The UK and Welsh governments are backing a change to the law on the possession of wild bird eggs.

They say anyone able to prove their eggs were taken from the wild before 1981 should not be prosecuted.
The law was changed in 2004 to require a licence and proof eggs were taken before 1954 but this was ruled unlawful because of a lack of consultation.
Ministers say reinstating the so-called "pre-1981 defence" against liability would be a proportionate step.
Officials said "clarifying" the law in England and Wales would have the effect of focusing resources on prosecuting those currently collecting and trading eggs rather than punishing people who have built up or inherited historical collections.
The move, it is hoped, will encourage those with collections of scientific value to hand them over to museums for research.
While the practice of collecting wild bird eggs is in decline, the two governments' joint consultation found that illegal activity was still going on and there was a need for legislation outlawing it - which first came into force in 1981 - to remain on the statute book.
The majority of those who responded to a consultation carried out by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs called for the so-called pre-1981 defence - which takes its name from the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act - to be reinstated.
When the Act was passed, it was specified that no-one would be prosecuted who could establish that their eggs were taken from the wild before the legislation came into force.
However, this was superseded in 2004 when the law was changed to make eggs taken after the passage of the 1954 Protection of Birds Act the "burden of proof" for criminal liability.
Critics of the move argue this has had the effect of retrospectively criminalising anyone who collected bird eggs legally between 1954 and 1981.
The regulations were approved by Parliament in 2004 via a statutory instrument, without a full debate, and were designed to bring the UK into line with an EU directive on the definition of wild birds.
But they were later deemed unlawful because the public had not been properly consulted on the issue of removing the pre-1981 exemption.
In a high-profile case, John Dodsworth's 2009 conviction for the illegal possession of nearly 1,000 wild bird eggs was quashed by the High Court in 2012 on the grounds that the 1981 pre-defence had been "effectively removed without consultation".
Lawyers for Mr Dodsworth, who had previous convictions for wildlife offences, argued he could not have known he was breaking the law by being in possession of a collection of eggs assembled by others over decades and given to him before 2004.
They also warned the law as it stood had major implications for museums and other holders of potentially valuable collections.
Defra has now concluded there would be no significant benefit to wildlife conservation in maintaining the existing regulations.
By reverting to the 1981 pre-defence, the department says it would ensure the UK complied with EU laws while making it more likely valuable collections were preserved and not disposed of in a hasty fashion.
"Reinstating the pre-1981 defence is a proportionate response to, what is now, a declining activity," it said.
In reaching its decision, the UK and Welsh governments noted that there was no forensic method to authenticate the age of eggs to determine the legality of individual collections.
The RSPCA said egg collecting had been "on the wane" since tougher penalties, including the risk of jail sentences, were introduced in 2001 but still posed a serious threat.
The charity, one of 16 organisations - including police forces and museums - and 18 individuals to respond to the consultation, said the 1981 law had been full of "loopholes" and it would have preferred the 2004 regulations to stay in place as part of the "legislative armoury" against offenders.
"We are going to go back to where we were," said Guy Shorrock, the organisation's senior investigations officer. "I suspect that there will be some egg collectors who will be pretty happy with this because they think it will make their life a bit easier."
But Mr Shorrock said it was not a "huge issue" and was unlikely to have a big impact on the amount of prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service. The CPS says it weighs up all the evidence, not just dates of possession, before deciding whether to launch proceedings.


More than 500 Sikhs from across Yorkshire have gathered in Doncaster to celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi.

It is the most celebrated event in the calendar for about 400,000 Sikhs in the UK.
The celebration, in the form of a religious procession known as a nagar kirtan, paraded through the town.
The colourful display includes hymn singing, martial-arts displays and handouts of free food and showcases the religion to the wider community.
The procession finished at the Gurdwara on Catherine Street after going along Roberts Road and Baxtergate.


The government has been forced to cancel its controversial new spelling and grammar test after it was accidentally put online by officials.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said the incident  was "clearly regrettable".
Half a million seven-year-olds in England had been due to take the tests next month, as part of their Sats.
Head teachers' leaders had called for the test to be scrapped as it had been used as practice by an unidentifiable number of schools.
On Thursday, the BBC News website reported that a spelling test from this new additional paper had been available on a Department for Education website, for use as practice material, since January.
The blunder was initially spotted by a teacher at one of 700 schools that was carrying out an official trial of the test, using the paper that was to be taken by pupils around England.
Russell Hobby, the leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "We have no way of knowing how extensively it has been used by schools and parents."
Mr Hobby said the schools minister had acted "quickly and appropriately" in cancelling this part of the Sats tests for seven-year-olds.
Mr Gibb issued a statement saying: "To remove any uncertainty and clarify the situation for schools, I have decided that we will remove the requirement on them to administer the Key Stage 1 grammar, punctuation and spelling test for this year only."
He said that no other test papers for Key Stage 1 pupils appeared to have been affected.
The schools minister also announced there would be a "root and branch inquiry" into the Standards and Testing Agency, an agency of the DfE that sets tests.
Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Standards and Testing Agency, said the blunder had been caused by "human error".
She said they were alerted that a sample paper posted online contained the live test words rather than the sample test words and removed the document from the website as soon as they were made aware.
The test, known as the SPAG, was being introduced this year for children in Year 2. Teaching unions criticised the move saying it introduced a technical approach to language for children too early.
Hundreds of thousands of papers, amid high security, will have been sent to schools in readiness for the statutory test to be taken in the first week of May.
Teacher Charlotte Smiles, who spotted the error when one of her pupils seemed to know all the questions before they were asked, said the mistake showed a "lack of management" and had made a "mockery" of the system.
"We received our papers last week and they are currently locked up in a secure location where only one person is allowed the key - and the spare key has got to be locked away in the safe as per all the guidance," she said.
"We are subject to quite a few security rules and if we don't follow those... we can have maladministration proceedings brought against us.
"That can spark an Ofsted [visit], and teachers and head teachers can lose their jobs.
"Yet the DfE have published it online anyway and I just wonder are they going to be suffering the same proceedings that we would."
Labour's shadow schools minister Nic Dakin said ministers were losing control of their department.
"Children, parents and teachers, waking up this morning to the news that all the work they have put into Sats preparation for the spelling and grammar test is for nothing, are paying the price for the failure and incompetence of ministers."
Responding later, a Department for Education spokeswoman agreed the incident was "regrettable" but said government reforms would improve children's learning.
"We are unapologetic about making sure every child is getting an education that helps them to reach their full potential," said the spokeswoman.
Key Stage 1 Sats are taken by six- and seven-year-olds in England at the end of Year 2.
Pupils take tests in:
The Key Stage 1 test results are used by teachers to reach an overall judgement of the standards pupils have reached in these key subjects.
Parents also receive a teacher assessment for science, though there is no science test.
A second set of tests are taken by 10- and 11-year-olds at the end of Year 6. These Key Stage 2 tests are used as a measure of school performance.


Loganair and bmi regional are joining forces, following the creation of a new regional airline group.

The group was created by holding company Airline Investments Limited (AIL), which has taken control of bmi regional.
AIL is owned by entrepreneurs Stephen and Peter Bond, who are also behind Glasgow Airport-based Loganair.
The combined group has 46 aircraft, flying 47 routes across 10 countries in Europe.
Its annual turnover is about Â£200m and it employs a total of 960 people.
AIL said the consolidation of the two airlines under one holding company would provide "natural efficiencies and economies of scale".
Each carrier will continue to operate as a distinct business and brand.
Bmi regional operates an all-jet fleet comprising 18 Embraer 135 and 145 aircraft.
Its registered office and operations control is located at Aberdeen Airport.
Loganair operates 28 aircraft and connects Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles to destinations in Scotland.
It also provides other regional air links from its operational bases at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkwall and Norwich.
The airline is a franchise partner of Flybe and a codeshare partner of British Airways.
The new group will by led by industry veteran Peter Simpson, former managing director of BA at Gatwick Airport and group managing director of bmi.
Mr Simpson said: "The opportunity to run the AIL Group, building on the turnaround programme at bmi regional and the continued success of Loganair, is very exciting.
"The AIL Group now has substantial size and reach; each brand has tremendous partnerships in their respective market.
"The two airlines operate in clear niche markets in vital roles such as feeding traffic to mainline carrier networks like Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines and British Airways, with Loganair operating a successful franchise with major regional carrier flybe.
"The opportunity now is to build on the synergies between the two sister airlines and deliver great benefits to our customers and partners alike."


Kidderminster Harriers beat Welling as two late goals kept their slim hopes of National League survival alive.

Colin Gordon's side looked on course to have relegation confirmed when they trailed to Kadell Daniel's early strike with just eight minutes remaining.
But Kelvin Langmead headed in an 82nd-minute equaliser from close range.
And, just three minutes later, James McQuilkin converted Ben Whitfield's cross to leave Harriers 11 points from safety with four matches to play.
Harriers remain bottom, three points behind 23rd-placed Welling, who have played a game more.


A former waitress who swapped her £6-per-hour job to become a £650-per-appearance Duchess of Cambridge lookalike has "become pregnant" to maintain accuracy.

Heidi Agan, 32, now has a "bump made in various sizes", she said.
The single mother-of-two from Corby, Northamptonshire quit her job at a Kettering restaurant last May after customers repeatedly said she looked like Kate Middleton.
She now travels across the UK and around the world to make appearances as a royal doppelganger.
"To have done 12 years of something you know and then to leap into an industry that gives with one hand and takes with another is difficult, but I'm just really happy and feel blessed that I did," she said.
Since the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge announced their forthcoming baby, lookalike Ms Agan has now prepared to appear with child.
"As Kate grows I will too - to be authentic I thought it was important," she said.
"It's difficult at the moment as she's not big enough yet to change her entire wardrobe so it's difficult to see how she's' going to dress it."
Since taking the showbiz plunge Ms Agan has made regular television, radio, corporate and newspaper appearances as the duchess.
"I did the Alan Titchmarsh Show and everywhere you turned there was another celebrity, " she said.
"You just have to pinch yourself as I can't believe it's happened.
"It was the same in New York. I went to Times Square with Good Morning America and was ferried around with security.
"It's just something I never thought would happen to me, but has turned out to be the most wonderful thing ever."
Ms Agan follows social media news about Kate Middleton to ensure her own wardrobe matches the duchess', and practices "her look" daily.
"The most expensive shoes I've bought as Kate were about £200, the dress was about £300 - which I don't think is that bad considering her original evening wedding dress by Alexander McQueen would have cost ten of thousands of pounds.
"I have to get the clothes, the mannerisms, the way she stands and interacts with William right. Things like that are all very important if I want to be the best."
Ms Agan said her children, aged 11 and four, are "proud" of what she's doing.
"It's just been incredible and I feel so blessed with it and without the support of my family I just couldn't do it," she said.
"Appearing as Kate has given me the opportunity to spend more time with my own children than if I was doing my waitressing job and that's priceless."
But she refused to be drawn on who she found most attractive between the royal brothers.
"I don't think either William or Harry are my type, they are too tall... is that diplomatic enough?," she said.
People in Corby were treated to a "royal appearance" on Saturday when Ms Agan appeared for an event in the town's Corporation Street.


Two people suffered minor head injuries when part of the roof collapsed at Manchester's Victoria Station because of heavy rain.

Several panels fell to the ground at about 16:30 BST above Platforms 1 and 2.
Eye witnesses said "gallons of water" fell on people standing on a platform when the panels collapsed.
The main concourse was later also sealed off over fears other parts of the roof could collapse.
BBC North West Tonight reporter Peter Marshall said:  "Other panels are bowing under the weight of the water."
Contractors for Northern Rail are repairing the roof and services are running normally.
Jenna Barton, from Bolton, told the BBC:  "I was just at the ticket gate and then I heard a massive crack and I then just saw, like, gallons of water fall down on top of the train.
"I don't know whether people were boarding or leaving the train, but it hit quite a few people and then I saw a lady on the floor, obviously drenched from the water. She'd been hurt."
Rachel Fish from Saddleworth was waiting to board a train when the collapse happened.
She said: "People were shocked. They were stood around wondering what else was going to come down from the roof."
The two injured passengers were taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary in one ambulance.
A Northern Rail statement said: "Emergency services have attended to treat two customers with minor injuries.
"The station remains open, as do all platforms with no disruption to services."
The station reopened last year following a Â£44m upgrade, which included a new roof.


Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has been included in Manchester United's 25-man Premier League squad.

The 32-year-old World Cup winner was told by new United boss Jose Mourinho recently that he was unlikely to play for the Old Trafford club again.
The former Germany captain retired from international football earlier this week after 24 goals and 121 caps.
All 20 top-flight clubs had to submit their 25-man squads to the Premier League by 16:00 BST on Thursday.
Under-21 players - like Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial - are eligible over and above the limit of 25 players per squad.
Schweinsteiger, who signed a three-year contract in July 2015, has trained alone and with the under-23s since Mourinho took charge in the summer.
The former Bayern Munich star said he "will be ready if the team needs me" but Mourinho says Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick are above him in the pecking order.
"We have five players for two positions," said the United boss, who took over from Louis van Gaal. "It's very difficult that an opportunity will arrive."


It was described as "the Mona Lisa" of Vienna and for years was the main attraction of Austria's Vienna Belvedere Gallery: Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, known as The Lady in Gold, is one of the most famous paintings in the world.

The story of how it came to be moved from Austria, to hang in the Neue Galerie in New York, is now the story of a film, Woman in Gold, starring Dame Helen Mirren.
"It was theft by the Nazis," says Dame Helen.
"That painting belonged to the family of an Austrian Jew called Maria Altman, of which she was the surviving member after the Holocaust. Adele Bloch-Bauer was her aunt.
"The Nazis looted the painting and after the war it took pride of place in the Belvedere. Maria mistakenly believed for years it had been donated to them, and it was only at the age of 82 after discovering the truth, that she launched a lawsuit to get it back."
Made by BBC Films and directed by Simon Curtis, who made My Week With Marilyn, Woman in Gold sees Dame Helen [clearly playing Maria a lot younger than she was]  starring opposite Ryan Reynolds, who plays the young lawyer who took on Altman's case.
The Austrian government refused to settle with Altman because, the actress says, "the problem was that they were iconic pictures. At the time of painting by Klimt, they were thought of as being decadent, and even though they were looted, the Nazis didn't particularly approve of them".
"But after the war they ended up in the Belvedere, the British equivalent of the National Gallery, and when you went to Vienna, if you bought a souvenir mug or fridge magnet, it would probably have The Lady in Gold on it. Then there's this little old woman saying: 'I'm sorry, that's mine'. The shock was huge.
"Maria Altman was a really remarkable woman, and I wish I had managed to meet her before she died," says the actress.
"It's a story of justice against the odds, that's why I wanted to do it, there's courtroom drama in there too, and also the relationship of an older woman and a younger man, which you don't often get. It was rich pickings for an actress."
True stories of art theft - whether 2014's Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, or The Monuments Men, directed by George Clooney - have become popular with film-makers in recent years.
Dame Helen says such films, if seen by enough people, can change government policy, even though Altman had to defeat the Austrian government in a court of law in 2006 in order to have the painting returned to her.
"We show in this film the art becomes a symbol of a stolen life and stolen memories," she says.
"I believe the necklace belonging to Adele in the original portrait actually went to Hermann Goering's wife and ended up round her neck at Nazi parties.
That generation of Austrian Jews, in many cases, lost their whole families. It's totally incomprehensible and for Maria, it was much more than getting a painting back.
"When we filmed in Vienna, the government and the new mayor were wonderful to us and said they had great respect for Maria Altman because she made them look again at their history, even though they were not comfortable with doing it, and admit their mistakes."
After the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938, looting and destruction of Jewish homes and businesses followed. Around 94 synagogues were destroyed - and much of the persecution is shown in the film.
Altman and her husband were one of the few lucky Jewish families who escaped Austria - first to Liverpool, and then to Los Angeles, where Altman set up a cashmere shop.
Dame Helen, whose own Russian ancestors had to find refuge in Britain, calls the film "very relevant, very contemporary. There's never a year when it won't be relevant because it's always happening to one community in the world, whoever they happen to be. It's in our nature as humans to demonise 'the other'.
"It's always important to remind ourselves of the reality of what happened in Europe because we are losing the generation who witnessed it and who could articulate what happened at first hand.
"There's a line in the film which says:  'It's all about the Holocaust to you people'. Well actually yes, it is all about the Holocaust if you experienced it. It happened, and don't try and sweep it under the carpet.
"Maria Altman was always grateful to the British for allowing her refuge in Britain on her way to California. It's even more difficult for refugees to find safe havens in the contemporary world, but then you read about ships of Jewish people being turned away by Britain and the USA during the war.
"It's a constant human dilemma of how to react to someone else's trouble, and of the ignorance of not understanding."
Altman died in 2011, aged 94, having been awarded £11m in compensation for the theft, as well as selling The Lady in Gold to the Neue Galerie in New York for £73m - on the condition it was always on display.
Dame Helen says: "She gave most of her fortune away. It really never was about how much the painting was worth, it was about getting her aunt back, and about justice."
Woman in Gold is out in the UK on 10 April.


Welsh cyclist Ciara Horne is giving up the chance to ride professionally on the Women's World Tour next year in a bid to win an Olympic title.

Horne won her first national title in the team pursuit at the National Track Championships in Manchester last week.
The 26-year-old says she is leaving her road cycling team in order to turn her attention to the 2016 Rio Games.
"This is the right thing for me to do now and put my eggs into one basket and try and make the Games," Horne said.
Warwickshire-born Horne, who represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, won the national team pursuit title with Joanna Rowsell Shand, Dame Sarah Storey and Katie Archibald.
Horne has spent four years working alongside Storey, who has announced her team Podium Ambition will turn professional for the start of the Women's World Tour in 2016.
But with just four competitions left to gain selection, Horne insists her main concern is being part of the team pursuit in Rio.
"For me moving forward, the main focus between now and Rio, will be team pursuit," Horne told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"Everything is about going quicker over that 4km distance with the girls.
"The smartest thing to do is to focus solely on that and leave the road."


Salford is being flooded with crack cocaine and heroin following the murder of so-called "Mr Big", Paul Massey, underworld sources have told the BBC.

The shooting of a seven-year-old boy and his mother is the latest being linked to a violent turf war over drugs involving some of Massey's associates.
Christian Hickey and his mother Jayne were shot at their home on Monday.
Police sources say drugs, money laundering and respect issues are behind the recent rise in violence.
They believe the gun used to shoot Christian and his mother has been used in eight shootings in the North West - at least one of which is linked to the current feud.
The BBC has been told that following the shooting of Massey in July this year, there is "more crack cocaine and heroin on the streets of Salford than ever".
"Some of Massey's firm are peddling heroin and he would never have stood for it," the source said.  "It looks like there is a battle for control of his firm."
Another source told the BBC: "Most of the so-called gangsters in Salford are just young lads and guns are so available.
"The lads have no pity or conscience, the streets are flooded with cocaine and it is only going to get worse. The police have lost control."
The source said the shootings were part of a "drugs war" in the area.
Massey, 55, a well-known figure in Greater Manchester, was shot dead outside his home and his killer is still at large.
Labelled "Mr Big", Massey was jailed in 1999 for 14 years over a stabbing and unsuccessfully stood to be Salford mayor in 2012.
Asked if crack cocaine and heroin are flooding the streets of Greater Manchester, a police source told the BBC:  "There is a big problem with serious and organised crime and this (drugs) is included."
The source added it was also about "respect" and the recent shootings were about the "turf war and money laundering and not just drugs".
On Thursday, police released images of Christian in his hospital bed.
Bullet casings have been removed from his leg and are being forensically examined.
Talking about the shooting, his 29-year-old mother said: "I saw blood pouring from him, I screamed for his Dad. I knew he had been shot and I couldn't help him."
Officers made a direct appeal on Thursday to the "mothers, grandmothers, aunties and sisters of Salford to search their conscience" following the shooting, after being confronted with a wall of silence.
Detectives have issued descriptions of the two men thought to be responsible for the attack on the Hickeys.
The first is aged about 19 or 20 years old, of "chunky" build and with a local accent. The second man is only described as white.
Both men are believed to have been wearing baseball caps.
Speaking on Thursday, Assistant Chief Constable Rebekah Sutcliffe said the shooting would be "etched on Christian's memory forever".
Saturday 10 October
1. 00:15: A man is wounded in the back after being shot through the window of his house in Mossbrook Drive, Little Hulton, Salford.
2. 22:00: Police are called to a house in Worsley Road, Bolton, after shots are fired by a gunman on a motorcycle, according to witnesses. No-one is hurt.
3. 23:30: Ninety minutes later shots are fired through the ground-floor window of a house on Gorse Drive, Little Hulton, Salford. No-one is hurt.
Monday 12 October
4. 21:30: Jayne Hickey and her son Christian, 7, are shot and injured on the doorstep of their house on Gillingham Road, Eccles, Salford.


A foreign detainee is reportedly in a critical condition after setting himself on fire at a detention centre in Western Australia.

The incident took place on Tuesday night at Yongah Hill centre north of Perth, government officials said.
"This person and two detention service providers who rendered assistance are receiving appropriate medical care," officials said in a statement.
The Afghan man, 40, sustained burns to 90% of his body, local media said.
Refugee advocates last month called for an inquiry into conditions at Yongah, after the death of a 27-year-old Afghan detainee who was attacked in a brawl at the centre.
The centre holds migrants seeking asylum and visa holders facing deportation for committing violent crimes.
Australia has adopted tough laws regarding people seeking asylum.
Anyone who arrives by boat is held on offshore detention centres in places such as Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
It also has a number of mainland detention centres, such as the one at Yongah Hill.
The man, who wrapped himself in a sheet and poured accelerant on himself, was flown to the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, reported the West Australian newspaper.


A temporary stop notice has been issued to halt work on a Cheltenham house, where a Banksy artwork appeared.

Locals have been trying to save the "Spy Booth" mural after it was claimed it had been sold and would be removed.
On Tuesday, it looked "increasingly likely" the work would be removed after efforts by local businesses to save it stalled.
But Cheltenham Borough Council has served a notice to stop work on the house on Fairview Road for 28 days.
The artwork, depicting men "snooping" on a telephone box, appeared in April.
Banksy later admitted painting the work on a house three miles from the government communications headquarters, GCHQ.
Last week, businesswoman Angela DeSouza failed in an attempt to raise £1m within a self-imposed six-hour deadline to make an offer.
She was also unable to raise an initial £100,000 needed to prevent the sale by the end of Monday, which was the actual deadline.
On Tuesday, Robin Barton from the Bankrobber gallery in London, said "pressure is growing on the owners" to accept a seven-figure deal from an American.
Now the borough council has stepped in to stop work on the Grade II listed building to allow "discussions to take place about the next steps".
Mark Nelson, the council's built environment enforcement manager, said: "The temporary stop notice has been served because the council considers that works have taken place, without obtaining consent.
"It is worth clarifying that whilst the council is supportive of the public's desire to keep the artwork on this property, the temporary stop notice has been issued to protect the integrity of this listed building."


There are many "what ifs" when it comes to Wales and the World Cup but, exactly 20 years on from their most recent qualifying near-miss, the pain remains.

If you can bear it, cast your mind back to 17 November 1993. In the final game of their campaign, Wales needed to beat Romania in Cardiff to make it to USA 94.
With half an hour to go and the score 1-1, the Welsh were awarded a penalty. Controversial spot-kicks against them had cost them a place at the 1978 and 1986 World Cups. Here, then, was the perfect way to ensure Wales would not miss the party this time.
By now, even the English were watching: with Wales the only home nation with a chance of progressing, the BBC abandoned coverage of their game in San Marino to show events in Cardiff live as Swindon defender Paul Bodin took the ball and placed it on the spot.
Viewing figures increased from 2.2 million to 12.9 million after the switch, although 34,000 people phoned the BBC in the space of five minutes to complain. If they kept watching, though, they witnessed a moment that remains engrained in the Welsh national psyche.
Instead of putting Wales a giant step nearer to the United States, Bodin smashed his spot-kick against the crossbar. The chance was gone.
A late Romania winner confirmed a miserable night for Wales, which turned to tragedy when a fan, John Hill, was killed by a marine distress flare fired across the stadium after the final whistle.
Wales have not come close to qualifying for a World Cup in the two decades that have followed and Bodin's miss remains a symbol of Welsh hopes dashed.
But a look back at the game shows how unfair it is to make him the scapegoat. And a closer look at his career shows he is actually remembered for two penalties, not one.
Wales' World Cup bid could not have got off to a worse start. In their first game, in Bucharest, they were 5-0 down to the Romanians by half-time, eventually losing 5-1.
But the matches that followed, particularly at home, put Terry Yorath's side right back in the reckoning.
By the time of the return fixture, the Welsh were unbeaten in 10 games on their own turf.
Romania (a) Lost 1-5
Faroe Islands (h) Won 6-0
Cyprus (a) Won 1-0
Belgium (a) Lost 0-2
Belgium (h) Won 2-0
RCS* (a) Drew 1-1
Faroe Islands (a) Won 3-0
RCS* (h) Drew 2-2
Cyprus (h) Won 2-0
Romania (h) Lost 1-2
* Combined Czech Republic & Slovak team
The decision to switch their matches to the national rugby stadium, Cardiff Arms Park, was a masterstroke and had seen them beat sides of the calibre of Brazil and reigning world champions Germany. Romania, even with a magician like Gheorghe Hagi in their team, held no fears.
"We were at home, with fantastic support from the 40,000 crowd," recalled Bodin. "The build-up was perfect. There was a real feeling we could beat anyone, among players, fans and the nation in general.
"The days before the Romania game were brilliant with the amount of exposure we got, the number of people asking me to get tickets. It was a sell-out and everyone believed we could win."
Wales captain Barry Horne, who played every minute of the campaign, added: "Beforehand, there was no doubt we would do it.
"Right before kick-off [Yorath's assistant] Peter Shreeves said to us 'go out there and have a look at the player you are up against, and all the players in their team. Ask yourself if they are good enough to stop you from going to the World Cup finals'.
"Those were his last words before we ran out and I remember thinking to myself 'no, they are not'."
Four teams were in with a shout of progressing out of Group Four before the final fixtures kicked off - Belgium, the RCS (a combined Czech Republic and Slovakia side), Romania and Wales. All of them were in action.
"We only needed a draw to qualify but from the start we tried to keep the ball and not give Wales too many chances," said Romania winger Ilie Dumitrescu.
"We knew they had their supporters behind them and against us. So we did not sit back, and we tried not to give their fans any exciting moments."
A skilful Romania side did far more than simply keep the home fans quiet. They battered their hosts early on.
They created chance after chance in the first half, and took the lead when Hagi danced in unopposed from the right wing and scored with a shot that bounced in front of Neville Southall and skidded under him.
"I made a mistake," Yorath said this week. "Before the game I meant to tell the players that once Hagi drifts over to the right, he likes to come in on his left and hit a shot.
"But really, Nev should have done better. It went through him."
Southall agrees, telling BBC Radio Wales in a special show marking the anniversary: "I am sick and tired of people blaming Paul Bodin for the defeat because they are totally wrong. I should have saved that first goal. If I could have come off then, I would have done."
But the game changed dramatically in the second half when Dean Saunders hooked in an equaliser from close range and, roared on by their fans, Wales poured forward in search of more goals.
Two minutes after Saunders had equalised, Gary Speed latched on to a Jeremy Goss cross inside the Romania area before tumbling under a Dan Petrescu challenge. Swiss referee Kurt Rothlisberger pointed to the spot.
"When Wales got the penalty, I thought we were finished," said Dumitrescu.
I am sick and tired of people blaming Paul Bodin for the defeat because they are totally wrong. I should have saved that first goal
"Because of the way the match had gone, with us missing some very good chances, I was thinking our opportunity had passed and now this was their big chance to go the World Cup."
While the Romania players argued with Rothlisberger, Bodin made his way towards the penalty area.
"I remember turning to see Paul walk up the pitch from his left-back position and thinking he looked white as a sheet," captain Horne told BBC Radio Wales.
Was he feeling the pressure? "I felt confident," said Bodin, "I wouldn't have stepped up if I didn't think I could score."
Bodin was trying to keep his concentration during the delay, and Romania goalkeeper Florin Prunea tried to distract him.
"While the referee was talking to the players, I saw the keeper pick up the ball and kiss it," he said. "I watched him do it and, where he kissed it, I wiped it into the ground. I don't know why, it was just by instinct.
"But that is not an excuse. I kept my mind and I kept my focus, and I just hit it as hard as I could. That was how I took penalties, by drilling them rather than placing them."
Bodin, who had scored all three of his previous penalties for Wales, certainly got enough power behind his shot - so much that the ball crashed off the bar and flew back high over his head.
"The crossbars at the Arms Park were oval, not round," Bodin explained. "I had hit it on the apex, so it came right back out. So if it had been half an inch lower it might have hit underneath the bar, and bounced down and maybe in."
Wales hopes were not over after the miss. Ian Rush and Saunders both forced good saves from Prunea but, at the other end, Romania were also going close. Dumitrescu fired over after a weaving run and Florin Raducioiu missed a virtually open goal.
By now the game was wide open, but Romania's capacity for counter-attack proved decisive. They scored what proved the winner after 83 minutes.
"We were very fast breaking forward when we recovered the ball," remembers Dumitrescu. "I received the ball from Gheorghe Popescu in midfield and passed two or three players. One of them tried to foul me, tactically, but I did not stop.
"I saw Florin Raducioiu was in a very good position and, when he beat Southall, I thought 'we are going to the World Cup'."
As Wales trudged off deflated at the final whistle, the Romanians celebrated - and the flare that would kill John Hill was fired across the ground. Hill's death put Wales' failure in perspective, especially for Bodin.
"It was horrendous. I had seen the flare fly over our heads as we came off," said Bodin. "He was there to watch a game of football but he would not be going home."
The mood was bleak among the Wales players afterwards. Southall, devastated by his mistake for the first goal, wanted to quit international football.
"I spoke to Shreeves after the game about giving up," revealed Southall. "I won't tell you what he said, but it ended in 'off'."
I do not want to sound like my miss for Wales did not matter, because it did. It was the lowest moment of my career. But I just had to get on with things. I had to bounce back
Yorath, meanwhile, knew his five-year stint as manager was over - his contract expired the following day - and Bodin was also at rock bottom.
"My wife and my mum were at the game and I remember seeing their faces in the bar afterwards," he said. "All of the boys told me it wasn't my fault but for me it was like the world had come to an end, and I did not get any sleep that night, or the night afterwards."
He remembers getting teased by Swindon players in training the morning after but, crucially, his manager John Gorman pulled him to one side and told him he would carry on taking penalties for the Robins.
"As is quite commonly known, we were awarded a penalty the following Saturday, against Ipswich," added Bodin. "I scored it. It was my duty as a professional not to let what happened for Wales affect what happened for my club.
"I do not want to sound like my miss for Wales did not matter, because it did. It was the lowest moment of my career. But I just had to get on with things. I had to bounce back."
Bodin would go to the United States for the World Cup the following summer, but only as a spectator.
Instead it was Romania who embarked on a World Cup adventure. With an imperious Hagi one of the stars of the tournament, they shocked Argentina and reached the quarter-finals - where they, in turn, went out after failing from the spot.
"The Wales game is remembered as being one of the most important games in Romania for our generation. When we got to America we had a great tournament but I also know how it feels when your team misses a vital penalty," added Dumitrescu.
He scored in a topsy-turvy shoot-out against Sweden but Miodrag Belodedici missed, and Romania were out. "It was our big chance to reach the semi-finals, but in a moment it was gone." Bodin will surely sympathise - a little.
"To be honest with you, that was the lowest point in all our careers," Horne said this week. "My way of dealing with it was to put it in a box and try never ever to think about it. I still do, of course, but I try not to because it is so heartbreaking."
Bodin, now 49 and coach of the Wales Under-17 side, has also had to come to terms with his miss. Thankfully, he has been able to move on.
"It still sits there in my head and it is obviously still talked about," Bodin said. "The most disappointing thing for me is that, unlike some players who miss a vital penalty, I never got the opportunity to put things right."
He has other fonder memories of his international career, like playing the pass that saw Rush run clear to score the winner against Germany in a European Championship qualifier in 1991.
And, if we are going to attempt to define Bodin's career by a penalty, then it is only fair to count a crucial one he scored too, five months earlier, for Swindon against Leicester in the 1993 play-off final that would decide who was promoted to the Premier League.
"There was probably more pressure on me at Wembley," said Bodin. "We had gone 3-0 up but been pegged back to 3-3. They were in the ascendancy when we got a penalty in the 84th minute. Again, I felt confident. That time, I scored.
"I still live in Swindon and that is the one that gets mentioned more there. I am sure it is different in Wales, though."


A schoolboy from North Ayrshire has been arrested over comments made on social media.

It is understood police officers went to a secondary school in Irvine on Monday as part of an investigation into Facebook messages.
A police spokeswoman said a 17-year-old boy had been detained in connection with an alleged offence under the Communications Act.
He was expected to appear at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court later.
The Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that on Monday, January 16, police received a report of an alleged offence contrary to the Communications Act 2003.
"As a result of police enquiries, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the incident.
"A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."
A spokesman for North Ayrshire Council said: "As the matter is now subject to court proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the council to comment."


A man has been charged over the death of a pedestrian who was hit by a car.

Nicholas Farrimond, from Bamber Bridge, died at the scene after being hit by a Peugeot on Pope Lane, Whitestake, in August 2016, Lancashire Police said.
Police said the 35-year-old was found during a search near the car, which was on its side in a nearby field.
Leo McCarthy, 32, of Robin Hey in Leyland, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.
He is due to appear at Preston Magistrates Court on 30 March.


The death of a man who was found in a field in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow is being treated as unexplained by police.

The man's body was discovered in a field near Belsyde Avenue at about 11:25 on Saturday.
Police said they were carrying out inquiries to establish the man's identity.
A post-mortem examination will be held to determine his cause of death.


The operator of Guernsey's public bus services has been fined more than £75,000 for dropped services over the past year.

Under CT Plus' contract with the States the subsidy it is paid is reduced when services are not run.
In June 2013 it was fined £68,679, after drivers held a one-day strike and weekday services were reduced.
Most of the fines have been allocated by the Environment Department to improve specific bus services.
The company has had service credits - the financial penalties - deducted in 11 of the past 12 months.
The most number of services were dropped in June 2013 when changes in working conditions led to drivers striking and working to rule, which led to the loss of a number of weekdays services.
Environment Minister Roger Domaille said if services had not improved from their low in June then the contract would have been terminated.
He said the money from the penalties was used to put on extra journeys, such as those that improved the frequency of services to Torteval.
Deputy Domaille said: "[Service credits have] proved to be a spur to encourage them... to get a much better service, which is what we have now."
The company's three-year contract is due to end in March, when it is due to go out to tender.


Are we set for another shock at the 2014 Fifa World Cup?

It is day 24, the day on which the final four will be completed. Can Costa Rica extend one of the great World Cup stories and reach the semi-finals? Can Lionel Messi continue his quest to replicate the feats of Diego Maradona and lift the trophy for Argentina?
Today at the World Cup tells you everything you need to know, from who you can expect to win and which players to watch out for, to how to ensure you do not miss any of the action.
Argentina v Belgium (17:00 BST)
Mark Lawrenson: "The pressure on Lionel Messi to perform has been massive. So far he has delivered and Argentina will undoubtedly have the best player on the pitch on Friday.
"But I think Belgium have got the best team and they will have too much for Argentina in all areas."
Lawro's prediction: Argentina 0-2 Belgium
Netherlands v Costa Rica (21:00 BST)
Lawrenson: "This is when we find out how much the Netherlands' gruelling win over Mexico in the last 16 took out of their players.
"Organisation, fitness and athleticism are all strengths of this Costa Rica side but I still think the Dutch have more quality, and that will take them into the last four."
Lawro's prediction: Netherlands 2-0 Costa Rica
He is 22, helped Feyenoord finish last season as runners-up in the Dutch league and is now one step away from playing in the World Cup semi-finals.
His name is Bruno Martins Indi, and Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal rates him highly.
The left-sided defender was part of a three-man backline given the task of blunting Spain's tiki-taka in the opening game - regarded as Netherlands' toughest match in the group phase.
The Dutch won 5-1, and Martins Indi dominated Diego Costa, though perhaps he did not expect the Brazil-born frontman's frustrations to result in an apparent headbutt, unnoticed by the referee.
Martins Indi mainly occupied an area about 40 yards from his own goal. Because of Spain's constant movement he covered 10,228m - with 9,355m the Netherlands average.
He is athletic, strong, seemingly fearless and has also given further evidence to those who believe there is always in-fighting when the Dutch attend major championships.
Before the tournament began, Martins Indi left team-mate Arjen Robben prostrate on the training-ground pitch following a heavy tackle.
"Arjen is a good dribbler. I thought he fell needlessly once," Martins Indi said. "We had a little head-to-head."
Having fully recovered from the concussion he suffered against Australia, he has a great opportunity to underline his status as one of the world's brightest defensive prospects.
What they say:
"Sometimes you can't stand in the way of a player who needs a bigger stage to develop into a world-class player."
Former Feyenoord manager Ronald Koeman
How many Belgium players will be handed the honour of marking Lionel Messi?
Coach Marc Wilmots, who played at three World Cups, said: "We won't only be watching Messi." He will surely be their main focus, though.
So who will be Messi's shadow? And will the Barcelona attacker be able do what compatriot Diego Maradona did to Belgium in Mexico 28 years ago, scoring twice in a 2-0 win?
It could be left to Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini to upset the Argentine. In the last-16 game against the USA, the 26-year-old chased the likes of Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Fabian Johnson - three players with high work-rates matched by a player who, on his day, can be very effective both in front of defence and in support of the attack.
His Fifa heat map for that match is quite extraordinary - he covered 16,268m over the 120 minutes. The team average was 12,789m.
On Saturday, it could be a case of 'the Tortoise v the Hare'. Messi has by far the greater pace, but if it is 0-0 after 80 minutes, who will have the greater stamina?
Argentina have won three of their four encounters with Belgium, scoring 10 goals and conceding four.
Belgium have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup for only the second time in their history after 1986. They eventually finished fourth.
Argentina have been victorious in six of their seven World Cup games that have gone to extra time.
Belgium have only been ahead for 52 minutes in their four World Cup games so far in 2014, less than any of the seven other teams in the quarter-finals.
Netherlands have won 10 of their past 11 World Cup matches, the only defeat in that run being by Spain in the 2010 final.
Seven different players have scored for the Netherlands at this World Cup.
Costa Rica are unbeaten in four World Cup games for the very first time (W2 D2).
Los Ticos became the first Concacaf team since the USA in 2002 to reach the quarter-final phase of the World Cup.
Media playback is not supported on this device
We have touched on it already, but it is only fair this moment of nostalgia is given a good airing.
The year was 1986. Midfield wizard Diego Maradona had just given Argentina a 'helping hand' in seeing off World Cup quarter-final opponents England (also, it must be said, scoring a wonderful goal).
His team now faced a talented Belgium side led by Club Brugge's Jan Ceulemans and featuring the wonderful midfield talents of Enzo Scifo.
Maradona turned on the style again; scoring the first with a clever dink before collecting the ball from 40 yards out, surging away from his markers and adding a glorious second in the 2-0 win at the Azteca Stadium.
"I believe we were defeated by the best player," said Belgium coach Guy Thys. "If you put Maradona in my team, then Belgium would play in the final match."
Brasilia, the host city for Argentina v Belgium, is located in the Brazilian Highlands in the centre of the country.
The city was designed by the late Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and is divided into numbered blocks and sectors, which specialise in certain activities. There are areas for hotel accommodation, banking or foreign embassies, as well as a mansions sector, with large houses belonging to the city's most affluent residents.
Inside the aeroplane-shaped city centre, the architecture is striking and crime rates are relatively low. But the city's inequality is evident in its underdeveloped satellite cities, which are plagued with poverty and crime.
For the best of BBC Sport's in-depth content and analysis, go to our features and video page.


The speaker of the Irish parliament has said a Dublin man held in prison in Egypt is in "very good spirits", but is frustrated by his situation.

Ibrahim Halawa, 21, the son of Ireland's most senior Muslim cleric, was arrested during anti-government protests in Cairo in August 2013.
A cross-party group of TDs met Ibrahim Halawa in prison in Egypt.
The delegation was led by the Dail Speaker (ceann comhairle) Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
Speaking to RTÉ News from Egypt, Mr Ó Fearghaíl said Mr Halawa "looked healthy and was in very good spirits despite being deeply frustrated" by his situation.
He said the 21-year-old made repeated requests to be allowed to return home.
Mr Halawa told the TDs about a hunger strike that he has been on intermittently. The delegation asked him to refrain from the strike and look after his health.
On Wednesday, the TDs will meet with the Egyptian president and the speaker of the parliament.
Mr Halawa has been charged, along with 463 others, with inciting violence, rioting and sabotage.
His trial has been postponed 17 times.
The Irish government has been lobbying for Mr Halawa's release and deportation to Ireland.
His family has denied claims that Mr Halawa is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest and largest Islamist organisation.
The Egyptian government has declared it a terrorist group, a claim the organisation rejects.


Jermaine McGillvary scored two tries to keep Huddersfield's fading Super League top eight hopes alive and hand a first defeat in 11 to leaders Hull FC.

Having led 8-0 at half-time, three tries to two after the break sealed it.
Giants are four points adrift of a Super 8s place with three games of the regular season to play, although they need other results to go their way.
Hull stay top, two points clear of Wigan, who play fourth-placed Catalans Dragons on Saturday.
Lee Radford's side were firm favourites to continue their fine form but a Giants side potentially playing under interim head coach Andy Kelly for the final time, showed aggression and hard-running to unsettle the visitors.
Jake Connor, a player bound for the Black and Whites next season, proved a pivotal figure with his running, smart hands and notably his kicking game.
They went ahead when Jamie Ellis screwed a dangerous kick behind the Hull line that Michael Lawrence chased down to score, and Ellis' penalty in the last moments of the half extended their lead.
Seven times Hull had trailed at the break this season, going on to reverse the deficit to win in four of them, and they looked like they might repeat that feat when Danny Washbrook rumbled across on the back of a penalty to get the visitors on the board.
The fightback was snuffed out when Symonds raced onto another Ellis tester to push the Giants' lead out to 14-6, and twice they got the ball wide to McGillvary with smart hands to take his tally of career tries to 150.
Mahe Fonua reduced the deficit when he crossed but Huddersfield held on to record back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
Huddersfield interim head coach Andy Kelly told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It feels good, it feels good for the players who have copped a lot of flak after the Wakefield defeat.
"We talked about honesty and trust and building respect back for each other and the players were really open minded about what they wanted to do to achieve that.
"They went out there and expressed themselves, the youngsters matched the older guys and worked to fill the gaps and the senior players led from the front."
Hull FC head coach Lee Radford told BBC Radio Humberside:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"The score flattered us, we spoke about how predictive we were on our shifts.
"After we got back to 8-6 we got schooled in how to play wet weather rugby, absolutely clinical in putting the goal in the in foal and making us make tackle after tackle.
"I have to question the patience we didn't show, their halves' game management was absolutely superb.
"This weather is Grand Final weather and if you're not prepared to show patience at that time of the year there are no rings on anyone's fingers."
Huddersfield: Connor; McGillvary, Cudjoe, S. Wood, Murphy; Ellis, Brierley; Rapira, Leeming, Ta'ai, Symonds, Lawrence, Hinchcliffe.
Replacements: Crabtree, K. Wood, Mason, Roberts.
Hull: Naughton; Michaels, Fonua, Tuimavave, Talanoa; Pryce, Sneyd, Taylor, Houghton, Green, Manu, Minichiello, Pritchard.
Replacements: Thompson, Hadley, Bowden, Washbrook.
Referee: Chris Kendall (RFL)


An under-stairs cupboard has been put up for rent in London for £500 a month plus bills.

Alex Lomax, 23, went to view the flatshare in Clapham, south-west London, which was described as "furnished" in an online listing.
Ms Lomax, who posted images on Twitter of the "bed under the stairs", said: "I was obviously shocked but was all-too-polite, I think."
The BBC has contacted the landlord for comment.
Ms Lomax, who travelled from Nottingham to view the property, said: "There was a landlord and I was shown the kitchen and the under-stairs cupboard - he seemed deadly serious, which is the worrying part.
"He said, 'You would be sharing with three others people', and I just wanted to get out of there, so I made my excuses and left.
"I wish I'd been more angry because it's clearly ridiculous and I'm annoyed at myself for basically just making my excuses."
The listing on the london2let.com website advertises for a "friendly, open-minded and outgoing person" to join the house share.
It adds: "We're a good bunch and like to chill out a lot together - not really looking for somebody that just wants to stay in their room. Room comes with a bed."
Ms Lomax said the man who showed her the room "didn't apologise" for its condition, and told her "it was the last room to rent in the place".
Matt Hutchinson, director of flat and houseshare website SpareRoom.co.uk, said the advert was a sign of the pressure on London's housing market.
"Average room rents in Clapham Junction are now £784 per month, so you can see why someone would be tempted by a £500 bargain, but this ad certainly isn't offering a room," he said.
"We've seen mattresses in kitchens, mattresses in sheds, in living rooms, and now we're seeing mattresses under the stairs. I dread to think what's next."


Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of a Los Angeles suburb after an off-duty policeman fired a gun during a fracas with teenagers.

The dispute began on Tuesday in Anaheim when an un-uniformed officer grabbed a 13-year-old boy walking across his lawn, accusing him of making a threat.
Footage of the incident shows two other youths shove and punch the officer, who pulls a pistol from his waistband.
About 300 people took to the streets of Anaheim on Wednesday night.
Several windows were smashed on homes during the rally, police said.
Some 24 people were arrested, including eight women and six juveniles, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Anaheim police told the newspaper the dispute arose from "ongoing issues" with young people walking across the officer's property.
During the ensuing argument, the LAPD officer detains the 13-year-old, whom he says threatened to shoot him.
The boy insists he only threatened to "sue" him, and accuses the officer of directing an obscene epithet at one of the girls in the group, which the man denies.
"Let me go," the boy says repeatedly.
During the stand-off, a group of young people stand by, telling the man to release him.
One of the young onlookers shoves the officer over a hedge and another throws a punch at him.
The man, still holding on to the 13-year-old, pulls a pistol and a single gunshot rings out, though it is not clear if he fired deliberately.
Police arrested two of the boys, but not the off-duty officer.
A 13-year-old faces charges of battery and making criminal threats.
A 15-year-old was detained on suspicion of assault and battery.
The off-duty officer has been placed on administrative leave, pending an inquiry.
An Anaheim woman, who claims to be the 13-year-old's mother, described the video on Facebook as "devastating" and "disturbing".


Residents on a road which has some of the UK'S highest pollution levels say they fear for the health of children.

In 2015 and 2016, recorded levels of nitrogen dioxide on the A472 at Hafodyrynys were higher than anywhere else apart from central London, according to government figures.
The level far exceeds World Health Organisation guidelines on acceptable levels.
Caerphilly council said it was looking at ways of improving the situation.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has monitoring boxes placed at locations around the UK, which monitor air pollution levels.
A box on the A472 is near Swffryd in an area where a high number of lorries travel between Crumlin and Pontypool, while motorists coming from the M4 and Heads of the Valleys also use it.
Levels recorded were higher than anywhere else apart from Marylebone Road in London while the figure was also higher than for monitoring boxes in Port Talbot, Cardiff and Swansea.
"I'm concerned about pollution on the children. Once you breathe it in day after day, it has got to make a difference especially on young lungs," said Merilyn Lewis.
"It is like living in the middle of the road."
Councillor Andrew Lewis said exhaust fumes came from lorries revving their engines to get up the hill and cars queuing during rush hour.
He has started a campaign against a proposed new access road from Tirpentwys down on to the A472, also known as Hafodyrynys Road, saying it is already too congested.
He said: "You won't see a window open because of the cars and fumes drifting, nobody daren't."
Local resident Steve Trigg, 57 said he had got used to any pollution.
John Scofield said his car got dirty with dust, while Mary Hadigate said the speed of cars on the road meant she feared crossing it.
"The road wasn't designed for lorries," said Alan Heaps, referring to one revving its engine to get up the hill.
"You only have to look at the door colours, you have to wash them weekly. If you don't they get rotten. The walls are also black."
A Caerphilly council spokesman said it was aware of the high readings returned.
"The area has been designated as an air quality management area and the council is working alongside key stakeholders to look at options to improve the air quality in the area," he added.
A Welsh government spokesman said it worked with Defra and the European Commission to improve air quality.
He added that local authorities had a duty to review and assess air quality and where desired levels were unlikely to be met, produce an action plan aimed at improving the situation.


Several members of staff have been suspended following allegations of abuse at a County Armagh care home, the BBC understands.

It is understood an elderly man, who is a resident at Lisnisky Care Home in Portadown, is being treated in hospital after sustaining a number of injuries.
Two members of staff were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.
The alleged incident happened on 14 April.
They were released on police bail after being interviewed, and police say their investigation is at an early stage.
An increased level of monitoring and management oversight had been put in place at Lisnisky Care Home said a spokesperson for its owner, the Four Seasons Health Care Group.
It was taking appropriate measures "to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents, which is always our first consideration", said the group in a statement.
But it added that it would be wrong to comment or speculate about the ongoing investigation.
Upper Bann UUP MLA Doug Beattie said the elderly deserved to be treated with respect and cared for in a dignified manner, and that vulnerable residents must be protected.
"There is a matter of trust between those who avail of the private care home system and those who deliver that care," he said.
"There can be no place in our care system for the abuse of the most vulnerable."
Lisnisky Care Home provides both nursing and residential care to elderly people who are frail and mentally ill.


A treatment which corrects errors in a person's genetic code has been approved for commercial use in Europe for the first time.

The European Commission has given Glybera marketing authorisation, meaning it can be sold throughout the EU.
It is a gene therapy for a rare disease which leaves people unable to properly digest fats.
The manufacturers say it will be available next year.
Gene therapy has a simple premise. If there is a problem with part of a patient's genetic code then change the code.
However, the field has been plagued with problems. Patients have developed leukaemia and in one trial in the US a teenager died.
In Europe and the US, the therapies are used only in research labs.
Glybera is used to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency. One in a million people have damaged copies of a gene which is essential for breaking down fats.
It means fat builds up in the blood leading to abdominal pain and life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
The only way to manage the condition is by having a very low-fat diet.
The therapy, developed by UniQure, uses a virus to infect muscle cells with a working copy of the gene.
The European Medicines Agency recommended the therapy was made available for the most severely ill patients earlier in 2012.
UniQure chief executive officer Jorn Aldag said: "The final approval of Glybera from the European Commission marks a major step forward in making gene therapies available not only for lipoprotein lipase deficiency, but also for a large number of rare diseases with a very high unmet medical need."
The company said it would apply for regulatory approval in the US and Canada.
China was the first country to officially sanction a gene therapy.


France's Conservative UMP Party and its allies appear to have come first in the final round of departmental elections.

The UMP, led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy, appeared set to secure at least 65 local councils, exit polls suggested, up from 41.
Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front also appeared to have made gains, while the ruling Socialists and their allies may lose about 30 departments.
These elections are seen as a test case ahead of 2017's presidential election.
Paris and Lyon, France's two biggest cities, were excluded from Sunday's election.
The National Front appeared to have won a significant number of seats in Sunday's second round of elections, but did not appear to have gained control of any councils, the exit polls said.
Nonetheless, leader Marine Le Pen hailed a "historic" day for the FN, saying: "I thank all our voters for this magnificent success."
"The goal is near, reaching power and applying our ideas to redress France."
French Prime Minister Manual Valls admitted it was "incontestable" that the Socialist Party had lost ground.
"The French have declared... their anger at a daily life that is too difficult," he said. He vowed to redouble efforts to boost the economy, and said his focus was "jobs, jobs, jobs".
He added that the rise in the National Front's popularity was "a sign of a lasting upheaval of our political landscape and we will all need to draw lessons from it".
Mr Sarkozy said voters had "massively rejected" the policies of his successor as president, Francois Hollande.
"Never has our political family won so many councils," he told supporters. "The repudiation of those in power is without question."
Mr Hollande has suffered from slumping personal ratings, boosted only briefly by his response to January's terror attacks in Paris.
One presidential adviser told AFP: "Everyone is scared they will be eliminated in the first round in 2017."
Bastions of the Socialists like the Nord department around Lille have swung to the right, as has President Hollande's own fiefdom of the Correze in central France, the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris reports.
However, as ever in France's two-round elections, voters from left and right united in round two to keep the National Front from power, our correspondents adds.
Turnout on Sunday was 41.94% at 17:00 (15:00 GMT), three hours before polls closed. Surveys suggested about 50% of those eligible took part in the polls, Le Monde reported.
Voters have been electing representatives in 101 departments, or counties, in the two rounds of the local elections. The departments are charged with issues like schools and welfare.


Police have released an image of a man they want to talk to in connection with an acid attack in east London.

Two people were left with "life-changing" injuries when a corrosive substance was thrown on to them through their car windows.
Cousins Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar had been celebrating Ms Khan's 21st birthday before the attack.
John Tomlin, 24, is described as white, 6ft tall, of stocky build and with short fair hair.
He is known to frequent the Canning Town area.
Ms Khan, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Mr Muhktar suffered severe burns to the face and body in the attack on 21 June.
"Within seconds, my cousin started screaming. Her eyes were blistered, her face started melting. My face started melting", Mr Muhktar said.
According to police, they had stopped at traffic lights when the man approached them and threw the toxic substance at Ms Khan through the window.
The attacker then circled around the car and threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar, before eventually fleeing the scene.
Mr Muhktar, 37, had to be temporarily placed in an induced coma to treat his injuries.
"I'm in a really bad way. I'm going to be scarred for life. I can't walk properly, I can't hear properly, I can't sleep", he said.
Police said there was no current information to suggest the attack was racially or religiously motivated.


Two youths have appeared in court charged with murder following a stabbing in Denbighshire on Sunday.

Amarjeet Singh-Bhakar, 37, died after a disturbance on Prince Edward Avenue, Rhyl, at about 03:00 BST.
The 15 and 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were remanded in custody until a hearing at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.
Wrexham Magistrates' Court heard one of the youths was also charged with wounding another man.
Four other men - Mr Singh's cousin, Amar Singh, 28, and younger brother, Mohanjeet Singh, 18, Ameer Hamza Wahid, 24, and Sanah Ullah, 30, all from Greater Manchester - have been remanded in custody until 2 June, charged with violent disorder.
A 15-year-old youth, also from Greater Manchester, was charged with violent disorder and remanded in youth detention until 2 June.
In a statement released by North Wales Police, Mr Singh-Bhakar's wife, Sushi, said her shopkeeper husband had been a "real family man".
"He was so caring and everything he did was for his family and his two children," she said.
"He was my soul mate and everyone loved him to bits. We will miss his smile and the way he lit up a room when he walked in."


UK economic growth for the second quarter of the year was unrevised at 0.7%, official figures have shown.

The initial figure released in July was boosted by a sharp rise in oil and gas production.
As expected, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Friday made no change to the reading for the three months to June.
It was higher than the 0.4% growth recorded for the first quarter of the year.
Net trade boosted GDP by one percentage point in the second quarter - the biggest contribution from trade in four years - as exports jumped.
Economists have said the boost to trade might be temporary, because the persistent strength of sterling is making British goods more expensive abroad, while turmoil in Chinese financial markets has increased uncertainty about the global outlook.
Business investment rose 2.9% compared with the first three months of 2015 - the highest figure in a year.
Samuel Tombs, senior UK economist at Capital Economics, said the figure "put paid to the idea that uncertainty about the general election would weigh on capital expenditure".
Household spending increased by 0.7%, but was lower than the 0.9% rise in the first quarter.
Weak inflation, low interest rates and a strong pound have helped to keep consumer sentiment buoyant.
The UK economy expanded by 3% last year in its best result since 2006. The Bank of England expects the same momentum to be maintained this year, forecasting 2.8% growth.
"With growth in households' real incomes set to remain supported by low inflation, building wage growth and strong job creation, we continue to think that the economic recovery will sustain its current pace in the second half of 2015," Mr Tombs said.
On Thursday, US GDP for the second quarter was revised sharply higher at an annualised rate of 3.7%, up from the first estimate of 2.3%. Growth of 0.6% in the first three months of the year was not revised.


A top cyber-security firm is investigating whether North Korea could be linked to attacks on banks in recent months.

Symantec said it had evidence that the same group attempted to steal money from a bank in the Philippines, one in Vietnam and Bangladesh's central bank.
It also said the rare malware deployed was similar to that used in the hacking of Sony Pictures in 2014.
The US government said North Korea was behind the Sony hack.
If North Korea is found to be behind the bank attacks, it would be the first time a country has been detected stealing money in a cyber-attack, Symantec's technical director Eric Chien told Reuters.
In February this year, hackers stole $81m (Â£55m) from the central bank of Bangladesh.
According to Symantec, it was the same group that attempted to steal $1m from the Tien Phong Bank in Vietnam and attacked a bank in the Philippines.
In addition, the code shares similarities with malware used by the group known as Lazarus which has been accused of various attacks on the US and South Korea, including the attacks against Sony Pictures Entertainment.
On the internet, no-one knows if you are a dog and they have an equally difficult time working out what kind of cyber thief you are too.
It is common for online criminals to take attack code from other groups and bend it to their own malign purposes. They do it to cover their tracks and because what worked well against one target might work for them too.
That code-sharing is less true when it comes to nation-state attacks which is why some security firms will name those they believe are behind these relatively rare intrusions. Typically the code used in these attacks is more about stealthy spying than outright theft so is less useful to those after cash.
But that is not the case here as the code has been used to target bank networks and go after huge amounts of money. But it is difficult to be sure because code is code and once it is widely disseminated online it becomes harder to see who is behind the keyboard.


Former Rangers manager Walter Smith has admitted that the club's finances were in a "pretty perilous state" when it was sold to Craig Whyte in 2011.

Mr Smith was appearing as the first witness in the trial of Mr Whyte, who is accused of a fraudulent acquisition of Rangers.
Mr Whyte faces two charges relating to the purchase of Rangers, one of fraud and another under the Companies Act.
He has pleaded not guilty to both allegations.
Giving evidence to Mr Whyte's defence QC, Donald Findlay at the High Court in Glasgow, Walter Smith said the club had a bank overdraft of about £18m in 2011 when he first heard that Craig Whyte would be its new owner.
Walter Smith spent two spells as manager at Ibrox before leaving three days after Craig Whyte took over ownership in 2011.
He acknowledged that Rangers' finances were "distressing" at the time and said a lack of investment or development in new talent had impacted on the club's performance.
Mr Findlay asked him: "Around the period in 2011, did you know how bad things were financially at Rangers?"
Mr Smith said: "Not exactly, because we had had success over the period which I felt was helping the club lower the level of debt that it had, the exact amount I couldn't tell you."
Mr Findlay asked whether the club had been given an indication from the bank that it "had had enough of bank-rolling Rangers".
"Yes, we had an indication of that prior to 2011," he said.
Also giving evidence was former Rangers star player Ally McCoist, who took over management duties from Walter Smith in 2011.
Mr McCoist, who described himself as a "football analyst", told the court that he was aware of pressure being put on Rangers over its debts.
However, he said he was unaware the club had a bank overdraft of £18m and thought the figure was more like £14m.
Mr McCoist told how he first met Mr Whyte during a "brief encounter" at Glasgow's Hilton Hotel.
The former Rangers striker revealed how he later had discussions with Mr Whyte after he took over the club.
Prosecutor Mr Prentice asked the 54 year-old if he had "difficulties" in boosting the squad.
Mr McCoist said: "Yes, there were a number of players we would have liked to have got.
"Grant Holt at Norwich and a lad who played in Israel - Hemed.
"But, I just felt the offers being made were certainly not realistic enough for a chance to get the players."
Mr McCoist admitted signings were made but not, in his opinion, ones which kept the team at the "same standard".
He also agreed that he had "no discussions" with Mr Whyte about the terms of his contract when he took over as manager.
Craig Whyte is accused of pretending to former Rangers owner Sir David Murray, and others, that funds were available to make all required payments to acquire a "controlling and majority stake" in the club.
The funds included clearing an £18m bank debt, £2.8m for the "small tax case" liability, a £1.7m health-and-safety liability and £5m for the playing squad.
The Crown alleges Mr Whyte had only £4m available from two sources at the time but took out a £24m loan from Ticketus against three years of future season ticket sales "which was held subject to an agreement or agreements being entered into between the club and Ticketus after said acquisition".
The second charge under the Companies Act centres on the £18m payment between Mr Whyte's Wavetower company and Rangers to clear a Bank of Scotland debt.
The trial before eight men and seven women continues.


The wording of the Greek debt referendum has been released, and it's a bit of a thinker.

For those who can't read Greek, here's a translation.
For those who can't read Greekdebtspeak, well, you're on your own.
The two appendix documents - "Reforms for the completion of the current programme and beyond" and "Preliminary debt sustainability analysis" - don't sound much more easily digestible than the ballot.
There is still a question over when and how voters will be presented with those documents, and whether world-class economists will be on hand at polling stations to explain them.
Canada actually introduced an act of parliament to avoid exactly these kinds of questions being put to the public. After two long and convoluted referendum ballots on Quebec independence in 1980 and 1995, the "Clarity Act" stipulated that an independence referendum must be essentially: "Do you want independence, yes or no?"
As well as being a little bit dense, the Greek ballot also controversially puts the "No" option - favoured by the Greek government - above the yes option, leading some to accuse it of bias.
It is an "unusual" format, said Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of the UK Electoral Reform Society.
In the case of the Greek ballot, the no-before-yes format may be offset by the question reading: "Should the [agreement] be accepted" instead of "accepted or rejected", Ms Ghose said.
The Greek ballot wouldn't be the first accused of being not quite up to scratch on the no-bias front, and there are arguably worse examples in history.
In 1978, after being accused of human rights violations by the UN, Chile's General Pinochet held a referendum to ask the people whether they supported his policies. The "Yes" box was a Chilean flag, the "No" box - ever so slightly lower - was a solid black rectangle.
Pinochet won by a cool 78.6%.
And back in 1938, Adolf Hitler balloted the German people to ask: "Do you approve of the reunification of Austria with the German Reich accomplished on 13 March 1938 and do you vote for the list of our Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler?"
The ballot paper had a subtly leading format.
Hitler won with an even cooler 99.7%.
When the UK government prepares a referendum question, the Electoral Commission takes 12 weeks to test the question on focus groups to eliminate any bias or confusion.
A draft of the referendum on whether the UK should leave the EU was rewritten because it confused a significant minority of people who didn't know the UK was already a member.
As well as bias, the question is tested for clarity, said the Electoral Commission's Rosie Davenport.
"We look at length of the question. There is a guideline for the number of words," she said.
"The aim is to make the question as as clear and concise as possible, so you're not presenting people with a lot of waffly information before they vote."
Which brings us back to Greece. Athens did not have the luxury of a 12-week testing period - it has to organise a national referendum at breathtaking speed - but it might be accused of waffle.
"This referendum's emergency nature gives little time to prepare the arguments for either side, and the question is enormously detailed, essentially asking Greeks if they will accept the specific document-based proposals from the IMF, ECB and European Commission," said Ms Ghose.
With such a short time for the people of Greece to make up their minds, what they are being told by politicians will have more of an effect than usual, Ms Ghose said.
"Given the short time span with this referendum, party cues may matter even more than usual; millions will be listening to what party leaders have to say and informing their decisions based on that.
"At the core of this, however, the Greek people will understand the implications for voting yes or no - even with little time to campaign. The UK's 1998 Good Friday Agreement referendum question was notoriously complex, but people knew the underlying choice," she added.
So while the question is long and detailed - that may be out of necessity, and the real choice will be known by Greeks."


The UK government is to create a new £1bn fund aimed at eradicating malaria and other infectious diseases.

The Ross Fund will be run in partnership with US philanthropists, Bill and Melinda Gates.
It is named after Sir Ronald Ross who became Britain's first Nobel Prize winner in 1902 for his discovery that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes.
The number of people dying from malaria is falling but a child still dies from the disease every minute in Africa.
Ministers say the partnership with the Microsoft founder and his wife Melinda marks a "fundamental restructuring" of the UK's aid budget.
The £1bn will come from the UK's overseas aid budget over the next five years.
Of the total:
Chancellor George Osborne said one billion people were infected with malaria and 500,000 children die from the disease each year.
He said the government's commitment to overseas aid helps to "promote our national security and interests around the world".
Working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will help us in "our joint ambition to see an end to this global disease in our lifetimes", he added.
Mr Gates, co-chairman of the foundation, said eradicating malaria and other poverty-related infectious diseases would be "one of humanity's greatest achievements".
"With the combined skill and expertise of British scientists; leveraging the weight of both public and private financing; and the continued leadership of George Osborne and the UK, [the] announcement of the Ross Fund will play a key role in reaching that goal," he added.
The UK's International Development Secretary Justine Greening said a "healthy, prosperous world is in Britain's interest" and that preventing deadly diseases is a "smart investment".
The "restructuring" plan is expected to be set out by the chancellor in Wednesday's Autumn Statement.
The international development department is protected from cuts and has seen its budget increase year-on-year since 2010.
The government is expected to continue spending 0.7% of GDP on overseas aid.
A report published in the journal Nature earlier this year showed 663 million cases of malaria have been prevented in Africa as a result of concerted efforts to tackle the disease since 2000.
Researchers from Oxford University attributed the reduction mostly to bed nets. The drug artemisinin and spraying homes with insecticide also played a part.


Cristiano Ronaldo says he wants to see out his contract at Real Madrid, which has nearly four years to run.

The Portuguese forward, 29, has been linked with a return to Manchester United, whom he left to join Real in a then-world record £80m deal in 2009.
He was presented with the European Golden Shoe on Wednesday for scoring 31 La Liga goals in 2013-14.
"I hope to finish my contract with Real Madrid at 33 and after that we'll see if they want me to stay," said Ronaldo.
"I feel young and still a long way off retiring."
Ronaldo shares the Golden Shoe award with Uruguay's Luis Suarez, who scored 31 Premier League goals for Liverpool last season before joining Barcelona for £75m.
The Portuguese, who has been nominated for the 2014 Ballon d'Or award to decide the world footballer of the year, has already registered 22 goals in all competitions this season.
In total he has scored 194 league goals in 174 appearances for Real, while netting 55 times in 55 Champions League matches for the current holders.
Speaking to the Real Madrid website, Ronaldo says there will be discussions with club president Florentino Perez over renewing his current contract, which he signed in September 2013.
He added: "I'm very happy and in a great moment of form. Personally and in sporting terms, everything is going well. I want to win and get as many trophies as possible with this club."
A three-time winner of the Golden Shoe and two-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo says he wants to become the best footballer in history.
"Being the best in Portugal isn't enough for me, I'm going to work to be the best ever," he said.
"I don't have to prove anything to anyone, just to myself. I want to continue working in the same way because it's harder and harder to improve my figures.
"I want to be the best at the best club in the world."


Nottingham Panthers secured their fifth play-off title of the Elite League era by beating Coventry Blaze in a nervy final at the National Ice Centre.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Panthers, who also won the Challenge Cup this season, led at the end of the first period thanks to a fierce hit by Stephen Schultz from the blue line.
Blaze goaltender Brian Stewart made numerous saves to keep his side in the match going into the closing stages.
But Schultz teed up Kevin Quick to fire the second into the roof of the net.
Panthers keeper Miika Wiikman was then able to see out a 30-save shut-out, most notable for fine saves from Ashley Tait and Mike Quesnele.
However, Nottingham were good value for their victory and could easily have won by a greater margin had it not been for Stewart.
The Canadian also saved short-handed breakaways from Brad Moran and Evan Mosey and made an incredible stop to thwart Juraj Kolnik.
Earlier, Cardiff Devils thrashed Fife Flyers 6-0 in the third and fourth place play-off.


Part of the River Tyne which was sealed off after a dredger scooped up two suspected bombs has reopened.

The World War II devices were discovered when the vessel, the Sand Heron, discharged her load of sand at a Jarrow cement yard on Wednesday.
Police ordered an exclusion zone and the river between the Tyne Car Terminal and Howdon was closed to boats.
A controlled explosion has now been carried out and the river reopened, Northumbria Police confirmed.


Surrey ended day three with a lead of 217 with three second-innings wickets left, after Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate earlier hit an unbeaten 168.

Ten Doeschate started day three on 120 and extended his total before being left stranded with Essex on 435.
Simon Harmer then took four wickets for Essex, and Jamie Porter three, as they kept the hosts to 253-7 at the close.
Ben Foakes (46 not out) and Stuart Meaker remained not out, while opener Rory Burns made 57.
It leaves the match finely poised with both sides capable of victory on the final day.
Essex added 68 to their overnight score with Neil Wagner (34) offering the most assistance to Ten Doeschate.
All of the Surrey top order then made starts in their second innings but failed to capitalise and fell at regular intervals.
South African off-spinner Harmer dismissed Scott Borthwick (36), Kumar Sangakkara (26), Sam Curran and Gareth Batty, while Porter took the wickets of Burns, Mark Stoneman and Dom Sibley.


A small military aircraft carrying newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has had to make an emergency landing on its way to Brussels.

The plane, which took off from RAF Northolt, was forced to land at Luton Airport following a "technical issue", a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Mr Johnson thanked the crew for their professionalism and was grateful to Luton Airport for the unscheduled welcome, the spokesman added.
He has now continued his journey.
The delay means Mr Johnson will be late for an informal dinner with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, but the pair intend to meet later in the evening, the BBC understands.
A spokesman for Luton Airport said all 16 passengers on board the plane left the aircraft safely, but the runway was disrupted for more than 30 minutes.
"Several scheduled flights were disrupted whilst the runway was cleared," he added.


A man who lost both his legs, eight fingers and part of his nose after contracting septicaemia is to become a father for the first time.

Dean Smahon, 54, had a 10% chance of survival when he fell ill in 2010 and hospital staff missed opportunities to treat his sepsis in time.
The former police officer from Londonderry was living in Leeds.
He was placed in an induced coma at Leeds General Infirmary after his flu-like symptoms.
The pain worsened and his body fell into septic shock.
Septicaemia or sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has since admitted its staff missed opportunities to treat Mr Smahon's infection and has apologised.
He was released from hospital after three months but has undergone 30 operations over two years including amputations to his legs, hand, fingers, part of his nose and right ear.
The former Northern Ireland javelin thrower had only been in a relationship with his wife Kirsty for seven weeks before falling ill.
He said: "I was active, I liked to keep fit, I had pride in how I looked, I'd met a girl I really liked and all of a sudden I had to cope with losing my legs, hand and bits of my face.
"I'd lost my dignity and self-worth. Kirsty left her teaching job to care for me.
"It was a very dark period and I felt as though life wasn't worth living."
The couple are expecting their first child in February after IVF treatment, something Mr Smahon said he never dreamed they would be able to do.
Lawyers helped him to get an interim payment in 2015 to buy better prosthetics, an adapted car and rent a bungalow.
His legal team is now trying to secure him an award for damages.


Hundreds of Christians have protested in the Indian capital after a Catholic church was burnt badly in a fire.

Officials of St Sebastian's Church located in the Dilshad Garden area in east Delhi said they suspected the church was a target of arson.
The fire on Monday morning destroyed much of the building, including its prayer hall, altar and all statues.
Delhi archbishop Anil Couto has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an inquiry into the fire.
On Monday evening, protesters held a candle light vigil and on Tuesday morning, some 200 members of various churches blocked traffic outside the church.
They shouted slogans and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
"Samples were retrieved from the inside of the church, which still smelt of fuel oil. Till late Monday evening, the police could not say they had made any progress in their investigations,'' the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said in a press release.
"The Christian community... and civil society have decided to protest at the offices of the police commissioner... to focus attention on the attempts to polarise the people in Delhi state, which goes to the polls soon, and the continued persecution of Christians in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other tribal and rural areas,'' the release added.
The police initially blamed the fire on faulty wiring saying it was caused by a "short-circuit", but after protests by Christian community, they registered a case against unnamed people.


Buy-to-let landlords and people buying second homes will soon have to pay more in stamp duty, the chancellor has announced.

From April 2016, those in England and Wales will have to pay a 3% surcharge on each stamp duty band.
George Osborne said the new surcharge would raise £1bn extra for the Treasury by 2021.
Landlords reacted angrily to the change, saying it would "choke off" investment in rented properties.
Other changes announced by the chancellor included an extended Help to Buy scheme in London, and more money for the Starter Homes programme.
The stamp duty surcharge will lift each band by 3%. That means that for properties worth between £125,000 and £250,000, where the stamp duty is 2%, buy-to-let landlords will pay 5%.
For the average buy-to-let purchase of £184,000, that means they will pay an extra £5,520 from April 2016.
Commercial property investors, with more than 15 properties, are expected to be exempt from the new charges.
Buy-to-let landlords will also be hit by a change to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules.
From April 2019, they will have to pay any CGT due within 30 days of selling a property, rather than waiting till the end of the tax year, as at present.
Landlords are already due to get a lower rate of tax relief on mortgage payments.
In his summer Budget, the chancellor said that landlords would only receive the basic rate of tax relief - 20% - on mortgage payments, a change being phased in from 2017.
Responding to the latest changes, Richard Lambert, chief executive of the National Landlords Association said: "The chancellor's political intention is crystal clear; he wants to choke off future investment in private properties to rent.
"If it's the chancellor's intention to completely eradicate buy-to-let in the UK then it's a mystery to us why he doesn't just come out and say so".
Up to £60m of the money raised from the stamp duty surcharge will go to help home-buyers in England in places where holiday homes have forced up local prices.
The Help to Buy (equity loan) scheme in England will also be extended to 2021, one year longer than planned.
An extension to the scheme in London will see buyers who can find a 5% deposit given a loan worth up to 40% of the property.
The loan will be interest free for five years.
Elsewhere the existing maximum loan is for 20% of the property's value.
In total, the government will put an extra £6.9bn into housing.
This includes an extra £2.3bn in loans for the government's starter homes programme, and £4bn lent to housing associations and local authorities to build more homes for shared ownership.
Another £200m will be used to build homes for rent, which will allow tenants to save for a deposit.
There will also be a pilot scheme to trial the government's Right to Buy programme for housing association tenants.
Five housing associations will take part, to help design the final scheme.
Presented by Chancellor George Osborne, the Spending Review sets out what government spending will be over the next four years, while the Autumn Statement is an annual update of government plans for the economy.
Special report: Full in-depth coverage of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement
Documents: Link to full Autumn Statement and Spending Review documents via HM Treasury
What it means for you: How the Autumn Statement and Spending Review will affect your finances
Watch: The BBC's TV coverage begins on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel at 11:30 GMT, with BBC Radio 5 Live coverage from 11:55 GMT


South African soldiers and police have conducted a series of raids in an effort to curb attacks on foreign nationals and the looting of shops.

Men's hostels in Johannesburg housing mainly South Africans were searched for weapons and 11 arrests were made.
The army was ordered to deploy to volatile areas to stop further attacks that began about three weeks ago.
At least seven people have been killed and 5,000 have been left homeless since the xenophobic violence began.
For the latest news, views and analysis see the BBC Africa Live page.
The army was also deployed during similar violence in 2008, when at least 63 people were killed.
The first deployments were to Alexandra, a poor township north of Johannesburg, where Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole was killed at the weekend.
The hostels are communal areas still owned by the government that used to house mine labourers during the days of white-minority rule.
The BBC's Nomsa Maseko, who witnessed one raid in Johannesburg's Jeppestown, says they are often the target of raids when the police are looking for firearms during a crackdown on crime.
No weapons were found during the raids overnight, and it is believed there may have been a tip-off, she says.
Police say 11 arrests were made for possession of marijuana and suspected stolen items.
A helicopter hovered above one hostel in Jeppestown, as inside police moved from floor to floor conducting searches where the residents were made to lie face down in the corridors, the AFP news agency reports.
On the streets of the neighbourhood, soldiers stood in groups of about six, positioned within a few metres of each other, it says.
Troops have also been despatched to KwaZulu-Natal province, where the unrest began following remarks by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
The powerful monarch has denied fuelling the xenophobic attacks, saying at a rally on Monday: "If it were true that I said foreigners must go, this country would be up in flames."
More than 900 people have been voluntarily repatriated to their home countries since the violence broke out, officials say.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the troops were being sent in "as the last resort. The army will serve as a deterrent".
With the unemployment rate at around 25%, many South Africans accuse foreign nationals of taking jobs from locals.
Official data suggests there are about two million foreign nationals in South Africa, but some estimates put the number much higher.


Most Asian markets are off to a positive start on Thursday, tracking gains from Wall Street.

South Korea's Kospi index opened up 5 points, or 0.27%, to 1,976.68. Samsung shares are trading much higher, up by nearly 2%.
The company said it is expecting a 10% jump in operating profit for the first quarter period.
Over in Australia the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was 0.4% higher in early trading, at 4,967.89.
Meanwhile, in Japan the benchmark Nikkei 225 is higher by 118 points, or 0.75%, at 15,830.40. This is a reversal from seven straight days of declines.
It's a different picture in Hong Kong and China, where both markets are trading in the red.
China's Shanghai Composite is down by 1%, or 33.5 points, at 3,017.22.
Over In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng is lower by 36 points at 20,167.72. But there are bigger falls for shares of ZTE which are listed in Hong Kong. They have fallen by 14% at the start of trade.
Trading in shares of the Chinese telecom equipment maker have resumed for the first time since last month. That was when the US Commerce Department imposed export restrictions on the firm, for allegedly violating US export controls against Iran.
US stocks rose overnight, as investors bought up shares of drugmakers and other health care firms.
The buying spree followed news that US drugs giant Pfizer will walk away from a $160bn deal to takeover Dublin-based Allergan. Investors are now wondering if the American company will have to look at other drugs firms for a potential acquisition to help it grow the business.
Share of energy-related companies also got a boost as the price of oil rebounded.