A misconduct case against three police officers accused of racism against a black firefighter has collapsed after the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) offered no evidence.

The incident which occurred five years ago involved firefighter Edric Kennedy-Macfoy.
The BBC has learned no evidence was offered against the officers involved.
The IPCC has apologised to Mr Kennedy-Macfoy for what it called "procedural shortfalls" in its investigation.
It added it would be carrying out an "in depth review" to ensure its procedures were strengthened.
In a statement the IPCC said: "We recognise the effect this will have had on both Mr Kennedy-Macfoy and the officers involved, and would like to take this opportunity to apologise to them."
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy had originally complained about the behaviour of six police officers.
The IPCC found several problems with the investigation into the case including the fact that witness interviews that should have been carried out at the time of Mr Kennedy-Macfoy's complaint had not been completed.
Last year, Scotland Yard apologised and paid him compensation to settle a civil claim he brought against the force.
On Wednesday the Met said: "We fully recognise that the misconduct hearing not going ahead is damaging for the complainant and for the public who need to have confidence in the way officers are held to account for their actions".
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy said he felt the last five years of his life had been "stolen" from him.
"These proceedings have been withdrawn before I was given the chance to give evidence before the tribunal and I will forever feel that I have been denied justice," he said.
"I am deeply troubled by the institutional obstacles I have encountered to address and confront why this ever happened."
One of the officers allegedly involved, Mark Gatland who was suspended by the Met to prevent him leaving the force pending the misconduct hearing, was allowed to take a second job as a train driver.
Lawyers for PC Gatland said the damage to his "health and well-being" as a result of the long-running case was "impossible to quantify".
The incident occurred in September 2011  - one month after the London riots - during a disturbance with police at Harrow in north London.
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy said he had offered to help - but was charged with obstructing police and resisting arrest.
He was cleared at Brent Magistrates Court in February 2012.
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy went on to make a formal complaint about his treatment.
He claimed he'd been targeted by police because he was black, alleging he was shot with a Taser stun gun, assaulted and verbally abused.
An investigation into the conduct of six officers was launched by Scotland Yard's Directorate of Professional Standards under the supervision of the IPCC.
In March 2013 the watchdog decided to take over the case itself and conduct an independent investigation which it said at the time would be carried out "as quickly as possible".
In January 2014, one of the policeman allegedly involved retired from the Met.
A hearing was due to start last week for three of the others but became delayed in legal arguments believed to relate to the non-disclosure of crucial documents by the IPCC.
On Wednesday, the IPCC withdrew from the case, and the Metropolitan Police, which formally brought the disciplinary proceedings, offered no evidence leading to the three officers being formally cleared of the charges.
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy's lawyer, Shamik Dutta, said he would be seeking a "full public apology from the IPCC" which he said had "failed in its duty to investigate the case properly".
Lawyers for Mr Gatland said: "The damage caused to the officer's health and well-being as well as to his family is impossible to quantify at this time. The damage to the public perception of policing in this matter being falsely portrayed as a racist event is scandalous."


Australian navy searchers have located a US military aircraft that crashed off the Queensland coast, leaving three Marines dead.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said a survey ship found the submerged MV-22 Osprey in Shoalwater Bay shortly after starting its search.
Twenty three people were rescued when the aircraft crashed on Saturday, but three remain unaccounted for.
Rescue operations were called off early Sunday morning.
The three US Marines were identified as Pfc Ruben Velasco, Cpl Nathaniel Ordway and 1st Lt Benjamin Cross.
The aircraft, which is normally based in Okinawa, Japan, ditched into the water during a training exercise on Saturday. It is not clear what caused the incident.
The US military says recovery and salvage work could take months.
American military forces have been operating in the area as part of a joint training exercise called Talisman Sabre.
The MV-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft similar to a conventional plane but has helicopter-like rotor blades which allow it to take off vertically, without a runway.
There have been a number of incidents involving Ospreys in the past, including a crash off the coast of Okinawa in December 2016 that injured five crew members.
The deployment of Ospreys in Japan is unpopular with local residents, and Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera has asked the US to ground its Japan-based fleet until the cause of this crash is known.


The Brexit debate appears to have "exacerbated cross-community divisions" in Northern Ireland, a House of Lords report has said.

The Lords EU Committee has been examining the impact of Brexit on the UK's devolved institutions.
It said Northern Ireland will be "profoundly affected" because of its distinctive circumstances.
Statistical analysis suggests about 65% of unionists backed Brexit while almost 90% of nationalists voted remain.
The committee said it appeared that the disagreements over Brexit had contributed to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Sinn FÃ©in favours a "special status" for Northern Ireland that would keep it in the EU, a policy rejected by unionists.
Committee member, Lord Kinnoull, told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme that "not a day goes by that every member of the committee doesn't wake up and hope to be hearing better news from Northern Ireland about the institutions".
He added that in the absence of power-sharing at Stormont, Northern Ireland still needed to be given a voice in the Brexit negotiations.
"What is important is that a series of bilateral discussions continues so that there is a dialogue - it's important work," said Lord Kinnoull.
"The key message of our report is that every part of the UK needs to work constructively together to get the best from Brexit.
"Even if some institutions are temporarily out of order, those that would make them up need to be part of that process as well."
The committee acknowledged that the use of the phrase "special status" in respect of Brexit is politically contentious for unionists who do not want Northern Ireland's place in the UK to be undermined.
However, it added that "the specific circumstances in Northern Ireland" - geographical, historical, and political - "give rise to unique issues that will need to be addressed during the Brexit negotiations".
It called on the UK government to identity and outline "flexible and imaginative solutions" to the issue of the Irish border as a matter of priority.
Lord Kinnoull said the committee welcomed the EU's approach to resolving the question of the Irish border.
"We've had direct and fresh news from Brussels, who are determined to ensure we have no hard border," he said.
"The most senior aides to Michel Barnier (the EU's chief negotiator) are being asked to deal specifically with the complex issue of the island of Ireland - that underlines the determination of all parties concerned to get to a fair and reasonable conclusion."
The report also referred to "acute concern"  that the devolved jurisdictions will lose out if needs-based EU funding is replaced by UK subsidies granted in accordance with the population-based Barnett Formula.
A previous report from the committee recommended that Northern Ireland should have continued access to EU funding for cross-Irish-border projects.


A Roman Catholic priest sexually abused boys with the manager of a care home, Southwark Crown Court has heard.

Father Anthony McSweeney, 68, is accused of abusing boys at a Grafton Close Children's Home in Hounslow, west London.
Prosecutors said one boy heard the "screams, shouts and crying" of another boy before being abused himself.
Fr McSweeney, of Old Brighton Road North, Pease Pottage, West Sussex, denies four counts of indecent assault.
He also denies three counts of making indecent images of a child and one of taking indecent images of a child.
The jury was told the defendant was close friends with John Stingemore, who managed the home between 1979 and 1981.
He was found dead in January, aged 72.
Prosecutor Sarah Plaschkes QC said Mr Stingemore would have been in the dock alongside Fr McSweeney if he was still alive.
She told the court Mr Stingemore took his "favourites" from the care home to his seaside property in Bexhill, East Sussex, during weekends.
The jury heard one of the accusers in the case was taken to the coastal home with the priest and another boy, who is not part of the indictment and later killed himself.
Ms Plaschkes said when they arrived they were told to "have a shower and dress smartly", before they were each taken upstairs by the men.
The alleged victim was forced to listen to "screams, shouts and crying" of the other boy before being abused himself, the prosecutor said.
Ms Plaschkes said another boy was abused at the care home where Fr McSweeney "used his body to overpower (the boy)".
The priest is then alleged to have produced a camera and started taking photographs of the boy.
"Afterwards he said something along the lines of 'This is just between us, don't you be telling anyone else'." the prosecutor said.
Another victim alleges the defendant, who was known as the "fat vicar", watched as Mr Stingemore touched him as he showered at the care home.
This happened more than once and was done "for the sexual gratification of both men acting together", the jury was told.
Mr Stingemore, whose body was found at his home in Stonehouse Drive, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, was described by the prosecutor as someone who "would have been aware of which of the boys were particularly vulnerable".
The trial is expected to last for two weeks.


Cardiff City have signed forward Lex Immers from Eredivisie side Feyenoord on a two-year deal.

The Dutchman, 29, joined the Bluebirds on loan in January and went on to score five goals in 15 appearances as Cardiff finished eighth in the Championship.
He will officially become a Bluebird on a permanent basis on 1 July when the transfer window opens.
"It only took one meeting with the CEO [Ken Choo] for me to know that this was where I wanted to be," said Immers.
"My family are already settled in Cardiff and the rapport I have with the fans is something I want to nurture going forward.
"This is a fantastic club with ambition that matches my own."
Immers is the Bluebirds' first signing since a transfer embargo was lifted by the Football League and since Russell Slade was removed from his role as manager.
He scored 31 goals in 100 league appearances for Feyenoord, having joined them from Den Haag in 2012.
Chief executive Ken Choo said: "We're delighted to be officially welcoming Lex to the Cardiff City family.
"The impact he made during his time on loan was significant, and we feel that he is the right fit for the future we see for the football club.
"A number of other clubs wanted him this summer, but I'm thrilled that he has shown such commitment and loyalty to us."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A man has died and a young girl had to be airlifted to hospital after a crash between a motorcycle and a car, police said.

The 64-year-old motorcyclist was in collision with a Volvo C30 on the A3124 heading towards Torrington in Devon at 15:11 BST on Saturday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 13-year-old girl was airlifted to the Bristol Royal Infirmary.  Her injuries are understood to be non life-threatening.
The driver of the car and another 13-year-old girl were taken to North Devon District Hospital with minor injuries.
Police said the man was from the Tedburn St Mary area.


Former New Zealand centre Regan King has left Jersey for personal reasons.

The 36-year-old has returned to his homeland just seven months after joining the island side from Scarlets.
King, who won his only All Blacks cap against Wales in 2002, made eight appearances for Jersey, but did not score a try in his time at St Peter
"Regan is without doubt a huge talent, and his all-round rugby experience and influence was unquestionable," head coach Harvey Biljon said.
"He could just get in the zone, and other members of the squad were able to learn a great deal from that."
King's departure is the latest blow for the island side who have had a troubled season.
Samoan international centre Fautua Otto was jailed after admitting driving while disqualified in September, while the club had to sell their ground and assets last month after financial problems.


Wales' players have been asked not to bring their children onto the pitch after Wednesday's Euro 2016 semi-final because it is "not a safe place".

Fans have been delighted by images of players including Gareth Bale, Hal Robson-Kanu and Ashley Williams celebrating with their children in their victorious run to the last four.
However Uefa said: "It is a European Championship, not a family party."
Wales, who beat Belgium 3-1 in the quarter-final, face Portugal in Lyon.
Tournament director Martin Kallan said: "A stadium is not the most safe place for small kids if fans invaded the field, and with stadium staff operating machinery on the playing surface."
A Uefa official said: "It is nice pictures. We are not 100% against it but we are cautious."
Pictures of Gareth Bale holding his daughter Alba on the pitch following Wales' defeat of Northern Ireland were splashed across conventional and social media, and his team-mates followed suit after Wales' victory over Belgium last week.


Two rare tapestries depicting rural life in the 17th Century have been restored by a team of specialists at Lincoln Castle.

The tapestries, from Doddington Hall, near Lincoln, date back to 1620, and show a cobbler and bagpiper.
They were taken down in 2013 and sent for specialist cleaning before being restitched at the castle.
The works, described as "mediocre", are said to be rare because most similar pieces have been lost over time.
Claire Birch, Doddington Hall's owner, said it had been a major task to clean and restore them, with "hours and hours of painstaking stitching".
She said the Flemish tapestries were nailed to the walls of the hall's Holly and Yellow rooms in the 1760s by the then owner Sir John Delaval, but had deteriorated over the years.
More than 1,600 nails, used to hold the tapestries in place, were removed by conservation students from local universities before the artwork was sent to Belgium for specialist cleaning.
They were then re-stitched by a team at Lincoln Castle.
Mrs Birch said: "Unfortunately, over the years, with sunlight and coal dust all the fibres deteriorated."
"The actual particles of coal dust were eating into the fibres - the dirt was unbelievable - there were just bags of it that came out."
A bat skeleton was also found behind one of the tapestries.
She added: "They are considered special because they are rare examples of mediocre quality tapestries from the period.
"It sounds crazy, but the really fine tapestries were looked after much better and there are good examples of them all around."
"These are much rarer because people didn't look after them."
Visitors will be able to see the artwork in place when the hall reopens on Easter Sunday.


Plymouth Albion have signed South African lock Dave Fisher for their forthcoming National One campaign.

The 22-year-old joins Australians Marc Koteczky and Ethan Ford as overseas players at Albion.
"Dave will bring physicality, balance and enthusiasm to our pack," said Albion director of rugby Graham Dawe.
"He is an excellent ball carrier and also good in the set scrum. We have principally signed him as a lock but he can also play flanker."
He is the latest player to join Albion as they rebuild after being relegated from the Championship last season.
Launceston back-rowers Andy Chesters and Chris Courtier, as well as former Esher and Ealing lock Dan Collier, joined the club last month.
Tom Bedford,Jake Murphy,Billy Searle,Matt Shepherd, Chris Judge, Nile Dacres and Jon Dawe are among the other players to have already moved to the Brickfields this summer.


While most global attention has been focused on Nigeria, Mali has been West Africa's other insurgent hotspot in recent years.

It is threatened by various armed groups - from Ansar Dine, which is linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), to Touareg separatist rebel groups.
The lawlessness in Libya after Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011 led to a spread of weapons across the Sahel region of northern Africa, which fell into the hands of such groups and fuelled unrest in the region.
In 2012 the handling of the Touareg rebellion prompted some army factions to stage an uprising, sparking a civil war.
Jihadist groups took advantage of the situation and took control of the north of the country, imposing strict Islamic law.
The resulting fighting needed the intervention of French forces to push away the militants and regain much of northern Mali.
But the jihadists are still active and have carried out numerous attacks across the country.
The most prominent group is Ansar Dine, led by Iyad Ag Ghaly. The group is linked to AQIM and has vowed to destabilise the Sahel region. Ghaly recently called for attacks on France and its interests in Mali.
The group implemented Sharia law in towns it captured during the 2012 uprising, including the ancient city of Timbuktu.
A new jihadist group known as Macina Liberation Front (FLM) has recently emerged in central Mali.
It is linked with Ansar Dine and just last week, carried out an attack on a military checkpoint in the region of Djenne, a town 500km (310 miles) north-east of the capital Bamako.
Its leader has called for continued attacks on the government.
Last week, the Malian authorities said that information from members of the public had led to the arrest of one of the group's leading financiers during an army operation in the central region of Mopti.
AQIM has a much larger reach, operating across North Africa and the Sahel, including Mali.
One of its offshoots, al-Murabitoun, says it carried out an  attack on a hotel in the central Malian town of Sevare in August, during which at least 13 people were killed.
Both AQIM and al-Murabitoun have said they were behind Friday's attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako.
Al-Mourabitoun is led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a prominent jihadist in North Africa, notorious for the January 2013 siege on a gas facility in Algeria during which at least 37 hostages were killed.
Boko Haram, the group linked to Islamic State and based in the Lake Chad Basin, has also been known to have links to Malian extremist groups, receiving training and weapons from some jihadists in the north of the country.
This security situation in Mali has prompted counter-insurgency measures by the country's military forces including just north of the capital Bamako. France has also maintained its involvement.
It has 3,000 forces operating in the Sahel as part of an anti-terror operation known as Operation Barkhane.
In response to the latest Bamako attack, France is also deploying its Special Forces unit to Bamako, including the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) involved in countering the recent Paris attacks.
Mali's neighbours like Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast have expressed concerns about the spread of jihadist fighters and have stepped up the security operation on their border areas in an attempt to keep the militants out.
The attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako appears to have been well co-ordinated and carried out by a group that had studied the layout of the building and knew the hotel normally has a large number of international guests.
This was a group that had strong a local knowledge but also a wider agenda to grab global headlines.


A&E services will be restored through the night in Stafford as soon as it is "clinically safe" if the Conservatives are elected, the party has promised.

Stafford Hospital, which was renamed County Hospital, was at the centre of a Â£6m public inquiry into care failings.
Overnight closures at the hospital began in 2011.
The Liberal Democrats said Westminster should not tell local areas how to run hospitals. UKIP said the timing of the pledge would leave a "bad taste".
Labour said the Conservatives were attempting to "pre-empt" their plans for the A&E at the hospital.
The Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, which ran the hospital, went into administration in April 2013. The hospital is now run by a new trust.
Campaigners from Support Stafford Hospital Group camped on fields opposite the hospital from July until January as a protest over the removal of services.
Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt made a "commitment to the people of Stafford" on a visit to the town.
"I would only ever agree to something that is clinically safe - however, it is the ambition of a future Conservative government to bring back 24 hour A&E," he said.
Responding to Mr Hunt's comments, Phil Bennion, former Liberal Democrat MEP in Staffordshire, said: "We want healthcare that's high quality, local, and available to everyone who needs it.
"But we also don't believe that Westminster should tell local areas how to run their hospitals and wider healthcare provision - especially if the resources needed aren't made available."
A UKIP spokesman said: "The Tories have had years to sort this out, and then to make a promise not two weeks from election will taste very bad for the people of Staffordshire."
The Labour party accused Mr Hunt of making a "desperate dash to Stafford to pre-empt [the] release of Labour's fully costed, timetabled plan for restoration of services at Stafford Hospital".


Bristol City have broken their transfer record to sign Senegal international striker Famara Diedhiou for £5.3m from French top flight club Angers.

The 24-year-old has agreed a four-year deal at Ashton Gate.
The Robins' previous transfer record of £3.25m was also paid to Angers for striker Jonathan Kodjia in 2015.
"I think he's going to be a huge player for us," head coach Lee Johnson told Bristol City's website. "He's powerful, he's quick. Now is his time to shine."
Chief executive officer Mark Ashton added: "It's big business. He's someone we'd identified a while ago as having real potential to fill the front man's shoes."
Diedhiou's 22 goals in 37 games in 2015-16 for French second-tier side Clermont led to a £1.36m move to Angers, for whom he scored nine times in 36 appearances last season.
Kodjia scored 20 goals in 52 games for City before moving to Aston Villa in August 2016 for an initial £11m which may rise to £15m.
Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham, 19, was Bristol City's top scorer in 2016-17 with 26 goals in all competitions, but he is expected to move to Premier League club Swansea City on loan for 2017-18.
French journalist Pierre-Yves Croix, of the Courrier de l'Ouest, speaking to BBC Radio Bristol
He is a powerful striker. He can play down the middle. He is tall and good with his back to goal. He's complete. He's got a good header.
Jonathan Kodjia was quicker, and was more able to play on the wing, but I still think Diedhiou is a good player.
A lot of English teams have been following him. We knew people from different English teams were in Angers' stadium during the past few months.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


The teaching of Welsh needs to be boosted to help reach the government's target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050, Plaid Cymru has said.

The party wants more funding found to ensure more teachers and assistants can use the language in the classroom.
Shadow Education Secretary Llyr Gruffydd claimed the number of children being taught in Welsh was "flatlining".
Plaid Cymru has used a Senedd debate on Wednesday to stress the role of education in promoting the language.
First Minister Carwyn Jones announced the target of one million Welsh speakers at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny in August.
His minister for the Welsh language, Alun Davies, described it as "deliberately ambitious".
In its assembly election manifesto, Plaid Cymru said the aim should ultimately be Welsh-medium education for all.
"Over the past four years we've seen the number of pupils receiving Welsh medium education flatlining," Mr Gruffydd told BBC Wales ahead of the debate.
"I think there's been a small increase of 0.01%.
"If we want to see a situation where all children in Wales receive their education through the medium of Welsh, it will take 800 years to achieve at this current rate."
In the motion for debate, Plaid called for a "clear timetable" for a new GCSE to replace the one for Welsh as a second language.
It said a new Welsh course for all pupils should be introduced by 2018, pointing out it was three years since the idea was recommended in a report by Prof Sioned Davies of Cardiff University for the Welsh Government.
Mr Davies told AMs that education in Wales was being reformed, saying that from 2021 the new curriculum would remove the distinction between Welsh and Welsh as a second language.
Suzy Davies, Welsh Conservative spokeswoman on the Welsh language, said there should be more focus on Welsh "outside the classroom", saying: "This is where the language really lives.
"By including small bits of Welsh into everyday life, we can help grow the language from a grassroots level so that our pupils walk out of the school gates and into communities where they can use both their languages," she added.
Meanwhile the Welsh language commissioner has said ministers should intervene to ensure local councils respond to demand for Welsh-medium education in their areas.
Meri Huws told BBC Radio Cymru she welcomed recent developments in Cardiff, Newport and Pembrokeshire, but urged Education Secretary Kirsty Williams to look at the picture across Wales and ask if it was good enough.
Plaid Cymru's call that all pupils follow one Welsh GCSE qualification by 2018 would need a far greater emphasis on the subject in English-medium secondary schools.
The party says Welsh should be a core subject in all schools, not just Welsh-medium schools, as is the case now. That would mean more time on the curriculum for Welsh at the expense of other subjects such as English, maths and science.
A Welsh Government commissioned report into the teaching of Welsh as a second language raised concerns about the number and quality of teachers able to teach the subject.
Plaid Cymru wants to "invest substantially, and seriously plan, through a series of innovative initiatives, in order to quickly increase the number of education practitioners who teach through the medium of Welsh".
However, if they want a new GCSE qualification to be taught in two years' time it will be difficult to recruit and train the additional teachers needed to deliver the course.


Two men are being hunted by police in connection with the shooting dead of a man in a nightclub in London's West End on Boxing Day.

Hassan Omer, 31 from Poplar in east London, was shot at a private function at Avalon club on 26 December.
A post-mortem examination found he died from multiple gun shot wounds.
Danny Walker, 32, and Gavin Allen, 30, are wanted by police. The Met said it was possible that Mr Allen may have travelled abroad.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts are being urged to contact police.
The shooting at the club on Shaftesbury Avenue happened in the early hours.
Two men - a 31-year-old and a 34-year-old - arrested on suspicion of murder have been bailed to a date in February.
A 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday remains in custody at an east London police station.


A Shetland man jailed for seven years after a double rape has had his convictions quashed on appeal.

Kenneth Harper, 33, was convicted of the sex crimes last year, along with further charges of assault and reckless behaviour, after a high court trial.
Judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh quashed his convictions for the two rape charges after defence arguments about mutual corroboration.
He was given a three-year sentence for the remaining offences.
Solicitor advocate John Keenan challenged the rape convictions, which were based on mutual corroboration.
That meant the evidence of one allegation was being used to support the other.
Mr Keenan said there were only two alleged offences and there was a substantial time gap between them of almost eight years.
He said the circumstances in which they were said to have occurred were different and there was an absence of "extraordinary features".
He argued that there must be something compelling to link events separated by many years, but here there was nothing.
The Crown claimed that there were compelling similarities as both offences involved vulnerable women who were significantly younger than Harper, the first was aged 15 and the second 22.
It also argued that evidence from a third woman, who was assaulted, could be used to support the convictions.
Lord Brodie, who heard the appeal with Lord Bracadale and Lady Cosgrove, said: "Long lapse of time does not preclude the finding of sufficient similarity between two incidents to infer a course of conduct, but it is relevant.
"Where the interval is a long one it is necessary to consider whether there are any extraordinary features in the evidence that nonetheless make the similarities compelling.
"The time interval, at a little short of eight years, was long. Accordingly for the Crown to be able to link the two alleged incidents it must be able to identify some special feature. There was no such feature in the present case."
Harper had originally been jailed at the High Court in Glasgow after being convicted in Aberdeen.


The election of the first non-European Pope for more than a millennium- and the first from Latin America, home to 40% of the world's Catholics - reveals in the cardinals who elected him an awareness of the size and importance of the flock outside Europe.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had a reputation as a humble pastor who even in high office commuted to work by bus, lived in an apartment rather than an apostolic palace and cooked his own meals.
In the inevitable comparisons with his predecessor, Benedict XVI, some will point to the new pontiff's credentials as a local bishop, rather than a Vatican insider.
The 76-year-old Argentine has described inequality as "a social sin that cries out to Heaven" - and has emphasised the Church's duty to serve the poor and disenfranchised.
He is known for modernising a previously conservative Argentine Church, while Benedict XVI served as Catholicism's doctrinal watchdog for more than two decades before he was elected Pope.
Cardinal Bergoglio certainly preferred life in the local Church to the bureaucracy of Rome's administrative body - the Curia, which is widely perceived as plagued with management issues and in need of reform.
Pope Francis is also the first Jesuit Pope - from an ancient and fiercely independent Catholic order that has not always enjoyed the best relationship with Rome.
However, he has worked on various Curial committees, as a member of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for the Clergy among others.
He is a fluent speaker of Italian - as well as German and Spanish - so will have no problems communicating with the team around him.
Having Italian roots - both his parents were Italian - will be seen as a plus in a very Roman institution.
The new Pope is a theological conservative and those looking for a change in the Church's stance on abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception will be disappointed. He is staunchly orthodox on issues of sexual morality.
These qualities made him a strong contender for the papacy in 2005, when he was reportedly the chief rival to Joseph Ratzinger.
Pope Francis is also said to have warm relations with the Jewish community in Buenos Aires, receiving awards from Jewish organisations, which strengthen his interfaith credentials.
He is a keen evangelist, criticising what he has called "the spiritual sickness of a self-referential Church" - and calling for the Church to "get out into the street".
Seen as in touch with the modern world, he has already invited journalists, some 5,600 of whom are in Rome to cover his election, to an audience on Saturday.
These skills will be needed as he tries to stem the flow of Catholics from the pews both in an increasingly secular Europe and a Latin America where Pentecostal churches are thriving.
He assumes the papacy at a time when religious intolerance is growing and will be tasked with shoring up confidence in an institution that has been rocked by the sexual abuse of minors by priests.
And the man who has to confront these challenges is a 76-year-old who has lived for decades with just one lung, having suffered a respiratory disease in his youth.
On Wednesday night he made an assured, if understated, start as he greeted the faithful from the St Peter's Basilica balcony.
Perhaps what summed up the encounter best was the new Pope's humility.
"Only someone who has encountered mercy, who has been caressed by the tenderness of mercy, is happy and comfortable with the Lord," he said in 2001.
It was characteristic that when he greeted his flock for the first time, Pope Francis blessed them, but only after he had asked them to pray with him - and for him.


Two tourists have paid to be sent around the Moon by US private rocket company SpaceX.

The company already works with Nasa, taking supplies to the International Space Station.
It has now announced two people, who aren't astronauts, have paid a lot of money to travel on a spaceship to the Moon.
The space tourists would make a loop around the Moon. They will skim the surface but won't land on it.
The mission is planned for late 2018.
Send us your comments - what would you take to the Moon on holiday?
SpaceX boss Elon Musk said "This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years," he said.
The spaceship will be tested later this year and the people going on the mission will also have to have health checks and training before they go.
The mission will be risky but SpaceX says it will do everything it can to make the journey as safe as possible.
Mr Musk said the two passengers "will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them".
"Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration."


Pensioner Joe Bartley, 89, was so bored being retired he put an ad in his local paper asking for work.

The ex-serviceman from Paignton, Devon, said he started getting really bored after his wife Cassie died two years ago.
"I was bored to death sat here doing nothing not seeing anyone," he said as he placed an ad in the Herald Express.
And it turned out his ad was just the job because he has had two offers of work - at a local cafe and at Tesco.
Mr Bartley, who served in the 6th Airborne Division after World War Two and later in the Royal Engineers, said he missed his active life.
"I just can't be sitting here doing nothing, so I put an ad in the paper," he said.
"When you live in a flat it's pretty lonely.
"It's like being in solitary confinement. You don't see anybody."
He reckons there are many more like him.
He said: "It depends on your personality and how you feel.
"Some people retire at 65 and they say to themselves 'I'm old and I'll just tend the garden'.
"But some want to carry on working."


A man who confessed to murdering his partner in a text to his brother has been jailed for life.

Anne-Marie Nield, 44, died after suffering multiple injuries at a flat in Oldham Road in Rochdale in May.
Richard Howarth, 42, of Lincoln Drive in Littleborough, must serve a minimum of 15 years after pleading guilty to murder at Bolton Crown Court.
Police were alerted following text messages to his brother in which he admitted killing her.
He had returned from the pub before he began arguing with Ms Nield and then "viciously attacked" her, police said.
Ms Nield's family earlier said she had a "popular nature" and would be greatly missed.


The planned design of a new justice centre proposed for Inverness has been unveiled.

The building is to be developed on a site between Longman Road and Burnett Road to the north of Burnett Road Police Station.
The new centre would allow the courts service to move out of historic Inverness Castle.
A public exhibition of the plans will be held in the Spectrum Centre in Inverness on Tuesday from 14:00-19:00.
The Scottish government is to fund the construction of the new two-storey Inverness Justice Centre.
The concept design of the complex forms part of a pre-planning document submitted to Highland Council, ahead of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) applying for full planning permission.
The exhibition will show plans of office space and courtroom accommodation that will be shared by the justice organisations to be located in the building.
Two distinct wings have been proposed for the building, which will be joined by a public atrium.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said the centre would be an important development for the city and the wider Highlands area.
He said: "I would encourage the public to visit the Scottish Courts and Tribunals exhibition for the opportunity to see these exciting new proposals for themselves."
Eric McQueen, chief executive of SCTS, said: "This is a very exciting development and unique in its vision to bring together a range of organisations who work within the justice environment in the Highlands.
"We have a first class project team in place and are working with justice organisations to make sure we can provide the best environment and facilities for victims, witnesses and all courts and tribunals users, all within an accessible and high quality building which is supported by  digital innovation and sustainable by design."
SCTS moving to the new centre would allow for Inverness Castle to be developed into a tourist attraction - a move supported by Highland Council.


The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons will battle it out this Sunday for the NFL Vince Lombardi trophy in a game televised in 170 countries around the world.

Lady Gaga is to headline the half-time show, which more than 116 million Americans tuned in to watch last year, with a 30-second US television advertising slot to cost at least £4m ($5m).
But what about the game itself? Why should we watch it? Who are the players to look out for? Who is going to win?
More importantly - how are you going to stay awake beyond the 23:30 GMT kick-off?
BBC NFL pundits Osi Umenyiora - a two-time Super Bowl winner himself - and former Houston cornerback Jason Bell joined BBC Sport to answer all of the big questions about Sunday night's showpiece.
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Jason: First of all, you are watching the two best teams in their sport play against each other so that's always exciting. It's also about the culture of football, it's an event and it's more than just a game - from the half-time show, all the pre-game stuff, the build-up. It's just excitement - it really is entertaining.
I know how important tea is so have your tea allocation ready. It's also a good thing to watch with a friend. Have some nice food and drinks - just make it an event.
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Osi (who played for Atlanta for two seasons): 100% Atlanta - even if I hadn't played for the Falcons, I'd be cheering for Atlanta because I lived in the city since I was 17. I've been in that environment and know how they feel about the team and it's just something I'd want to see happen for them.
Osi: Absolutely, they can. I know that Bill Belichick [head coach of the Patriots] is an outstanding coach who is going to come up with a gameplan to curtail the Atlanta Falcons offence - but they've proved almost impossible to stop in this entire year.
Jason: I'm going to agree with Osi - I'm cheering for Atlanta to win but if I look at the game and I break it down by the numbers and who is better, I think New England could pull it out and win.
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Osi: With New England, you want to start with Tom Brady. That's where it all begins - he's been an outstanding quarterback. There's wide receiver Julian Edelman - but also look out for Martellus Bennett, the tight end, as I think he might have a good game.
For Atlanta, there's the running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman - those guys are going to be outstanding in this game. Then there's quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones. On the defence side of the ball, you want to look out for linebacker Vic Beasley and also defensive end Dwight Freeney, who could also have a major impact on this game.
The Most Valuable Player is going to be a quarterback - it usually goes down to that position.
Jason: To really impress your friends, look out for Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan - he has been doing some of the plays that injured tight end Rob Gronkowski used to do. Some of the routes that Gronkowski used to get open at and create match-up problems for opposing teams, he's now doing. That's something that we just discovered recently watching films.
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Osi: I can't wait - I'm such a big fan of Lady Gaga. I can't wait to hear her sing all of her songs. I hope that she doesn't do any of her new stuff - I don't really like it, I like her old songs. I like Just Dance, Paparazzi, Poker Face - that's what I want to hear.
Osi (who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants): You can't prepare for something of that magnitude. I think what you try as much as possible is to keep all of the emotion out of you and just wait for the game to be over. If you allow yourself to think exactly about what is going on, you won't be able to go out there and perform.
You have to go out there and think that this is just a regular game and you can enjoy all of the emotions afterwards. The coaches do a really good job of keeping things as close to normal as they would be if you were playing just a regular season or play-off game.
Jason (who played for the Houston Texans): I have great memories there and this venue was kind of the beginning of the state-of-the-art stadium.  It has a retractable roof, which was something new when it was introduced, and all the facilities are great and it's in a great location.
It doesn't have a bad seat in the house so everybody attending will feel like they are right there. It's loud, exciting and really amazing - I'm excited to get back there.
Osi: In 40 or 50 years, maybe. The problem is it's such an American institution. Soccer is now getting bigger in America but could you see the FA Cup final being played in the United States?
Even though we want the game to keep growing in the UK, it's so American that we would never want to remove that particular game. You could possibly see the Pro Bowl or you could see play-off games, if there is a franchise, played in the UK. But the Super Bowl itself - it's going to be tough.
If human beings figured out a way to put a man on the moon, they'll find a way to bring a franchise to the UK. The NFL is pumping a lot of money into this and fans love it - there's a huge fan base of 13 million people who are fans of the NFL in the UK. I think that the time is coming.
Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora were talking to BBC Sport's Chris Visser.


The leader of Cardiff council's Liberal Democrat group is resigning from the post and is to stand down from the authority at the May election.

Judith Woodman said she had decided to take a step back to develop her business interests and charity work.
The Pentwyn and Llanedeyrn councillor served as Cardiff council's deputy leader between 2004 and 2012.
The Lib Dem group, which has been in opposition since 2012, will meet on Wednesday to elect a new leader.


A teenage rugby player who suffered a serious spinal injury during a game in South Africa is set to return home.

George Robinson, a pupil at Stamford School in Lincolnshire, was injured playing against DF Malan in Cape Town on 27 July.
The 17-year-old, who has been on a ventilator since the incident happened, has undergone reconstructive surgery on broken vertebrae.
His family said he had showed immense courage to come through his ordeal.
George's father, Simon, said: "It has been a life-changing experience and injury for George and our family.
"George has responded positively to therapy after such a significant injury and there has been daily improvement in his condition; he is very close to being fully weaned off the ventilator that has been assisting his breathing for the past 37 days."
He added: "We know that we have a long journey ahead... and we will move into this next chapter with positivity, determination and hopefulness."
Mr Robinson will be flown home by air ambulance on Wednesday.


England are one of six teams who have pulled out of the World Men's Squash Team Championships in Cairo because of fears over security.

The Foreign Office consider Egypt to have a "high threat from terrorism".
France, Germany, Finland, Canada and the USA are the others to withdraw from the event, which starts on 12 December.
"The safety of our players and staff remains our only priority and, at this time, we have real concerns," said England Squash chief, Keir Worth.
"Following the release of security plans for the event and subsequently a comprehensive report from independent security advisers, we have concluded that there is an inherent risk that has not been mitigated to an acceptable level.
"We have been through a significant consultation with the players and support staff over recent weeks and we are extremely disappointed to be withdrawing."
England's four-man squad of Nick Matthew, James Willstrop, Daryl Selby and Chris Simpson were consulted by England Squash and agreed unanimously with the decision to withdraw.
Simpson told BBC Radio Guernsey: "Overall the general feeling from the players was that whilst we were desperate to play for England and win the title, we weren't massively happy going there.
"The decision that was made was right."
Simpson also suggested that World Squash should look to rearrange the tournament, suggesting the withdrawals mean it would not be a "true event".
"No-one wants to play in an event when it's not as strong as it should be, I don't think the wining team would get the same satisfaction," added Simpson.
"If I was world squash I'd look at postponing it and finding somewhere else in the calendar and geographically to put on the tournament."
There has been no comment as yet from the World Squash Federation on the teams' decisions to withdraw from the event.


Police are seeking two new suspects accused of aiding the fugitive suspect from the Paris attacks Salah Abdeslam, the Belgian prosecutor's office says.

The pair are "armed and dangerous" and are thought to have helped Abdeslam travel to Hungary in September.
Investigators say Abdeslam may have driven the suicide bombers at the Stade de France to their target on the night of the Paris attacks.
The assaults on 13 November left 130 people dead and more than 350 wounded.
Abdeslam was stopped at the Hungary-Austria border in September accompanied by two men with fake IDs bearing the names Soufiane Kayal and Samir Bouzid, Belgian police said.
"The Federal Prosecutor's Office and the investigating judge wish to appeal to the public again to look out for two new suspects the investigators are actively searching for," the prosecutor's statement said.
Abdeslam's precise role in the attacks remains unclear. There are suggestions he was meant to carry out a suicide attack on the night but decided against it.
Belgium has also issued an international arrest warrant for another suspect, 29-year-old Mohamed Abrini, who was driving the car in which Abdeslam was a passenger when it stopped at a petrol station in Ressons, on the motorway to Paris.
The name Soufiane Kayal was used to rent a house searched in November after the Paris attacks.
The identity card of Samir Bouzid was used to transfer money to Hasna Aitboulahcen, the cousin of attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud, four days after the attacks, police said.
Both Aitboulahcen and Abaaoud were killed in a police raid on the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, along with a third, as-yet unidentified person.
Earlier on Friday, the Paris cafe La Bonne Biere became the first of the venues targeted during the co-ordinated assaults to reopen its doors.


Health bosses were forced to bring in a doctor who is usually on call for major disasters to cope with problems at an under-pressure A&E department.

The doctor, known as a medical incident officer, cared for eight patients at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on Friday night.
In an "unprecedented" move, West Midlands Ambulance Service demanded action following delays in treatment.
The Care Quality Commission said it was monitoring the situation.
It was the first time a medical incident officer has been deployed to a hospital in the West Midlands, according to the ambulance service.
A spokeswoman for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said she was not aware of it having happened elsewhere.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman called the decision to send the doctor "unprecedented" and "not taken lightly".
An unidentified senior clinical member of staff from the trust said: "The problem at the moment is that the Worcestershire hospital is far too small. They can't cope with the number of admissions or the number of walk-in patients that turn up in A&E.
"These things mean we have ended up with a crisis in A&E.
"They have now drawn little rectangles into the corridors to signify that is a corridor bed.  It's incredibly stressful. It becomes a Third World situation where only the very sickest patients can be treated properly."
Patients treated by the medical incident officer included one who had been left for four hours following a seizure and another with a suspected blood clot who had been left in the hands of ambulance staff.
Another had been waiting five hours with heart-related chest pain, ambulance staff said.
The last time a medical incident officer was called out was when a firework warehouse exploded in Stafford in October.
The Care Quality Commission said it was aware that West Midlands Ambulance Service took the action at the weekend and was monitoring the situation.
It has already carried out an inspection of the emergency department and said it would report its conclusions soon.
The trust said the latest peak over the past two weekends was caused by a 15% increase in blue light ambulance calls, a figure disputed by the ambulance service.
Mary Wilkes from Stourport-on-Severn said her 89-year-old very sick husband was taken to the emergency department on Saturday 4 April and was still on a trolley when she left 11 hours later.
Her next-door-neighbour, Roger Barry, complained after being left for more than 15 hours on a trolley in February. He said he had not yet received a response to his complaint.


A 67-year-old man who was found dead at a house in Aberdeenshire has been described by relatives as "dearly beloved" and a "genial sort of chap".

A murder inquiry is under way after Brian McKandie was found at Fairview Cottages in Badenscoth, Rothienorman, on Saturday 12 March.
Two men were reportedly seen speaking to him on the Friday beforehand.
His family said in a statement issued by Police Scotland: "We have been shocked by the recent events".
The statement said: "Brian was a dearly beloved brother of William, Margaret and the late Elizabeth, brother-in-law, uncle and friend to many.
"He was a genial sort of chap with a dry sense of humour. He was hard-working and very dedicated to his business."
Det Ch Insp Iain Smith, of Police Scotland, said: "We believe Mr McKandie was assaulted within his home between the evening of Friday 11 March and Saturday 12 March and we are urging anyone who may have spoken to him to come forward.
"Understandably, Mr McKandie's family and friends are devastated by his death and it is vital we piece together the events that led up to this horrific crime and the motive for such an attack."


Protests have been growing in the Afghan capital, Kabul, over the lynching of a woman who was falsely accused of burning the Koran.

More than 2,000 people marched to demand justice for Farkhunda, 28, who was beaten to death by a mob last week.
Tuesday's protests came as the police spokesman for Kabul was sacked for posting a Facebook message endorsing the killing.
Police say they have arrested at least 19 people over the incident.
Farkhunda was beaten to death last Thursday after arguing with a mullah about his practice of selling charms to women at a shrine. In the course of the argument she was accused of burning the Koran and a crowd overheard and attacked her.
An official investigator has said there is no evidence she had burned the Koran.
Her action in opposing the mullah has been backed by the Ulema - an influential gathering of Islamic clerics and scholars.
At Tuesday's demonstration, some demonstrators carried banners bearing a picture of the bloodied face of Farkhunda, while others painted their own faces red.
Marchers chanted "Justice for Farkhunda!" and "Death to the killers!", AP news agency reported.
"It was one of the most brutal actions in the history of humanity... and at the same time it was very close to the palace, it was very close to the police officers but unfortunately there were hundreds of people watching her being killed and taking her movie but nobody reacted to that," said Najla Habibyaar, one of the protesters.
Among the crowd was Fatana Gailani, the head of the Afghanistan Women's Council.
"We are getting fed up," she told AP. "The new generation has known nothing but war, they are not educated, and now they have no jobs."
The interior ministry said a Kabul police spokesman, Hashmat Stanikzai, had been dismissed over comments he had made on social media supporting the killing of Farkhunda - who like many Afghans went by only one name.
Thirteen police officers have already been suspended and face questioning for their part in the affair.
Farkhunda's family accuse the police of standing by and doing nothing while the attack was taking place.


Preston North End have signed Cork City striker Sean Maguire on a three-year contract from the end of July for an undisclosed compensation fee.

The 23-year-old was previously on the books at West Ham United for two-and-a-half years, but did not play a senior first-team game for the Hammers.
He is the League of Ireland Premier Division's top scorer so far in the 2017 season, with 16 goals.
Maguire has been with Cork - the league leaders - since December 2015.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Two Australian journalists who had been detained in Malaysia have left the country.

Reporter Linton Besser and cameraman Louie Eroglu, from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said they were not deported but escorted through the airport by police.
The pair approached Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday asking about corruption claims, which he denies.
Their detention had raised concerns over press freedom.
It was thought they would be charged with obstructing a public official but the charges were dropped, the ABC said. Mr Besser and Mr Eroglu arrived in Singapore on Tuesday.
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia was not obstructing the media, but that foreign media workers "must perform their duties according to the journalism ethics".
For months, the Malaysian government has discouraged scrutiny over the corruption allegations, including blocking news outlets that have reported extensively on them.
Mr Besser and Mr Eroglu had approached Mr Najib while he was visiting a mosque in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak state.
They attempted to ask Mr Najib about a $681m (Â£478m) payment from the 1MDB state investment fund to his personal account.
Mr Najib has been cleared of personal wrongdoing by Malaysian prosecutors but a number of international investigations are ongoing.
A statement issued by Malaysian police to news agency Bernama said the two men crossed a "security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister".
"Both of them were subsequently arrested for failing to comply with police instructions not to cross the security line," the statement said.
In an email to staff, the ABC's director of news, Gaven Morris, said Mr Besser and Mr Eroglu did not believe they had crossed a police line and had not obstructed officials.
He said they had "fully co-operated with the police" and were receiving consular and legal support.


Transport is dominating the headlines in Wales as many people return to work after the Christmas break.

Or travel disruption more like, with the strike by Arriva Trains Wales.
It also follows the temporary closure of the A55 between Bangor and Llanfairfechan during the holiday because of flooding.
It's a sign of things to come: transport will be a major political issue in the year ahead.
The most controversial topic will be plans for a Â£1bn new motorway around Newport, but problems on the A55, as witnessed over Christmas, will be used by opponents as the exact reason why they believe the lion's share of road-building funds should not be used on one scheme in Newport.
The Arriva Trains Wales franchise comes to an end in two years. Plans are being made for it to be run by a not-for-profit organisation owned by the Welsh government.
It's impossible to say whether that means strikes will be more or less likely, but unpredictable pay negotiations with unions that are still powerful in the rail industry is a risk that will fall on government in future, rather than the private sector.
Despite the profile of transport, I wouldn't expect it to rise above being a solid middle-tier issue in the assembly campaign, sitting below the holy trinity of health, education and the economy.
Labour in Wales begins 2016 facing a doubly-whammy of concerns over the NHS and potential in-fighting over the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
It is responding with a defence of its record on health funding in particular, while at the same time throwing in claims about the alternative being a coalition of chaos at Cardiff bay.
Labour doesn't have an overall majority with exactly half of the 60 seats at the assembly. If the numbers drop below then the big question will be whether it will go it alone, or possibly form a coalition with Plaid.
The fear of minority government is no longer as strong for Labour.
Four and a half years ago, journalists like me were posing the question about how it would manage without an overall majority.
In fact it's been relatively easy to get budgets through every year thanks to deals with Plaid and the Lib Dems.
But a problem has been the inability to drive through major change like council re-organisations without the numbers on its side.
And this will be among the considerations for Labour if its numbers drop further in May.
The Conservatives, buoyed by their performance in the general election in Wales, are focusing their attacks on Labour on health.
The Welsh Conservative group at the assembly is currently advertising for a new head of media.
Whoever gets the job won't have much time to get their feet under the desk before things hot up, and trying to get these messages across effectively will be top of the in-tray.
The media was criticised for talking about possible coalitions at Westminster which in the end never materialised last year.
I suspect this time round in the assembly campaign, the Tories will be happy to talk about a possible coalition between Labour and Plaid, as they try to maintain their status as the only party which has refused to do a deal with Labour.
2016 is a huge year for Leanne Wood. So far under her leadership, the party's fortunes in the ballot box have failed to match the rise in the party's profile.
This is the biggest test yet, not only for her, but also of the policies of her top team.
Plaid's policy on health is pinned to enormous structural change. The risk is whether internal re-organisation deals with the public's real concerns.
The potential upside is that it can genuinely say it's attempting to deal with what many consider to be the holy grail for the NHS: the integration of health and social care.
Recent polls, and of course the general election result, have failed to give the Liberal Democrats much comfort.
As campaigners knock on doors over the coming months, they'll be trying to take advantage of the concessions they have won in budget deals with Labour in areas like the pupil deprivation grant, as well as pointing to proposed legislation to protect nursing numbers.
And last but not least. The impact of UKIP on the assembly election is one of the most intriguing elements to the new political year because it would be the arrival of a new party in Cardiff bay.
The numbers vary, but most are expecting UKIP to send a handful of AMs to the Senedd after May.
The party is promising a rounded a series of policies but inevitably the party will be helped if David Cameron holds an EU referendum in the summer.
The Tories are hoping the vote will shoot UKIP's fox but the counter argument is that the extra profile it will receive on the issue will help it generate votes for the assembly at the same time.
And that gets underway on Monday when Nigel Farage takes on Carwyn Jones in a head to head debate on the merits of EU membership.


A police officer had to be freed from handcuffs by firefighters when a training exercise in Aberdeen went wrong.

It happened during officer safety training on Saturday.
Police Scotland said there appeared to have been a "malfunction" with a set of handcuffs and fire service personnel were called in.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said boltcutters were used to free the officer.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officer safety training is a vital skill for police officers and involves training with handcuffs and other equipment.
"On this occasion there appears to have been a malfunction with a set of handcuffs which our colleagues at the fire service were fortunately able to assist with.
"This type of situation is thankfully rare but as has been demonstrated procedures are in place to deal with such an occurrence."
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "On Saturday, firefighters attended at Mounthooly Way where they used boltcutters to free a police officer from a set of handcuffs that had malfunctioned."
No-one was injured.


Apple chief Tim Cook has made a thinly veiled attack on Facebook and Google for "gobbling up" users' personal data.

In a speech, he said people should not have to "make trade-offs between privacy and security".
While not naming Facebook and Google explicitly, he attacked companies that "built their businesses by lulling their customers into complacency".
Rights activists Privacy International told the BBC it had some scepticism about Mr Cook's comments.
"It is encouraging to see Apple making the claim that they collect less information on us than their competitors," Privacy International's technologist Dr Richard Tynan said.
"However, we have yet to see verifiable evidence of the implementation of these claims with regard to their hardware, firmware, software or online services.
"It is crucial that our devices do not betray us."
Addressing an audience in Washington DC, Mr Cook said: "I'm speaking to you from Silicon Valley, where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their businesses by lulling their customers into complacency about their personal information.
"They're gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetise it. We think that's wrong. And it's not the kind of company that Apple wants to be."
Mr Cook had been given a corporate leadership award by the Electronic Privacy Information Centre, a US-based research group.
According to TechCrunch, he later added that Apple "doesn't want your data".
Google has not commented on Mr Cook's comments specifically, but a spokeswoman referred the BBC to the privacy section of its website, which the company has recently updated.
"Ads are what enable us to make our services like Search, Gmail, and Maps free for everyone," one page reads.
"We do not share information with advertisers in a way that personally identifies you, unless you gave us permission."
Facebook suggested this page outlining how it collects user data.
While Apple does not hold the same wealth of data looked after by Google and Facebook, it does use personal information to target advertising.
A page for marketers on Apple's website offers "400 targeting options" for reaching users.
It reads: "Whether you're looking for moms or business travellers or groups of your own customers, we've got you covered."
Apple's lack of data, when compared with some of its rivals, could be a disadvantage for future devices. Services such as Google Now, which use stored data to predict what information users may need, require vast amounts of personal data to be effective.
Mr Cook also spoke at length about encryption.
His company introduced encryption measures by default to its devices late last year, a move heralded by privacy campaigners but heavily criticised by several governments.
Mr Cook hit out at governments that had pressured technology companies to allow for so-called "backdoors" to aid with counter-terrorism and other enforcement.
"There's another attack on our civil liberties that we see heating up every day," Mr Cook said.
"It's the battle over encryption. Some in Washington are hoping to undermine the ability of ordinary citizens to encrypt their data."
He added: "If you put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it too."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC


Music and entertainment celebrities from around the world have been reacting to the news that British singer George Michael has died aged 53.

"I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend - the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans. @GeorgeMichael #RIP"
"Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx"
"Another Great Artist leaves us."
"I am thinking of @GeorgeMichael's family, friends and fans right now.
"He was so loved and I hope he knew it because the sadness today is beyond words. Devastating.
"What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent. I can't believe he is gone. I hope the Buddha will hold him in his arms."
Read more:
George Michael: A life in pictures
Obituary: George Michael
When China woke up to Wham!
Have more famous people died in 2016?
The Late Late Show host, whose regular Carpool Karaoke slot began when he did it with George Michael for Comic Relief in 2011, said: "I've loved George Michael for as long as I can remember. He was an absolute inspiration. Always ahead of his time."
Singer Paul Young, who performed on the 1984 Band Aid hit Do They Know it's Christmas? with Michael, told BBC Radio 5 live that audiences "connected" with his voice.
He spoke about the time Michael joined him on stage for a Princes Trust Concert to do a duet on Young's hit Every Time You go Away.
"He was literally straight out of the car, a quick chat on stage, no warm-ups or anything, and he just sang like a bird. Unbelievable really."
"2016 - loss of another talented soul. All our love and sympathy to @GeorgeMichael's family."
Brit and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Sam Smith wrote: "@GeorgeMichael. Words can't express how much you and your music meant and means to me.
"Please play his music as loud as you can today & celebrate one of the most magical, talented, bravest & important figures in music & life as I know it. Your music & message will live on."
Smith added: "I would not be the artist I am if it wasn't for you."
"We are incredibly sad at the passing of our dear friend George Michael. A brilliant artist & great songwriter."
McElderry, who performed Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me with Michael on his way to winning X Factor in 2009, said: "So sad to hear about George Michael!
"I was so lucky to have met him and even luckier to perform with him what a lovely man he was!"
"Absolutely devastated about George Michael."
"Sad to hear the news about George Michael , and so many great singers and songwriters  we lost this year."
"Very sad to hear the news about George Michael. An incredible talent who brought joy to millions of us with his music."
"Sad to hear that George Michael has died. He was an exceptional artist and a strong supporter of LGBT and workers' rights."
"This is just too awful. Such an amazing talent gone too soon. Wham was part of the soundtrack to my teenage years."
"R.I.P. George Michael. You inspired many and your music will live on in the hearts of the community. You will be sorely missed x."
"This is a tough day in a brutal year. but i'm so grateful for what he left us"


Notts County Ladies have signed former Reading and Arsenal midfielder Bianca Bragg ahead of the Spring Series.

Bragg scored five goals in 12 Women's Super League Two games to help Reading earn promotion to the top division in 2015.
The 23-year-old has represented England up to under-23 level.
"She already has a great amount of experience in the WSL which will be a big benefit to this club," manager Rick Passmoor told the club website.


A dissident republican group calling itself the IRA has said it was responsible for the attempted murder of a prison officer in east Belfast.

The 52-year-old officer suffered serious injuries when a bomb exploded under his van on Friday morning.
The group, which is widely referred to as the new IRA, said he was targeted for training officers at Maghaberry Prison near Lisburn in County Antrim.
Three men, aged 34, 41 and 45, and a 34-year-old woman have been arrested.
Police said the device partially exploded when the prison officer, a father of three, drove over a speed ramp in Hillsborough Drive.
He is in a stable condition in hospital.
In a statement to the BBC, the group said he was one of a number of prison officers on a list of "potential targets".
They claimed he was targeted because he was responsible for training prison officers who work in a wing housing dissident republicans at Maghaberry prison.
A spokesman for the group said last week's attack was the result of an ongoing dispute between dissidents and the prison authorities about their treatment in the prison.
Police have not commented on the nature of the device used in the attack, but the group's statement claimed it contained a quantity of Semtex and a commercial detonator.
The same dissident organisation shot dead prison officer David Black as he drove to work at Maghaberry in November 2012.
After Friday's attack, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was deeply concerned that dissident republicans were determined to escalate their activities to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin warned that further attacks in the run up to Easter were "highly likely".
There has been widespread condemnation of Friday's attack, including from Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
The group widely referred to as the New IRA was formed in the summer of 2012, from the amalgamation of a number of dissident republican organisations.
It is the largest dissident group currently active.


The Islamist group Boko Haram has been accused of killing at least 27 people in attacks on two villages in north-east Nigeria, close to where hundreds of schoolgirls were seized.

Gunmen killed 10 people in the village of Shawa and a further 17 in Alagarno, police and witnesses said.
The area is near Chibok, where the schoolgirls were abducted last month.
On Tuesday 118 people died in a double bombing in the central city of Jos, also blamed on Boko Haram.
The abductions of more than 200 girls caused international outrage and prompted foreign powers, including the US, to send military advisers to assist Nigeria's army.
In another development on Wednesday, US President Barack Obama said 80 military personnel had been deployed to neighbouring Chad to help search for the missing girls.
"These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area," Mr Obama said in a letter to Congress.
Many parts of restive north-east Nigeria are no-go zones for the military and insurgents operate freely there, correspondents say.
Analysis by Will Ross, BBC News, Abuja
The big question is where is Nigeria heading? The ferocity, frequency and geographical spread of the attacks is alarming. The military continues to fail to protect civilians in the north-east despite endless promises from the government that additional help is being sent there.
Boko Haram has in the past said it wanted to create an Islamic state. The current bombing campaign is indiscriminate, killing Christians and Muslims. Following most of the devastating attacks in the remote north-east this year, the government has been silent.
These days the president and government officials take less time to condemn, but there is no real sign that the military has the capacity to turn the tide against this brutal campaign of violence. That is terrifying.
The attack on Shawa happened on Monday and that on Alagarno on Tuesday, but were only reported on Wednesday.
Witnesses in Shawa said the gunmen had been on motorcycles. Villagers in Alagarno said the suspected Boko Haram fighters had arrived at night, forcing many residents to flee into the bush.
The militants left the village some four hours later with stolen food and vehicles. One survivor told the BBC that every building had been torched.
In Jos, the search for bodies has been continuing in the rubble left by the twin bombings.
The attacks targeted a crowded market and a hospital, and the second blast went off 30 minutes after the first - killing rescue workers who had rushed to the scene.
"People were using wheelbarrows to move bodies and limbs," eyewitness Janzen Weyi told the BBC.
There has been widespread international condemnation.
US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the bombing, and other recent attacks blamed on Boko Haram, were "unconscionable, terrorist acts".
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague called the attack in Jos a "cowardly, inhumane crime".
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said those who carried out the attacks were "cruel and evil".
The president announced increased measures to tackle the militants, including a multinational force around Lake Chad which comprises a battalion each from Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria.
Nigeria's government has been accused of not doing enough to tackle the Islamist extremists - criticism that has grown since the abduction of the schoolgirls.
Earlier this month, the Nigerian senate unanimously approved a six-month extension of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state. More than 1,000 people have been killed in attacks linked to the group this year alone.


A woman has been arrested after the "sudden death" of a man whose body was found at a house in York.

The man, thought to be aged in his 30s, was found unresponsive by friends on Monkton Road in the Huntington area of the city on Sunday morning.
Police are currently treating his death as unexplained.
The woman, 33, was questioned on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs. She has been released on bail pending further inquiries.


A female taxi driver was dragged from her car and fell unconscious in an attack and robbery by two passengers in West Lothian.

The 60-year-old woman picked up a first man in Lanark at about 22:00 on Saturday then collected his friend.
As they drove towards West Calder, she was threatened with a knife, told to pull over and assaulted.
When she awoke the men had gone and her jewellery was missing. Police are treating it as attempted murder.
The first man was picked up by the blue Peugeot Horizon private hire car on Hyndford Road in Lanark and the second was in Hope Street, opposite Lanark Fire Station.
The woman was forced stopped the taxi on the A704 at the junction for Pateshill Water Treatment.
Both men were described as having Eastern European accents, being of slim build and about 6ft tall.
The first man was wearing a black hooded top, dark trousers and dark gloves. The second wore an army-style khaki hoodie with the hood up.
Det Insp Stevie Bertram, of Livingston CID, said: "This has been an extremely traumatic ordeal for the victim and we're currently treating the attack on her as an attempted murder.
"As part of our investigation, we're urging anyone with information about this incident or the identities of the men to get in touch.
"Likewise, if you may have seen the men in the Lanark or West Calder areas please call us as soon as possible."


An off-duty police officer was among those killed in an attack by a suicide bomber in Manchester Arena.

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 and injured 64 at an Ariana Grande concert on Monday night.
The unnamed officer is from Cheshire Police and her husband is critically ill. Their two children were also hurt.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins did not comment any further "to respect the family's wishes" at a press conference earlier.


A motorist had to be winched to safety by helicopter after his car was swept into a river in Powys.

A helicopter winchman was lowered on to the car before rescuing the man who was clinging on to its side at Meifod. He was not seriously hurt.
Meanwhile, a search has resumed after a woman went missing in the River Usk at Brecon, Powys, on Monday.
Witnesses said they saw the 51-year-old in the water near Usk bridge just after 18:30 GMT.
Dyfed-Powys Police said specially trained mountain rescuers and firefighters were involved in the search on Tuesday along the river banks from Brecon and downstream.
At the incident in Meifod, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said its helicopter winchman was lowered on top of of the vehicle to help the man who was holding on to the downstream side of the car as water poured through a smashed window and open door.
A spokesperson said the helicopter pilot had to carefully lower the winchman between trees and nearby overhead cables to carry out the rescue.
The man was then airlifted to Wrexham Maelor Hospital for treatment at about 19:30 on Monday.
It is believed the man's car was swept off the road and into the water for about 150m (492ft) before being pinned by trees.
Flood warnings remain in place around Wales following the bad weather which continues to affect roads and transport.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service took 50 calls related to floods between 19:00-04:00 overnight.
Early on Tuesday morning, firefighters used a boat and ladder to rescue two people and a dog from a property under 4ft (1.21m) of water near Welshpool (Mid Wales) Airport.
Eight people were rescued from their vehicles in separate incidents by the service's swift water teams.
Dyfed-Powys Police described road conditions overnight as "treacherous" with roads blocked in Powys on the A483 at Welshpool and Four Crosses, A495 Meifod to Llanymynech, and the Builth Wells area.
Check if this is affecting your journey
Cars were left stranded at Builth Wells after the river Wye burst its banks on Monday evening.
The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society tweeted that localised flooding affected some motorists at its winter fair on Monday evening, although that has since gone.
Roads are also affected at Ceredigion and Gwynedd with the A5/A483 at Chirk, Wrexham, also flooded.
Arriva Trains Wales said a replacement bus service was running between Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog due to flooding as well as between Machynlleth and Newton due to flooding between Machynlleth and Caersws.
In south Wales, three roofs were torn off houses in Newport due to high winds.
In Cardiff, Pentyrch Primary School will reopen on Wednesday following "extensive water damage" while there has also been flooding of property in Rhondda Cynon Taff.


Japanese shares finished higher on Friday, recovering some of the losses in the previous session when the market lost nearly 3%.

Investors shrugged off data that showed core consumer prices fell 0.1% in August from a year ago - the first annual drop since April 2013.
The decline in prices, which includes oil products but not fresh food, had been expected by economists.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei index ended up 1.8% at 17,880.51.
Shares in Sharp fell as much as 10% after the Nikkei business daily said it was likely to report a half-year loss of 30bn yen ($250m; Â£163m) as a result of weak sales of LCD panels for smartphones.
On the currency markets, the US dollar rose in Asian trade after the head of US Federal Reserve Janet Yellen said the central bank was still on track to raise interest rates later this year.
The dollar was up to 120.32 yen from around 120.00 yen before her speech.
In China, investors continued to digest the mixed news coming out of the economy this week.
A preliminary reading of China's factory activity fell to the weakest level since 2009, but home prices rose for the fourth month, indicating growth.
The Shanghai Composite closed down 1.6% at 3,092.35, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.4%  to 21,186.32.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.6% at 5,042.10.
South Korean shares fell despite a central bank survey showing consumer sentiment had hit a four-month high in September.
The benchmark Kospi finished down 0.2% at 1,942.85.


Senior BBC political analyst Peter Barnes examines the latest poll trends.

Polls displayed are the latest added, and the date displayed is last day of fieldwork. Read the full methodology
App users: tap here to see the poll tracker.
A final set of polls continues to give an unclear picture of the referendum outcome.
The gap between internet and telephone polls, which has been a feature throughout the campaign, still seems to be present.
Three online polls and one telephone poll have been released today.
Online polls by Opinium, TNS and YouGov are close to a dead heat. The single phone poll by ComRes gives Remain a modest lead.
Opinium and TNS put Leave ahead by very narrow margins: one point and two points respectively. YouGov also has the result practically neck and neck.
In their full data table they have both Leave and Remain on 45% with 2% responding that they will not vote and 8% saying "don't know".
However, when they weight the results for expected turnout and apply a "squeeze question" - asking people who are unsure which way they think they will end up voting - they reach headline figures of 49% for Leave and 51% for Remain.
ComRes's telephone poll has Remain six points in the lead.
An Ipsos Mori poll is expected on Thursday and a YouGov "on the day" poll will be released on the stroke of 22:00 BST as polls close.
The BBC's election guidelines state that no poll can be reported during polling hours, so this will be the final update to our poll tracker.
Don't expect an exit poll Thursday night, by the way.
Exit polls are based on analysis of previous elections, and the last UK referendum in 1975 is simply too long ago for a valid comparison to be made.
The only voting intention that matters now is that of some 46.5 million voters.
A series of of new referendum polls released on Saturday evening suggest that the result still hangs in the balance.
Online polls by Opinium and YouGov suggest the two sides are neck and neck.
Opinium for the Observer has both remain and leave on 44%.
YouGov has published two polls. For the Sunday Times it has Remain one point up; for ITV it has Leave two up.
Survation has published the only telephone poll of the evening for the Mail on Sunday. It has Remain up by three points.
It's difficult to say with any confidence whether these new polls represent a significant change.
But perhaps they suggest that the momentum enjoyed by Leave over the last couple of weeks has, for the time being at least, stalled.
ComRes has also published an interesting poll for the Independent and Sunday People, although not with referendum voting intention figures.
It asked people about the emotions they would feel depending on the referendum outcome.
Significantly more people said they'd be delighted if Leave wins (44%) than if Remain wins (28%).
A Leave victory would also disappoint fewer people.
However, it would also make more people anxious.
Some 41% of people said a Leave victory would cause them anxiety compared to 33% for a Remain victory.
Two more polls published today confirm the trend of a significant shift to leave.
And they're particularly striking because they're both telephone polls conducted by companies who have previously had remain ahead - sometimes with substantial leads.
Ipsos MORI now give leave a 6 point lead. Survation have them 3 points ahead.
Two further polls - one internet, one telephone - are expected overnight tonight.
New polls were published on Tuesday from TNS and ComRes. Both followed the pattern we've seen in other recent poll of a marked shift to Leave.
In TNS's online poll that gave Leave a 7 point lead. For ComRes, who conduct fieldwork by phone, Remain were in the lead, but only by 1 point compared with 11 points last month.
So the long-established gap between phone and internet polls still seems to be in place - with the exception of ICM - but for both methods the centre of gravity has shifted to Leave.
After weeks of uncertainty about whether the polls were moving one way or another there now seems to be a clear picture: there has been a shift to leave.
Four polls were published yesterday evening: two by ICM for the Guardian, one by YouGov for the Times, and one by ORB for the Daily Telegraph.
All of the pollsters are showing leave in a stronger position than they were a fortnight ago. And both of ICM's polls - phone and internet - now have leave ahead by 5 points. In the YouGov poll the lead is 7 points.
The ORB figures in the referendum tracker are their 'turnout weighted' ones. They show remain ahead but by a narrower margin than they have found in recent phone polls.
Before leave campaigners get ahead of themselves, though, they might want to wait until further polls are released by some of the other companies.
Phone polls from Ipsos MORI, ComRes and Survation are all anticipated. They've all tended to show remain in a stronger position than ICM or YouGov.
That said, Ipsos MORI have already announced that they'll be making a change to their methodology to take educational background into effect, which they say would have reduced the lead for remain in their last poll.
It would be surprising if the shift to leave wasn't reflected in the next set of polls from these three.
But we'll have to wait and see whether it's enough to put leave ahead.
With less than two weeks to go, interest in referendum polls is reaching a climax. So it's perhaps surprising that there have been very few published in the last week.
There are two polls in the Sunday papers - both online - which continue to show a very close race, as most online polls have done for months. YouGov in the Sunday Times has leave one point in the lead. Opinium in the Observer has remain two points up.
On Friday night there was one other poll which reported a clear lead for leave. The ORB/Independent online poll put leave on 55% and remain on 45% in its "turnout weighted" figures.
Like previous ORB online polls, it doesn't appear in the BBC poll tracker because it doesn't allow a "don't know" option. Up to now, they've generally been in line with other online polls, with the two sides neck and neck.
In the coming days more polls are anticipated, including some telephone polls. So perhaps we might get a clearer picture.
There have been numerous reports in recent days about pro-remain Labour MPs worrying that their supporters are switching to leave.
A lot of this is supposedly based on their reception on the doorstep when they're out canvassing.
Looking at the polls, though, it's hard to find much evidence for it.
Pollsters always publish a demographic breakdown of how different groups have responded to their polls. You have to be even more cautious with these than with the headline numbers. But looking at a large number of polls, clear trends emerge.
In the referendum, one trend is that Labour voters say they back remain over leave in a ratio of approximately 2:1.
That's only budged very slightly over the course of the campaign.
Friday's ORB poll suggested a different picture, but it still had a clear majority of Labour supporters for remain. And the other weekend polls had Labour voters supporting remain by a little over the 2:1 ratio.
So if a lot of Labour voters have switched to leave, the polls aren't really picking it up.
But they do suggest that the Labour Party, whose MPs overwhelmingly support remain, has not convinced a substantial portion of its supporters.
Two weeks ago some people thought they'd identified a decisive shift in the polls towards remain. That now looks wide of the mark.
Most of the polls over the last fortnight have shown leave with a small lead. And many of the pollsters have reported a swing away from remain.
We've also had a rare telephone poll with leave in the lead - only the third such poll since the question was fixed last September. (ICM 27-29 May)
Can we say then that leave is now definitely on course to win? It's still probably too early to say.
For one thing, we've had very few phone polls recently and, with the exception of the ICM poll, they've still tended to show remain ahead, albeit by smaller margins than previously.
Secondly, some people have suggested that there could be a 'bank holiday effect' or 'half term effect'.
With a lot of people away for the half term it might have been even more difficult than usual for pollsters to find samples who represent the country as a whole.
The evidence on that is pretty patchy. There are some cases of polls conducted over holidays producing what later look like skewed results.
But in other cases it doesn't seem to make any difference.
One area of referendum polling which has shown a pretty clear trend over a long period of time is about turnout.
The number of people who say they are certain to vote, or who rate their likelihood of voting at 10 out of 10, has increased.
It's notoriously difficult to estimate turnout from polls because, as a group, the people who take part almost always over-estimate how likely they are to vote.
But there has been a marked increase in people saying they will vote, and that could point to a high turnout.
Ipsos Mori's latest poll gave remain a 55-37 lead, with 8% saying they were undecided or wouldn't vote. That's the biggest gap between the two sides we've seen since February.
On the other hand, ICM's online poll showed a 47-44 lead for leave, with 9% saying don't know.
Some observers argue that betting odds provide a better clue to the outcome of elections and referendums than opinion polls.
At last year's general election, for example, the bookmakers' odds suggested that the Conservatives would do better than the polls indicated. And they did.
If that's true then Remain looks the most likely result.
The referendum is expected to be the biggest ever political betting event in the UK. Millions of pounds have already been gambled on the outcome.
Last week several bookmakers cut their odds for a vote to remain to 1/6. That means people would have to risk £6 for a potential profit of £1.
Ladbrokes reported that there were lots of people prepared to back Remain despite the short odds.
Most bookmakers have the odds for leave at 7/2. A £2 stake would return a profit of £7.
Perhaps an easier way to track the bookmakers' odds over time is to look at what they imply about the chances are of each side winning. If both sides were at evens they'd both have an implied probability of 50%.
On the Betfair betting exchange, the probability they suggest of a remain vote has risen from about 65% a month ago to nearly 80% now.
Another market that's very sensitive to news about the referendum is the currency market.
After the publication of the Ipsos Mori poll last week, with its large lead for remain, the value of the pound jumped by almost two cents against both the US dollar and the euro.
That's because many currency traders expect that the uncertainty caused by a vote for Brexit would lead to a sharp drop in the value of sterling - at least in the short term.
We're always told not to pay too much attention to individual polls but clearly some traders think there's been a decisive shift.
There's a consistent pattern: in telephone polls remain tends to be in the lead; in internet polls the two sides are neck and neck.
The discrepancy between the two types of poll has narrowed in the last few months.
The lead for remain in phone polls is now about 8-12% when people who respond "don't know" are eliminated, down from about 20% last year. Internet polls have been suggesting a virtual dead heat for months.
There's been a lot of discussion about why the two types of poll are different and which is more accurate.
One theory is that the internet polls get more "don't know" or "undecided" responses because they offer it as an option on the screen. In phone polls, "don't know" is not usually offered as an option although respondents can choose not to back either side.
The theory is that more people who say "don't know" in internet polls are likely to vote remain than leave when push comes to shove.
Martin Boon at ICM has suggested that the samples in phone polls may contain too many Labour voters, as they did at the general election, and that the samples in internet polls may contain too many UKIP voters.
That would skew the phone polls in remain's favour - Labour voters tend to break for remain by at least two to one - and skew the internet polls in favour of leave, suggesting that the true balance of opinion is somewhere in between.
My colleague Chris Cook has looked at this issue in more depth.
Pollsters have also reported some interesting results beyond straightforward voting intention.
Several have asked people which issue would be most important in their decision about how to vote.
ICM found that 45% of people said that immigration into the UK was the most important, followed by the impact on the UK's economy on 36%. (Sample: 2,029, 27-29 April)
Similar polls by ComRes and Ipsos MORI have put the same two issues at the top of the list but in reverse order.
Interestingly, the division between internet and telephone polls is noticeable here too: ICM's poll was conducted by internet, the other two by phone.
Referendum a turn-off?
ComRes also asked whether people were bored by the referendum. Sixty-three percent said they weren't, which is probably a good thing because there are still many weeks to go.
I wonder how many will be bored by the end?