The 2015 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World contest began on Sunday - with 20 finalists from across the world set to perform in the Welsh capital.

The week-long contest, which takes place every two years, showcases new classical singers and has launched the careers of stars such as Bryn Terfel.
Swansea soprano Celine Forrest will go up against singers from Belarus, USA, South Korea and other countries.
The main event at St David's Hall will be broadcast on BBC TV and radio.
After winning through from the 300 singers who applied from 55 countries, the finalists arrived in Cardiff on Friday.
Malta, Mongolia and Democratic Republic of Congo will be represented for the first time.
The victor of the competition, created in 1983, will win the coveted trophy.
They will also receive a Â£15,000 prize and the opportunity to perform a newly commissioned piece by composer John Lunn at the BBC Proms 2016.
Alongside the main competition, a separate song prize is awarded, as well as the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize, which is voted for by the public.
Song prize recitals started proceedings at 14:30 BST on Sunday at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, with the grand final for the main prize on 21 June.


A new transport plan aiming to create £685m in economic growth and 15,000 new jobs in Lancashire has been proposed by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

The plan outlines how the region could benefit from government investment in the Northern Powerhouse by improving transport links to neighbouring areas.
The 48-page report calls for investment in the county's railways and roads.
Much of the plan is not yet funded and proposals would need approval from the government and partner organisations.
The "strategic transport prospectus" argues that investment in transport connections could transform Lancashire into a gateway to the rest of the north.
It outlines how the region can build on government proposals for HS2 and HS3 high-speed rail links to better integrate Lancashire into the Northern Powerhouse transport network.
The report suggests this would then lead to investment in Lancashire's towns and cities.
Leader of Lancashire County Council and chair of the enterprise partnership's transport committee, Jennifer Mein, said redeveloping Preston railway station was a priority.
She said they had "really ambitious plans" to make the station "HS2-ready", which could create "up to 7,000 new jobs".
"We're going to spend a lot of money on it... a lot of money that we will have to get from the Northern Powerhouse, from the Transport for the North partnership."
She said the M6, M61, M65 and M55 motorways were "areas where we can show vast improvements and allow jobs to be created".
Ms Mein also said work to make a "smart-ticketing" system that enables people to use one card to use all forms of public transport was under way.
The report comes as Lancashire County Council plans to withdraw all subsidies for bus services by April and campaigners warn that cuts are threatening rural bus services.
The Northern Powerhouse is a government initiative to corral the North's population of 15 million into a collective force that could begin to rival that of London and the South East.
Lancashire has not requested a regional devolution deal from the government unlike other northern big city-regions such as Greater Manchester and Liverpool.


In the Republic of Ireland, same-sex couples can enter a civil partnership, but now the debate has moved on to whether or not they should be permitted to marry.

New laws to allow gay marriage are expected to be introduced in England and Wales before the next election in 2015.
There are no plans for similar legislation in Northern Ireland, assembly members as recently as October rejected a proposal that same-sex couples should have the right to marry.
But the issue of gay marriage is on the political radar in the Republic.
In Dublin, a group of tourists are taking photographs of Leinster House - home of the Irish houses of parliament - through the railings on Kildare Street.
Jackie Mullins is standing close by, holding a large placard.
"I'm in support of the right of gay and lesbian persons to marry in this country" she said.
"I don't believe that the state should pick out people on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender and say to them, 'you're the wrong orientation so we're going to say you can't get married'.
"The state needs to protect its minorities and I feel that protecting the rights of gay and lesbian people is really important."
Same-sex couples in the Republic of Ireland have been able to enter a civil partnership since January 2011, but not marriage.
"Human rights affect people and we are talking, in this case, about the right of people to equal treatment" says Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer.
"If we want to see an Ireland of equals then the next logical step for me is the achievement of marriage equality."
Last year, Jerry Buttimer became the first Fine Gael Dail deputy to come out as gay after his party launched a new forum to push for gay equality.
"In my case it was about showing leadership, especially on the issue of marriage equality, and it's about having a position where I can come out and say as a gay person, I think we should have equality," he said.
"The support I have received has been tremendous, from people of different age groups and walks of life.
"It's a personal journey for everyone but it's also a shared journey where we can advance the lives of so many people."
Opponents claim that gay marriage would change what they say is now child-centred to a more adult-centred institution.
"Marriage cannot be gender neutral without changing the very nature of what it is," Dr John Murray, a lecturer in theology at the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin said.
"As far as I can see society is either going to have to promote the heterosexual view of marriage, in relation to mothers and fathers and children, or promote a gender neutral view, which will deny the other, I can't see how you can do both.
"Up until now we have promoted the more traditional view and I think that's the way to go, to try and strengthen that whilst at the same time trying to avoid any violence or bullying of gay people."
The Irish prime minister, or Taoiseach, has not outlined his own view on gay marriage.
Enda Kenny instead points to the Constitutional Convention, a group set up to examine possible changes to the Republic of Ireland's constitution.
Same sex marriage is at the top of the list.
Mr Buttimer said: "I believe that the Constitutional Convention is the forum within which to initiate the debate and to make a recommendation and hopefully it will make that recommendation."
He added: "Leading on from that is the need to have a referendum campaign which will have a debate, a discussion and ultimately a vote and it will be the democratic will of the people that will be the ultimate decision at the end of the day."


Some peers have suggested plans to legalise same-sex marriages could allow town halls to "bully" organisations who refuse to conduct services.

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill states that no religious organisation can be compelled to marry gay couples.
But crossbencher Lord Singh said they could fall foul of equality laws and be bullied by public authorities which provide them with services.
But minister Lord Wallace said anybody doing so would be "acting unlawfully".
The controversial bill has been backed by the Commons and is now being debated in detail by peers.
The bill, if passed, will allow same-sex couples, who can currently hold civil ceremonies, to marry.
Religious organisations would have to "opt in" to offering weddings, with the Church of England and Church in Wales being banned in law from doing so.
But independent peer Lord Singh of Wimbledon told peers stronger safeguards were needed. He argued that those organisations who did not sign up to same sex marriage could find themselves disadvantaged by equality laws.
"We all know those in authority can and often do misuse their authority to intimidate or bully others in employment or those who approach them for goods and services," said Lord Singh.
"There is a real danger that if this legislation comes into force some will use it to try and convert those who believe in traditional marriage to their way of thinking."
Another crossbencher, Baroness O'Loan, who argued there was a risk that religious bodies which did not opt in to same-sex marriage could be treated "less favourably" by public authorities for issues like funding.
And former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey of Clifton asked for further assurances that ministers refusing to carry out religious blessings for same-sex couples would not get into trouble with the law.
But former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Deben  said the bill was not about blessings and church leaders should not try to load the legislation with all sorts of unnecessary "bits and pieces".
Labour's leader in the Lords, Baroness Royall, said the existing bill was "absolutely clear" and amendments aimed at strengthening religious protections would be confusing.
For the government, Advocate General for Scotland Lord Wallace of Tankerness said it was "absolutely right" that organisations and people should be free to decide whether or not to conduct same sex marriages "without fear or repercussion or penalty of any kind", protected by the Bill.
"As the law stands a public authority would in fact be acting unlawfully if it attempted to rely on the public sector equality duty to treat a religious organisation adversely simply because that organisation did not wish to conduct same sex marriages as explicitly allowed under this Bill."
Peers also discussed Labour peer Lord Harrison's call for humanist weddings, which are legally invalid in England and Wales but legal in Scotland, to be recognised in law for same-sex and heterosexual couples,


Warwickshire wrapped up an eight-wicket victory over Durham despite a battling century from opener Mark Stoneman.

Stoneman, who resumed on 83, reached 111 before he was run out to leave the visitors 252-7, still 13 runs behind.
Paul Coughlin (49) and John Hastings took them ahead, but both fell to Rikki Clarke after lunch and Keith Barker finished the innings with his fifth wicket as Durham were all out for 327.
Warwickshire lost two quick wickets but Ian Westwood (32no) saw them to 63-2.
The win, which earned the home side a maximum 24 points, saw them maintain their unbeaten start to the season in Division One, while Durham have now lost two games, but remain second.
However, the match will be remembered primarily for Barker's efforts with both bat and ball as he narrowly missed out on becoming the first Warwickshire player since 1911 to score a century and take 10 wickets in a first-class game - as his 5-103 gave him match figures of 9-157.
Resuming on 189-4, still needing 76 runs to make the hosts bat again, Clarke removed skipper Paul Collingwood lbw early on although the former England batsman looked from from impressed with the decision.
Stoneman soon brought up his first century of the season from 179 balls, but Durham were further in trouble when the out-of-form Phil Mustard edged Barker to William Porterfield at third slip.
Then, just as it looked he would take Durham into the lead, Stoneman was farcically run out from the non-striker's end as he went for a single, but was sent back by Coughlin and 17-year-old substitute fielder Aaron Thomason swooped to send the ball back to Jeetan Patel who whipped off the bails.
Coughlin and Hastings upped the scoring rate before lunch with a fifty stand, but any hopes of saving the game were extinguished shortly after the interval when both were out to Clarke (3-61) in the same over.
Barker ended the innings when he had Chris Rushworth caught by Clarke to finish with his 10th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Requiring just 63 for victory, but without captain Varun Chopra who was hit on the leg while fielding, the hosts soon found themselves 12-2 after Porterfield fell third ball and Jonathan Trott was run out.
Westwood and Laurie Evans steadied any nerves to see their side home in 17.4 overs.
Warwickshire all-rounder Keith Barker:
"In these last two games we have been more 'Warwickshire' than we had before and hopefully we can carry that on.
"I think we will always be up there or thereabouts in Championship cricket especially.
"It is just a question of getting on a roll and making sure we are in contention towards the end of the season."
Durham coach Jon Lewis:
"We were pretty positive this morning. We felt that with six wickets left we were in with a chance of making something of the day.
"Mark played really well but the run-out wasn't a great piece of communication, and unfortunately Mark was the victim.
"It's a busy time coming up but we've shown resilience before. I'd like to not have to show resilience after defeat but that's something we're going to have to do."


Substitute Ola John grabbed a last-gasp winner for Reading to sink 10-man Bolton and push them closer to relegation from the Championship.

The hosts, now potentially one game from the drop, were soon a man down after Rob Holding's red card.
Matej Vydra saw the resulting penalty saved by Ben Amos, while Reading twice hit the woodwork in the second half.
Caretaker boss Jimmy Phillips looked to have secured his first point in charge of Bolton until John's 35-yard stunner.
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Bottom-of-the-table Wanderers' plight was underlined by the team selection of Phillips, who was given interim charge following the exit of Neil Lennon.
Five of Bolton's starting line-up were homegrown academy players and their inexperience showed as they rarely threatened, with Zach Clough's shot straight at former Trotters favourite, Ali Al Habsi, as close as they came.
Reading did the majority of the attacking, but Vydra headed over when it seemed easier to score, while ex-Manchester United keeper Amos saved with his legs as the Czech Republic star burst through.
But after Dutchman John missed a sitter, his brilliant long-range effort helped Reading to a first win in six matches to lift them up to 13th in the table.
Bolton boss Jimmy Phillips:
"I have just got to get the team playing as well as it can until the end of the season, picking up as many points as we can.
"As a club we have got to make sure, whatever league we are playing in next season, we start off positively. We can only do that by ending this season as well as we can.
"We don't want it to fade out and drift away. We want to finish with some team performances where all 11 players are working for each other."
Reading manager Brian McDermott:
"It was a fabulous goal to end it and Ola John has got that ability and skill.
"He has got that something special in the locker and that's why we brought him on. To bring him off the bench was a real bonus.
"We had a little spell in the second half but we didn't move the ball quickly enough. And so you need that bit of genius and he produced that.
"We deserved to win but you have got to give credit to Bolton."
Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 0, Reading 1.
Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 0, Reading 1.
Offside, Reading. Chris Gunter tries a through ball, but Yann Kermorgant is caught offside.
Ola John (Reading) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Niall Maher (Bolton Wanderers).
Offside, Reading. Jake Cooper tries a through ball, but Ola John is caught offside.
Ola John (Reading) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
Goal!  Bolton Wanderers 0, Reading 1. Ola John (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Oliver Norwood.
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Emile Heskey replaces Zach Clough.
Attempt missed. Jordan Obita (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Stephen Quinn.
Stephen Quinn (Reading) hits the right post with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Danny Williams.
Attempt blocked. Simon Cox (Reading) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Stephen Quinn.
Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Chris Gunter (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers).
Attempt blocked. Paul McShane (Reading) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Yann Kermorgant with a cross.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by David Wheater.
Attempt blocked. Jordan Obita (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by Darren Pratley.
Attempt blocked. Danny Williams (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Simon Cox.
Attempt saved. Simon Cox (Reading) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Yann Kermorgant with a cross.
Foul by Oliver Norwood (Reading).
Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Ola John (Reading) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Liam Trotter (Bolton Wanderers).
Stephen Quinn (Reading) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Stephen Quinn (Reading).
Zach Clough (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Reading. Simon Cox replaces Matej Vydra.
Attempt missed. Oliver Norwood (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Stephen Quinn.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by Josh Vela.
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Neil Danns replaces Kaiyne Woolery.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Paul McShane (Reading) because of an injury.
Offside, Reading. Danny Williams tries a through ball, but Stephen Quinn is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Gunter.
Corner,  Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Paul McShane.
Substitution, Reading. Ola John replaces Lucas Piazon.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by David Wheater.
Attempt blocked. Jordan Obita (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Stephen Quinn.


Felix Baumgartner has made history by breaking the world record for the highest-ever skydive, jumping from a balloon more than 39km (128,000 ft) up in the stratosphere.

The daredevil skydiver and helicopter pilot has made a career out of pushing the boundaries of human flight, always seeking to go faster, higher, further.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1969, he began skydiving when he was 16, polishing his aero-acrobatic skills in the Austrian military's demonstration and competition team.
In the 1990s, he moved from traditional skydiving to Base jumping, leaping off fixed objects and using a parachute to break the fall. The acronym stands for the categories of fixed objects aficionados can jump from: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs, mountains).
There followed a series of high-profile jumps off very famous - and often very dangerous - landmarks.
In 1999, he set the world record for the highest parachute jump from a building when he jumped from the Petronas Towers in Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia.
The twin skyscrapers were the tallest buildings in the world at the time, only overtaken by the Taipei 101 in 2004. Naturally, in 2007, he also jumped off the Taipei 101.
For his next stunt, he went to the opposite end of the scale, completing the world's lowest ever base jump from the 30m-high arm of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
At the time, the organiser of that jump, Stefan Aufschnaiter, described Baumgartner as "the craziest base jumper in the world".
"Normally, you need 50m or 60m. It's extremely dangerous," he said.
Having survived that leap, placing flowers on the statue's shoulder first as a sign of respect, he went on to become the first person to literally fly across the English Channel in 2003.
Using a pair of specially-made carbon fibre wings, Baumgartner leapt from a plane above Dover, landing 22 miles (35km) away in Cap Blanc-Nez near Calais just 14 minutes later.
"You're totally alone, there's just you, your equipment, your wing - and your skills. I like it," he said.
The former mechanic goes through a rigorous training programme before all his flights, which are sponsored by Red Bull. For the Channel glide, he strapped himself to the top of a speeding Porsche.
Despite the training, the jumps and dives remain highly dangerous.
Baumgartner's mother could be seen at the site of his "space dive" in New Mexico wiping away tears, unable to avert her gaze from the skies her son would soon come tumbling out of.
Along with his father and brother, she had travelled to see him complete his most daring stunt yet, the first time they had ever been out of Europe.
He says he is motivated in part by scientific endeavour, the desire to see what the human body can achieve. But Baumgartner is also spurred on by the desire to see what no-one else has seen, to be alone at the highest reaches of the skies.
"It's almost overwhelming," he told the BBC of an earlier test jump. "When you're standing there in a pressure suit, the only thing that you hear is yourself breathing, and you can see the curvature of the Earth; you can see the sky's totally black.
"It's kind of an awkward view because you've never seen a black sky. And at that moment, you realise you've accomplished something really big."


West Indies edged past South Africa by three wickets in Nagpur to reach the World Twenty20 semi-finals and smooth England's path to the last four.

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Chasing 123, West Indies needed nine from the final over, but a six from Carlos Brathwaite allowed Denesh Ramdin to seal it with two balls left.
Chris Gayle earlier took 2-17 with his off-breaks as South Africa struggled to 122-8 on a slow pitch.
England will reach the semi-finals if they beat Sri Lanka on Saturday.
West Indies, winners in 2012, are likely to meet India or Australia in the last four in Delhi on Thursday.
After India beat Bangladesh off the final ball in the men's tournament and England did the same to West Indies in the women's, the World T20 had its third thrilling finish in as many days.
West Indies needed 24 at a run a ball with six wickets in hand, only for Imran Tahir to have Andre Russell caught at deep mid-wicket and then, from the next delivery, bowl Darren Sammy with a googly.
Marlon Samuels, who made 44, remained, but he holed out with 10 still required from seven deliveries.
Brathwaite, though, swiped Kagiso Rabada's second ball of the final over into the crowd, leaving Ramdin to hit the winning run off a cut that just slipped through the fingers of a leaping Hashim Amla.
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Although Gayle would go on to be bowled by Rabada from the second ball he faced, the two wickets he took were part of a South African slide to 47-5 that ultimately cost them victory.
By the time Gayle, who had bowled only once in T20 internationals since 2012, was brought on in the third over, Amla had been run out out in a mix-up with Quinton De Kock and Faf du Plessis had chipped Russell to mid-off.
Gayle encouraged Rilee Rossouw to slice to point, then bowled David Miller, dancing in celebration either side of AB de Villiers being deceived by a Dwayne Bravo slower ball.
West Indies and their skipper Sammy expertly exploited the conditions, while South Africa needed De Kock's patient 47 and some late impetus from David Wiese and Chris Morris to stay competitive.
West Indies captain Darren Sammy: "With two left-handers at the crease we backed Chris [Gayle] to do it, we started off really well.
"Today we were under pressure chasing a low total but the team responded. It was a tough win and tough wins don't really come often for us so we are really going to celebrate this."
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis: "It was a good effort to get it so close towards the end, a great fight by the boys, but this game makes us all old very quickly. West Indies were just a bit better than us today.
"It's not so much a party for us tonight. We will be looking at the other results. We didn't play at our best and when you're not at your best you can't expect to be going through to the semi-finals."


Lord Wolfson, chief executive of Next, has warned that failing to secure a "smooth" departure from the EU could result in "years of economic decline" for the UK.

The retail boss, who voted in favour of Brexit, said he still believed it would boost trade and the British economy.
But he also warned that it could cause high unemployment if managed badly.
To avoid that, he called for an "orderly transition" when the UK leaves the EU single market and customs union.
"We can't go careering along hell for leather. There is a huge amount of complex work to be done," he wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said on Sunday that a transition of "one to two years" would probably be needed.
"We've discussed with them [the EU] and we think that there will be a transition period," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.
Mr Davis added that he understood the concerns of businesses that leaving the EU without interim arrangements could affect financial stability and customs arrangements.
Lord Wolfson expressed some of those concerns, saying: "The UK government and EU need to rethink the timetable for negotiation and set out options for a realistic transition period."
The Next chief executive, whose clothing and home goods retail chain employs 49,000 staff, said he was in favour of a Brexit that "focused on prosperity and jobs".
He said that would involve "pro-economic" immigration, an open approach to trade, and allowing more than two years to leave the EU.
Meanwhile, the prime minister is set to create a new Brexit council for business leaders, according to reports.
The group will involve business groups and be co-chaired by Mr Davis and Business Secretary Greg Clark, the Sunday Times reported.
Mr Davis told the BBC he was "pretty sure", but not "certain", that he will be able to get a free trade deal with the EU.


A man has been found guilty of giving £3,000 in Birmingham to an alleged member of the terror cell that later carried out the Paris and Brussels attacks.

Did the cash raised through benefit fraud in the UK fund the two atrocities -  and what does this case tell us about the self-styled Islamic State's operations?
The meeting was straight out of a Le Carre novel. Multiple calls using different Sim cards. Counter-surveillance manoeuvres to confirm nobody was following. And finally a green light from a powerful and shadowy figure overseas for the exchange to occur.
On 11 July 2015, on a leafy path close to one of Birmingham's largest surburban parks, Zakaria Boufassil emerged to greet fellow Belgian-Moroccan Mohamed Abrini.
There was a brief exchange between the men and Boufassil handed over a bag of cash. The men parted company and Abrini, a courier for IS fighters, was gone.
Nobody other than Boufassil's accomplice, Mohammed Ahmed Ali, saw it happen. Now both men face substantial jail sentences for preparing acts of terrorism.
It was months before West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit discovered what had happened - and how the event, four months before the Paris attacks, fitted into a bigger picture.
The first the world publicly knew of Mohamed Abrini was when he was named in an international arrest warrant as one of the perpetrators of the November 2015 attacks in which IS gunmen killed 130 people.
Then, last March, he resurfaced on CCTV footage in Brussels Airport, moments before bombs were detonated in a co-ordinated attack there and on the city's metro.
Thirty-two people died, but Abrini, dubbed "the man in the hat" because of his attire on the footage, briefly escaped.
Described at Kingston Crown Court as a former baker turned "cat burglar", Abrini grew up in the Molenbeek area of Brussels.
In early summer 2015, Abrini - then on the run from his alleged role in the Paris attacks - made it to Syria to visit the grave of his brother who had died in battle.
According to his own statement to Belgian prosecutors, Abrini was smuggled into IS territory with the help of his friend Abdelhamid Abaaoud - the organiser of the November Paris attack.
Abaaoud asked Abrini to go to the UK and pick up some cash. The mission was so important that Abaaoud provided the courier $2,000 to fund every element of the operation.
Abrini flew from Istanbul to Heathrow and, after landing, used a new British Sim card - just one of many different numbers at his disposal - to contact the men he was supposed to be meeting. They told him to take a coach to Birmingham and await further instructions.
According to evidence of mobile phone movements, during his first day in the city Abrini took a meandering route around the 40-acre landscape of Small Heath Park.
He wasn't admiring the bandstand and lake. He was following instructions by mobile phone from Boufassil and Ahmed who were checking from a distance if their contact was under surveillance.
On the second day, he was given a specific instruction to wait near a pizzeria on the Coventry Road side.
"I waited for about 10 minutes and the person arrived," Abrini told investigators.
"[He] told me to follow him while keeping a distance of between 10 and 15 metres.
"We then crossed the large park, we crossed a bridge that passes the motorway. After the bridge there was a little forest and we went into there.
"There was actually a second person who waited in the forest and it was him who had the money. Despite the nice weather I think he was hiding his head."
Underneath the hood was Zakaria Boufassil. The man who led the way to the meeting was Mohammed Ali Ahmed.
Boufassil and Abrini spoke in their native French, and Abrini confirmed in person he had been sent by Abdelhamid Abaaoud. The Birmingham pair had also confirmed with Syria that he was their man.
"On those words, he took his bag out and gave me the money," said Abrini.
"The people - Zakaria and his companion - were well aware that I had come on behalf of Abdelhamid Abaaoud."
The £3,000 in cash had come from a bank account belonging to two other Belgian citizens who had been living in Birmingham: Anouar Haddouchi and Julie Maes.
According to legal papers, the 32-year-old and his wife went to join IS in September 2014, and their former landlord told Birmingham City Council the couple had left his property.
But nobody at the local authority or at the Department for Work and Pensions stopped the benefits being paid into their account.
Between Haddouchi's and Maes' disappearance and the Abrini meeting, the couple were paid almost £10,000 in benefits. Prosecutors believe it all went to fund IS supporters.
Ahmed had unwittingly already told an undercover officer about his desire to go to Syria.
That officer's evidence was instrumental in securing convictions against two other would-be Syria travellers - but also helped establish that Ahmed was in contact with both Haddouchi and another Birmingham fighter, Abdelatif Gaini.
This final man had been under suspicion since at least February 2013 after attempting to fly to Turkey and he was closely associated to Zakaria Boufassil.
Did Boufassil himself want to fight? In December 2014 he left the UK for a few months at the same time as a number of other suspects. What he did those two years ago remains unclear.
And the same can be said for the rest of IS courier Mohamed Abrini's time in the UK after he had got the cash.
After a night in a Birmingham casino, Abrini went to Manchester for two nights. He toured the Old Trafford stadium and took 30 photographs to add to a growing collection on his phone that already included Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre, a church and a mosque.
What was he doing? Was the future Paris and Brussels suspect looking for targets? Was he in Manchester to pick up more cash?
Abrini has told Belgian prosecutors that there was "no plan to target England" because it was "more difficult to attack".
But on the face of things, Abrini's superiors risked an awful lot just to pick up £3,000 in a Birmingham park and indulge his gambling habits.
Abrini returned to Europe on 16 July and, according to his account, handed the cash to his handler's brother, Yassine Abaaoud.
He has claimed that Yassine then blew the cash on "going out, cars and clothes".
This may be possible - but a month before the Paris attacks, he was arrested as he entered Morocco, and has subsequently been jailed for terrorist offences.
Belgian and French authorities have already been criticised in their own countries for alleged intelligence failures in relation to the attacks - so when did they know about Abrini's visit and when did the UK find out?
Three months before the Paris attacks, Abrini gave a voluntary statement to Brussels police after hearing that he was potentially wanted. He admitted travelling from Turkey to Birmingham and Manchester but denied supporting IS.
When he was arrested and detained after the Brussels bombings, West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit asked their Belgian counterparts to find out what Abrini had been doing in Birmingham - leading to the statement at the heart of Boufassil's trial.
Separately, in late 2015, MI5 had learned that an unnamed foreign national closely linked to IS had visited the UK "for a period of time".
There was a rapid assessment of his activity and connections and whether he was involved in attack planning. According to an official published report, teams were refocused and prioritised.
"The individual in question is now awaiting trial in another country for terrorist offences," it says. Is that individual Abrini? We don't know because the report doesn't say.
The key unanswered question remains: Was the cash given to Abrini used for the Paris or Brussels attacks? The Crown Prosecution Service didn't have to say so in this trial. All they had to prove was that Boufassil had known who he was dealing with.
Belgian authorities haven't commented on the UK link to Abrini out of fear of compromising his future prosecution. But they have ordered banks to freeze assets belonging to the benefit fraudster Haddouchi.
As for Abrini, while he gave a statement, he then refused to co-operate any further.
Kingston Crown Court heard he fears that he will be seen as an IS supergrass - and that will endanger his family.


A woman killed in a crash which closed a major Nottinghamshire road has been named by police.

Jessica Wallace, 28, from Newark, died on Friday morning when her car collided with a lorry on the A46 near Newark. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 58-year-old man arrested over the crash has been released on bail, pending further enquiries.
The road was closed for most of the day, causing congestion throughout the area and into Lincolnshire.
Police have renewed an appeal for witnesses


The US has carried out a missile strike on a Syrian air base in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town in Syria, that was carried out earlier this week.

We asked for your questions on the strike and the BBC's defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus has answered some of the most popular ones.
Russia was warned ahead of the attack and reports suggest that several Syrian aircraft were indeed destroyed on the ground.
The focus of the US cruise missile attacks was on aircraft, runways and infrastructure. It was not intended to cause massive loss of life among the Syrian military, though at this stage we have no reliable estimate of casualties. The Russians have said none of their personnel at the base were killed.
Cruise missiles are a stand-off weapon launched from warships, submarines or aircraft. In this case, the missiles were launched from two US destroyers.
They are highly accurate, though like all weapons systems they can of course go wrong. They carry a reasonably small warhead, the equivalent of a single bomb.
The US clearly believes that a sarin-like agent was used in the attack earlier this week, that it was delivered by Syrian aeroplanes and that those military aircraft were based at the location that was hit by the US cruise missiles.
While Syria, backed by its ally Russia, insist that they were not involved, it has a track record of using chemical munitions.
In 2013, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's regime mounted a chemical attack using the nerve agent sarin on the Ghouta agricultural belt around Damascus. The then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the attack as a war crime. Following that attack, much of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons was removed.
But there have been numerous claims of the use of chlorine gas, some of which have been substantiated by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - the international body responsible for implementing the ban on such weapons.
Legality is a difficult question. The US is not at war with the Syrian regime - though it disputes its legitimacy. The US contention may be that the Syrian regime has committed a war crime and that the US has a legitimate reason to act to protect Syrian civilians from this kind of atrocity.
Many might say that Syrian civilians are being killed every day by conventional weapons and that this does not draw a US response. Certainly, though, in the West chemical weapons produce a particular horror and they are banned by international convention. Syria belatedly agreed to this convention when it was forced to give up its chemical weapons after the 2013 sarin attack.
It is the use of a much more deadly nerve agent (and not the industrial chemical chlorine) that makes this attack cross a red line. But what if chlorine is used again in the future? Will the US act then?
I do not think this is linked to President Trump's domestic approval ratings, which some polls place as low as 35%.
He has decided to act resolutely to enforce a prohibition on the use of chemical weapons, which President Obama failed to do in 2013. In doing so he has marked his distance from his predecessor, demonstrating that there is a new man in the White House.
Russia has responded swiftly by condemning the attack and has insisted that it was actually being planned before the chemical incident earlier this week. It has also suspended an agreement with the US under which military officers from both sides consulted to avoid incidents in Syrian airspace between their aircraft.
Russia's backing for the Assad regime goes back to the 1960s, when the current president's father led Syria. It is Moscow's only major ally in the region.
There is a small Russian naval facility there which is being modernised, as well as the air base from which Russia mounts its own air operations.
Syria gives Russia a foothold in the region which remains of strategic importance to Moscow.
The scope and method of the strikes suggests that this was a limited punitive attack, not a move from the US to intervene in Syria's civil war. It strongly bears the hallmarks of President Trump's key military advisers, who are seen as being tough but also realistic about what military force alone can achieve.
It is hard to see what response the Syrians may take. There could be worries that their Iranian allies may pursue some kind of reprisal. Iranian-backed militias operate in Iraq where US forces are engaged in combat against so-called Islamic State.
This is not going to significantly alter the balance of power in Syria, where President Assad is well entrenched in a significant part of the country.
Further US strikes are unlikely unless sarin is used again.
But it will shape the future US-Russia relationship. For Moscow, President Trump has been very much an unknown quantity.
President Vladimir Putin had hoped that he might find a willing partner in the new US president. In the event, the Trump administration looks in some ways much more like previous US administrations - highly sceptical about Moscow and what it is trying to achieve in the world.
Notwithstanding this, there are many problems where progress can only be made if the US and Russia work together. Syria may be one of them.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to meet his Russian counterpart soon. The Russians will now have a better idea of who they are dealing with.
Produced by Chris Bell, UGC and Social News team


Irish road racer Lee Johnston will line up for Jackson Racing at the 2017 Isle of Man TT, the team have said.

The 27-year-old will be riding Nicky Hayden's 2016 World Superbike spec Honda CBR1000RR in both the Superbike and Senior TT races.
Fermanagh man Johnston said: "I want to be back at the front again, winning races and I think this is the bike that can help me to do that."
He will also campaign Hondas in the Superstock and two Supersport Races.
He continued: "I had plenty of offers for this year and in the end it was all of the little things coming together that sealed the deal.
"I'm hungrier than ever and I just want to win more races."
Johnston made his TT debut in 2012 and has a best lap of 130.851mph.
Johnston will also ride for the team at the North West 200, Ulster Grand Prix and Macau Grand Prix international road races.
"I'm really glad to have my team sorted for 2017 and to have finally announced it after a few months of speculation.
"I'm really happy with the new team, it's pretty similar to my last team in terms of its size and the way of doing things, I get to have my input into things and I think it's a good fit.
"The machinery I'll be riding this year has me pretty excited; Ten Kate is preparing both my superbike and 600 in Holland and it's great that they want to be involved with road racing."


Heavy rain and isolated severe thunderstorms could cause surface water flooding and disruption in parts of Wales.

An updated yellow "be aware" warning was issued by forecasters from 11:00 BST on Friday to 09:00 BST on Saturday.
The Met Office said rain and showers will spread north through Wales on Friday evening into Saturday.
While many places will miss heavier rain, there could still be "significant disruption" in some places.
Forecasters said in addition to localised surface water flooding, lightning and hail could cause problems.
Some thunderstorms could see 20-30mm (0.8-1.2in) of rain falling in an hour, with heavier persistent rain of  up to 40mm (1.6in) in some parts of south Wales.
No incidents have been reported so far in Wales on Friday.


There's life in the North Sea yet, though it may not be as we know it.

New finds of oil and gas are rare, at least in the UK sector. Statoil has just found another reservoir in Norwegian waters, of between 20m and 50m barrels, where it has had some notable successes close to the British boundary.
Things have sparked up in deal-making, with Shell offloading around half its production capacity, to focus on big new developments.
Israeli energy firm Delek this week moved in on Ithaca Energy, based in Aberdeen and listed in Toronto. It already had a 20% stake.
The takeover offer - which directors like, but some shareholders don't - values the company behind the central North Sea Stella development, which is soon to come on stream, at more than half a billion pounds.
Delek is also the biggest shareholder in Faroe Petroleum, one of the most active independents in the North Sea. As the Israel-based firm is on a spending spree, backed by big gas finds in the eastern Mediterranean, it may want to push for more than 13% of Faroe too.
Such asset sales tell you something - that there are buyers to be found. That's obvious, but not guaranteed if the finances don't look right. It seems there's more money to be made, even from mature fields.
It helps that the price of Brent crude has stabilised at around $55 per barrel in the past two months. The industry can live with that, having cut its costs substantially.
Also, such deals are an indication that foreign oil companies aiming at new subsea developments around the world - based in Israel, China, Korea, Qatar - reckon there's quite a bit to be learned from having a stake in the North Sea.
It also tells you that the prospect of decommissioning all those platforms and pipelines when they are no longer usable is financially manageable for new buyers.
Liability is often shared with the seller, and the Treasury has made some moves to clarify the complex tax position for decommissioning.
That's just as well for the nascent industry of breaking up equipment and capping wells. Last year, it's reckoned that £1.1bn was spent in the North Sea, much of that with the smaller, more southerly gas fields that were first to be developed.
This year, that could rise close to £2bn. Over the next 40 years, the bill is put at somewhere between £30bn and £50bn, depending how the costs and technology develop.
The costs could come in quite a bit lower if oil companies are allowed to leave large bits of equipment in the North Sea. Shell hopes to do that with three concrete storage bases on the seabed of the Brent field, publishing its plans on Wednesday for a two month consultation.
It's 22 years since the British-Dutch energy giant was badly stung by the Brent Spar campaign, run by Greenpeace to stop the ocean dumping of a particularly dirty bit of offshore kit. The industry learned from that. It can't afford to make that reputational error again.
That's why the Brent field decommissioning has taken 11 years of planning so far, with 300 studies carried out. Shell has been consulting widely, including talks with fishermen who may prefer to be left with visible hazards than the kind they can't see, under the water.
With four platforms, one of them still producing, the Brent decom project is not the start of this process, but it is a major step up in the pace.
It has been noted that contracts for breaking up platforms and jackets have not been coming to Scottish yards, but to Tees-side specialists and foreign firms, including in Norway.
It's clear this industry requires a specialised supply chain, and there is a risk that Scotland will lose out if it doesn't get its act together with a bit of co-ordination.
The Scottish government, with its agency, Scottish Enterprise, is now on the case, even though the decom process serves to underline the inevitable decline of an industry that has been very important to the SNP cause.
It emphasises that much of the spending is not on projects that we can see. Taking an oxyacetylene torch to a vast steel jacket looks impressive, but far more work is being put into both planning and capping subsea wells. Much of that work, it is claimed, is being done by people with an Aberdeen postcode.
The numbers coming from the industry suggest that the cost of plugging and abandoning 5000 wells in the North Sea will run to around 47% of the decommissioning total. That's while removal of structures - the visible bit - looks like 19% of the cost.
The numbers can look a bit boggling, with 302 oil and gas installations, and 16,000 kilometres of pipelines:
Even by 2025, the projected figures are daunting:
Behind that is much new technology and expertise which can then be exported around the world as other offshore oil and gas basins mature.
The Aberdeen-based industry has proven very effective at shifting from a dependence on the North Sea to exporting of its subsea know-how.
One warning worth noting this week from consultancy Douglas-Westwood is that the "golden triangle" of big new offshore fields - from Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico to West Africa - may be running out of momentum.
That low oil price, and political problems in Brazil and Venezuela, have seen far few big projects getting the green light. For those dependent on exports, that should be an amber warning.


One of American football's biggest stars has been banned for his involvement in what's become known as 'deflate-gate.'

12 May 2015 Last updated at 11:43 BST
Tom Brady, who's the quarter back for the New England Patriots, will miss the first four games of next season.
His team have also been fined a million dollars for their part in the scandal.
It all goes back to an NFL semi-final game in February when Brady and the Patriots were accused of intentionally letting the air out of the balls to gain an advantage over their opponents, the Indianapolis Colts.
The deflate-gate row overshadowed the build up to the Superbowl, American football's biggest game, which Brady's team eventually won.
Watch Jenny's report from the time when she went to meet an American football team n the UK to find out more.


Investigators looking for the missing Malaysian airliner, flight MH370, have identified two pieces of debris that are "almost certainly" from the plane.

Unique stencilling has been the key to identifying the parts.
The bits of debris, one from the tailplane, one from the wing flap, were found 130 miles apart on beaches in Mozambique.
The search team in Australia has now released photos that give an eerie clue to the fate of the flight.
Two pieces of text are stencilled onto the parts, one says "NO STEP", the other says "676EB". Investigators say they are clearly in the same font and design used by Malaysian Airlines.
If you look at the pictures below, you can see that the letters and numbers differ from the way they would have looked when they left Boeing's factory. The fonts are different. Plus, one was repainted a different colour and the other was in a different place.
The pieces reveal other clues too.
Both are from the right type of plane, a Boeing 777. Bear in mind that no other 777 has ever crashed in the southern hemisphere, and none has reported bits falling off.
The piece of tailplane also had a fastener on it, carrying a manufacturer's stamp (see picture). That manufacturer does not make parts for the latest 777s, but it was making them when MH370 was built. They double checked by looking at the aircraft that rolled off the production line straight afterwards, number 405. The Malaysian flight was number 404.
There is still work going on to examine all the bits of marine life found on the debris, which could give away how long they have been in the water.
But for now investigators have concluded that both these pieces are, "almost certainly from Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, registered 9M-MRO".
Australian experts are also checking two other pieces of flotsam found on beaches. One has a Rolls-Royce logo on and turned up in South Africa. The other was found on Rodrigues Island.
And this all comes on top of confirmation that another wing part, called a flaperon, that washed up on a beach on Reunion Island, was also from the missing plane.
All of this suggests the aircraft did crash into the sea. None of it tells us why.
Thousands of miles from where these pieces have washed up, three ships are still combing the belly of the ocean looking for the main body of the aircraft. Most of it will not have floated away.
It is tough, dangerous work in a hostile environment, searching a sea bed that makes the Alps look like a billiard table.
The sea search is due to end this summer. After that, barring new evidence, they will stop looking.
That is miserable news for families of the 239 people on board, some of whom have told me that their lives have been in limbo ever since MH370 disappeared.
Many still don't believe the aircraft crashed into the sea, they do not trust anything the authorities tell them.


The opposition in Venezuela has won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, overturning nearly two decades of dominance by the Socialists of President Nicolas Maduro.

Five hours after polling ended, the National Electoral Council announced the opposition had won 99 seats.
President Maduro has admitted defeat, recognising "these adverse results".
It is the worst-ever defeat for the leftist movement founded by former leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.
The Socialists have gained 46 seats, with another 22 yet to be declared.
Results arrived much later than expected, five hours after polls closed. Fireworks erupted over the capital, Caracas, soon after.
Among the campaign issues were chronic food shortages of staples - such as milk, rice, coffee, sugar, corn flour and cooking oil.
100%+
inflation level for 2015
-10% shrinking of GDP in 2015
-6% projected 2016 downturn
18.1% projected 2016 unemployment rate
Venezuela has been hit hard by the continuing low price of oil, its main export. It also has the continent's highest inflation rate.
Mr Maduro has blamed the situation on an "economic war" waged by the opposition.
"We have come with our morals and our ethics [intact] to recognize these adverse results, to accept them and to say to our Venezuela that the constitution and democracy have triumphed.
"We have lost a battle today, but the struggle to build a new society is just beginning." - Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president and head of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
"The results are as we hoped. Venezuela has won. It's irreversible," tweeted (in Spanish) Henrique Capriles, a leading opposition figure in the Democratic Unity Roundtable and a former presidential challenger.
"Venezuela wanted a change and that change came. A new majority expressed itself and sent a clear and resounding message." - Jesus Torrealba - opposition coalition chief.
The opposition alliance, made up of centrist and conservative parties, is confident of ultimately taking at least 112 seats after 16 years of socialist control.
According to senior figures in the alliance, that would allow them to pass laws allowing the release of political prisoners and to reverse, for example, appointments to senior legal positions made by the current government, says the BBC's Wyre Davies, in Caracas.
It also gives stronger momentum to the opposition should it wish to call a referendum on Mr Maduro's future. This could take place only when his presidency reaches its halfway point in April next year.
However, under Venezuela's presidential system the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) will still be a powerful force, as it controls many municipalities.
The next presidential election is due in April 2019.
The elections were widely seen as a referendum on President Maduro, the handpicked successor of the late President Hugo Chavez, and the party's socialist policies.
The opposition accused the PSUV of mismanaging the economy and of squandering the country's oil wealth.
Mr Maduro says his party defends the interests of ordinary Venezuelans and wants to complete Mr Chavez's "Bolivarian Revolution".
The opposition also accused the government of increasing authoritarianism.
Earlier this year, opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was given a 13-year prison sentence for inciting violence - a charge critics say was politically motivated.


Two men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing at a West Midlands home.

Detectives were called to Campville Crescent in West Bromwich at about 13:50 BST.
A man thought to be in 40s died at the scene, and another man in his 20s has been taken to hospital with serious injuries, West Midlands Police said.
He is described as being in serious but stable condition. Officers are appealing for information.
Det Insp Warren Hines said: "We do believe that these people are known to each and that there is no risk to the public.
"Inquiries are at an early stage and officers are looking at CCTV and taking witness statements. Forensic investigations are ongoing."


The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed they are investigating whether a man from Northern Ireland has travelled to Syria.

It follows reports earlier in the week that a man from Londonderry joined rebel forces in the country.
The BBC understands the enquiries follow searches at a house in Melmore Gardens in Creggan on Thursday night.
It is believed mobile phones were removed from the house.


Veteran England seamer James Anderson says he is still fully dedicated to Test cricket but that it faces pressure from the rising popularity of Twenty20.

England's leading wicket-taker made his Test debut in 2003 - two years before the first T20 international.
The 33-year-old, who returned from injury in the second Test against South Africa, said: "It still excites me. I prioritise it in my head and my heart.
"It is what I will concentrate on doing for the foreseeable future."
While Test cricket is finding it difficult to compete with the huge crowds and big salaries in the shorter format of the game, a stadium-record 85,095 fans turned out for the drawn match in Cape Town, where Ben Stokes scored the fastest double-century in Tests by an Englishman.
Another bumper crowd is anticipated at the Wanderers in Johannesburg for the third Test on Thursday as the Proteas attempt to prevent the tourists clinching the series after their first-Test victory.
Anderson has 427 Test wickets in 111 Tests, but played the last of his 19 T20 internationals in 2009, against South Africa in Centurion.
He added: "There is a slight worry with the domestic T20 competitions doing so well.
"But speak to players and there is a still a passion to play Test cricket. It's a real test of someone's character and skill, to perform in this form of the game.
"Hopefully it's not just players but fans too, because we need people to keep supporting the game so that it does flourish."


Fans of Victoria Wood have been given the chance to choose the character for a planned memorial statue of the star in Bury, the town where she grew up.

The star's brother, Chris Foote Wood, launched a campaign in July to erect a life-size sculpture of the entertainer.
Fans will be able to choose between Wood's Brenda "Bren" Furlong from Dinnerladies or Kimberley's Friend via an online vote.
Wood died of cancer in April at the age of 62.
The statue will be a solid bronze piece costing £20,000 - Foote Wood has already raised £18,000, including a £1,000 donation from Dame Judi Dench, via a crowdfunder appeal.
Foote Wood said: "From the start I wanted Victoria's fans to choose which character they would like to see portrayed.
"We had to rule out her at the piano because a piano in solid bronze would cost as much again as the statue itself.
"So it will be down to two of Victoria's most popular characters, Bren from Dinnerladies in her canteen smock or Kimberley's Friend in mac and beret."
Currently, Kimberley's Friend is ahead with 81% of the vote, with Bren on just 19%. It costs £2 to cast a vote.
Bury Council has agreed to provide the site and be in charge of the maintenance.
Assuming the funding target is met, the memorial will be built in Library Gardens in Manchester Road by May or June next year.
Council leader Rishi Shori said: "I'm really pleased that Bury Council has been able to support this project.
"Victoria Wood is one of the borough's most famous daughters and it is only fitting that there should be a permanent tribute in her home town.
"I hope when the sculpture is finally installed it will provide inspiration to others to follow their dreams."
The poll closes at noon on Monday 17 October.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The British National Party says it has expelled its ex-leader Nick Griffin.

In a statement, the BNP accused him of trying to "destabilise" the party and "harassing" party members.
In a tweet, Mr Griffin took issue with the decision, accusing the party leadership of "plastic gangster games".
Mr Griffin stepped down as party leader in July after 15 years at the top. The party saw its vote collapse in May's elections, in which Mr Griffin lost his seat in the European Parliament.
The BNP said the decision to expel Mr Griffin had been taken by its conduct committee following an investigation after he stepped down as leader.
It accused him of seeking to "destabilise" the party and "embroil it in factionalism".
Specifically, it claimed Mr Griffin prepared and leaked "damaging and defamatory" allegations about senior members of the party and its finances.
It also accused him of "harassing members of BNP staff and in at least one case making physical threats" as well as publishing e-mails giving a false account of his own financial affairs after he was declared bankrupt in January.
It also suggested that he had ignored warnings from Adam Walker, the party's chairman, that he was bringing the BNP into disrepute.
"Although we all appreciate that Nick has achieved a lot for our party in the past, we must also remember that the party is bigger than any individual," Clive Jefferson, a member of the conduct committee, said in a statement.
"Nick did not adjust well to being given the honorary title of president and it soon became obvious that he was unable to work as an equal member of the team and alarmingly his behaviour became more erratic and disruptive."
Analysis: Iain Watson, BBC political correspondent
Why the fuss over the internal machinations of a party which has no MPs, no MEPs - and which polls suggest commands the support of about one per cent of voters?
Well, for many people Nick Griffin was the BNP, and his personal - and his party's - fortunes appeared intertwined. But 2014 hasn't been a good year for him.
He lost his seat in the European Parliament, was declared bankrupt, replaced as party leader and has now been expelled from the party.
He says he will not '"resort to the BBC gutter" to air his grievances - the members will sort it all out, he says. But a political comeback looks like a very tall order.
Read more from Iain Watson
In response, Mr Griffin said he had been "expelled without a trial".
He accused the party of "operating outside the constitution", adding that he would "ignore their plastic gangster games".
Mr Griffin has been the public face of the BNP for more than a decade, during which time the party increased its popular support despite being dogged by allegations of racism, which it has always rejected.
But the BNP's fortunes have slumped in recent years amid internal divisions and questions over the party's future direction.
While it won more than 6% of the vote in the 2009 European elections, when Mr Griffin and one other colleague were elected, it garnered just over 1% of the vote in May.
The party has also lost the majority of its council representatives.
Mr Griffin told political correspondent Ross Hawkins that he would not speak to the BBC about the dispute but insisted he would "sort it out" with party members.
The party's divisions, he added, were linked to its slump in electoral support since 2009 but observers also claimed that there had been arguments over the party's financial affairs.


Middlesex earned their second Championship win of the season as they chased down 234 to beat Warwickshire in a thrilling contest at Edgbaston.

Resuming on 36-2, the visitors were in trouble when Dawid Malan and Paul Stirling fell to leave them on 79-4.
But important knocks from Nick Compton (49), Ryan Higgins (45) and John Simpson (40) put Middlesex back on top.
Warwickshire hit back to reduce their opponents from 170-5 to 227-9, before Tim Murtagh hit the winning runs.
The result means the Bears are still without a win in the Championship this season, and they are 37 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table with six games left to play.
Middlesex's victory takes the reigning county champions 30 points above the relegation places in Division One.


Sinn Féin continue to refuse to take their parliamentary seats in Westminster but some Irish expatriates living in London have urged the republican party to reconsider.

According to the last census, there are 407,000 Irish-born people resident in England and Wales. There are another 23,000 in Scotland.
It is not practical to sample the views of all of them, but there is some support for the idea of Sinn Féin reversing their long-held abstentionist policy.
The debate has been galvanised by the prospect of a hung parliament, in which a small number of seats could make a big difference.
Sinn Féin won five seats at the last Westminster election. They are now hoping to increase that number.
So why not do what Scottish nationalists do, and fight to leave the UK from within Westminster?
It is topical conversation amongst Irish expats, particularly in areas like Kilburn in north London where so many people from the Emerald Isle set up home in the past 50 years, it has been nicknamed Ireland's 33rd county.
Angela Naylor from Cork has been in London for 32 years and thinks the time is now right for Sinn Féin MPs to attend Westminster.
"It would be a great representation for the Irish," she says.
"There is still a big Irish community around and we should have a voice of some sort."
David O'Rouke, who arrived from Dublin in October 1986, is more wary: "I can't see them swearing allegiance to the Queen or to the Crown."
Wendy Metcalf, who has been in London since June 1973, says: "I know they've always said that they wouldn't, but I think that they should. I think it would stir Westminster up a bit.
"I remember when there was the People's Democracy and Bernadette Devlin in Westminster - she stirred them all up."
Others point to the previous century, before the partition of Ireland, when Charles Parnell's Irish Parliamentary Party fought for Home Rule at Westminster in the 1880s.
The more contemporary example of nationalists taking their fight to the green benches of the Commons is the Scottish National Party.
The SNP believes taking their seats at Westminster does not make them any less Scottish.
However, Sinn Féin still do not see the attraction.
Martin McGuinness says: "I think we've achieved more in direct negotiations with the British government - the Good Friday Agreement, the St Andrews Agreement, the Hillsborough Agreement and the Stormont House Agreement - than any MP sitting on his or her backside on the green benches in Westminster."
But could this position change in the long term?
Kate Devlin, the Westminster correspondent of The Herald newspaper, says: "If Sinn Féin did manage to achieve a breakthrough in the Republic [of Ireland], if they did manage to set themselves up as a party of government there, I think they could very slowly make the argument that at Westminster it doesn't really matter quite so much what they do, they're just in it for political gain and political advantage, it's not saying anything about nationhood any more.
"I think they'd have to soften up their electorate, but I think it's possible."
In the meantime, all eyes are on the SNP to see how it might use its influence at Westminster if it holds the balance of power after next week's general election.
Other parties may be taking notes.


Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale says Liam McAlinden is now starting to get used to life at Exeter City.

The 23-year-old joined City in the summer having spent his entire career at Wolves, and impressed in the Grecians' win at Leyton Orient.
It was McAlinden's first league start since the end of August, as he deputised for the concussed Lee Holmes.
"He's earned it, he's done very well in training and I think he's settling," Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon.
"He's beginning to get some confidence, it always happens when you leave a club you've been at for years and years like he has with Wolves.
"Suddenly you're at a new place and your career's changing direction, he's got to find his feet and he's doing that."


League One side Scunthorpe United have signed forward Luke Williams on a three-year deal.

The 22-year-old was a free agent after being released by Middlesbrough.
Williams spent time on loan at the Iron last season, scoring two goals in six appearances and also had loan spells with both Coventry and Peterborough.
"I knew what a good group it was and it's a club that's going places. Hopefully I can add to that," he told the club website.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Paris officials, investigating why a car was driven through the security barriers ahead of the Tour de France on Sunday morning, are holding two people who handed themselves in overnight.

The car tried to crash through the barriers at Place de la Concorde, and police opened fire as it sped away.
One of the two is a 16-year-old male who said he was at the wheel.
A third person, a young woman in hospital with bullet wounds, is also thought to have been in the car.
She was operated on overnight at the hospital in a suburb to the west of the French capital.
Her life is not in danger, a police source told journalists.
A bullet-ridden car was later found abandoned near to the incident. Two men and two women were reported to have been seen leaving the vehicle.
British cyclist Chris Froome won his second Tour de France later on Sunday.


Mae teyrngedau wedi eu rhoi i'r cerddor a'r actor Dafydd Dafis a gafodd ei ganfod yn farw nos Lun.

Cafodd ei ddisgrifio fel dyn "hynod o dalentog" gan y gantores Caryl Parry Jones, oedd wedi gweithio gydag ef yn y gorffennol.
"Doeddech chi ddim yn clywed lleisiau fel 'na yn aml, roedd ganddo ffordd o drosglwyddo cân oedd mor ddiymdrech a naturiol," meddai.
"Roedd o hefyd yn actor abennig o dda, yn chef arbennig o dda, a boi hynod o garedig a hael."
Cafodd Dafydd Dafis ei fagu yn Rhosllannerchrugog ger Wrecsam, a bu'n fyfyriwr yng Ngholeg Cerdd a Drama Cymru yng Nghaerdydd.
Bu'n aelod o sawl band dros y blynyddoedd, gan gynnwys Steve Eaves a'i Driawd, a bu hefyd yn perfformio a rhyddhau cynnyrch ar ei liwt ei hun.
Roedd yn adnabyddus fel chwaraewr sacsoffon, a chanddo hoffter o gerddoriaeth jazz.
Bu'n gystadleuydd sawl gwaith ar Cân i Gymru, a daeth y gân 'Tŷ Coz' gafodd ei pherfformio yn 1987 yn un o'i ganeuon mwyaf adnabyddus.
Fel actor fe ymddangosodd mewn sawl drama theatr a chyfresi teledu poblogaidd, gan gynnwys Rownd a Rownd, Tipyn o Stad a Pen Talar.
Mewn ymateb i'r newyddion am ei farwolaeth dywedodd Prif Weithredwr S4C, Ian Jones: "Roedd ganddo amrywiaeth enfawr o ddoniau a chyfrannodd yn fawr at lu o gyfresi a rhaglenni ar S4C o ddyddiau cynharaf y sianel ymlaen.
"Fel actor, byddwn yn ei gofio yn chwarae cymeriadau mewn cynyrchiadau fel Yr Heliwr/A Mind to Kill, Coleg, Pen Talar a Paradwys Ffwl gyda medr ac angerdd.
"Dangosodd yr un angerdd wrth berfformio fel canwr soul a phop a cherddor jazz, pop a roc a pherfformio mewn sawl cyfres gerddoriaeth ac adloniant ar S4C a chyngherddau amlwg.
"Bydd colled fawr ar ei ôl a hoffem anfon ein cydymdeimlad dyfnaf i'w deulu a'i ffrindiau."
Mewn neges ar ei dudalen Facebook dywedodd yr actor Ieuan Rhys: "Trist iawn clywed am farwolaeth Dafydd Dafis. Actor a chanwr arbennig. Boi ffein fyd."
Ychwanegodd yr actores Sharon Morgan mewn neges debyg: "Trist iawn clywed am farwolaeth yr actor Dafydd Dafis. Coffa da amdano. Actor Gwych a cerddor  a canwr dawnus dros ben."
Dywedodd Caryl Parry Jones fod theatr ac actio yn hynod bwysig i Dafydd Dafis, ond ei fod yn "gerddor yn fwy na dim byd arall".
"Roedd o wastad yn hynod o hael ac yn falch o weld ei ffrindiau. Mae'n ddiwrnod ofnadwy o drist," meddai.
"Mae'n mynd i fod yn golled, yn enwedig i fyd cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru."


Former world number one Tiger Woods says he has worked "his ass off" to get himself ready for this year's Masters.

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The 39-year-old is bidding for his 15th major at Augusta, two months after taking an indefinite break from golf.
Asked how he prepared for his comeback at the Masters, Woods said: "I worked my ass off. That's the easiest way to kind of describe it. I worked hard."
Woods will play in the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday with his two children Sam and Charlie as caddies.
He has generally avoided the relaxed eve-of-tournament contest, the winner of which has famously never gone on to win the Masters that same week.
Woods is now ranked 111 in the world yet is adamant he is focused on winning the Masters for a fifth time.
"People would never understand how much work I put into it to come back and do this again, it was sun up to sun down," he said.
"Competing is still the same. I'm trying to beat everybody out there. That hasn't changed.
"I want another green jacket. I've got four Green Jackets, I want five."
World number one Rory McIlroysaid the Masters is the only tournament where he suffers from nerves on his opening shot.
"You get butterflies and the heart races a bit quicker just the same as when I was a rookie in 2009," said the 25-year-old Northern Irishman, who has invited One Direction's Niall Horan to caddie for him in Wednesday's warm-up contest.
"I caught up with Niall in Australia at the end of last year and he was really excited, and I said, if you're available Wednesday afternoon and you want to carry the bag for nine holes, you're more than welcome."
With all the focus on the return of Woods and McIlroy's bid for a career Grand Slam, the 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott is part of a field happy to be out of the main spotlight.
"There are big stories in golf this week and I certainly am not missing being one of them at the moment," said the world number six.
"But hopefully that will change on Sunday."
He might be McIlroy's tip to win this year's tournament, but reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson admits he "must improve as a man" after being voted the most unpopular player on the PGA Tour.
An anonymous ESPN.com survey of 103 fellow professionals voted him the player they would not help in a fight in a car park.
The 36-year-old American may not be especially popular, but says he is better prepared to defend his title this time around than he was in 2012.
"The media attention, the atmosphere - even a year later, you're excited about your win," he said.
"Sometimes you get away from your routine or you just use your energy in a different way. That's what I did."
World number two Henrik Stenson's run of three top-four finishes this year ended when a bout of 'flu caused him to pull out of last week's Houston Open.
"I'm getting better, slowly but surely. I was pretty much down and out there for four days," said the Swede, who was bed-ridden and feared he was not going to be well enough to compete at Augusta.
And when Stenson was asked what advantages he holds over McIlroy and Watson, he replied "better looking".


Raffaele Sollecito has said he has been left in financial difficulty by the legal costs incurred while proving his innocence.

Mr Sollecito was arrested in 2007, along with his then-girlfriend Amanda Knox, for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Italy.
He was twice convicted, before Italy's highest court found him not guilty.
He has launched a compensation bid against the Italian government. The hearing is on Friday.
Mr Sollecito told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme the murder was "a tragedy that has destroyed my life".
He said he hoped the court would "understand that I at least need to clear up my debts".
The amount an individual can receive in compensation from the Italian government is capped at 516,000 euros (Â£440,000).
Mr Sollecito said this amount would "just pay the debts we have".
He said he had sold two properties - including his late mother's apartment - to fund the legal costs incurred over the past decade.
Mr Sollecito added that he did not believe there should be a limit on compensation "for me and anyone else who went through such an ordeal".
"They have to take care of people who go through so much. Not let it happen again."
Ms Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, south London, was stabbed to death in a Perugia flat she shared with Ms Knox.
In March 2015, following three previous court decisions, Mr Sollecito and Ms Knox had their convictions for her murder quashed by Italy's top appeals court.
Mr Sollecito told Derbyshire that while Ms Kercher was the "first victim" of the 2007 murder, there were "many victims in this case".
"Amanda [Knox]'s parents, my parents, all our families... there are many others made by the prosecution's mistakes."
He said he was "still facing a lot of trouble, as people don't understand why I've been acquitted.
"I have to face this kind of society. I have to face anybody that doesn't support me.
"I can talk with hundreds of people and they understand I'm innocent, but the problem is one stupid portrait in the media in a few minutes reaches five million people and I cannot control it. In an instant it can change."
Mr Sollecito said he speaks to Ms Knox "very occasionally", but that they "never talk about the case".
He lives in Italy, where he runs his own business, and is hopeful he can eventually move on from the ordeal.
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.


A field of 40 horses headed by The Last Samuri is set to contest the 170th running of the Grand National on Saturday.

Last year's runner-up will bid to become the first top weight to triumph since Red Rum in 1974.
A sell-out crowd of 70,000 is expected at Aintree Racecourse on Merseyside.
Vieux Lion Rouge and Definitly Red are among the favourites with bookmakers expecting up to £300m to be wagered on the race.
Travel for racegoers was expected to be disrupted as workers at three rail companies carried out a a 24-hour strike on the day of the Grand National.
The official going at the track is described as Good, Good to Soft in places and a dry, sunny day is forecast with temperatures reaching 16C.
Jockey Liam Treadwell will miss the big race after a fall at Aintree on Friday.
Treadwell, who won the National in 2009 on 100-1 shot Mon Mome, will be replaced on 40-1 chance Tenor Nivernais by Aidan Coleman.
Vieux Lion Rouge, which translates from French to Old Red Lion, is a leading fancy after winning the Becher Chase over the National fences in December and February's Grand National Trial at Haydock.
Seventh in the National last year, he is one of four runners trained by David Pipe, and is about a 10-1 chance along with Definitly Red, an impressive winner at Doncaster last month for Brian Ellison.
The National is a handicap chase, with each runner allotted a different weight to carry by the official handicapper Phil Smith.
With 11st 10lb, The Last Samuri will be carrying more than a stone more than last year.
Other contenders near the top of the betting include the JP McManus-owned pair More Of That and Cause Of Causes, Haydock runner-up Blaklion, and the Scottish-trained One For Arthur.
However, the National has a habit of throwing up surprise results, as evidenced by recent years.
The past five winners have started at odds of 33-1, 25-1, 25-1, 66-1 and 33-1.
Irish trainer Mouse Morris scored an emotional victory last year with the now-retired Rule The World - 10 months after the death of his son Christopher.
Morris, who runs Irish National winners Rogue Angel and Thunder and Roses this time, said: "We're going there with no pressure as the likelihood of winning it two years in a row is probably non-existent."
Coverage of the National, over 30 fences and more than four and a quarter miles, is said to be followed by 600 million people worldwide.
The marathon test see runners negotiate iconic obstacles such as Becher's Brook and The Chair.
Terminally ill five-year-old boy Bradley Lowery is to be given honorary 41st place in the National racecard.
The race is again due to start at 17:15 BST, having been put back an hour by organisers last year in an effort to further increase the audience.
Armed police have been in attendance at the course during the three-day meeting which started on Thursday.
This year's race comes in the wake of the Westminster terror attack and marks the 20th anniversary of the National being delayed by an IRA bomb scare.
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Katie Walsh will seek to become the first female jockey to win the National after overcoming a late injury scare.
Walsh was initially reported to be ruled out with a broken arm following a fall in the Foxhunters' Chase over the big fences on Thursday, but escaped with bruising.
"I feel fine, a bit sore but I'm 100%," said 32-year-old Walsh, who will ride 33-1 chance Wonderful Charm, with opponents including brother Ruby on Pleasant Company.
"There is only one Grand National and to get the opportunity to ride in the race again is brilliant."
Wonderful Charm is one of five runners for Paul Nicholls - along with Cheltenham Gold Cup fifth Saphir Du Rheu, Scottish National winner Vicente, Le Mercurey and Just A Par.
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Known as a unique challenge for horse and rider, the race draws criticism from opponents, including animal welfare groups.
Officials believe amendments to the fences, and other alterations, introduced four years ago have helped improve safety.
The course spent £1.5m on changes after two horses were fatally injured in each of the Grand Nationals of 2011 and 2012.
Since then there have been no fatalities in the National itself, although in the same period there have been six in the four other races staged over the track during the year.
BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght
Pleasant Company is my selection to win for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh. The team triumphed with Hedgehunter in 2005 and Walsh was also successful on Papillon, trained by his father Ted, five years earlier.
Pleasant Company put in a most encouraging performance to win at Fairyhouse. He'll keep out of trouble, before - hopefully - gradually picking off rivals and arriving late on the scene.
The Jonjo O'Neill-trained More Of That was a champion over hurdles, and a respectable sixth in this season's Cheltenham Gold Cup, giving the impression he's coming to the boil.
Scotland's One For Arthur is another gradually building his reputation, while Lord Windermere - who's not won since the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup - had top weight two years ago, but much less this time, and will have his favoured drier ground conditions. I can see him going well at big odds.
Cornelius' 1-2-3-4:  1 Pleasant Company 2 More Of That 3 One For Arthur 4 Lord Windermere
Jump jockey and BBC Radio 5 live pundit Andrew Thornton
"It's still a great test of skill. You need some luck and your horse to take to the fences.
"There's 40 runners, when most races wouldn't be near half that size, so you're hoping for a clear passage.
"It's wide open this year. Definitly Red is likely to be popular on Merseyside with supporters of Liverpool FC.
"I like Blaklion. The better ground will suit him, his jockey's in red-hot form and his trainer has won the race twice before."


Coleraine rower Alan Campbell made a winning start in his Olympic Games bid with a comfortable single sculls heat victory in Rio on Saturday.

The London 2012 bronze medallist led throughout to win in 7:08.31 minutes.
Campbell, who has become the first Northern Ireland athlete to compete in four Olympic Games, goes through to the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Fellow Coleraine man Peter Chambers races in the lightweight fours first round later on Saturday.
Clare Abbott begins with the three-day event dressage and several Ulstermen will play for the Ireland and GB hockey teams.
The world-ranked 12th Ireland men open their campaign with a vital game against fifth-ranked India at the Olympic Hockey Centre at 15:00 BST.
The Irish squad includes Lisnagarvey trio Jonathan Bell, Michael Watt and Paul Gleghorne, whose brother Mark is part of the British squad.
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Eugene Magee, Peter Carruth, Chris Cargo and John Jackson are the other Ulstermen in the Ireland squad while Timmy Cockram and Michael Robson have travelled to Rio as reserves.
With tough games against the Netherlands (Sunday) and defending champions Germany (Tuesday) coming up over the next four days, the Irish will be looking for a positive result in Saturday's opener.
Ulster quartet Iain Lewers, David Ames, Ian Sloan and Mark Gleghorne will be part of the GB squad which faces Belgium at 16:30.
The Belgians are currently ranked sixth in the world two places behind England, who supply 12 of the 16-man squad.
Hillsborough-based Abbott, who celebrated her 30th birthday last week, will be beginning her first Olympics as she completes for Ireland in the three-day event team event.
The dressage component is scheduled to get under way in Rio on Saturday at 14:00 BST.


Viewsnight is BBC Newsnight's new place for ideas and opinion.

1 February 2017 Last updated at 16:25 GMT
Here US journalist and author Lionel Shriver argues the term "populist" is loaded - and has become code for "ignorant" or "pig thick".
Viewsnight will cover a broad range of views across a host of subjects. More throughout the week. To watch them all, head over to BBC Newsnight on Facebook and on YouTube


A recycling centre in the Borders will be forced to close for three days after asbestos was found dumped in a skip.

The Eyemouth site will have to shut from 22 to 24 February in order to safely dispose of the asbestos.
It has been estimated the final cost of dealing with the substance will be a "four-figure sum" for the local authority.
Scottish Borders Council has urged the public and businesses to use licensed contractors to remove the material.
Councillor David Paterson said: "It is hugely disappointing that someone has acted in such an irresponsible manner by dumping asbestos waste at one of our recycling centres.
"It could not only have proved dangerous to our staff and members of the public, but has now forced Eyemouth Recycling Centre to close for three days, affecting the service the council provides to the local community.
"I would appeal to those who discover asbestos waste while working or in their homes to contact a licensed contractor, who can deal with it safely."


Plans to decommission the Brent field in the North Sea have been lodged with the UK government.

Shell has already started decommissioning one platform but this new plan is for the whole field.
Brent is iconic because it lends its name to the benchmark of the North Sea, Brent Crude.
A £5m fund to help companies working in the oil and gas supply chain benefit from North Sea decommissioning has also been announced by Nicola Sturgeon.
The first minister launched the fund at Sparrows, an Aberdeen based supply chain company with expertise in decommissioning. Ms Sturgeon also visited exploration technology specialists Zilift Ltd.
The Decommissioning Challenge Fund will help pay for infrastructure upgrades at ports and harbours. It is also aimed at helping firms build business cases for private investment.
The first minister said: "With up to 20 billion barrels of oil and gas remaining, the Scottish government's top priority remains working with industry and stakeholders to maximise economic recovery from the North Sea.
"The new £5m fund also recognises that decommissioning is an emerging, but growing, activity in the North Sea, with £17.6bn expected to be spent in the North Sea over the next decade."
She added: "News today that Shell plans to apply to begin decommissioning its Brent oil field underlines the importance of planning for decommissioning."
In the next few months, the top portion of the Brent Delta platform is expected to be removed and taken away for scrap.
Plans for the rest of the infrastructure in the Brent field have been submitted to the UK government.
They are thought to include leaving the legs of some of the platforms in place rather than removing them - which Shell has described as the safest option.
That has caused concern among some environmental groups.
A 60-day consultation will now be launched before ministers decide whether to accept Shell's plans.
Oil and Gas UK has previously estimated that more than 100 platforms are expected to be completely or partially removed from the UK and Norwegian continental shelves by 2025.
More than 1,800 wells are also scheduled to be plugged and abandoned and 7,500km of pipeline decommissioned.
Brent decommissioning asset manager Duncan Manning said: "After an extensive and in-depth study period, the submission of Shell's Brent decommissioning programme marks another important milestone in the history of the Brent oil and gas field.
"Shell has undertaken thorough analysis, extensive scientific research and detailed consultation with over 180 stakeholder organisations over the past 10 years.
"Working within the tightly defined regulatory process, we believe that our recommendations are safe, technically achievable, environmentally sound and financially responsible.
"Shell encourages all those with an interest in the decommissioning of the Brent field to review, reflect on and respond to this consultation document."
Over the next 40 years, the bill for decommissioning in the North Sea is put at somewhere between £30bn and £50bn, depending how the costs and technology develop.
The costs could come in quite a bit lower if oil companies are allowed to leave large bits of equipment in the North Sea. Shell hopes to do that with three concrete storage bases on the seabed of the Brent field.
It's 22 years since the British-Dutch energy giant was badly stung by the Brent Spar campaign, run by Greenpeace to stop the ocean dumping of a particularly dirty bit of offshore kit. The industry learned from that. It can't afford to make that reputational error again.
That's why the Brent field decommissioning has taken 11 years of planning so far, with 300 studies carried out. Shell has been consulting widely, including talks with fishermen who may prefer to be left with visible hazards than the kind they can't see, under the water.
Read more from Douglas
Lang Banks, of WWF Scotland, told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme he would like to see any materials containing oil removed from the seabed.
"We should be aiming to set the highest possible benchmark for the rest of the industry to follow," he said.
"If we do it right, if we remove as much as we can, the great thing is we have an opportunity for this country to develop a multi-billion pound industry in decommissioning, not just in the North Sea but right around the world."
Deirdre Michie, chief executive of industry body Oil and Gas UK, said: "For more than 40 years, Brent has been a leading light in the UK's industrial success story, contributing almost 10% of the region's oil and gas, delivering billions of pounds to the UK economy and supporting tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs.
"Today's announcement opening the consultation for Shell's Brent Decommissioning Plan is another milestone in this story, broadening the reach of public stakeholder engagement that has already taken place, as this iconic field moves into the next stage of its lifecycle.
"Ground-breaking ingenuity was required to bring the Brent field, located in the deep waters of the northern North Sea, into production and these skills will be required into the future as industry seeks to maximise economic recovery of the UK's oil and gas alongside delivering decommissioning in a safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-efficient way."


British and Irish Lions assistant coach Andy Farrell insists the players facing the Barbarians on Saturday can handle the heat in Hong Kong.

Temperatures are set to reach 30C at kick-off, with humidity at 80-90%.
"The players have coped very well when they have trained in these very hot conditions, so it won't be a problem whatsoever," Farrell said.
The immediate risk of playing sport in hot weather is dehydration, which can lead to heat cramps and heat exhaustion.
But even with adequate water intake, really hot and humid temperatures can still lead to problems.
The main concern is heat stress, where the body is not able to cool itself down through sweating. This can cause nausea, dizziness and confusion.
In the worst cases, an athlete can collapse and lose consciousness. This is known as heat stroke and should be treated as a medical emergency.
"Once they are in the middle of the game, they are thinking about rugby, not heat and exhaustion."
The players will be given water breaks every 15 minutes during the match on Saturday to help them to cope with the heat.
Farrell reported some players lost 3-4kg after their first training session on Wednesday, although this was reduced to around 1kg after Thursday's session.
The International Rugby Board's own player welfare guidelines recommend that, if practical, training and matches should take place when temperatures are below 30C and humidity is below 60%.
The Lions players undergo a 'wellness test' every morning, have to provide regular urine samples to ensure they are properly hydrated, and are weighed before and after training.
There will be giant water fans, which blow a cooling mist, on the side of the pitch for Saturday's game.
In addition, players will also be able to wrap themselves in ice vests and put ice towels over their head at half-time and full-time to help them cool down.
"It is good for the boys to do something different, get out in the sun and humidity and sweat a bit," Farrell said. "They have adapted fantastically well, and trained very intensely. They are all itching for a game now.
"This squad are in brilliant nick after the weeks we had in Wales and Ireland to get them up to match intensity.
"I wouldn't expect them to be fantastically in tune but I would expect an intensity that the Barbarians may struggle with."
The tourists' starting side contains 11 players making their Lions debuts, with 17 of the match-day squad pulling on the famous red shirt for the first time.
With effectively only five matches before the team for the first Test against Australia is decided, good early impressions are vital.  But Farrell insists the players will swiftly banish any nerves against a strong Baa-Baas side containing a host of international stars.
"Everyone understands they may only get a couple of starts to show what they have got, and there will be a few nervous bodies around," he added.
"But these boys are the best of the best, they are all good Test-match arena players and they cope with the pressure really well.
"The rugby intelligence and togetherness in the squad is definitely there for all to see. When you have got that, those nerves go out the window. Everyone is keen to get the show on the road now."


Special wildlife police are helping zoos in the UK to keep their rhinos safe.

26 April 2017 Last updated at 06:52 BST
It comes after a rhino was killed in a zoo in France by thieves who wanted its horn.
Rhinos horns are very valuable in some parts of the world.
To help protect rhinos in this country, police are teaming up with zoos to step up security in lots of different ways.
Whitney's been finding out more.


League One club Bury have signed Jamaica international winger Chris Humphrey on a one-year deal.

The 29-year-old was released by Preston in December and joined Scottish Championship side Hibernian, but was out of contract this summer.
His previous clubs include Shrewsbury and Motherwell, with his deal including the option of a further 12 months.
Meanwhile, Bury goalkeeper Ben Williams, 34, has left the club after making 21 appearances last season.
The former Crewe and Colchester man joined the Shakers from Bradford last summer.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Germany's foreign intelligence chief has warned that Russia could seek to disrupt next year's German elections with cyber attacks.

Bruno Kahl said his agency was aware of cyber attacks with no other purpose than "causing political uncertainty".
"Europe is in the focus of this attempted disruption, and Germany in particular," he told Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Russia or groups linked to Russia have been regularly accused of such attacks.
Campaigning has yet to start for federal elections in autumn 2017 but Angela Merkel announced last week she would be seeking a fourth term as chancellor.
She told reporters that hacking attacks were now becoming commonplace and people should not allow themselves to be annoyed by them.
She was speaking after a cyber attack on Sunday left 900,000 Deutsche Telekom customers with their broadband service cut off. The German government has not yet blamed any group for the hack but says "it's hard to tell the difference between criminal activities from a particular state and state activities".
"Such cyber attacks, or hybrid conflicts as they are known in Russian doctrine, are now part of daily life and we must learn to cope with them," Mrs Merkel said.
The hackers used malware to target Taiwanese-made Speedport routers and German officials say the attack could have been far worse if the routers had not crashed. "We were lucky this time - the attack didn't work properly," said Arne Schoenbohm of Germany's federal office for information security.
If they had succeeded, the infected routers could have formed a network known as a "botnet" for attacks on websites known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).
Earlier this year, Germany's domestic intelligence agency accused Russia of being behind a series of cyber attacks on German state computer systems, including targeting the lower house of parliament last year.
A group known as Fancy Bear, which is thought to be linked to the Russian state, has been blamed for the attacks. It is also believed to have targeted Mrs Merkel's ruling Christian Democratic Union party.
In October, the US formally accused Russia of trying to interfere with its presidential elections by attacking political organisations. The Kremlin has consistently denied such allegations.
On Tuesday, Mr Kahl said of Washington's assessment: "Attributing to a state actor is technically difficult. But there is some evidence that this is at least tolerated or desired by the state,."
Mr Kahl has been in his post for nearly five months and has rarely spoken in public in that time.