"And New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite recently scored four ODI hundreds in a row, so she's another one on the watch list."
For the first time, World Cup qualification was determined by the ICC Women's Championship, designed so the top eight sides would play each other over a two-year period.
Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies qualified automatically, while India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan came through a qualifying tournament.
Australia clinched their qualification at a canter, losing only three of their 21 games, with captain Lanning and all-rounder Ellyse Perry the two highest scorers.
There was also an Australia player leading the spin-dominated bowling charts, with slow left-armer Jess Jonassen finishing top ahead of the somewhat unlikely figure of England captain Heather Knight, by her own admission a part-time spinner.
Meanwhile, captain Lanning insists the long-running pay dispute between governing body Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association (the players' union) will not be a distraction for her side.
Australian Women, who have maintained a strong stance alongside their male counterparts, are set to be placed on temporary contracts if the situation is not resolved by the time the current Memorandum of Understanding expires on 30 June - a week into the tournament.


There was little surprise but great sadness at this weekend's confirmation that the Wickerman Festival has been officially closed.

Little surprise because the announcement came almost exactly two years after the tragic death of landowner Jamie Gilroy, the festival's director and gregarious host.
Great sadness because the Wickerman was an integral part of the summer social calendar for thousands; a beacon event for Dumfries and Galloway which raised the region's profile and which it promoted with pride.
Mind you, it wasn't like that from the start.
Back in 2001, Sid Ambrose, a youth worker in Kirkcudbright, had the idea of staging a counter-culture festival themed on the cult Wickerman movie which was filmed in the area. He needed a venue.
At the same time, Dumfries and Galloway was reeling from the economic devastation of the foot and mouth epidemic and farmer Jamie Gilroy was looking at diversification and alternative income streams at East Kirkcarsewell on the outskirts of Dundrennan. He had a field which was a natural amphitheatre.
It was a perfect, if unlikely, match.
On the one side, a public school educated, tweed-wearing landowner with a cut-glass accent. On the other, a heavily tattooed former punk rocker who favoured ragged tee-shirts and chains and spoke unapologetically in the local vernacular. But neither was anybody's fool and it turned out to be quite a meeting of minds.
That first festival was controversial. A 30-foot high Wickerman effigy - similar to that in which Edward Woodward's policeman character was burned as a human sacrifice in the movie - would be set alight at the festival's close. A local minister condemned the event's pagan undertones and grabbed newspaper headlines.
But it passed off successfully with Irish punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers headlining the fledgling, homespun, event staged in front of a couple of thousand spectators.
I didn't experience Wickerman's delights until 2005. Arthur Brown - the God of Hellfire - headlined that year along with The Stranglers and Alabama 3. I was hooked.
In the early years, the audience was a mixture of local folk amazed and delighted that this was happening on their doorstep and visiting festival veterans who at that time were very much of punk and hippy persuasion and who found Wickerman's edgy, eighties, retro vibe very much to their liking.
For a number of years Mrs J and I chose to be day visitors, travelling home to a comfy bed on the Friday night and returning to the festival on the Saturday afternoon.
Then we bought Rose!
Rose is a truly ancient caravan (1970s vintage) which we picked up for a few quid on Ebay and kitted out with the sole intention of using it once a year, and once a year only.
So, for five or six festivals up to 2015, Rose was duly washed down, scrubbed up and trundled the 30 miles from Dumfries to Dundrennan for us to sample the full Wickerman experience without resorting to a tent.
Unfortunately, I didn't always have a car with a tow-bar and a couple of times had to borrow my son's which is black and covered from bonnet to back bumper in dramatic Iron Maiden decals. It was quite a sight: a metal-head's car towing a barely roadworthy caravan whose prime had been in the days of glam rock.
Two years ago our rig did provide great amusement to the police at the gate. Seeing us approach they readied themselves in anticipation of a potential drugs bust, only to wave us through with a laugh after seeing the two mortified fifty-somethings in the front seats.
Wickerman changed over the years. It became bigger and more commercial. Some said it lost a bit of its edge. The audience became less alternative and more mainstream. But it attracted some great names to the Summerisle Stage.
Personal highlights include Nile Rodgers and Chic, Texas, Scissor Sisters, James, The Proclaimers and many more. There were also some great moments in the Scooter Tent which kept alive Wickerman's punk and ska roots. The Undertones and Bad Manners spring to mind.
I lost count of the times over the years I would survey the site and the main stage acts and think how surreal it was that these musical superstars had come to perform in the corner of a farmer's field overlooking Dundrennan and the Solway Firth. Most of them probably hadn't really a clue where they were!
But Wickerman was about more than the big names. Its many venues, and especially the acoustic village, gave a platform for up and coming talent much of it home grown in Dumfries and Galloway. They will miss that showcase.
And I will miss it, too.
I was among those who wondered if the 2015 festival could possibly take place barely six months after Jamie Gilroy's untimely death, even though tickets had been sold and many of the acts booked.
But Jamie's wife Patsy and their daughter Jennie Camm (herself in recovery from breast cancer at the time) took it upon themselves to make sure it did and they staged it in Jamie's honour with dignity and pride. I can't really imagine how hard that must have been.
After taking a year out in 2016, they had pledged to bring Wickerman back next year and sought a third-party promoter to take it on. But negotiations broke down and at the weekend Jennie and Patsy took the hard but inevitable decision that the festival must close.
It was great while it lasted.  It gave a lot of people a lot of fun and superb musical experiences. I will treasure them as I do the hand-written Christmas card I received from Jamie Gilroy in December 2014 just a day or so before he died.
Thank you Wickerman. Thanks for the memories.


Bristol Rovers defender Peter Hartley has been sidelined for up to three months with a foot injury.

The 28-year-old centre-back, who signed on a free transfer from Plymouth in June, has started 17 League One games for Rovers so far this season.
He picked up the injury in Monday's 4-1 loss at Charlton Athletic.
Meanwhile, on-loan midfielder Charlie Colkett, 20, has been recalled to his parent club Chelsea, after 17 Rovers appearances in all competitions.


Actor Tom Chambers has said he feels "mortified" after receiving criticism for comments in which he appeared to support men being paid more than women.

"I in no way advocate the gender pay gap," he said, claiming his remarks had been "taken out of context".
Chambers faced a social media backlash after claiming men's salaries should be higher as they had families to support.
The actor also said his Casualty co-star Derek Thompson deserved to be the BBC's highest-paid actor.
"It's like being a footballer - you earn your credits," he was quoted as saying at a book launch.
"I've just done six months on Casualty, but Derek has done 31 years of service."
"My wife works really hard as a stay-at-home mum, but I'm the only one bringing in a salary for our family," he reportedly went on to say.
"Many men's salaries aren't just for them, it's for their wife and children, too."
Thompson's salary was among those disclosed in the BBC's annual report, which highlighted a disparity between what the corporation's male and female celebrities are paid.
"I am completely mortified by the stories that have run today and didn't mean to offend anyone by my comments," Chambers told the Press Association on Tuesday.
"I was explaining that I thought it had stemmed from that past, and shouldn't be how things are now.
"I truly believe that change needs to happen."
Chambers, a former winner of Strictly Come Dancing, plays Sam Strachan on Casualty and its sister show Holby City.
His comments come amid continued debate about the BBC's pay disclosures and the wider issue of gender pay disparity.
Others to have commented on the subject include:
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


American boy band mogul Lou Pearlman has died in prison at the age of 62.

Pearlman launched the careers of the Backstreet Boys, the best-selling boy band of all time, and NSync, among others.
He was jailed for 25 years in 2008 over a massive $300m (Â£153m) Ponzi fraud scheme.
NSync singer Lance Bass tweeted that Pearlman was not the best businessman but that he would not be where he was without his influence.
The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Pearlman was inspired by the success of New Kids on the Block and formed his own record label, launching a $3m talent sweep that in 1993 selected five unknowns to be the Backstreet Boys.
They went on to sell 130 million records.
NSync were also a huge success, selling more than 55 million.
Pearlman later managed other boy bands such as LFO, Take 5, Natural and O-Town, and the girl group Innosense, which initially featured Britney Spears.
Lance Bass wrote on Twitter: "Word is that #LouPearlman has passed away. He might not have been a stand up businessman, but I wouldn't be doing what I love today wthout his influence. RIP Lou."
O-Town's Ashley Parker Angel posted: "Love him or hate him, Lou gave many of us our start. It's a shame he let greed get in his way."
Pearlman swindled family, friends, investors and banks by enticing them to put money into two fake companies for 20 years.
Prosecutors counted at least 250 individual victims who lost a total of $200m plus 10 financial institutions that lost $100m.
The judge at his trial said victims included "his family, his close friends and people in their 70s and 80s who have lost their life savings".
"So the sympathy factor doesn't run high with the court," the judge said.
In a statement, Pearlman had said: "Since my arrest, I've come to realise the harm that's been done. I'm truly sorry and I apologise for what's happened."


Officials in the western French town of La Roche-Sur-Yon have had to dismantle a nativity scene, in the latest row over the country's secular traditions.

A judge in Nantes ruled that it was a "religious emblem" and incompatible with the French principle of "religious neutrality in public spaces".
Town officials have reluctantly removed a figure of baby Jesus, plaster animals and a desk-sized stable they had erected in the local council building.
A local senator denounced the ruling.
France's strict secularism laws mean that religious symbols are banned from public spaces such as schools, hospitals and local councils.
Secularism was a founding principle of the French Republic and was enshrined in a 1905 law separating Church and State.
"This decision is grotesque," said Senator Bruno Retailleau in a statement. "Next we'll be banning epiphany cakes at the Elysee Palace."
He also argued that it was unfair as in Paris the mayor hosted a dinner celebrating the Muslim month of Ramadan every year.
Jean Regourd, a member of the secular Free Thinking Society, lodged the complaint against the nativity scene but denied attacking a tradition that is now part of secular French culture.
"It's a child in a stable with a cow and a donkey," he said. "It is clearly a religious symbol, there's no doubt about it. And these local council buildings were built in the 1980s so there is no local nativity tradition to speak of."
Sen Retailleau has said he will appeal against the ruling but admits that keeping the nativity on display would be an "illegal act of civil disobedience".
And for a French senator, that would be going too far.


Microsoft is to stop developing Android-powered smartphones beyond those already available, the BBC understands.

Nokia X models will now become part of the Lumia range and run the Windows Phone operating system, although existing Android handsets will continue to be supported.
The move comes as Microsoft announced 18,000 job cuts across its workforce.
The tech firm acquired Nokia's handset division earlier this year.
Nokia unveiled its first family of Android phones at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona in February.
The release of the smartphones, which were priced at the lower end of the market, was described as a "perplexing strategic move" at the time, given that Microsoft had its own mobile operating system, Windows Phone.
In an email to employees on Thursday, Stephen Elop, Microsoft's executive in charge of mobile devices, announced that Android handsets were being phased out.
"In the near term, we plan to drive Windows Phone volume by targeting the more affordable smartphone segments, which are the fastest-growing segments of the market, with Lumia.
"In addition to the portfolio already planned, we plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices.
"We expect to make this shift immediately while continuing to sell and support existing Nokia X products."
Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, told the BBC the move was designed to drive sales of Microsoft's Lumia range, which has lagged behind handsets from competitors such as Apple and Samsung.
"Everybody was scratching their heads when the Android phones were unveiled in February," he said, adding that the decision had been made before Microsoft's takeover of Nokia.
However, Mr Wood said, phasing out the Android devices was a strategic decision, designed to "take the work Microsoft have done on the hardware [of Nokia X models] and drive the Lumia price points to much lower levels".


Labour has renounced its support for the government's fiscal charter, in a U-turn performed by the leadership.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell had said the party would back the plans, which commit future governments to maintaining a budget surplus.
But he has now said Labour will oppose the charter in a vote on Wednesday, to underline its "anti-austerity" stance.
Chancellor George Osborne said Labour's policy "was a grave threat to the economic security of working people".
MPs will debate and vote on Mr Osborne's Charter for Budget Responsibility on Wednesday.
Mr McDonnell, who signalled the U-turn as MPs gathered for a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday night, said he would propose an "alternative plan" for budget responsibility.
The charter would legally prevent future governments from spending more than they receive in tax revenue when the economy is growing.
The proposal commits the government to keep debt falling as a share of GDP each year and achieve a budget surplus by 2019-20. Governments will then be required to ensure there is a surplus in "normal times"
At the Labour Party conference in September, Mr McDonnell pledged support for Mr Osborne's plans, saying Labour were not "deficit deniers".
It was a long and difficult meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
One MP said it was the worst they had ever been to. Jeremy Corbyn was apparently "read the riot act" and said nothing. Another described it as "shambolic", lacking "any aspect of democratic politics".
A former shadow cabinet member told me it was "without doubt one of the most heated" PLPs and that "passions were running high". Others were clearly outraged at the shadow chancellor's change of plan.
As he left the meeting, former cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw branded it a "total shambles".
John Mann MP was furious, he shouted so loudly at the party's leadership he was easily audible in the corridor outside.
Despite that anger, a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said the meeting had been "warm and friendly" claiming the only disagreement had been on the need for there to be more discussion on the issue.
It all shows the seriousness of the cracks within the party and many in Labour will worry about how much worse it could all get.
He told the Guardian: "We accept we are going to have to live within our means and we always will do - full stop.
"We will support the charter on the basis we are going to want to balance the book, we do want to live within our means and we will tackle the deficit."
But on Monday, he said there was a "growing reaction" to the "nature and scale" of public spending cuts, which had prompted the change of position.
"Labour will set out our plan for tackling the deficit not through punishing the most vulnerable and decimating our public services but by ending the unfair tax cuts to the wealthy, tackling tax evasion and investing for growth," he added.
Responding to Labour's decision, Mr Osborne said Labour's economic policy had "lurched from chaos to incredibility".
"Two weeks ago â€Žthey said they were going to vote for a surplus - now we know they want to keep on borrowing forever. That would be a grave threat to the economic security of working peopleâ€Ž," he said.
At the weekend, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon challenged Labour to join her party in voting against the charter.
Welcoming the U-turn, Angus Robertson, SNP leader at Westminster, said it was "promising" but added it was "disgraceful there has had to be any doubt that the Labour Party would oppose Tory cuts".
He said the vote would be a major test for Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, claiming Labour's credibility "would be in ruins" unless every one of its MPs voted against the charter.
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will be responsible for policing the new rules, which were first proposed by Mr Osborne in January 2015, and confirmed in his post-election Budget in June.
The OBR is also expected to have the power to decide when the government should be able to spend more than it is taking in revenue, for example, when the country is in a recession.


A British holidaymaker who saw a blue shark swimming in shallow waters while he was staying in Majorca says he was "more excited than scared".

Tim Prottey-Jones said his wife Angela was getting into the sea at Illetas beach on the Spanish island on Saturday when the shark appeared.
It swam past "calmly, perhaps eerily calmly", but was "an amazing sight".
Mr Prottey-Jones, from London, said people rushed out of the sea but got back in again some 25 minutes later.
"We had been on the beach all morning because it was extremely hot and we wanted to leave it as long as possible to enter the water and cool off."
The 37-year-old said his wife was walking down into the water when he noticed everyone coming out of it in a rush to leave.
"I joked with Angela, 'It's because you're going in everyone's coming out'. That's when I saw this fin swim past in the shallow water very near to where everyone was standing, near where the water was," Mr Prottey-Jones said.
"The shark swam straight past us very calmly - eerily calm. It was an amazing sight because you just don't expect to see this beautiful animal."
Despite thinking the fish could have been between 6ft and 8ft long (1.8-2.4 metres), Mr Prottey-Jones said he did not feel scared. He shouted and pointed to Mrs Prottey-Jones to alert her and threw her his phone to capture the moment.
"I was more excited than scared because I'd never seen anything like it. It was a surreal experience - I want to see it again."
Asked how others on the beach reacted, he said there was "a little bit of hysteria but it wasn't manic screaming".
He added: "Parents with young children in the water were most recognisably worried by it. Having little kids in there was probably the biggest worry."
But Mr Prottey-Jones said that, with no further sign of the shark, it was less than half-an-hour before holidaymakers were venturing back into the sea. He said the shark "didn't feel threatening" but admitted that, if it had moved in an aggressive way, then it would have been different.
It was later reported the shark had been captured and killed. Ali Hood, director of conservation at the Shark Trust, said a hook was found embedded in the fish's mouth by local aquarium staff.
She explained this was likely to have affected the shark's "ability to hunt and feed effectively, and may explain its uncharacteristic behaviour, swimming so close in to shore".
Source: Shark Trust
According to the International Shark Attack File compiled by the University of Florida's museum of natural history, blue sharks have been responsible for 13 shark attacks since 1580, four of which were fatal. That compares with 314 for great white sharks, of which 80 were fatal.


A company manager whose worker tripped over a broken pallet and fell into a moving sawblade, slicing off three of his fingers, has been fined Â£7,500.

Alexander Mackay, 65, of Blairgowrie, was also ordered to pay former employee Michael Rice Â£10,000 compensation.
Mackay was told by a sheriff that a "wholly inadequate delay" in bringing the case to court meant that he would not impose a prison sentence.
Mackay had admitted a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Dundee Sheriff Court had previously heard that the incident happened in December 2011 at G&D Pallets saw room in Dundee.
The court was told surgeons were only able to reattach one of Mr Rice's fingers, leaving him permanently disfigured and impaired.
Mr Rice was employed as a casual worker in 2010 and given basic training and was taken on again on a casual basis in 2011 and given no refresher training.
Defence advocate Neil Beardmore said Mackay took over the running of the business after his wife became unwell.
He said: "His direct responsibility was for a matter of months and he has pled guilty to one day.
"This is a matter that should be dealt with by way of compensation and fine.
"This prosecution has had a marked impact on him. It has been a salutary lesson for him.
"He has had an unblemished work record for over 30 years."
Sheriff Alastair Brown, who previously described the case as "one of the worst management failures" he had seen, told Mackay it was the proprietor's responsibility to protect employees.
He said: "The responsibility cannot be delegated or shuffled off to other employees, however experienced.
"You were on the premises every week. There was, in the state of the workshop, an obvious and material danger that should have been observed by you.
"Those who run businesses that fail to take even basic steps to protect employees expose themselves to prison."
Sheriff Brown said it was a "wholly inadequate delay" that the 2011 incident had only come before the court this year.
He said: "The delay is such, in that so much has changed, that the short prison sentence I was considering imposing would be unjust and I will step away from that."


A new week-long ethical festival is to be held in Glasgow, culminating in a two-day celebration of veganism.

"The Only Way Is Ethics" will have as its climax, on 5-6 December, the first-ever Vegfest Scotland.
Ethics festival organiser Craig Tannock said: "It is not just a vegan event but about using all sorts of entertainment and media to celebrate ethical choices.
"From the Monday to Friday, there will be a city-wide programme involving anything that celebrates the theme."
Mr Tannock said this would include art, music, cinema, schools and workshop events, with everyone from businesses, campaigning groups, charities, the general public and political organisations being invited to take part.
Vegfest already holds annual events in Bristol, Brighton and London and its SECC venture becomes the second large-scale vegan festival to be announced north of the border in recent months.
Vegan Festival UK is to hold a one-day event during the Edinburgh Festival.
Both events will feature stalls from vegan food, clothing and gift producers, charities and campaign groups as well as celebrity speakers and entertainers.
But Mr Tannock, who owns four vegan food and entertainment venues in Glasgow, thinks there is room for both to thrive.
"Since we started organising this, we have had the referendum and, whatever side of the debate you were on, Scotland has changed, the UK has changed," he said.
"I have never experienced such a level of engagement, so this is very timely as people have realised they can influence things just by having conversations and have become far more aware of ecological and ethical issues as well as about what they eat."
Mr Tannock, who is organising the festival along with fellow Glasgow entrepreneur David Scott, holds regular vegan fairs at The Flying Duck.
However, he stressed the much larger December event was only made possible once Vegfest confirmed its involvement, with the wider festival being envisaged as an annual fringe around it.
Since Vegfest launched in Bristol 12 years ago, it has become the flagship vegan festival in the UK and has helped local groups set up their own fairs around England.
Recent Vegfests have featured gigs by rock artists like The Happy Mondays and Peter Hook, DJ LTJ Bukem will play a set at Bristol in May, while Green MP Caroline Lucas will open the Brighton event this weekend.
Andrew O'Neill will headline the comedy festival in Brighton, while Sarah Pascoe and Dave Spikey are among other top comedians to have played Vegfest, and organiser Tim Barford says the names of those coming to Glasgow will be announced in the coming months.


Pakistan says it has asked Facebook to help investigate "blasphemous content" posted on the social network by Pakistanis.

Facebook has agreed to send a team to Pakistan to address reservations about content on the social media site, according to the interior ministry.
Blasphemy is a highly sensitive and incendiary issue in Pakistan.
Critics say blasphemy laws, which allow the death penalty in some cases, are often misused to oppress minorities.
Earlier this week Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif voiced his support for a wide-ranging crackdown on blasphemous content on social media.
In a statement on his party's official Twitter account, he described blasphemy as an "unpardonable offence".
Then on Thursday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar reasserted Pakistan's determination to tackle the issue, saying he would take "any steps necessary" to make sure Pakistan's message got across.
He said he had asked officials to liaise with the FBI in the US and with social media platforms on a daily basis.
"Facebook and other service providers should share all information about the people behind this blasphemous content with us," he is quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
There has been little official description of what blasphemous content has been found online so far, but in the past blasphemy accusations have ranged from depictions of the Prophet Muhammad to critiques and inappropriate references to the Koran.
But some critics say that this latest move is simply a way of cracking down on dissent.
When five liberal bloggers and activists recently went missing, they were accused of blasphemy on social media. It is a very serious allegation in the deeply conservative nation, which can make those accused of it a target of public anger.
Analysis - Tahir Imran, BBC Urdu social media editor
In Pakistan there is a growing popular resentment to this so-called  "blasphemous content" on social media, especially on Facebook.
People are often openly accused of "committing blasphemy on social media". One top security agency has openly urged the masses to report anyone who is involved in posting such material online.
Digital rights groups have expressed "serious reservations" and have called such steps "playing with the lives of innocent people".
They have also criticised Facebook "for colluding with authorities and censoring content infringing freedom of expression".
In a statement quoted by the AP news agency, Facebook said it viewed government requests with care keeping in mind "the goal of protecting the privacy and rights of our users.
"We disclose information about accounts solely in accordance with our terms of service and applicable law. A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty or other formal request may be required for international requests, and we include these in our Government Requests Report.''
But Facebook has not yet made any public comment about a delegation being sent to Pakistan.
Pakistan has often blocked access to pornographic sites and sites with anti-Islamic content and in 2010 a Pakistani court blocked Facebook over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.


Four men have been jailed following a "pre-planned and orchestrated attack" in which a man was stabbed and left needing life-saving surgery.

It happened in Oswestry, Shropshire, in January last year.
Arsene Cubaka, 24, Nathan McCarthy, 23, and Telmo Bernardo, 19, admitted GBH. Luke Cross, 23, was convicted of threats to kill and threats to cause criminal damage after a trial.
They were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on 9 January.
See more stories from across Shropshire here
The court heard that at around 20:00 GMT on 23 January 2016, police were called to reports that a man in his 40s had been stabbed at an address in Castlefields, Oswestry.
In the following days and weeks, the four men were arrested and remanded in custody.
Police said inquiries, including analysis of mobile phones, established that they had been in contact with each other and had worked together to carry out the attack.
Those convicted are:
Det Insp Mark Bellamy from West Mercia Police described it as a "pre-planned and orchestrated attack".
"The victim required life-saving surgery and was extremely fortunate that the stabbing did not fatally wound him," he said.
"I hope that the sentences given to these four men enable him to begin the process of moving on with his life following this ordeal."


Germany bounced back from defeat by England on Saturday to beat Italy for the first time in almost 21 years.

The world champions avoided a third straight loss as Toni Kroos opened the scoring before reported Liverpool target Mario Gotze doubled the lead.
Left-back Jonas Hector, another rumoured Liverpool option, then scored a header with a Mesut Ozil penalty making it 4-0 with 15 minutes left.
Stephan El Shaarawy grabbed a late consolation for Antonio Conte's team.


Great Britain's Nicola Adams will attempt to complete a full set of major international medals when she fights for World Championship gold on Friday.

The Olympic and European champion, 33, faces Thailand's Peamwilai Laopeam in the flyweight final at 10:00 BST.
Adams earned a unanimous verdict over home fighter Zhaina Shekerbekova in the semi-final in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Briton Savannah Marshall lost to Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in her middleweight semi-final.
Adams, who has already qualified for this summer's Olympics in Rio, has won silver at the World Championships three times.
Marshall, 25, will return from Astana with a bronze medal having also secured her place at Rio.


Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final against France in April will be played on an indoor clay court in Rouen.

The three-day tie begins on 7 April, five days after the Miami Open, which is played outdoors on a hard court.
World number one Andy Murray, who sat out Britain's 3-2 victory over Canada in the Davis Cup World Group first round, is expected to play in Miami.
Britain beat France in the quarter-finals in 2015, when they won the title for the first time in 79 years.
Murray, 29, said earlier this month he expected to return against France after a break following his fourth-round exit from the Australian Open.
Rouen's Palais des Sports can accommodate 5,200 spectators.


Strict rules mean the BBC, like other broadcasters, isn't allowed to report details of campaigning while the polls are open.

In all national elections, the BBC is legally required both by its own charter and electoral law to adopt a code of practice.
The basic principle behind this is the need for due impartiality of political coverage, as set out in the agreement accompanying the BBC Charter.
This requires the BBC over time to "give due weight and prominence to all the main strands of argument and to all the main parties."
So, on polling day specifically, the BBC (like other broadcasters, though they are covered by the Ofcom code rather than a charter) doesn't report on any of the election campaigns from 00.30 until polls close at 22.00 BST on TV, radio or bbc.co.uk.
However, online sites will not have to remove archived reports.
Coverage will be restricted to uncontroversial factual accounts, such as the appearance of politicians at polling stations or the weather.
Subjects which have been at issue or part of the campaign - or other controversial matters relating to the election - must not be covered on polling day, so the BBC's output cannot be seen as influencing the ballot while the polls are open.
No opinion poll on any issue relating to politics or the election can be published until after the polls have closed.
Whilst the polls are open, it is a criminal offence to publish anything about the way in which people have voted in that election.


Bollywood film Lagaan (Land Tax), which won an Oscar nomination, has been included in a list of the 25 best sports movies by Time magazine.

Starring Aamir Khan, Lagaan tells the story of  peasants who challenge their British rulers to a game of cricket in order to escape a punitive tax.
Time magazine said it was the "longest and the most enthralling underdog sports movie ever".
The film is one of the biggest Bollywood hits of all time.
Lagaan's music was composed by Indian composer AR Rahman, who also won Oscars for his soundtrack to 2009's multi-award-winning Slumdog Millionaire.
"From the thunderclap in the first torrential rainstorm - a cue for riotous dancing - to the climactic sunlight on the smiling faces of millions of viewers, this Bollywood epic is cause for joy of meteorological proportions," Time magazine said of the 224-minute film.
The magazine said that Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, has the "capability to win over Bollywood newcomers - to turn snickers into smiles, indulgence to rapture".
Time praised the the film's "masala mix of melodrama and character comedy" and its music.
"As sports film, social document or communal ecstasy, Lagaan is the all-time all-rounder," the magazine said.
Lagaan is the only Indian movie in the list which is led by Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski.


The carbon storage capacity of protected forests in West Africa has increased despite the region suffering a 40-year drought, a study suggests.

A team of UK and Ghanaian researchers found that the tree composition in these areas favoured species that were able to cope with drier conditions.
Previous studies suggested that drought conditions resulted in less carbon being stored as vegetation died.
The findings have been published in the journal Ecology Letters.
"Despite the long-term drought, there was no biomass loss in the forests. In fact, the biomass actually increased during that period," explained co-author Sophie Fauset from the University of Leeds.
Biomass is a vital component in the global carbon cycle. When plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide and water in the photosynthesis process.
While oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a waste product of this process, the absorbed carbon primarily remains locked in the plant until it dies.
"We think it is the result of a shift in species composition," Dr Fauset said, explaining why the study showed an increase in biomass.
"Because you have got this long-term environmental shift, it is possible for the species composition of the forests to reshuffle slightly, so the species that can survive under those conditions are favoured.
"This means you are getting less negative impacts of the drought."
The team of UK and Ghanaian researchers tracked more than 10,000 trees between 1990 and 2010.
The West Africa region has experienced drought conditions since 1970. Rainfall has fallen by up to 23% compared with pre-1970 levels.
Dr Fauset said the study widened the current thinking on the consequences of drought conditions on an area's flora and fauna.
"It is generally thought that if you have droughts then you are going to see a decrease in biomass," she told BBC News.
"Certainly, studies that have looked at short-term, quite extreme droughts do seem to show biomass loss.
"It could be that the increase in biomass (recorded in this study) could be the result of something else, but we think that the maintenance of the forest structure, despite the drought conditions, is a result of a change in species composition.
"This basically means that you cannot take those short-term studies of extreme droughts and extrapolate the findings to a long-term event with different kinds of precipitation changes."
Findings presented at an international forest conference earlier this year found that tropical forests in Africa may be more resilient to future climate change than the Amazon and other major forest regions.
It suggested that the region's surviving tree species had endured a number of climatic catastrophes over the past 4,000 years.
As a result, they were better suited to cope with future shifts in the climate.
The continent's tropical forests form the second-largest continuous forested area in the world.
Dr Fauset observed: "It is very important for the global carbon cycle that these forests are maintained."


England captain Charlotte Edwards has claimed that some of the pitches used in the Women's World Twenty20 are "not a good advertisement" for the game.

Edwards criticised the slow, turning nature of some of the wickets, which have led to many low-scoring matches.
She told BBC Sport: "In terms of promoting the game, it's not great."
England face Australia in Wednesday's first semi-final in Delhi, after beating Pakistan by 68 runs in Chennai on Sunday.
Edwards said: "We've played on some average pitches throughout the tournament, especially in Dharamsala, which was tough for the batters.
"We came back to Chennai and felt more at home there, and what I hear Delhi will be a nice wicket for us."
In Dharamsala, England restricted India to 90-8, but struggled against an all-spin attack and won with just six balls to spare.
In an interview with the BBC's Joe Wilson, Edwards added: "It is not a great advertisement for the game, especially when they are on the television. When you've got 18 overs of spin in each game, it's not particularly fantastic for anyone."
Australia now stand between England and their fourth final in five editions of the Women's World T20.
The Southern Stars, holders of the Women's Ashes, have had the better of England in the past three tournaments - beating them in the 2014 and 2012 finals, and edging them out at the group stage in 2010.
Edwards added: "It's the fiercest rivalry in cricket. We've got a good record against them in semi-finals and hopefully that continues."


Staff at a nature reserve got a pleasant surprise when they discovered they had an extra osprey chick.

Two chicks had already been confirmed at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve in the Lake District in April.
But when Cumbria Wildlife Trust were able to get close to the nest they discovered a third had appeared. Each chick has now been fitted with a tracking tag.
The rare birds of prey returned to the reserve in 2014.
Reserve officer Paul Whitehouse said he was pleased with the discovery.
The new chicks' parents have produced eight young ospreys over the past three years at the reserve.
By late July the trio should be flying and will learn to fish before they migrate to Africa.
There are thought to be between 200 and 250 breeding osprey pairs in the UK most of whom are in Scotland.


Scientists, academics and students should not be used as "pawns" in political negotiations over Brexit, Theresa May is being warned.

People from all sections of academia, and MPs, are calling for EU researchers working in the UK to be exempted from any future immigration controls.
The prime minister has said she cannot guarantee EU nationals the right to stay without reciprocal arrangements.
The Science and Technology Committee has called for immediate action.
The call comes ahead of a demonstration in central London on Saturday.
University and College Union general secretary Sally Hunt will urge the Prime Minister to "stop using EU staff and students as pawns in Brexit negotiations".
"Show some humanity. Do the decent thing. Give our people the right to stay," she will say.
Prof Ottoline Leyser, representing the Royal Society, told the committee there were 31,000 non-UK EU citizens working in research in academia in the UK.
She said she believed that these people were "all feeling very anxious and unwelcome".
"There has been a lot of discussion about non-UK EU nationals currently working in the UK and what guarantees can be provided to them.
"I think it is absolutely not the way we should be proceeding - to use people's lives as bargaining chips in a broader political landscape.
"I do not think that is a constructive way to arrive at a negotiation table either."
In its report on implications for science and research following the vote to leave the EU, the committee called for "an immediate commitment to exempt them [EU researchers working in the UK] from Brexit negotiations on any reciprocal immigration controls for workers already in post."
It also cited evidence stressing the importance of Britain being able "to recruit and retain the very best scientists, whatever country they come from".
Professor Philip Nelson of Research Councils UK told the committee: "the biggest risks to the research base in the UK are around the people involved".
The committee said it had received written examples of researchers considering rejecting UK job offers because of the uncertainty around the EU referendum result.
It said that Dr Sarah Main of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) effectively summarised much of their evidence.
She said: "It is not really a question of us allowing talented scientists and engineers to come here; it is about us fighting for them to come here.
"'There is an international competitive market for these fantastically talented people."
She added that she felt the government should clearly state its priorities "for the place of science in our future" and "how it feels about the people that it wants to come here".
"UK science is not done by UK nationals. It is done by many people," she added.
University vice-chancellors mirrored this claim saying it was essential that staff and students from across the world can come to the UK without unnecessary administrative burdens.
University UK chief executive Nicola Dandridge said: "We also support the report's recommendation to appoint a chief scientific adviser to the Department for Exiting the EU. This would help to ensure that the significant implications of leaving the EU for science and research were adequately reflected in the government's post-exit plans."
Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: "We intend to secure the best possible outcome for our research base as we exit the European Union. The excellence of our research and the attractiveness of the UK as a place to do it are fundamental to our continued success.
"Our international relationships make us a global centre of excellence."
Shortly after the EU referendum result in June, the government gave a guarantee that students currently in higher or further education - and those applying for a place this academic year (2016-17) - would continue to be able to access student funding support.
And in October this guarantee was extended to students wishing to study in the UK next year.


The Scottish government has said it is determined to explore any option which could avert the premature closure of Longannet.

Scottish Power has announced plans to close its huge coal-fired power station at Longannet in Fife early next year.
The move comes after the energy firm failed to win a crucial contract from National Grid.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing told MSPs he would "strain every sinew" to get the best possible outcome.
During a statement at Holyrood, he said the premature closure of Longannet at a time of falling spare capacity in the system was a "national scandal".
He also defended the government's renewables policy against claims it was harming power stations such as Longannet.
MSPs heard earlier this month that Longannet would close unless Scottish Power secured the £15m National Grid contract, which will run from April 2016 to September 2017.
The SSE-operated gas-fired power station at Peterhead won the contract at the expense of Scottish Power and a third bidder.
Mr Ewing said he would meet with unions on Thursday to discuss the future of the power station's 270 employees, and work with Fife Council on a joint response to the situation.
He said: "The government and all our partners will strain every sinew to secure the best possible outcomes for all those affected and to mitigate the local and national economic impact if closure cannot be averted."
He said the UK transmission charging regime had "uniquely disadvanaged" Longannet, which had to pay £40m to connect to the grid.
Mr Ewing also called for swift action to progress a proposal from the Scottish coal industry to the UK government for coal restoration, which he said could reduce Longannet's running costs.
But Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said Mr Ewing had failed to explain how he intended to prevent the early closure of Longannet.
He said: "If plan A was to lobby the National Grid to award its voltage control contract for 2016/17 to Longannet rather than Peterhead, plan A clearly failed.
"What is plan B?"
Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP for Fife and convener of Holyrood's Energy Committee, said Longannet's closure exposed the "failure" of the SNP's energy policy.
He said: "They're anti-fracking, anti-nuclear, obsessed with wind power, and as a result we face the loss of 55% of our generating capacity in eight years.
"Energy-rich Scotland will be importing power from England to keep the lights on."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the announcement of Longannet's closure was a "sad day".
He said the priority now was to have "constructive discussions" with the UK government and the energy network about the "sustainable energy mix in Scotland".
Mr Ewing said the preservation of Longannet as a consumer of coal would "allow for the restoration of the mines in Scotland" but Green MSP Patrick Harvie said the government should stop "kidding people on that coal has a long-term future in this country".


A driver has been killed and two people injured in a collision involving two cars in Cumbria.

The crash happened on the A684 at Dovenby near Maryport involving a Nissan Micra and a Ford Mondeo.
Police confirmed the victims had to be cut free and the 67-year-old Nissan driver, Terence Meddings, of Cockermouth, died at the scene.
The driver of the Ford, a 27-year old-man and his 17-year-old passenger, suffered minor injuries.
Police want to speak to a lorry driver who was in the area at the time and may have witnessed the crash.


Substitute Jabo Ibehre scored the only goal of the game as Cambridge earned their first win of the season by inflicting a fourth straight defeat on Crawley.

Ibehre broke the deadlock on 63 minutes when a shot from Uche Ikpeazu was parried by goalkeeper Glenn Morris and the striker tucked in the rebound from close range.
Crawley went close early on when midfielder Mark Randall rattled the crossbar with a dipping long-range effort while at the other end, Ikpeazu was foiled by a smart Morris save.
Enzio Boldewijn failed to connect with a cross from Jordan Roberts for the hosts before Ikpeaku had a shot on the turn tipped over the bar by the alert Morris.
Crawley began the second half in lively fashion and Randall had a goal-bound shot blocked from the edge of the area but they fell behind through Ibehre's composed finish.
Dutch striker Thomas Verheydt and Matt Harrold both came close to equalising for Harry Kewell's side, who are rooted to foot of the League Two table.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Crawley Town 0, Cambridge United 1.
Second Half ends, Crawley Town 0, Cambridge United 1.
Josh Lelan (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adebayo Azeez (Cambridge United).
Foul by Thomas Verheydt (Crawley Town).
(Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Enzio Boldewijn (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Greg Taylor (Cambridge United).
Paul Lewis (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dannie Bulman (Crawley Town).
Substitution, Cambridge United. Paul Lewis replaces Piero Mingoia.
Josh Yorwerth (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Adebayo Azeez (Cambridge United).
Matt Harrold (Crawley Town) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Attempt saved. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by Medy Elito.
Attempt blocked. Billy Clifford (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Jake Carroll (Cambridge United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Enzio Boldewijn (Crawley Town).
Foul by Thomas Verheydt (Crawley Town).
Gary Deegan (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Josh Lelan (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United).
Attempt blocked. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Josh Lelan (Crawley Town).
Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town).
Leon Davies (Cambridge United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Crawley Town. Billy Clifford replaces Mark Randall.
Attempt missed. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by David Forde.
Attempt saved. Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Adebayo Azeez replaces Jabo Ibehre.
Attempt missed. Enzio Boldewijn (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by Medy Elito.
Attempt saved. Thomas Verheydt (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt blocked. Enzio Boldewijn (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by Jake Carroll.
Substitution, Crawley Town. Matt Harrold replaces Panutche Camara.


Students at the University of Essex have been given underwater lectures as part of their degree course.

The marine biology students were taught 18m (59ft) beneath the sea on a coral reef off the coast of Indonesia.
Prof David Smith used specialised equipment audio equipment to talk to students and describe what they were seeing.
"It was a fantastic experience as I was able to use the power of observation like never before," he said.
Thirty students took part in the lectures, held on the university's annual field trip to the Wakatobi Marine National Park.
The university's Coral Reef Research Unit (CRRU) is studying the impact on coral reefs of climate change.
Prof Smith wore a full face mask which included a microphone and students wore headsets so they could hear him talk.
A hydrophone - an underwater microphone âˆ’ was positioned in the water and linked to a control box and recorder on a boat.
Fifteen hours of video footage were shot during the underwater lectures, which will be used by students unable to travel to Indonesia.
"I have been on thousands of dives over the years but this was a totally new experience as I was able to explain to students exactly what they were seeing and inject more passion and feeling into the whole lecture," said Prof Smith.
"It was very special and transformed the whole experience both for me and our students."
Tilly James, a second-year marine and freshwater biology student, said: "It was an experience you simply cannot get with traditional lectures."


Defending champions Toulon swept Glasgow aside in the first half of their Heineken Cup opener but the Scots improved markedly in the second period.

Maxime Mermoz twice crossed the line for home tries and Delon Armitage and Chris Masoe also rounded off moves as Toulon produced a stylish display.
But DTH van der Merwe spearheaded a recovery that saw Gregor Townsend's men score four tries to earn a bonus point.
Matt Giteau added two more Toulon tries to guarantee the hosts victory.
Despite their ominous task, described by Townsend as "the ultimate test", Glasgow headed to the south of France in confident mood, their five consecutive victories taking them to the summit of the Pro12.
Yet the Scots lost five of their six group games last term in Europe and they have not been involved in a knockout game since the 1997-98 season.
Prior to this win, Toulon had 17 successive home victories in Europe and their first-half performance gave plenty of reminders as to how they had built such a record.
Four times they breached the blue and black ranks and the gulf between the teams looked to be accurately reflected in the 34-0 half-time score.
Jonny Wilkinson captained Toulon and with customary accuracy booted home three conversions and a penalty before leaving the pitch injured.
The Englishman was adding the extras and putting the French out of reach in the match, but the real eye-catching rugby came from his team-mates, who moved the ball at pace and with accuracy.
Fans of the Top 14 leaders roared their approval in the autumn sunshine.
Niko Matawalu was correctly judged to have knocked the ball on before he burst through the Toulon defence and crossed the line in the very early stages of the game, and that was the last the travelling fans saw of Glasgow as an attacking force until the second half.
Armitage set the tone as he rounded off a swift attack on the right and Wilkinson converted.
Handling errors were almost absent as Toulon attacked repeatedly and Mermoz anticipated a pass by Josua Tuisova to make it try number two.
If the first scores highlighted the French side's flair, their third was the result of raw power as they collected from the line-out, pushed the Glasgow pack into reverse and Masoe made the crucial incision.
Frederic Michalak came on for Wilkinson, while Glasgow lost Alex Dunbar to a shoulder injury, with Byron McGuigan his replacement.
The French half-back scored a late first-half penalty but before that was involved in Toulon's fourth try as he set up Mermoz, and the Australian Giteau took on the kicking duties to add the conversion.
Whatever was said in the away changing room, Glasgow came out with real purpose for the second half.
Van der Merwe caused some grumbling in the home stands when he scored Glasgow's first points with a purposeful charge over, but that looked like merely a minor irritation when Giteau's surge restored the 34-point advantage.
However, a superb shimmy and run by Ruaridh Jackson provided the energetic Matawalu with the perfect chance to score Glasgow's second try and Jackson landed the conversion.
And the Warriors were next to score when strong hold-up play by Ed Kalman was built on by the attacking Jonny Gray.
Jeers and whistles filled the Toulon skies when Van der Merwe darted away from the home defence for Glasgow's fourth try and a bonus point.
That was to be Glasgow's final scoring contribution, with a Michalak penalty and another Giteau try extending Toulon's winning margin.
Glasgow's next match in the competition is next Sunday at Scotstoun against Exeter Chiefs, who ran in six tries in
Toulon: D Armitage, Tuisova, Mermoz, Giteau, D Smith, Wilkinson, Claassens, Felsina, Orioli, Castrogiovanni, Botha, Williams, Fernandez Lobbe, van Niekerk, Masoe.
Replacements: Michalak for Wilkinson (27), Mitchell for Claassens (44), Chiocci for Felsina (57), Hayman for Castrogiovanni (50), Rossouw for Botha (41), S Armitage for van Niekerk (60).
Not Used: Noirot, Bastareaud.
Glasgow: Maitland, Seymour, Bennett, Dunbar, Matawalu, Jackson, Pyrgos, Grant, Hall, Welsh, Gray, Kellock, Swinson, Fusaro, Strauss.
Replacements: McGuigan for Dunbar (32), van der Merwe for Pyrgos (41), Low for Grant (66), MacArthur for Hall (52), Kalman for Welsh (52), Vernon for Swinson (52), Weir for Strauss (75).
Not Used: Eddie.
Attendance: 19,783
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU).


Police have appealed for information after a man was injured in an attack outside a pub in Paisley on Boxing Day.

The 49-year-old was with another man, aged 24, outside Tannahills on Neilston Road when they became involved in an altercation with two other men.
Police said they believed the older man was attacked with a weapon. He was taken to hospital for treatment to a facial injury.
The 24-year-old man did not require hospital treatment.
The suspects were described as both being around 5ft 8ins and one of them was balding and wearing a green jacket.
Det Con Colin Leggat from Paisley CID said: "We believe the victim was assaulted with some sort of weapon and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
"The two suspects were last seen making their way along Neilston Road towards Caplethill Road and I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the attack or saw two men matching the above description in the area to come forward."


Americans Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin have added to US haul at the Olympics with a historic sweep in the 100m hurdles.

Ms Rollins took gold while teammates Nia Ali clinched silver and Kristi Castlin captured bronze in the event.
The clean sweep was the first by any country in the 100m hurdles and the first by US women in any Olympic event.
Ms Rollins, 25, finished with 12.48 seconds while the two other medals came down to hundredths of seconds.
"I tried to feed off all the positive energy from Team USA," Ms Rollins said. "I'm just happy to share the moment with Kristi and Nia."
The Florida native celebrated her 25th birthday just hours after the win.
The US women's team have historically been the strongest in the world in short hurdles, but have fallen short of victory in recent years.
Last year, six of the 10 fastest run times in the world belonged to Americans, but the team failed to medal at the world championships.
Ms Ali, who was away from the track for more than a year to care for her 15-month-old son, Titus Tinsley, finished with 12.59 seconds.
"He won't remember this but he will see photos and see that you can do anything you put your mind to," the 27-year-old said while holding her son, who watched from the stands.
Ms Castlin, 28, leaned in at the finish to best Great Britain's Cindy Ofili, finishing just .02 seconds ahead of her at 12.61 for the bronze.
"We're from all different states and universities. It feels good to come out and do a great job," she said.
The US women's victory comes a day after the US men failed to medal in the 110m hurdles for the first time in a non-boycotted Olympics.


Three asylum seekers who fled Syria but were jailed after arriving in the UK without passports have been told they can appeal against their convictions.

The men arrived at Heathrow Airport at different times in 2013, saying they had received threats while in Syria.
However, they were arrested for failing to have travel documents and jailed for between eight weeks and four months.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has now said they were wrongly advised to plead guilty and can appeal.
It brings the number of convictions involving asylum seekers and refugees to be referred to the appeal courts in the last three years to 34.
The three new cases are the first involving Syrians to be referred.
Twenty-six people from other countries have already had similar convictions quashed, the CCRC said.
In 2002, when the number of asylum applicants to the UK hit record levels, topping 100,000, then Home Secretary David Blunkett set out plans to stop abuse of the system.
One of the measures involved a clampdown on people arriving without valid travel and immigration papers: they'd face up to two years in jail if caught.
The powers, which came into force in 2004, may well have contributed to the fall in asylum numbers that followed. But they have had an unintended consequence too, leading to dozens of wrongful convictions.
It's a puzzle why that has happened, when the law quite sensibly provides a defence for people fleeing persecution who can't acquire a genuine passport to get out of their home country. The legal and prison costs are considerable, the human cost even greater.
It said the first of the three Syrians arrived at Heathrow in July 2013, aged 19.
He told an immigration officer he did not have a passport and wanted to claim asylum.
He said he had fled from Syria after receiving deaths threats and travelled to the UK, via Lebanon and Egypt.
But he was arrested and later sentenced to four months' detention in a young offenders' institution.
The second man arrived in the UK in August 2013, saying he had left Syria one month earlier due to the war and following verbal threats.
However, he was also arrested and was later sentenced to eight weeks in prison.
The third man arrived in the UK in November 2013 without a passport, saying Syrian government officials suspected him of belonging to the Free Syrian Army.
He was also arrested and later sentenced to three months in prison.
All three men had pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.
However, the CCRC, which investigates suspected miscarriages in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said they had all been wrongly advised by legal aid lawyers that they had no defence to the charge.
The advice was incorrect as the law provides a defence of "reasonable excuse" for people fleeing persecution who don't have passports, it added.
The CCRC says there is "a real possibility" that the crown court could allow all three men to vacate their guilty pleas on the basis that "each was deprived of a defence that was likely to succeed".


Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, is urging EU member states to pick more female candidates to serve on his top team.

The UK is among a number of governments to have nominated a man for one of the top jobs in the EU's executive body.
Mr Juncker said a Commission without a strong female representation would "neither be legitimate nor credible".
But No 10 said Mr Juncker had not been in touch to raise concerns about the gender of the UK's male candidate.
David Cameron surprised many in Westminster last month when he chose Lord Hill, the former leader of the House of Lords, to be the UK's next representative on the European Commission.
No 10 has said it hopes he will get one of the top economic jobs, which include competition, trade, the internal market and digital services.
No 10 has insisted Lord Hill, who was an adviser to John Major during negotiations on the Maastricht Treaty, has the right skills and experience to make the UK's influence felt at a time when Mr Cameron wants to renegotiate the country's membership and hold a referendum on its future in the EU in 2017.
EU leaders will discuss the allocation of jobs at a summit in Brussels this weekend, with the focus expected to be on who will succeed the UK's Baroness Ashton as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Mr Juncker, the former Luxembourg prime minister whose appointment was opposed by Mr Cameron, said he was unhappy with the gender ratio of the nominations he had received and was appealing to several EU leaders to reconsider them.
All other 27 member states - excluding Luxembourg - get to nominate one candidate each and they all have to be ratified by the European Parliament before taking office in November.
France, Germany, Spain, Greece and Ireland have also nominated male candidates, with Sweden and Italy among only a handful of the EU's 28 members to have selected women.
"A Commission without a significant number of women is, in my view, neither legitimate nor credible," Mr Juncker told Austria's Der Kurier newspaper.
"That is why I am continuing to insist with several heads of state and governments that they send me a female candidate."
If there continued to be an imbalance between male and female nominations, he said he would "need to redress" this through his allocation of jobs.
"Female commissioners will then certainly have very good chances of landing an important portfolio or of getting one of the most sought-after posts of vice-president, acting as my deputies."
The BBC's political correspondent Carole Walker said Downing Street had made clear Mr Cameron and Mr Juncker had not spoken since meeting in July - after the latter's candidacy was approved by EU leaders.
The UK government, she added, wanted appointments to the commission to have a balance in terms of gender, geography, small and large countries, old and new EU members.
Baroness Ashton was the UK's first female commissioner when she was chosen by Gordon Brown in 2009. She has served as vice-president of the Commission as well as High Representative.


A gunman has opened fire at Turkish journalist Can Dundar, who is standing trial in Istanbul  on charges of revealing state secrets.

The assailant fired at least three shots outside the court, eyewitnesses said. Mr Dundar escaped unharmed but a reporter was reportedly injured.
Police say they have arrested the suspected gunman.
Erdem Gul, a former colleague of Mr Dundar who is also on trial, said the attacker shouted "traitor" as he fired.
Mr Dundar, a former newspaper editor, was briefing reporters outside the courthouse when the incident occurred.
He is standing trial alongside Mr Gul over a series of reports in Cumhuriyet newspaper that alleged Turkish intelligence operatives were transporting weapons to Syria in early 2014.
Both journalists face life in prison if convicted.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced international criticism over the decision to prosecute the two journalists.
They are among a number of journalists and human rights activists who have been detained or prosecuted in Turkey in recent months.