A rock-balancing artist has turned to the Isle of Man to showcase his gravity-defying creations.

Adrian Gray, 54, from Dorset spent a week on the island last month with photographer Mikael Buck creating the unusual sculptures.
He was commissioned by the Isle of Man government after they saw his work on the Channel 4 programme, Grand Designs.
Mr Gray said it has taken "thousands of hours" to perfect his skill which he insists involves balance alone.
The former expedition leader said he perfected his technique after becoming ill.
He said: "I spent hours wandering along the beach and began balancing stones as a kind of therapy.
"This year, I was invited to exhibit at the Chelsea flower show -  I have been inundated."
"I want people to be left open-mouthed by my work and the Isle of Man provided a stunning backdrop."
Mr Gray said he scoured the island to find the perfect rocks and locations in which to balance them.
The locations included beaches, glens and even the Isle of Man TT course.
He said each sculpture is a unique challenge which involves understanding "the rock's individual weight distribution, shape and interaction."
All but one of Mr Gray's free standing sculptures were removed after being photographed for health and safety reasons.
The sole exception has been turned into a permanent statue in the meerkat enclosure at Curraghs Wildlife Park in the north of the island.
Head of Isle of Man Tourism, Angela Byrne said: "The Isle of Man has such a range of stunning beauty spots that we wanted to bring attention to the selection available in a new and quirky way".


Investigations into alleged abuse of vulnerable adults in Wales increased by 11% last year, latest figures have revealed.

There were 4,485 completed adult protection referrals in 2015-16, up from 4,040 in 2014-15.
Neglect (36%) and physical abuse (32%) were the most reported cases.
The Welsh Government, which compiled the data, said the rise could be down to better reporting of incidents.
Other types of reported abuse included emotional and psychological, financial and sexual.
The figures showed 65% of investigations were for people aged 65 and over, and 61% were for women.
Nearly 40% of victims who alleged abuse were targeted in their own home, while staff were most likely to be responsible (56%) followed by relatives (23%).
Age Cymru said the figures for those aged 65 and over were "completely unacceptable".
"Elder abuse can happen anywhere - in people's homes, in the street, in shops, in cafes or in care settings," Age Cymru spokesman Iwan Rhys Roberts said.
"It's really important that we're all aware of elder abuse and what it is so that we can report it when we see it happening, or importantly, if we suspect it is taking place."
Welsh Women's Aid said the statistics highlighted "the gendered nature of violence and abuse and the cross over with other equality characteristics such as age and disability".
"It is vital that support services for vulnerable adults are trained to identify domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and have an understanding of the complexities older women and women with disabilities face," a spokeswoman for the charity said.
"Welsh Women's Aid is currently delivering 'Ask and Act' training to health and other public sector professionals that will hopefully help them to identify vulnerable women who are at risk or are experiencing abuse earlier and ensure they are signposted to the specialist support they need."
A Welsh Government spokesman said it would explore the data with partners to establish why there has been a small rise in numbers.
"It could be due to better reporting generally as organisations were preparing for the introduction of the legal 'duty to report' adults at risk in April 2016," he added.
"However, we must remain vigilant and ensure measures are taken to prevent abuse and neglect.
"The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act implemented from last April strengthens arrangements to safeguard children and adults, and this data will be important to take this work forward."


Othman Mahmoud al-Barazinj is a farmer who has been living in the shadow of Iraq's largest dam ever since the colossal facility was established in the 1980s.

Now in his 60s, Othman and fellow villagers in the town of Wana, 22 miles (35km) north-east of Mosul, still depend on the dam as a vital source of water and irrigation for his crops.
"Life is water," said Othman, who is proud of his Kurdish roots, adding that his ancestors have lived in Wana for the last 800 years.
Sitting on an earth mound on the edge of his field, and puffing on a cigarette, he said his family had been uprooted from the town just once, when militants from the so-called Islamic State (IS) captured Mosul Dam and Wana in August 2014.
IS extremists were forced to retreat from the dam after 11 days, and from a number of surrounding villages, following US-led air strikes and a ground offensive by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Dressed in traditional Kurdish clothes and speaking in broken Arabic, Othman said: "We can't imagine what life would be like if we had to leave our houses again this time under the threat of the potential collapse of the dam."
Inaugurated in 1984 during the era of Saddam Hussein, the dam today is falling into disrepair as a result of neglect over the past 18 months after the Kurds wrested it back from IS.
Budget shortfalls due to the slump in oil prices and political rivalry between the central government in Baghdad and the regional government of the semi-autonomous Iraq Kurdistan have hampered urgently needed repairs.
There is also a desperate shortage of workers. Half the workforce has left the dam for other jobs on account of not being paid for up to five months.
We had special access inside the dam's labyrinth of tunnels to see the urgent problems first-hand.
Outdated machinery is still being used to try to stabilise the dam's foundations.
The dam's deputy director, Mohsen Yaqoub, showed us samples of soil that had suffered erosion.
"These black parts are the treated cement used to inject into the holes and fractures created by the water that constantly eats away at the unstable foundation of the dam," he said.
"The dam is today in danger because of the erosion at the natural gypsum base under the water and serious erosion at the flow gates.
"The joints at the two main gates have been dislocated vertically and horizontally, which could lead to the collapse of the dam but we don't know when. It could happen next month, next year or in five years' time. We actually don't know when."
The Iraqi government has been struggling for more than two years to strike a deal with an international company to undertake the much-needed repair works.
Insecurity is scaring away bidders and the economic crisis has forced the oil-rich country to seek help from the World Bank and key allies like the United States.
"We just have empty promises from the international community to repair the dam," said Mr Yaqoub, who was previously an engineer at the site for 28 years.
"I met the American advisers and took them in a tour inside the dam. They were just nodding at my detailed scientific explanation of the dangers and the efforts made by us to protect the structure."
Mosul and other northern cities in the path of the river would be vulnerable if the dam fails. At present, locals say they are not aware of any emergency warning systems to deal with a potential catastrophe in waiting.
And if this dam collapsed, it would cause massive devastation to entire communities along the Tigris River.
Cities such as Mosul, Tikrit, Samarra and even down to the capital Baghdad are the most vulnerable. Massive floods could kill and render homeless hundreds of thousands, the US state department has warned.
Asked what he would do if the dam fails, 22-year-old shepherd Amin Jabouri, who tends his flocks close by, had an immediate response.
"We have no other option but to head for a higher ground. Even if there was an alarm system, it would not work for us and we would have to run for our lives."


A man in his 70s has been left shaken but uninjured after a burglary at his home in east Belfast.

Four masked men forced their way into the house in Dunraven Avenue around 22:15 BST on Friday.
Two remained with the man while the other two searched the house. The gang left a short time later without taking anything from the property.
Police have appealed for anyone with information or who noticed any suspicious activity to contact them.


A road in Hull could be named in honour of rugby league legend Roger Millward, who died in May.

Garrison Road would be renamed Roger Millward Way in the proposal supported by the leader of Hull City Council and rugby league club Hull KR.
Millward made 406 appearances for the club, scoring a record 207 tries and kicking 607 goals.
He was awarded the MBE for his services to the sport in 1983 and inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2000.
After his retirement from playing, he coached the Robins for 11 seasons, winning six trophies.
Rugby league supporters and councillors had called for a tribute for the player who died at the age of 68 on 2 May.
The A63, as it enters the city, is named Clive Sullivan Way to honour another late rugby league star who played for both Hull FC and Hull KR.
After crossing the River Hull, it currently is called Garrison Road for a stretch into east Hull.
Councillor Stephen Brady, leader of the council, said it was a fitting tribute for a man who had a "huge influence on rugby and was an honoured citizen of Hull for many years".
Neil Hudgell, chairman of Hull KR, said Mr Millward was a "significant part of the rich rugby heritage in this city".
The proposal for re-naming is to be discussed at a future meeting.


A girl with a rare condition that makes sun exposure highly dangerous can finally play outside - after fundraising to create a night garden.

Olivia Holden's skin is extremely sensitive to UV rays, and she is about to have her ninth operation to remove skin cancer in two years.
Her local community raised £5,000 for the seven-year-old's school to be adapted and to create the garden.
Her parents, Jodie and Phil Holden said it has changed her life.
"She's just a lot happier in herself because she can come out and it's safe," said Mrs Holden.
"The fact that she can come out without a mask on, without her shoes on, has made such a change it's unbelievable."
Olivia, from Clipstone, Nottinghamshire was diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosum two years ago, and since then has avoided the sun.
XP is a rare genetic skin condition for which there is no cure.
It is characterized by an extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
UV light damages the DNA in the skin and eyes of people with XP and they are unable to repair this damage.
This damage presents itself as severe sunburn, abnormal freckles and sometimes eye problems.
The damage to the DNA builds up and causes cancerous cell changes, meaning that people with XP are 10,000 times more likely to develop skin cancer.
The only safe time to be outside is when it is dark. Even when indoors, people with XP can be harmed by daylight coming through windows and from the UV light that is emitted by many light bulbs.
Source: XP Support Group
Outside her home, she has to wear several layers of clothing, a special visor over her face and sun cream is reapplied every two hours.
The garden cost about £1,500, and UV filters have been installed on windows at her school using the rest of the money.
Fundraisers included one of Olivia's teachers, who raised about £600 by running the New York City Marathon.
A concert also raised more than £1,000.
Olivia's favourite bit of the garden is the hammock where the family - including nine-year-old brother Eddie - enjoy stargazing.
"We come out most nights because it's really bright and we can get the blankets and it's snuggly. I love it," she said.


More than 30 of the Britons who won medals at London 2012 were aged 25 or under.

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Fifteen of those won gold. How many of them will be back to defend their titles in 2016 at the Rio Olympic Games, and who else might come through the ranks to join them?
A week is a long time in sport, never mind four years. But here, BBC Sport takes an early look at some names in the frame for future Olympic fame.
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Six of the 12 British Olympians who won more than one medal at London 2012 were younger than 26.
Laura Trott, 20, and boyfriend Jason Kenny, 24, were both double Olympic champions in the velodrome, Andy Murray, 25,took tennis gold and silver, gymnasts Louis Smith, 23,and Max Whitlock, 19,both picked up two medals, and Rebecca Adlington, 23,won double bronze in freestyle swimming.
It would be risky to bet against any of them returning for Rio. Trott, in particular, has the chance to establish a legacy to match Sir Chris Hoy's record medal haul over the next decade, having dominated her team pursuit and omnium events in recent years.
Adlington has some thinking to do after losing both of her Olympic titles, particularly following the stunning performance of American 15-year-old Katie Ledecky over her favoured 800m distance. Smith has suggested younger gymnasts may prove better all-rounders and push him out of the 2016 gymnastics team.
But you can expect Whitlock to be a bedrock of that squad if he maintains his progress, while Trott and Kenny should have at least two more Olympic outings left in them, if not more. Murray will certainly hope to defend his singles title in Rio.
Of course, 25 is something of an arbitrary barrier. In many sports, you can just as easily win a medal in your 40s or 50s as your teens. Many of GB's gold medallists can be expected to fight for their place, if not retain their title, in four years' time - think of the likes of Jess Ennis, 26,and Mo Farah, 29, plus many of the GB rowing team.
To take an example from the opposite end of the spectrum: Nick Skelton is 54, has come back from a broken neck and a hip replacement, and now needs work on his back - but the team showjumping champion plans to return.
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Plenty of likely candidates for Rio 2016 have already broken into the team at London 2012, even if they didn't grab the headlines.
The most obvious of these is Adam Gemili, the world junior champion over 100m, whose time of 10.06 seconds in the Olympic semi-finals saw him narrowly miss out on a place in the final alongside the likes of Jamaican winner Usain Bolt and his team-mate Yohan Blake.
Gemili, still only 18, has already been hailed by US rival Tyson Gay as a man with the potential to become one of the greatest in history. By Rio, we will know a lot more about what the former footballer can achieve on the track.
Nineteen-year-old Katarina Johnson-Thompson (heptathlon or long jump) and 20-year-old hurdler Andrew Pozzi are others whose names were lower down the 2012 card but could top the billing in Rio.
Andrew Osagie, the 800m runner, finished last in his final as David Rudisha stormed home in a new world record, but the Briton ran a personal best that would have won gold at any of the three previous Olympics. He will be 28 in 2016.
In contrast Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee occupied every headline going with his stunning win but will face renewed pressure from younger brother Jonny in Rio.
The two look set to dominate their sport for years to come, but 22-year-old Jonny may yet have it in him to surpass his 24-year-old sibling in time for Rio, having taken bronze behind Alistair in Hyde Park.
In gymnastics, Rebecca Tunney made her Olympic debut as the youngest member of Team GB at the age of 15, looking assured and unfazed in the women's all-around final. She will spend the next four years increasing the difficulty of her routines although, in a sport with a phenomenally high turnover rate as new gymnasts come on the scene, she already faces a battle to keep her place in the British team.
Fencer James Davis impressed as Britain valiantly scrapped to a narrow defeat by world number ones Italy in the men's team foil event, and he could be joined by world junior epee champion Philip Marsh in Rio.
Teenager Harry Martin somehow managed to have a decent game for the GB men's hockey team as they were drubbed 9-2 by the Netherlands in their semi-final and is one to watch, while rowing trio Constantine Louloudis, George Nash and Will Satch all picked up bronze at Eton Dorney and will look to upgrade that in Brazil.
Swimming was a disappointment for Britain at their home Games, and now the search is on for future stars. Siobhan-Marie O'Connor, the 16-year-old breaststroke swimmer from Bath, may be one of them if she can improve her race strategy. Diver Jack Laugher struggled in his 3m competition and finished 27th but he will only be 21 by the time of Rio; Tom Daley, of course, will be just 22 himself.
Some of the GB stars at Rio 2016 could be in sports entirely new to the Games.
British teams will fancy their chances at medals in rugby sevens, introduced to the Olympic programme for the first time, with Michaela Staniford a name to remember as the 25-year-old captain of the current England women's team.
Kiteboarding replaces windsurfing for Rio and Steph Bridge, a four-time world champion in the sport for Britain, has already seen her profile rise as a result. If windsurfing wins its appeal against losing its place, Izzy Hamilton could benefit. The pro windsurfer is also taking up kiteboarding with a view to reaching Rio, no matter which of the two is included.
Elsewhere in sailing, 22-year-old Katrina Hughes - who lost her battle for a place in the women's 470 boat to Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, this time - will be back and raring to go alongside partner Penny Clark for 2016.
A crop of gymnasts are preparing to emerge from the increasingly successful British junior production line. European junior champions Frank Baines and Nile Wilson are two leading lights on the men's side while Youth Olympic trampolinist Nathan Bailey is hoping to star at 2016. Ellie Downie, younger sister of 2008 Olympic gymnast Becky, is just 12 years old now but will be 16 and could have reached her peak by the time of the next Games.
Cycling has a seemingly endless conveyor belt of talent to raid for 2016. Names like Lucy Garner and Simon Yates, both already junior world champions in their short careers, could be firmly established in senior circles well before then.
Other names waiting in the wings for Rio include boxer Chantelle Cameron, eventer Laura Collett and modern pentathletes Freyja Prentice and Jamie Cooke, the latter tipped by his coaches as a future world champion.
Rowers Pat Lapage and Mike Evans, and Michael Eilberg with Woodlander Farouche in dressage, will also hope to be in Rio.


A jogger has used a fitness tracking app on his mobile phone to turn his park runs into festive art work.

Owen Delaney, 40, from Teddington, has been mapping out Christmas-themed images using Strava - an app which uses GPS to track users running routes.
During his jogs in Bushy Park, Richmond, he has created pictures of Santa Claus, a cracker and a snowman.
The father-of-two said he hopes to draw something new "every day until Christmas".
"The idea first came about a couple of years ago when I did something similar for an online competition," he told the BBC.
Originally Mr Delaney had intended to stop after his first drawing - a depiction of Rudolph.
"But my friends seemed to like it so I did the Santa one the next day," he said.
Each run takes meticulous planning to avoid "having to wade through any rivers or ponds" and can take up to up to an hour to design.
"I used to draw a lot of cartoons when I was younger, and sometimes made hand drawn Christmas cards for people," Mr Delaney said.
"I guess this is a similar theme, but I never imagined being able to use the park as a canvas."
Mr Delaney is keeping the design for his final run on Christmas day a secret.
He said: "Everyone seems to be enjoying it and it's bringing lots of smiles and lovely comments from people.
"We could all do with something simple and happy this year I think."


Peter Robinson has said he decided to quit as Northern Ireland first minister and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader after "stabilising" Stormont.

He told the BBC it was " difficult" to find the right time to step down, but following this week's political deal, now seemed "the appropriate time".
"You never really get the end of a chapter," Mr Robinson said.
"Probably what we have at this present time, with the agreement being reached, is as close as you're going to get."
The 66-year-old, who negotiated Tuesday's A Fresh Start agreement with Sinn FÃ©in, is set to retire from both of his roles within weeks.
He suffered a heart attack in May, but told the BBC his health problems were not a factor in his decision, as it happened after he had already informed his DUP colleagues that he was planning to step down.
"Right back from the Westminster election in May, I indicated to party officers that they had to factor into their calculations that I would not be standing at the next assembly elections, so they could do their forward planning," Mr Robinson said.
"But the assembly was in some disarray at that time, and the view was I should remain and attempt to stabilise the assembly and executive.
"We've done that successfully, so now it seems to me the appropriate time to announce the departure and allow the party to take it forward."
Earlier, in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, he said there are "massive pressures" involved in his work.
Speaking to the BBC about his heart attack, the outgoing first minister said: "If it had happened before, it may well have been one of the factors I would have taken into consideration.
"The job is an exacting job, it is rigorous and, at times, brutal."
After leaving hospital in May, Mr Robinson said his health problems were the result of his poor diet and lack of exercise, rather than his job.
But now looking forward to his retirement, he told the BBC "It's remarkable just how quickly, even after a heart attack, you can slide back into the same old habits of staying up late at night, not getting your sleep, not eating properly or getting any exercise.
"The family at least will be pleased that I'm going to be having some 'me time'."
Mr Robinson is one of the founding members of the DUP and has had a political career lasting more than 40 years.
He took over as first minister and DUP leader from Ian Paisley in 2008.
Read more: Peter Robinson - a life in Northern Ireland politics
The party will hold its annual conference this weekend, and Mr Robinson said it would be "disrespectful" to members to give the impression he would be leading them into the next Northern Ireland Assembly election, set for May 2016.
On Wednesday, Mr Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced they had struck a political deal with the British and Irish governments to end a near-three-month crisis at Stormont.
That deal included an agreement on the devolution of corporation tax powers to Northern Ireland's ruling executive, which had been a long-term target for Mr Robinson.
Mr McGuinness said he considered Mr Robinson to be a friend, and added they had a "good working relationship" during more than seven years of leading the executive together.
"We've managed to do what a previous administration under both the SDLP and Ulster Unionists couldn't do - they collapsed on three occasions and we have never collapsed.
In politics - as in other walks of life - it pays to trust your instincts.
In 2010, Peter Robinson's instincts told him not to stand in the general election. He ignored them - and lost.
It was a mistake he was unlikely to make again when it came to his other jobs as first minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
Read more here
"That's a pretty incredible achievement given that we're talking about the DUP and Sinn FÃ©in.
"I will remember him as the man who was the key architect, along with Ian Paisley, in bringing the DUP into the [Northern Ireland political] institutions."
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said Mr Robinson had been a "central figure" in politics for more than four decades.
"He has championed the interests of Northern Ireland with unparalleled effectiveness, determination and dedication," she said.
"Peter was key to the agreement reached this week and he can be rightly proud of his contribution."
Lord Morrow, the DUP chairman, said Mr Robinson had been the "tactician behind all of the major advances" made by the party in the last 15 years.
"He has led our party and our country through some of the most delicate and difficult phases of the political process," Lord Morrow added.
"There were times when lesser men would have given up and simply walked away, but Peter endured and has worked hard for the people of Northern Ireland."
Mr Robinson suggested in the interview that two separate successors could take on his roles.
Many within the DUP expect North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds to become party leader and Arlene Foster, the current finance minister, to become first minister.
Mr Dodds said Mr Robinson had been a "towering figure" in the party since its foundation who had made "huge personal sacrifices in the service of others".
"Mere words cannot convey the enormity of the thanks owed to Peter by the DUP and by everyone who values progress in Northern Ireland," he said
"He has dedicated his life to the defence of the union and to building a better life for our people."
Liam Clarke, the Belfast Telegraph's political editor, who spoke to the first minister, said Mr Robinson had wanted to "make a good legacy".
"The party officers have asked him to remain on until the assembly is on a firm footing, which he reckons will probably be the new year," he said.
"He wants to complete a few little things, but he's not talking about a really long goodbye."
Alliance Party leader David Ford, said Mr Robinson's decision to step aside had been "the worst-kept secret in politics".
"He has played a very significant part in Northern Ireland politics," he said.
"In the early years, some of us thought that was fairly detrimental - in recent years he's been more positive.
"We will see over the coming months exactly what [Mr Robinson's] legacy will be."
Jim Allister, a former DUP MEP who broke away from the party to form the Traditional Unionist Voice, said Mr Robinson was "undoubtedly quite tetchy and doesn't like being challenged".
"But it would be churlish not to say that he has been a good politician," Mr Allister added.
Prof Jon Tonge, who co-authored a major academic study on the DUP, said Mr Robinson was leaving with a "strong track record" having "modernised" the party.
He added: "There's a significant legacy there and there are no big wins ahead, so it's a logical time to stand down."


Harry Redknapp insists he is not worried about his future as QPR manager despite claiming a club "insider" has tried to destabilise his position.

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Manchester United's 2-0 win at Loftus Road increased the pressure on Redknapp with QPR 19th in the Premier League.
But he said: "I have spoken to the owner Tony Fernandes five times this week and he's not mentioned anything."
On Friday's story that he could be sacked if they lost Redknapp said that "someone has made a bit of money".
He added: "I've never been at a club like it in my life.
"It's this 'insider' who is trying to cause a problem. Who do you believe - the chairman or 'the insider'?" Redknapp asked.
"What will be will be. It's their choice. It's Tony's club. We can only do our best and I think we have done ever so well this year."
Rangers, promoted back to the Premier League last season, have been beaten just three times at home all season but have lost all 10 of their away games and are one point behind 17th-placed Burnley.
Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood has been strongly linked as a potential successor at Loftus Road, but Redknapp insists he is not feeling the heat.
"Do I look like I feel under pressure?" he said.
"When I get home I'll take my wife for a nice meal somewhere, have a nice bottle of wine, then in the morning wake up and take my dogs for a walk. My life's very good.
"I don't always speak to my chairman after a game but if he wants to talk he knows my number. I spoke to him on Friday and the day before - no problem."
Redknapp, meanwhile, is convinced QPR can stay up if he can add to his attacking options.
The Loftus Road side have been indebted to Charlie Austin's 13 goals so far this season. The former Burnley man, who was watched by England boss Roy Hodgson on Saturday, has accounted for more than half of their 23 league goals.
"It's going to be very close down there and I think we've got a real chance.
"If we can get another striker in on loan then we'll stay up no problem.
"We're just short of an option up there, someone with a bit of pace."


Manchester's Whitworth has been named as Museum of the Year 2015 following a £15m redevelopment that led to record visitor numbers to the art gallery.

Whitworth director Maria Balshaw said the expansion project had "unlocked the potential" of the building.
She accepted the £100,000 Art Fund prize - presented by novelist Ben Okri - at a ceremony at Tate Modern.
It is the biggest museum prize in the world and the largest arts award in Britain.
The judges said the Whitworth was "an impressive institution" that had "cemented its place at the centre of the cultural national stage".
The Whitworth underwent the largest physical transformation in its 125-year history in 2014.  The project doubled its size and connected the building with its surrounding park.
"To be recognised on such a strong shortlist has been a delight," Dr Balshaw told the BBC immediately after the win was announced.
"Our vision was that we would make our gallery relevant for everybody that lives in Manchester.
"We are part of the most diverse community in the North West. We were closed for half a year and spent our time getting to know those communities."
During its redevelopment the Whitworth continued to offer pop-up projects all over the city, maintaining established audiences and building new ones ahead of its February reopening.
In her acceptance speech, Dr Balshaw revealed that 210,000 people had visited the the Whitworth since its relaunch, compared with 180,000 annual visitors to the old building.
By Ian Youngs, BBC arts reporter
The old Whitworth had a somewhat institutional air, a bit staid and cramped and clumsy.
Now it is transformed, with the old bits refined and new exhibition areas that are big, clean and airy. It finally feels like it belongs in the top rank of national and international galleries.
It now also looks onto and, with an "art garden", reaches into Whitworth Park, to its rear. The idea is that it will be more welcoming to people in neighbouring Moss Side, from which it had previously appeared to have turned its back.
Stephen Deuchar, chairman of the judges and director of the Art Fund, said: "The transformation of the Whitworth - architecturally, curatorially, and as a destination - has been one of the great museum achievements of recent years.
"Its galleries offer intellectual, visual and creative stimulus of the highest order; the collections are innovatively presented, the community engagement programmes are both original and unusual, and the visitor experience is exceptional throughout.
"We were particularly taken with the relationship between the reconceived building and its surrounding park:  museum, locality and community merge as if one.  And in a wider sense the Whitworth has changed the landscape:  it truly feels like a museum of the future."
The Whitworth, which is owned by the University of Manchester, was one of six finalists chosen by a panel of judges.
The others were London's recently renovated Imperial War Museum, Belfast's The MAC, The Tower of London, Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Dunham Massey, Altrincham.
Last year's prize was won by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Dr Balshaw said the £100,000 prize would allow the Whitworth to continue "taking our art out into the world around us and bring new audiences back in".
"We feel that everybody who comes through our door is curious and up for wonder," she added.
The other shortlisted museums:
Dunham Massey, Altrincham (National Trust)
A Georgian country house in Cheshire, Dunham Massey has been home to the Booth and Grey families for some 350 years.  In 2014, the Sanctuary from the Trenches exhibition faithfully recreated the Stamford Military Hospital as it had been in 1917-19, using artefacts and furniture from the house's own archive. Working in partnership with Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre, actors were brought in to tell real stories of wartime experiences at the hospital. The acclaimed exhibition subsequently extended its run to November 2015.
Imperial War Museum, London
To mark the the centenary of the outbreak of World War One in 2014, the Imperial War Museum brought together letters, diaries, objects and works of art from its vast collection to create the newly established First World War Galleries. The resulting galleries lay bare the story of the war, from both the frontline and the home front. It also saw the museum's atrium dramatically transformed by Sir Norman Foster to tell the story of conflict from World War One to the present day.
The MAC, Belfast
The Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) is a multi-disciplinary arts venue at the heart of Belfast. 2014 was an exceptional year across the organisation, with the visual arts programme - particularly an exhibition from US artist Kara Walker - attracting significant numbers of visitors and raising the venue's profile both nationally and internationally. The inaugural MAC International exhibition attracted more than 1,000 artist entries worldwide and is, to date, the largest art prize in Ireland.
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
In 2014, Oxford University Museum of Natural History reopened its doors after 14 months of closure to restore its Pre-Raphaelite-inspired, iron and glass roof.  The museum re-emerged from the £4m project with a revitalised public space and a revitalised collection, following a major conservation project undertaken on the suspended whale skeletons. LED lighting further enhances the visitor experience.
HM Tower of London (Historic Royal Palaces)
In 2014 Historic Royal Palaces commissioned for HM Tower of London a work of art that was to become the defining public commemoration of the First World War centenary: Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper.  This evolving installation of 888,246 ceramic poppies, which eventually filled the 16-acre moat, was viewed by more five million visitors.


Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid a late-night visit to disgraced Italian ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi during a summit in Milan.

He left the home of the convicted tax fraudster after two hours, at 03:45 (01:45 GMT), the Kremlin confirmed.
The two enjoyed good personal relations while Berlusconi was in power.
Mr Putin, 62, had already raised eyebrows by missing a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, the first day of the summit.
He was in the Serbian capital Belgrade as guest of honour at a military parade to mark the city's liberation from Nazi Germany 70 years ago.
The talks with Mrs Merkel, which focused on the peace process in Ukraine, eventually started four hours late, Russian media report.
Correspondents say Mr Putin has a reputation for arriving late. He kept Pope Francis waiting 50 minutes when he visited the Vatican last year.
The Russian president met Berlusconi "by special permission" of the judicial authorities, Italian journalist Gerardo Pelosi said in a tweet.
"After the completion of official events... Putin came to see his old friend Berlusconi," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.
Despite his late night out, Mr Putin was back early on Friday for more talks with Mrs Merkel.
Berlusconi, 78, is serving a sentence of one year of community service at a care home near Milan since being convicted of tax fraud last year and ejected from the Italian Senate.
In July, an appeals court overturned his separate conviction for paying for sex with a minor. The court explained its decision on Thursday by saying there was not enough evidence to show Berlusconi had known Karima El-Mahroug was under 18 at the time.


Forests can play a vital role in supplementing global food and nutrition security but this role is currently being overlooked, a report suggests.

The study says that tree-based farming provides resilience against extreme weather events, which can wipe out traditional food crops.
It warns that policies focusing on traditional agriculture often overlook the role forest farming could play.
The findings were presented at the UN Forum on Forests in New York, US.
The report is the result of a collaboration of more than 60 leading scientists, co-ordinated by the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) on behalf of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).
"The report is not trying to suggest that people should start relying on forests more than conventional agriculture," explained Bhaskar Vira, the chair of the panel which compiled the report.
"It is very much about the complementary roles that forests can play alongside conventional agriculture.
"The evidence shows that a large number of people still rely on the food from forests and trees to supplement their diet," Dr Vira, director of the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute.
Branching out
Global estimates suggest that one-in-nine people are still suffering from hunger, and the majority of them are in Africa and Asia.
The report highlights a range of measures that offer "great potential" to improve food security and improve people's quality of life.
It calculates that almost one-in-six people directly depend on forests for their food and income. It adds that in the Sahel region of Africa, tree-related production contributes an average of 80% to household incomes, particularly from shea nut production.
The report also highlights the importance of forests as a source of firewood and charcoal, essential to enable people to consume the calories found in conventional food crops. Globally, an estimated 2.4bn people use this renewable fuel source for heating and cooking.
More than wood
The authors also emphasise links between forests and conventional farming. For example, forests are a crucial habitat for key pollinators of many food crops. Without forests, the vital ecosystem service provided by birds and insects would be diminished, resulting in increased food security concerns.
"This report reminds us of the vital role of forests in building food security," observed Thomas Gass, assistant secretary-general for policy in the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs.
"It makes a convincing case for multi-functional and integrated landscape approaches, and for community-level engagement to re-imagine forestry and agriculture systems."
Another benefit lies in forests' ability to add diversity to the food production system, explained Christoph Wildburger, co-ordinator of the IUFRO Global Forest Expert Panels.
"Large-scale crop production is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events," he said.
"We know that forests already play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change. This report makes it very clear that they also play a key role in alleviating hunger and improving nutrition."
Dr Vira added: "What we are saying to policymakers is to start thinking more about the landscape as an integrated production system rather than the current and conventional view that often places agriculture and forestry in opposition to each other.
"We make a really strong case for thinking about the landscape holistically."
Late last year, the Global Nutrition Report warned that most countries in the world faced a serious public health problem as a result of malnutrition.
It said that every nation except China had crossed a "malnutrition red line", suffering from too much or too little nutrition.
According to that report, malnutrition led to 11% of global GDP being "squandered as a result of lives lost, less learning, less earning and days lost to illness".
Dr Vira told BBC News: "One really important insight we got was that conventional agriculture was good for the calorific intake but not so good when you started to think about healthy and balanced diets.
"When we talk about food security we need to stop focusing simply on calories. It is hugely important to recognise how much of a balanced diet comes from outside of conventional agriculture, particularly from trees and forests.
"Forests matter when it comes to human wellbeing."


Britain's native dormouse has declined by more than a third since the year 2000 according to a new report by wildlife charity, the People's Trust for Endangered Species.

The State of Britain's Dormice report also shows that hazel dormice are extinct in 17 English counties.
The researchers assessed more than 100,000 records gathered from across the UK over 25 years.
The report says the dormouse is now vulnerable to extinction in Britain.
Since 1998 trained volunteers around the country have been gathering data on the tiny hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). It is one of the longest-running small mammal monitoring projects in the world.
The creatures live mainly in hedgerows and woods, weaving ball-like nests in the undergrowth from bark in the summer and hibernating on or near the ground in winter between October and May.
They are extremely tricky to locate - a populated area the size of two football fields will only contain four dormice. A giveaway sign is a nibbled hazelnut.
Today's report shows that they are more difficult to find than ever. Over the last 16 years, the population has declined by almost 40%. Populations are now restricted to the Welsh borders and southern England. They have never been recorded in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Ian White is dormouse officer at the People's Trust for Endangered Species. He has been monitoring the species for the last decade and describes the decline as "dramatic". He says: "Dormice have been around for 40 million years, but their future in Britain is now precarious and there's a pressing need for action to ensure their long-term survival."
In 1885, dormice were present in 49 English counties; today, they're known in 32 - excluding those counties where they have been reintroduced.
Mr White said the evidence pointed towards a few key factors in their decline. They are a woodland animal and there has been a loss of woodland and hedgerows. Their habitats are more fragmented and they can't disperse through the landscape.
The management of farmland and woodland has also changed making it harder for them to survive. They are also vulnerable to changes in the weather, in particular wetter springs and summers, when foraging for food becomes harder. Warmer winters also interrupt successful hibernation.
Mr White said: "This is a sad tale, the raw data is a bit doom and gloom but my personal experience is that there is a lot more interest in what we can do about this and a lot of enthusiasm from the public to help."
There have been efforts to bring hazel dormice back to the wild. More than 850 animals have been reintroduced at 26 sites. The latest was at Aysgarth in Wensleydale in June. At five of these release sites the population has died. The others have shown signs of success, such as breeding or dispersal to new areas beyond the site.
PTES monitors 400 sites regularly along with building a national dataset from the information that the public sends in. They also help to train woodland managers and landowners.
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A voyeuristic Elvis impersonator has been sentenced to 18 years in jail for a string of sexual offences including the attempted rape of a child.

Derrel Weaver, 62, from Widegates near Looe, Cornwall was branded a "dyed in the wool, predatory paedophile" by a judge.
Weaver filmed women using secret cameras and sexually abused children.
As he left the dock at Truro Crown Court, Weaver threatened to curse those in the courtroom.
Jurors took three hours to find Weaver guilty of 19 counts of sexual assault and gross indecency with a child, and two of attempted rape.
He had already pleaded guilty to eight voyeurism offences - and admitted filming women with hidden cameras disguised as light switches in a toilet.
Recorder Iain Hughes QC told Weaver: "I am absolutely sure you are and will remain a substantial danger to children physically and psychologically"
He said Weaver had an "ingrained, long-term and continuing sexual depravity towards young women and children".
Throughout the trial the Elvis impersonator wore aviator-style sunglasses, and he was animated throughout the sentencing.
As he was led away from the dock he shouted: "My Grandma is a real witch and I call upon her to curse everyone in this courtroom".
"Apart from my friend", he continued, pointing to a man in the public gallery.
He then appeared to cast a spell on the court as he was taken away, saying: "You think it's mumbo jumbo but you wait."
He was also found guilty of attempting to take an indecent photo of a child.
He was found not guilty of two charges of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.
Weaver is already serving a five year sentence for firearms offences.


Plans to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote in the UK's EU membership referendum look set to be blocked by the government after ministers claimed the move would cost £6m.

The House of Lords has been pushing for teenagers to have a say in the vote, promised by the end of 2017.
But ministers fear it could undermine the legitimacy of the result.
Speaker John Bercow has now decided that due to the estimated costs, the changes must be decided by the Commons.
He has certified that the changes are covered by "financial privilege" rules which can be used by the Commons "as grounds for overruling any House of Lords proposal that has cost implications".
Peers voted last month to amend the European Referendum Bill to extend the franchise.
The Bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday, with MPs expected to reject the move.
The government's notes on the House of Lords amendment say the change would incur "in excess of £6m of additional public expenditure".
This includes the postage cost of campaign literature, which would be incurred by Whitehall and local authorities.
It has triggered the financial privilege rules, which refer to the special right of the House of Commons to make tax and spending decisions.
Labour sources accused the government of arrogance and promised to find way around the obstacle.
But BBC deputy political editor James Landale said the parliamentary technicality made it much harder for peers to continue pushing for 16 and 17-year-olds to get a vote and in doing so to delay the referendum.
"It also shows that the government is ready to play hardball with the House of Lords after its plans to cut tax credits were defeated in October," he added.
The government has no majority in the Upper House, and commissioned a review to look at the workings of Parliament following its defeat on tax credits.
The Electoral Commission has said registering 16 and 17-year-olds could take 12 months, which could affect the government's referendum timetable. No date for the poll has been set.
Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems all favour allowing 16 and 17-year-olds - who were allowed to take part in last year's referendum on Scottish independence - to vote on whether to remain in the EU.
The prime minister's spokeswoman said the government wanted to progress its EU negotiations "as quickly as possible".
On votes at 16, she added: "The Commons has taken a very clear position on this and we will seek to overturn that amendment."


An Aberdeen punter has bet £20,000 on Emmanuel Macron to be France's next president.

The wager with William Hill at odds of 1-8 would make a profit of £2,500 if successful.
Macron leads in opinion polls ahead of National Front rival Marine Le Pen.
William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly said the Aberdeen bet was placed late on Wednesday evening, and was matched as the largest on Macron by another £20,000 placed in London.


Former Ferrari driver Chris Amon has died at the age of 73.

Amon had been suffering from cancer in recent years and died in hospital in his native New Zealand on Wednesday, his family confirmed.
He competed in Formula One from 1963 to 1976 and although he was considered one of the best drivers of the era, he never won a Grand Prix.
Amon did, however, win the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1966 alongside fellow New Zealander Bruce McLaren.
He worked as a consultant for Toyota after his retirement and was awarded an MBE for services to motorsport in 1993.
A family statement read: "Chris battled cancer in recent years but retained not only a close interest in Formula One - and his very wide range of favourite topics - but also his wonderful sense of humour, complete with infectious chuckle."
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Burnley striker Sam Vokes hopes the club's promotion to the Premier League will seal his place in Wales' Euro 2016 squad.

On Monday Vokes scored the winning goal - his 15th of the season - as Burnley beat QPR 1-0 to ensure an immediate return to the Premier League.
Vokes, 26, has scored six goals in 39 games for Wales since his 2008 debut.
"It's about doing what you can at club level to get the chance to play for your country," he told BBC Radio Wales.
He continued, "Whenever I get the chance to put the shirt on it's a great honour and I look forward to the squad being announced and to a good summer.
"It made it a lot easier getting promoted automatically because we don't have to go to the play-offs but I'll try to get away on a break before the season starts."
The striker scored 22 goals on the way to Burnley winning promotion from the Championship in 2013-14.
But the former Bournemouth and Wolves forward missed much of last season's Premier League campaign after suffering a serious knee injury in March 2014.
"Being a big part of the Championship season the last time we went up, it was gutting to miss most of that Premier League season through injury," he said.
"It is what it is and you come back stronger. Hopefully I get a crack at it next year and it's great to be part of a squad that's gone up this year."
There was more cause for celebration as Vokes' Wales roommate Andy King clinched the Premier League title with Leicester.
"I texted Andy after the videos came through and they found out they were champions so it was a good afternoon for the room," he added.
"He's a great player and a guy. His achievements with Leicester have been massive to get all those promotions and the titles with the same club."


BBC Panorama has learnt that Lord Coe won the presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations with the help of the man at the centre of the sport's doping scandal.

Texts seen by the BBC suggest ex-IAAF consultant Papa Massata Diack, now wanted by Interpol, secured votes for Lord Coe's August election win.
The programme also suggests Coe may have misled the UK parliament.
The double British Olympic 1500m champion, 59, denies any wrongdoing.
The text messages suggest Diack, son of the disgraced former IAAF president Lamine Diack, helped secure African delegate votes for Coe.
The investigation also uncovers evidence Coe may have misled a parliamentary select committee over when he first became aware of the allegations of doping and corruption in athletics.
Coe became IAAF president in the midst of a growing corruption scandal involving blackmail and state-sponsored doping in Russia.
Within weeks of his election, his predecessor, Diack Sr, was arrested and a warrant issued for the arrest of his son, a marketing consultant for the IAAF.
The corruption scandal had originally come to light in a German television documentary in December 2014.
The documentary reported that Russian and IAAF officials, including Diack Jr, had conspired to cover up doping by the Russian marathon runner Lilya Shobukhova, as well as attempt to blackmail her.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Coe was not personally caught up in any of the doping or corruption allegations, but he had been a member of the IAAF council since 2003 and a vice-president since 2007.
He was asked by MPs at a meeting of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee last year why he had not been more prominent in pressing the doping issue while he was a vice-president.
He told them: "I was certainly not aware of the specific allegations that had been made around the corruption of anti-doping processes in Russia."
When he was asked if he was aware of allegations against Diack Jr, Coe replied: "Well, they were allegations that were aired in the ARD documentary."
But evidence seen by the BBC and the Daily Mail reveals that, four months before the German television documentary was broadcast, an email was sent to Coe containing a number of attachments detailing the corruption, extortion and bribery claims, as well as the suggestion Diack Jr could have been involved.
The attachments included a detailed complaint from the agent of Shobukhova, alleging she had paid Russian and IAAF officials 450,000 euro (£356,000) to cover up her doping and allow her to run in the London 2012 Olympics.
Damian Collins MP, who sits on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: "I think his (Lord Coe's) answer to the select committee was deliberately misleading to create the impression that he was totally unaware of any specific allegations of this kind.
"These involved serious criminal matters. The right thing to do would be to put that information into the hands of the criminal authorities straight away."
He added: "If he won't be drawn on the past and what he knew and can't come up with a compelling argument for the way he conducted himself, then I don't see how he could continue as president of the IAAF because he would lack the public support to do so."
In a statement, Coe, who won 1500m gold at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, said he was forwarded emails about the corruption allegations, which he then sent on to the IAAF ethics committee, leaving it to investigate.
His director of communications, Jackie Brock-Doyle, added: "He did not feel it was necessary to read the attachments.
"You may think this shows a lack of curiosity. He, and we, would argue that it shows a full duty of care, ensuring the right people in the right place were aware of allegations and were investigating them."
Diack Jr claims that he and Coe met during the IAAF presidential campaign, twice in Beijing and once in the Bahamas.
This was almost a year after Coe was sent the email about allegations against Diack Jr and several months after it was revealed the Senegalese had been accused of corruption on a grand scale.
The claims of Diack Jr, who has been banned for life by the IAAF, have to be treated with extreme caution, but there is evidence - in the form of emails and text messages between Diack Jr, Coe and Nick Davies, the IAAF's head of communications - that he did indeed help Coe during his presidential bid.
At the time, Davies was helping Coe's election campaign.
The following are some of text messages, seen by Panorama, which call into question how Coe ran his successful IAAF presidency election campaign.
These messages are from 2015 - several months after the world knew Diack Jr had been accused of dishonesty on a grand scale.
Coe also appeared keen to ensure Diack Jr made an important meeting. Diack Jr told the BBC that the "friend" mentioned in this message was Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, president of the Confederation of African Athletics, whose support was crucial.
In the days before the election, Diack Jr appeared to provide information on the election tactics of Coe's rival, Sergey Bubka, the Ukrainian former Olympic pole vault champion.
Diack Jr also seemed to provide intelligence on how IAAF delegates might vote in the presidential election, asking Davies to get a message to Coe to speak to Phil Knight of Nike for confirmation from the USA delegate Steve Miller.
This next message refers to the 24 out of 30 nations Diack Jr claims he could talk to and get support for Coe. The Briton won the election by a margin of 23 votes, 115-92.
The BBC showed these text messages to Jack Robertson, a former chief investigator for the World Anti-Doping Agency and the man who investigated the Shobukhova doping scandal.
"It appears that Coe is taking advice from someone who is at the centre of this scandal to extort athletes," said Robertson.
"It's wrong on so many fronts. It's not just disappointing, it's disgusting."
In an interview with Panorama, Diack Jr said Lord Coe would not have become IAAF president without his help.
"If he had not the blessing of Lamine Diack or my support, he would have never been elected as the IAAF president," he said. "He knows that."
Coe refused the BBC's request for an interview to discuss his relationship with Diack Jr and said the suggestion he sought the Senegalese's support was wrong.
The Briton's spokeswoman added: "As with any campaign, lots of people offer advice - wanted or not, some helpful, some not. You try to be civil but wary.
"This was the case with Mr Diack. He sent messages of support whilst at the same time supporting other candidates and accusing Seb Coe of leading a British media campaign against both him and his father."
Diack Jr is currently living in Senegal and Interpol has issued a notice for his arrest over allegations of bribery and corruption, which he rejects.
"I have never, never, never been involved in any payment or any extortion of Lilia Shobukhova," he said.
"All we did about this Russian affair was to protect our World Championships. There was no cover-up of any, any, any doping matters."
Last week, the IAAF's ethics board announced that Davies was one of three IAAF members being provisionally suspended over allegations they took money to delay naming Russian drugs cheats.
Given he is now the subject of an IAAF investigation, Davies said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the Panorama programme.
But Robertson is happy to speak out and said: "I hate to use the word, but he [Coe] got in bed with the devil to win the election.
"I don't mean to call Papa Diack the devil, but he was certainly in the middle of the investigation.
"And if he [Coe] makes a decision such as that, how can we trust him with other decisions? My bottom line is clean athletes deserve better."
The Panorama programme airs on the eve of an IAAF meeting in Vienna to decide whether to allow Russian athletes to compete at the Rio Olympics.


Australian financial services company Computershare is to create 300 jobs at a new technology centre in Edinburgh.

The firm has secured a Â£2m grant from Scottish Enterprise and has worked closely with Scottish Development International (SDI) to develop the project.
The centre, on North St Andrew Street, is due to open next year.
On a visit to the site, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "fantastic news for Edinburgh's economy".
Stuart Irving, global president of Computershare said: "As a truly international capital city, Edinburgh has a bright future and is a natural home for a global company.
"As a growing business we need the skills and hard work we see on offer in this city.
"We are grateful to the Scottish government, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International for helping us with our plans and are looking forward to our continued partnership."
Ms Sturgeon added: "Scotland is open for business and continues to be a very attractive location for investment, as evidenced by the recent EY Attractiveness survey, which noted that Scotland was the top UK location for foreign direct investment outside London for the fifth consecutive year.
"Together with the inward investment figures published by SDI, this offers further evidence that we have the skills and expertise to attract and retain global companies like Computershare."


League Two side Northampton Town are set to be taken over by an Indian consortium after both parties signed a heads of terms agreement.

The buyout will see chairman and owner David Cardoza sell his entire stake.
"We've been looking for investment for a while, more on a 50-50 sale - but the buyers have said they want to take control of everything," said Cardoza.
"It's a bit out of the blue, but it's unquestionably in the best interests for everyone to get this deal done."
The identities of the consortium members have yet to be disclosed.
Cardoza, who believes the takeover could go through within a month, told BBC Radio Northampton: "I wouldn't be selling the football club unless I was confident it was going to the right people."
The consortium are buying both the football club and land around the Sixfields ground and Cardoza said they will invest "significant funds" into both those assets.
"It's a big investment for Northampton. Having these sort of people up here will mean other regeneration deals will become possible as well," he continued.
Cardoza was also quick to allay fears that the consortium were just interested in the land around Sixfields and not in the football club, who finished 12th in League Two last season.
"They are definitely people who want to invest in football, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. But they are also very interested in the redevelopment of the football club, hotel, conference centre and the land.
"This is a very positive move for Northampton and I'm sure the fans over time will be delighted," he said.
The announcement comes amid a lack of progress on the redevelopment of the East Stand at Sixfields, which began last year.
And Cardoza said the takeover was one reason why the work has been held up.
"It's all connected. We haven't been able to say too much, but there's been an awful lot going on in the last few weeks," he explained.
Cardoza, who oversaw a Sixfields groundshare with Coventry between July 2013 and September 2014, said criticism from some fans over the redevelopment had made his life difficult.
"It's been the worst 12 months of my life, and as the chairman and owner of the club I've had to take the brunt of everything that's happening.
"So in a way this all sort of comes together at possible the right time, but it's also not physically happened just yet," he added.


Owners of tumble dryers requiring repairs in a fire safety campaign are being told they must wait 11 months for their appliance to be fixed.

In November, Whirlpool - the owner of the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands - revealed the massive repair campaign following fires in owners' homes.
Initially, those with affected models have a 10-week wait for a call from the company.
They then face a long waiting list for a technician to visit their home.
Whirlpool bought manufacturer Indesit, including the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands, in October 2014.
Investigations into reports of fires led eventually to the alert and repair programme covering these brands' dryers sold over more than a decade, from April 2004 to September 2015.
Some owners have reported their homes being damaged and destroyed, even after this repair campaign has got under way.
The company said it had been in contact with 3.4 million customers, with others being urged to check their models.
But they are being told that after making the initial contact, customers must wait about 10 weeks before being told of an estimated date for a visit from an engineer.
That date, for those registering now to have an engineer visit their home, is close to nine months, making an 11-month wait overall.
Among those on the waiting list are Joe and Lesley Crawford, from Liverpool, who have had their dryer for about five years.
They have two sons, aged five and three, so use the dryer a lot during the wetter months.
"I checked the model number and it came up as one that could be dangerous," said Joe, a 39-year-old graphic designer.
"I received an email, and I thought it was a mistake at first, but it actually said that an engineer would get to us in December.
"The dryer is in the garage, so am I supposed to sit out there when it is on?"
He argued that people should be given a free replacement, rather than money off a new model which is being offered by the company - a move he described as "turning a crisis into an opportunity".
Whirlpool said: "Given the large number of dryers affected, we know our customers are experiencing delays. We apologise for this inconvenience and are working hard to improve response times.
"We are working on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning the that earlier customers register, the shorter they will have to wait for a modification."
Whirlpool said it was aiming to recruit and train a further 350 engineers by the end of March, a rise of 35% on the current number.
Some 5.3 million faulty appliances were manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015 and sold in the UK.
The company said that more than a million were estimated to have been replaced or are no longer used by owners.
The remainder require a modification that will see an engineer replace the back panel and rear drum seal.
Affected brands are Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline.
Owners can check if their appliance is affected by visiting the Hotpoint model checker or the Indesit model checker. The model number, usually found on the back of the dryer door, can be entered in the online checker.
There is also a helpline - 0800 151 0905.
Owners are being told they can still use their dryers, but they should clean the lint filter after every use, and never run the dryers while they are out of the house or asleep. Those whose dryer is more than one year old are being offered a new dryer at a cut price.
The decision to conduct a repair programme rather than a full recall was agreed with Trading Standards officers.
In a statement to the Business Select Committee, Trading Standards said: "The company continue to remain in regular dialogue with the authority, during which progress is monitored and reviewed.
"Part of this agreement was to organise an outreaching repair campaign to modify the affected products, rather than a product recall."
A full recall would have meant that customers might have been given a refund, a replacement, or a partial refund for older models. However, Trading Standards might have had to prove in court that such a move, rather than a modification programme, was a proportionate response.
The safety campaign has been extended to Proline and Swan brands of tumble dryer.
The two brands are not owned by Whirlpool, but are part of the safety issue. The owners of 17,000 Swan appliances manufactured and sold through Shop Direct have been contacted directly.
Some 41,000 Proline tumble dryers were manufactured and sold by the KESA Group between 2004 and 2005. It is estimated that about 14,500 are potentially still in use.
Efforts are being made to contact the owners of these appliances and to install modifications.


Motherwell eased to an emphatic win over Queen's Park to claim top spot in League Cup Group F.

Chris Cadden's early goal got the Premiership side underway, but Adam Cummins knocked in an equaliser from close range.
Craig Tanner restored Motherwell's lead before Ryan Bowman scored twice and Louis Moult scored a free-kick.
In the other group game, Greenock Mortonwere 1-0 winners away to Berwick Rangers.
It was a slick move that gave Motherwell their early lead; Alex Fisher, their summer signing from Inverness Caledonian Thistle, chesting Stevie Hammell's cross into the path of Cadden, who evaded the defence and finished beyond goalkeeper William Muir.
A minute later and this time Cadden played a cross for Fisher, but he could not keep his header down.
The visitors could not press home their advantage and were pegged back when former Well defender Cummins drew the League One side level.
Goalkeeper Trevor Carson tipped the initial header on to the bar, but the ball fell kindly for Cummins to knock the ball into the net.
It took a while for Stephen Robinson's side to find their rhythm again, but they took full advantage of a mix-up in defence to retake the lead.
Sean Burns and Ryan Docherty ran into each other and Tanner was able to play a one-two with fellow summer signing Gael Bigirimana before firing home.
It was three when Carl McHugh's long ball picked out Bowman, who rounded goalkeeper Muir and slotted the ball over the line.
Bowman scored his second and Motherwell's fourth when he again controlled a long ball, this time lobbing Muir.
Queen's Park could have scored a second when a cross reached Docherty, but the ball hit him too fast and he was not able to put any direction onto it.
Then Moult made his entrance from the bench to loud cheers from the away support and he did not disappoint in his short cameo.
After having an acrobatic overhead kick disallowed, he made his next effort count when his free-kick nestled in the top right-hand corner.
Morton also began with a win thanks to Oliver Fleming's own goal after 13 minutes.
Match ends, Queen's Park 1, Motherwell 5.
Second Half ends, Queen's Park 1, Motherwell 5.
Foul by Andy Rose (Motherwell).
Anton Brady (Queen's Park) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Adam Cummins (Queen's Park) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Queen's Park. Conceded by Trevor Carson.
Attempt saved. Chris Duff (Queen's Park) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner.
Sean Burns (Queen's Park) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Craig Tanner (Motherwell).
Attempt blocked. Craig Tanner (Motherwell) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Ryan Bowman (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kevin Green (Queen's Park).
Goal!  Queen's Park 1, Motherwell 5. Louis Moult (Motherwell) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Craig Tanner (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Green (Queen's Park).
Substitution, Queen's Park. David Green replaces Conor McVey.
Hand ball by Louis Moult (Motherwell).
Corner,  Motherwell. Conceded by Chris Duff.
Foul by Craig Tanner (Motherwell).
David Galt (Queen's Park) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan Bowman (Motherwell).
Conor McVey (Queen's Park) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Queen's Park 1, Motherwell 4. Ryan Bowman (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Cedric Kipre with a cross.
Substitution, Motherwell. Louis Moult replaces Richard Tait.
Goal!  Queen's Park 1, Motherwell 3. Ryan Bowman (Motherwell) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Carl McHugh.
Substitution, Queen's Park. Ewan MacPherson replaces Thomas Orr.
Foul by Dominic Docherty (Queen's Park).
Elliott Frear (Motherwell) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Andy Rose (Motherwell).
Conor McVey (Queen's Park) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Motherwell. Ryan Bowman replaces Alex Fisher.
Corner,  Motherwell. Conceded by Chris Duff.
Attempt blocked. Andy Rose (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Foul by Adam Cummins (Queen's Park).
Elliott Frear (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Motherwell. Andy Rose replaces Gael Bigirimana.
Corner,  Motherwell. Conceded by Adam Cummins.
Chris Duff (Queen's Park) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Carl McHugh (Motherwell).
Substitution, Queen's Park. Chris Duff replaces Ryan Docherty.


"I keep my feet planted and remember where I have come from - I try not to live in the past, but I don't want to shut the door on it either."

There are echoes of Billy Elliot in the way John Horton describes his move into ballet.
Yet one major difference casts the fiction and fact wide apart; John's journey to the stage started with a battle against severe drug addiction.
He is one of several former addicts performing with Chester's Fallen Angels Dance Theatre.
The company has given the first public performances, at Liverpool's Black-E arts centre and Salford's Lowry Theatre, of its debut show, Chapter One: Battle For The Soul.
It was created to help vulnerable young people and adults who have experienced drug addiction and alcoholism.
For John, it has done exactly that.
He says he was introduced to cannabis and amphetamines when he was about 14 and quickly moved on to crack cocaine and heroin.
"I used heroin for about 10 years - two of which were enjoyable and eight were a nightmare.
"I ended up in prison and I just thought something needs to change, I need some structure and support when I get out.
"I was lucky enough to find Fallen Angels and since then, I've met friends and I've been coming to theatre.
"I've come to watch ballet, I'm watching an opera next month - it's going places."
He says that the positivity he now feels about his life is a stark contrast to the way he was only a few years ago.
"I was scared to death of life. I was scared to go out of the house, so the thought of standing on stage and talking to people, sharing my experiences and hopes... I'd have run a mile.
"I still get fears, but it's nothing like it was - I know it can be overcome."
It is not just the experience of being on stage that has changed John's life, though.
For John, being involved with the company, which sees the former addicts working with professional dancers in rigorous training, has also given him back things that most people would take for granted.
"It's like when I go to bed, I'm asleep within five minutes - it's great.
"And then I wake up and I can appreciate the day for what it is."
Fallen Angels was set up by former Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist Paul Bayes-Kitcher.
He says the idea for it came out of his work at a drug rehabilitation centre and that it has been better than he could ever have hoped for.
"I was dancing for 12 years professionally and I've never had an experience like this.
"Some people said to me they were more scared of doing dance than they were of their heroin detox.
"But a lot of recovery is about taking risks and letting go of old ideas and behaviour."
He says he hopes that the troupe will be "inspirations for the next people coming through", but that it is also good simply to watch the current dancers enjoy themselves.
"It's small steps - they're not going to make professional dancers, but they are fantastic role models.
"Watching them light up on stage is really powerful.  It's a big thing for them just to do that, so watching them achieve that is amazing."


Nationwide has reported a record amount of mortgage lending for a six-month period and a 34% rise in profits.

For the half year to 30 September, lending was up 14% to Â£14.9bn, and profits rose to Â£802m
However, it said that it expected "downward pressure" on its profit margins in its second half and next year due to "robust" competition.
It added that incoming chief executive Joe Garner will take up his position in the spring.
"This has been our best ever half year of mortgage lending along with a strong inflow of savings and the opening of over a quarter of a million new current accounts," said chief executive Graham Beale.
"Mutuals, like Nationwide, are different from the banks... Nationwide is evidence that you can be successful by doing the right thing," he added.
The building society said in its outlook that healthy employment growth and "robust demand from investors" - including buy to let - had driven up prices, especially in London.
But it warned that "such outperformance is unlikely to be sustained over the long term, given that key measures of affordability are already stretched".


The government of Senegal has denied allegations that President Macky Sall's campaign was funded by the former head of world athletics, Lamine Diack.

Government spokesperson Seydou Gueye said Mr Sall was not involved.
Lamine Diack, a Senegalese citizen, is under investigation in France, accused of turning a blind eye to doping in Russian athletics while IAAF chief.
French newspapers have alleged that he received $1.6m (£1.1m) from Russia to back Mr Sall's 2012 election campaign.


Australia's Test series with India will now begin in Adelaide on 9 December following the death of Phillip Hughes.

The four-match contest should have begun in Brisbane on Thursday, but that Test will now start on 17 December.
The traditional Melbourne Boxing Day Test is unchanged, but the Sydney Test is put back three days to 6 January.
The changes have been made because of welfare concerns for Australia's players grieving for Hughes, 25, whose funeral will take place on Wednesday.
The left-handed Australia opener died on Thursday after being struck on the neck by a ball during a domestic Sheffield Shield match.
The funeral service will take place in the sports hall of Macksville High School, which Hughes attended, and will be broadcast live in Australia and on big screens at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval.
"Nobody should underestimate just what these players are going through right now," said Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.
"These are difficult days and we need to support them in dealing with their grief. It's very clear that playing a Test right now is just too soon and we are reacting accordingly.
"While this wasn't done by design, it is somewhat fitting that the first Test will take place in Adelaide at Phillip's adopted home ground where we hope the match can be a seen as a celebration of his life."
The India squad, currently in Adelaide, were supposed to fly to Brisbane on Monday but missed their flight.
Their two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide, scheduled for Friday and Saturday last week, was cancelled.
It has been reported that the Indians may now play a tour game in Adelaide on Thursday and Friday.
After the Test series with India, Australia then face the tourists in a triangular one-day international series that also involves England.
Two of those games have already been switched.
Australia and England will now open the series in Sydney on 16 January, with the Aussies taking on India in Melbourne two days later.


Tony Award-winning actor Dick Latessa had died at the age of 87.

He was best known for starring in the original stage production of Hairspray and also appeared in TV series such as The Sopranos and Law & Order.
Marc Shaiman, who wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for Hairspray, confirmed the news in a Facebook post.
"Hairspray (and Broadway) has lost a huge piece of its heart. RIP to the glorious, loving and much loved Dick Latessa," he wrote.
"This was a man who defined Pro, with the timing of a Swiss watch and a voice, a smile and sweet soul that made you feel special just to know him. We were lucky to have him in our lives, he was, truly, timeless."
Latessa played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the original 2002 production of Hairspray, an adaption of the 1988 film.
He went on to win the Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical the following year.
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Scottish footballer Gavin Stokes scored what is one of the fastest goals in world football when he netted from the kick-off against Clydebank.

13 April 2017 Last updated at 07:18 BST
The Maryhill midfielder took a shot from the halfway line and it took 3.2 seconds to fly past the Clydebank goalkeeper on Saturday.
He was playing in West of Scotland Super League First Division.
Check it out now!


The International Cricket Council (ICC) is urging fans who bought tickets for Wednesday's Champions Trophy semi-final at Cardiff but are not planning to attend to 'repost' them for resale.

Over 30% of people who bought tickets for England's match against Pakistan listed themselves as India fans.
This has prompted predictions of empty seats despite the match being a sell-out.
The ICC says 3,000 tickets have already been 'reposted' in this way.
"I would urge any Indian fans, while it would be great to see them in Cardiff, if they are not planning to turn up to that game to go to the ICC website and resell their tickets at face value to genuine England and Pakistan fans," Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris said.
England captain Eoin Morgan says the players like Cardiff.
"Cardiff has always been a very good venue for us and the last game we had great support and a full house and everybody seems to get right behind us," he said.
"I think tomorrow is sold out. That is what I have been told."
Morris has defended Cardiff as a venue for the ICC Champions Trophy after criticism.
The ground holds just over 14,000 fans but only 10,800 tickets were sold for Monday's game that saw Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to book a semi-final spot.
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan said on BBC Radio 5 live: "Why is it really only in Cardiff that we've had big open spaces [of empty seating]?"
But Morris said they have sold out two of the four games Cardiff is hosting.
That includes England's 87-run thrashing of New Zealand in their second pool game, plus Wednesday's semi-final.
"Over the last four years we have sold 98% of our tickets for international matches and we're proud of that fact," said Morris, also speaking on 5 live.
Vaughan added: "When I look at the visual of empty seats around a ground I think it's terrible for the game. Bangladesh v New Zealand there is only a crowd of 4,000, 5,000 at the end because there is a run chase.
"When you look at a venue that only has 14,000 seats to fill, it's a worry for cricket that you can't fill that to watch a major tournament. I want to know why.
"I believe there were only 300 tickets left [for the England and New Zealand match] and 4,000 people didn't turn up. That worries me. Why would you pay £30 or £40 a ticket and not turn up?
"If the event is being viewed globally it needs full stadiums.
"What I can't get my head around is Cardiff seems to be the only venue where people are not turning up when they have bought tickets.
"You look at the crowds at Edgbaston and the Oval. There have been record crowds at Edgbaston.
"What I will say about Cardiff is it's the best wicket because it provides the best contest between bat and ball.
"The pitch has been spectacular because it has created two of the best games."
Morris pointed to the fact that Cardiff has established itself as a popular venue for international cricket.
"The first game that we hosted in the tournament was England and New Zealand. Our capacity was just over 14,000 and there were 13,900 tickets sold and a couple of hundred available at the end after being sent back at a late stage," he added.
"We had ostensibly sold that game out.  In reality there were about 10,000 people in the ground and we need to find out why those people didn't turn up.
"The weather wasn't great. Whether that has had an impact I don't know."
There have been 8,000 thousand tickets for group games in Cardiff which were purchased but unused across the three games.


The European Parliament has passed a new law to curb dumping of electronic goods such as mobile phones, computers and TV sets in landfill sites.

From 2016 EU member states will have to collect 45 tonnes of e-waste for every 100 tonnes of electronic goods put on sale during the previous three years.
By 2019 the target must rise to 65 tonnes, or member states can opt to collect 85% of total e-waste generated.
EU officials say only about one-third of e-waste is treated appropriately.
The European Commission - the EU's executive branch - says the existing binding EU collection target is 4kg (8.8 pounds) of e-waste per person - that is about 2m tonnes per year, out of around 10m tonnes generated annually in the EU.
The new law, an update of the 2003 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, gives 10 EU states until 2021 to reach the new targets, so that they can improve their waste disposal facilities.
The 10 are the states, mostly in the former communist bloc, which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007.
The new law will oblige large shops selling electrical goods to accept small e-waste items from customers, such as mobile phones, even if the customers do not buy a replacement.
With big items such as washing machines, the manufacturers will be responsible for the recycling.
The new directive, expected to be formally approved by the 27 EU governments soon, should become law in 2014.
It also requires exporters to provide proper documentation for goods being shipped for repair or re-use.
The aim is to prevent illegal shipments of e-waste to poorly equipped developing countries, where workers are sometimes exposed to health hazards.
Such illegal shipments, used to evade EU regulations, are a serious problem in the EU, the Commission says.


What if, as expected, the government loses its Brexit appeal in the Supreme Court?

The High Court ruling that ministers could not start the process of Britain's exit from the EU without a vote by Parliament was made by the most senior judges in England and Wales, the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls, so there is little expectation that the appeal to the Supreme Court will reverse it.
But be careful here - what this is not, is a case of the judges raising a majestic hand and forbidding Brexit. This will be a judgment about the proper process, drawing on accumulated legal precedents all the way back to before the Civil War, and the famous Coke judgment of 1610 that "the King by his proclamation or other ways cannot change any part of the common law or statute law".
That means that if invoking Article 50 irrevocably puts the UK on the path to changing the rights of its citizens, then that decision must be taken in Parliament.
It cannot be done by Crown prerogative, which is the government's preferred method.
Helpfully, it seems that the "supremes" will include in their judgement a clear statement of precisely what Parliament will need to do, should they rule that it must vote on the issue.
Will ministers need to pass a full bill through the Commons and Lords, or will a resolution be sufficient?
There is always the possibility that they will reverse the High Court ruling and allow ministers to take the decision without a parliamentary vote.
Or they could rule that the government should seek "legislative consent motions" from the devolved assemblies. This would not give them a veto but could allow some further legal challenge via the Scotland Act 2016 and the Wales Bill.
But, back to Westminster.
It is pretty clear that the government could get a resolution or a bill to trigger Article 50 through both Houses.
'Talk 'til drop'
In the Commons, there might be perhaps 80 MPs who could, in some circumstances vote against it - perhaps the SNP, the Lib Dems, the SDLP and a handful of backbenchers from the Conservative and Labour parties.
In the Lords, Labour have made it clear that they would not seek to block Article 50, which makes a blocking majority well-nigh impossible to construct.
A bill would probably present more opportunities for amendment.
There is talk of a "'til they drop" two-day second reading debate, with the normal sitting hours suspended to allow MPs to speak through the night, if necessary.
The same would probably then apply to the committee and report stages, so that no-one could argue that any amendments or new clauses had been blocked for lack of time.
MPs might try to set conditions about single market access, or even build in a second referendum.
The operative word here is "try."
Senior Labour figures have made it clear that they won't support any gaming of the Article 50 process that might seem designed to block Brexit.
Their troops might be more prepared to back amendments that request more detailed information from the government - perhaps in the form of a White Paper- or attempt to define a role for Parliament in the negotiations.
But, in any event, the fullest possible debate in the Commons will limit the scope for amendment in the much more Europhile Lords.
Just about the only scenario I could come up with for the Lords adding - say - a second referendum amendment to the bill, would be if such an amendment had been frustrated in the Commons by procedural means, rather than voted down.
Peers might then be persuadable that they should back a second referendum, and send the bill back to the Commons to force MPs to vote on it.
It is a stretch, but it does offer one way to address the normal Lords inhibitions around "dissing" the elected chamber of Parliament.
But the cross-currents of party loyalty and constituency concerns may make it very hard to construct a majority for any of those options in either House.
In the Commons, the Richmond Park by-election will have made MPs conscious of the dangers of going against the referendum vote of their constituencies.
In the Lords, peers are purring contentedly after the government lifted the threat of a reduction in their powers, but are collectively wary of a "peers v the people" row.
Much deeper and more shark-infested waters will surround the next Brexit Bill, the promised Great Repeal Bill, which will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 - the legislation which underpins Britain's membership of the EU.
It is expected to feature in next May's Queen's Speech but will not come into effect until the day of Brexit.
The bill would incorporate all existing EU law into UK law, but this is much more complicated in practice than it sounds, among other things because much of this EU law involves EU regulatory bodies, which the UK government might or might not want to remain under.
By the time this bill comes before MPs, the consequences of Brexit will have crystallised a bit, which will open up some scope for targeted amendments on specific issues.
Challenging Article 50 is a hard sell after the referendum.
Picking at the terms of Brexit, which is a matter of interpretation, is something where Remainers may feel they have room for manoeuvre to press for their vision of a "soft Brexit".


Facebook has been fined 110m euros (Â£95m) by the EU for providing "incorrect or misleading" information during its purchase of messaging service WhatsApp in 2014.

The European Commission said Facebook had said it could not automatically match user accounts on its own platform and WhatsApp.
But two years later it launched a service that did just that.
Facebook said the errors it had made were not intentional.
In a statement, the Commission said: "The Commission has found that, contrary to Facebook's statements in the 2014 merger review process, the technical possibility of automatically matching Facebook and WhatsApp users' identities already existed in 2014, and that Facebook staff were aware of such a possibility."
However, it added that the fine would not reverse its decision to clear the $19bn purchase of WhatsApp and was unrelated to separate investigations into data protection issues.
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "Today's decision sends a clear signal to companies that they must comply  with all aspects of EU merger rules, including the obligation to provide correct information.
"And it imposes a proportionate and deterrent fine on Facebook," she added.
Commission rules suggest the social network could have been fined up to 1% of its turnover - a figure that would have been at least twice the amount it has been told to pay.
"The Commission must be able to take decisions about mergers' effects on competition in full knowledge of accurate facts," said Ms Vestager.
In statement, Facebook said: "We've acted in good faith since our very first interactions with the Commission and we've sought to provide accurate information at every turn.
"The errors we made in our 2014 filings were not intentional and the Commission has confirmed that they did not impact the outcome of the merger review. Today's announcement brings this matter to a close."
Richard Craig, an IT, telecoms and competition expert from law firm Taylor Wessing, said the fine showed that companies had to be more open with regulators during mergers and acquisitions.
Mr Craig said that regulators were overcoming their usual reluctance to consider privacy when scrutinising competition cases.
"The direction of travel is clear that both competition and data protection regulators alike will be vigilant in ensuring that those with access to big data do not utilise it in a way that harms competitors or consumers."
The WhatsApp-Facebook merger has proved troubling elsewhere too.
Last week, Italian anti-trust regulators imposed a 3m-euro fine on WhatsApp for making users agree to share personal data with Facebook.
In addition, French data protection regulators also fined Facebook 150,000 euros for breaking rules on data sharing and user tracking.


A bomb disposal expert called to a flat in Dumfries discovered a homemade device made from three fireworks wrapped in a sock, a court heard.

Dumfries Sheriff Court was told that the dangerous contraption could have caused damage, a fire or injury.
Tessa Banks, 33, denied making or knowingly having the device in a flat in Queen Street between November 2015 and March last year.
But a jury found her guilty of the charge at the end of a three day trial.
The court heard that the alarm was raised by a friend of Banks, who told police she had been shown the device.
She said she was concerned over what might happen or that someone might get hurt.
A bomb disposal expert travelled from Edinburgh to make the device safe.
Sheriff Brian Mohan deferred sentence on Banks for a month for background reports.


The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has announced that Sir Moir Lockhead is to succeed Sir Kenneth Calman as chairman when he retires next year.

Sir Moir is a former chief executive of the transport operator FirstGroup.
He led a management and employee buyout of the company, formerly Grampian Regional Transport, in 1985 before steering it to become a Â£6bn business employing almost 130,000 people.
Sir Moir said: "I am relishing the chance to join this wonderful charity."
NTS is the country's largest conservation charity and cares for 129 properties.
Sir Moir said: "Heritage means a great deal to me - I am fascinated by the stories of people and places and how we were all shaped by our environment and our past.
"Ken Calman will be a hard act to follow. He has guided the trust away from its most difficult of times and established the foundations for an assured and vibrant future.
"I look forward to building on his achievements, and those of many dedicated volunteers and staff, and helping the trust to reach a new level where it will earn its rightful place in the hearts of all Scots and all who care about Scotland."
Sir Moir, whose family has a cattle farming estate in Aberdeenshire, was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to the bus industry and knighted in 2008.
He was awarded the VisitScotland Silver Thistle Award in 2010 for outstanding services to the tourism industry in Scotland.
The trust said Sir Moir would lead the charity as it sets out "a new vision and strategy" for its long-term future.
Lesley Knox, chairwoman of the trust's nominations committee added: "Sir Moir's record of leadership, his ability to motivate staff and volunteers and his wide experience of business, academia and not-for-profit organisations will be of enormous benefit to the National Trust for Scotland.
"He has a reputation for making things happen and will be the ideal appointment to the role of chairman as the National Trust for Scotland gears up to take on the challenges of conserving and promoting the best of Scotland's past for the needs of the future."


A woman has died after a car careered off a main road and smashed into a row of 22 parked cars on a garage forecourt.

A black Vauxhall Vectra saloon left the A390 near St Austell in Cornwall just after 21:45 BST on Sunday, police said.
The female passenger, who was in her 40s, died at the scene while the male driver was taken to hospital with "serious significant" injuries.
The road was closed for eight hours for investigations.
Officers say they are appealing for witnesses to the crash at Andrew Toms Cars at Hewas Water.
More on the garage forecourt smash and other Devon & Cornwall news here


Hamlet, King Solomon and maggoty apples were all invoked as Hong Kong lawmakers made emotional speeches debating a controversial political reform package, which was eventually rejected.

The debate pitted those who labelled the reform package as "fake democracy" against the pro-Beijing government.
All 70 lawmakers were given 15 minutes to speak and they employed every rhetorical art to add force to their points, as the BBC's Juliana Liu reports from the scene.
The Hong Kong democracy debate explained
Alan Leong, a member of the Civic Party that is part of the Pan-democrats quoted one of the most famous Shakespearean lines, just so nobody would be in any doubt as to the drama that was set to unfold.
"We are facing a "to be nor not to be" situation. Should we endure humiliation by accepting this fate? Or should we just veto it?"
Elizabeth Quat, a member of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong issued a grave warning.
"If this [package] is vetoed today, then what next? Will there be another Occupy? Or will more bombs or weapons be made to create a bloody revolt?"
Ronny Tong from the Civic party compared the situation to the biblical tale of King Solomon who was asked for judgement by two women both claiming to be the mother of a child.
When he asked for the baby to be cut in half and divided between the two, one woman said the baby should be divided - but the other begged for the child to be left unharmed and was so declared the child's true mother. It was a tale that left an impression on Mr Tong.
"So what if either the government or the pan-democrats each gain the support of half of society? Is that enough to say the [political reform] process is a success? Is that enough to make you happy? I think, if you are happy with the support of just half of society, you are not a real mother."
Wong Kwok-hing, a Beijing loyalist, was bald and brutal in his condemnation of the democratic camp.
"Pan-democrats, how you lie! You have no morals! You have no political principles! You have no courage! You lie to voters and today you will rob five million people of their voting rights and ballot rights."
"You're the killer of universal suffrage! You will stink for 10,000 years!"
Claudia Mo, a Pan-democrat said voting for the proposal is "like pocketing a maggoty apple".
"This motion, this resolution is a fraud," she said. "This bill makes nonsense of the word democracy. It is a very bogus version of universal suffrage."