Levels of beneficial omega-3 oils in farmed salmon have fallen significantly in the past five years, a study shows.

BBC News has learned that, on average, levels of omega-3s halved in the fish over that period.
Despite this, the analysis shows that farmed salmon is still one of the richest sources of these fatty acids.
But the industry is exploring new ways to arrest the decline - which appears to be due to the type of feed given to the farmed fish.
The study was carried out by researchers at Stirling University. Prof Douglas Tocher, who led the research, told BBC News: "About five years ago, a portion of Atlantic salmon of 130g was able to deliver three-and-a-half grams of beneficial omega-3. This is actually our weekly recommended intake. Now, the level of omega-3 has halved," he said.
"Therefore, instead of eating one portion of farmed salmon, we would need to eat two portions of farmed salmon," he explained.
Omega-3 fatty acids play vital roles in many fundamental processes in the body.
Prof Tocher stressed that farmed salmon was still one of the richest sources of beneficial fish oils and he urged people who buy farmed salmon for its potential health benefits to continue doing so.
"Farmed salmon is just about the best way of getting omega-3 in our diet. All the other fish are much lower than mid-Atlantic salmon, including wild salmon," he said.
But Prof Tocher told BBC News that he was concerned about what could happen to omega-3 levels in a few years' time.
"If nothing was done, the level of the beneficial omega-3 can only really go down," he explained.
Prof Tocher's colleague Dr Matthew Sprague said that the government should consider changing its advice to consumers.
"At the moment, they are advising to eat two portions of fish per week - one of which should be oily. But the advice of one portion of oily fish really should now be two portions at least," he said.
In response to the results Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: "ultimately we all need to eat more oily fish; on average adults only consume 54g of oily fish per week when official advice is to eat at least 140. Our independent experts keep abreast of the evidence base to ensure advice remains up to date."
Omega-3 levels in farmed salmon have dropped because of the industry's success.
The farmed salmon get their omega-3s from smaller oily fish such as anchovies, which have been ground up and added to their feed.
The more oily fish that goes into the feed, the more omega-3 the salmon contains. Not long ago, 80% of the feed was made up from oily fish. Now, it's more like 20%.
The decline is a result of the industry having to cut back on the amount of anchovies it uses in feed because, previously, it was recognised that far too many anchovies were being caught for fish food.
There has also been a growing demand for farmed salmon across the world. According to Dr Paul Morris, of Marine Harvest, one of the world's largest producers of farmed salmon, a much reduced supply of fish oil for feed has had to be spread ever thinner.
"We have a fixed amount of fish oil, and we are making sure that we are using that as efficiently as possible. That won't get us further than a certain amount of the way, so ultimately we will have to look at other sources of (beneficial) omega-3," he said.
The main sources of omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish such as herring, kippers, mackerel, pilchards, sardines and trout.
It can also be found in:
Farmed salmon have had very high levels of omega-3 in the past because of the easy availability of fish oil and fish meal. That has given the industry a breathing space in order to find a solution, according to Dr Morris.
"Farmed salmon will continue to be a really good source of omega-3 in the future even if we reduce the amount compared with today. (But it will be) five to 10 years before we really run into an issue and we need solutions on the table before then."
One solution the industry is looking at is to produce fish oils using marine algae, which is how it is produced in the sea. But it is currently uneconomic to reproduce this process in factories.
Another possibility is to grow oil seed rape plants that have been genetically modified to produce fish oils.
Prof Jonathan Napier of Rothamsted Research in Harpenden has grown these plants in the UK's only field trials of GM crops. He believes that his GM plants could provide the industry with an economic solution.
"You could grow this crop on a thousand acres, or 10,000 acres or a million acres. So, basically, the production of omega-3 fish oils is no longer limited by the amount of fish you can catch from the ocean," he said.
"It is going to be helped by what we can produce by agriculture. We think this is a great potential solution to help fish farming become more sustainable and continue to grow as an industry."
But the industry won't introduce feed produced by GM technology unless consumers accept it. They do in the US and in Asia - but not in Europe.
According to Steve Bracken, who is the business development manager for Marine Harvest, consumers in Europe will face a choice.
"You have to take a very long-term view of this because you are talking about nine billion people on the planet by 2050 so we have to be producing more from the sea," he explained.
"Agriculture is being stretched so farming from the sea is what it's all about - that's the future".
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The owners of a new Bradford rugby league club will need to financially support the side for three years, says the Rugby Football League.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Bradford Bulls were liquidated on Tuesday after administrators were unable to find a suitable buyer.
The governing body has received 10 expressions of interest and has set a deadline of Monday, 9 January.
Bidders are more likely to succeed if they promise to honour season tickets and rugby league debts, says the RFL.
The RFL Board, which is independent, will make a final decision within a couple of weeks. If an agreement is reached, the new side would play their first competitive game against Hull KR on Sunday, 5 February.
The new club would also start with a 12-point deduction. Central funding in the first year would also be limited to £150,000, the lowest of any Championship side.
A document sent by the RFL to all interested parties says that directors and shareholders of any new club would be held personally liable if it fails.
Potential new owners would have to provide proof of funds and show relevant experience of running a club before they are considered, as well passing a fit and proper persons test.
The RFL has also asked for information on potential player recruitment plans and the development of the academy.


Matty Bowen is free to play for Wigan in the World Club Challenge after escaping punishment for a high hit in the defeat by Huddersfield Giants.

The 31-year-old was placed on report by referee Richard Silverwood after catching Giants full-back Scott Grix late during the 24-8 loss on Friday.
But the Rugby Football League's review panel judged that the initial contact was with Grix's shoulder.
Bowen can now face Sydney Roosters in Sydney on Saturday, 22 February.
The former Australia international was making his Super League debut for the Warriors following his winter move from NRL side North Queensland Cowboys.
Champions Wigan have taken a squad of 27 players down under and will begin their preparations for the World Club Challenge with a warm-up fixture against New Zealand Warriors on Wednesday.


If someone told you they were taking pigs for a walk in the Brecon Beacons, you might think they were telling porkies.

But Good Day Out, in Heol Senni, Powys, gives people the chance to go for a stroll with Kunekune pigs Babz, Holly, Hazel and Willow.
Helena Barnard, who runs the walks with Julia Blazer, began after she adopted two pigs and walked them with family.
"It's really about getting people closer to nature," she said.
They are Kunekune pigs - a New Zealand breed whose name means "fat and round" in Maori.
Mrs Barnard and Ms Blazer needed to get a Defra-approved licence and have a vet inspect the routes in order to get the go-ahead.
The pigs are not on a leash and wander alongside people, motivated in no small part, by the promise of food.
Mrs Barnard was a nurse and a sergeant for Bedfordshire Police and then Dyfed-Powys Police before making the switch to pottering about with pigs and she juggles it with her work as a dance teacher.
The duo stared doing the walks in summer 2016 after Mrs Barnard adopted two pigs.
She said: "Julia said to me 'if you like walking pigs, then I'm sure other people would do as well'.
"There's a thing about walking pigs that's very calming because they walk slowly and happily just jog along with you.
"They are very, very social animals and they love human contact."


The skeleton of a Neolithic woman is being officially unveiled to mark her return to Conwy county about 5,500 years after her death.

"Blodwen" was found on Llandudno's Little Orme in 1891 and ended up in Lancashire near the home of the quarry owner who found her.
A long campaign to see her returned has come to fruition with funds raised to open a dedicated exhibit space.
Llandudno Museum is hosting a special exhibition starting from Thursday.
Research of the bones suggest Blodwen, who died after falling down into a vertical fissure in the rocks, was aged between 54 and 63.


A man has died in a fire in a Leicester bungalow.

Fire crews and ambulances were called to Samson Road in the New Parks area just after 09:30 BST where the fire was found to be in the lounge.
The 65-year-old resident was carried out of the house and despite treatment, was declared dead at the scene.
Police said preliminary investigations had shown the fire was not suspicious and a file had been handed over to the coroner.


The late summer might seem like a strange time to write and record a Christmas number one but that is exactly what happened on a Kintyre farm 40 years ago this month.

The song in question was Paul McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre", co-written with Denny Laine and featuring the local Campbeltown Pipe Band.
For a number of years it was the biggest-selling single of all time, and was the first UK single to sell more than two million copies.
Co-writer Laine had joined McCartney's group Wings in 1971, having previously enjoyed chart success with The Moody Blues, and over the next decade they wrote a number of songs together.
One morning at breakfast while staying at the former Beatle's High Park Farm on the Kintyre peninsula, McCartney played Laine the chorus of a new song.
Mull of Kintyre
Oh mist rolling in from the sea,
My desire is always to be here
Oh mull of Kintyre
He said: "Paul said he was having a go at writing a Scottish song but wasn't sure how people would feel about it, an Englishman singing a Scottish song."
The next day armed with a bottle of whisky the pair sat on the steps of a cottage in the afternoon sun and wrote the verses.
"We just looked around at all the hillsides and the glens and everything and just wrote the words and the rest of the song that afternoon," Laine said.
But it became more than just another song when McCartney roped in the local pipe band.
In a video on his website McCartney explained how he got the late Tony Wilson, the leader of Campbeltown Pipe Band, on board.
McCartney said: "I said: 'Hey, I've written a song and I'd like you to help me record it with the pipe band'. He said: 'Aye, very good, very good'."
But for the world's most famous Liverpudlian and an ex-Moody Blue from Birmingham it was soon apparent that there was a rather steep learning curve to work out how to incorporate a Scottish pipe band into a rock band.
The song had been written and recorded in the key of A, but pipes can only play in B flat or E flat.
"I don't remember how we did it, whether we slowed it down or sped it up," says Laine.
"But we got the key the same as the pipers' B flat.
"Then we had to transpose one section to E flat when they came in for the second part of the song which was great because it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
"It gave it that boost, a change of key when they came in, and I think that was the selling point really."
The pipes were recorded outside in the open air and Laine thinks that gave it a special sound that couldn't have been found in a studio.
Meanwhile, McCartney had promised the thirsty pipers a drink or two but was wary about unleashing the booze before they had the definitive take.
McCartney said: "I said we won't drink before the session because it could go horribly wrong. We'll break out the drinks when we've got the take."
But once the recording was in the can the party could begin.
"We were all having a celebratory drink and they were all standing round and beaming," said McCartney.
"They'd never been in a recording studio before so they're all loving hearing the whole track coming out of the speakers."
Pipe Band leader Tony Wilson died in 1994 but among the pipers listening back in the control room that night was a young Ian McKerral, now the main piping instructor for schools across Kintyre.
In his home overlooking Campbeltown bay a picture of the pipe band with the McCartney, his late wife Linda and Denny Laine has pride of place.
"We did a ten to fifteen minute tune up and then just went for it," he said.
"McCartney came out and said that's it boys. We just couldn't believe it. Everybody was just buzzing, it was just a great atmosphere."
And outside his house overlooking Campbeltown bay Ian was more than happy to relive the moment as a duo with John Lang Brown, another piper who played on that session as a star struck 16-year-old.
He remembers listening back that night 40 years ago.
"To be honest I thought that's not us. It sounded so good with everything, the guitars, the bass, the drums. The whole lot put together was an amazing sound. I couldn't believe it. I still don't believe it!"
The rest, as they say, is history.
Mull of Kintyre spent nine weeks at number one over Christmas 1977 and for years it remained the biggest selling single of all time.
Not bad for a song written and recorded on a Kintyre farm by a Brummie and a Scouser and featuring the local pipe band.


Two police forces which published witness names online in the case of one of Britain's youngest whole life term killers, will not be prosecuted.

West Mercia and Warwickshire Police admitted putting the names of two women online in a document viewed 197 times.
The error related to the case against Jamie Reynolds, jailed at 23 for murdering Georgia Williams in 2013.
Judge Jonathan Gosling said the mistake was "careless in the extreme" but not intentional.
Chief Constable David Shaw said the witnesses were named by "human error" and apologised to the women.
After the hearing at Stafford Crown Court one of the women said they "could have been put in a life-threatening situation".
More on this and other Shropshire stories
Judge Gosling said the two witnesses had "suffered seriously" but it was not deliberate contempt of court.
The two forces had put online an independent review by Devon & Cornwall Police which was viewable for 11 days, the court heard.
Judge Gosling said: "The court cannot lawfully impose punishment for the breach unless those responsible are shown to have breached the order with the intention of interfering with the administration of justice."
Georgia Williams' mother Lynnette said: "I can't believe they aren't going to be punished just because they didn't do it on purpose.
"It's complete incompetence again."
One of the victims who cannot be named, said: "I feel let down again for the second time.
"I could have been in a life-threatening situation and we could have been exposed by their incompetence in printing our names."
During his trial, the court heard Reynolds harboured a fascination for strangulation from at least the age of 15.
A psychiatric assessment found he "had the potential to progress to become a serial killer".
During his sentencing, the court heard Reynolds tricked Georgia into going to his house for a photoshoot involving a simulated hanging. He later admitted killing her.
Reynolds, who was 22 at the time of the murder, became one of the youngest in British criminal history to be sentenced to a whole life term in prison.


Matt LeBlanc is "the captain Top Gear truly needs going forward", his former co-host Chris Evans has said.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Radio 2 presenter Evans said he had tried his best at the helm of the motoring show, but it "was not meant to be".
Friends star LeBlanc was "the man" and a "total mensch", Evans said, contrary to reports the pair's relationship broke down during filming.
Evans announced he was stepping down from the BBC Two show after one series.
His resignation came after falling ratings for the show - which hit a series low on its last episode, with an average of 1.9 million viewers.
Chris Evans's resignation - who's next?
Top Gear: Timeline 2015 - 2016
Chris Evans resignation reaction
In February, a BBC boss denied reports in the press that Evans's behaviour during filming had been unprofessional, calling them "rubbish".
Suggestions that Evans had not supported the signing of LeBlanc were "simply not true" and the team was "tight-knit", acting director of BBC Television Mark Linsey added.
Evans said working on Top Gear had been an "honour, privilege and a pleasure", but he had been "a square peg in a round hole".
However, the series had showed LeBlanc and Top Gear "were made for each other", he said.
"For me, he is the man. He is the captain Top Gear truly needs going forward, the perfect torso for the rest of TG's limbs," he wrote.
"Not only does he eat, sleep, breathe and dream engines, propshafts and trail-braking, but the overwhelming quality that struck me about him is that he's just such a pro.
"The whole time I worked with him, he never once looked at the clock, was never late on set, knew his lines inside out and back to front and, most importantly on such an intense production, he always had time for everyone, especially the crew."
Evans said working on the programme for a year had been a "dream" and "the Top Gear ship has been steadily refloated" following the departure of former presenting team Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.
He also paid tribute to the production team for their work on bringing the popular programme back on screen.
"The Top Gear gang are the most driven (forgive the pun) and dedicated I have ever worked with," he said.
"There is nothing those guys won't do to make every second of on-air content shine to its maximum potential."
The BBC said it had no plans to replace Evans when Top Gear returns for a 24th season.
Clarkson, Hammond and May's new venture with Amazon, the Grand Tour, is expected to be released in the autumn.


After finishing at record highs on Friday, the three major US markets fell on Monday, recording their worst performance for almost a month.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 54.24 points, or 0.3%, to 19,097.90.
The broader S&P 500 index dipped 11.63 points to 2201.72, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq index fell 30.11 points to 5,368.81.
Shares in Time Inc jumped almost 16% after the New York Post reported it had rejected a takeover bid.
The newspaper said billionaire investor Edgar Bronfman Jr. had offered $18 a share for the publisher, valuing it at about $1.8bn.
Energy stocks gained as the oil price rose in volatile trade. Southwestern Energy shares rose 1.5%.


Star apprentice jockey Sammy-Jo Bell has a striking amount in common with AP McCoy.

Realistically, Bell, 24, is unlikely to achieve a career total of more than 4,300 winning mounts, but just like the champion jump jockey, her roots are proudly held in Northern Ireland, and her racing life also began under the watchful eye of Irish trainer Jim Bolger.
Plus, confusion over first names applies to both.
While McCoy has been Tony and Anthony as well as his preferred AP, the leading female in the flat jockeys' championship appears on racecards as Samantha, but answers to Sammy-Jo.
And that name has certainly been ringing around flat racing's northern circuit - and beyond - amongst an ever-growing band of admirers, which would appear to include the recently-retired McCoy himself.
"I was nominated for a sportswoman of the month award in which the public can vote," she said, "and I nearly fell off my horse when I saw a tweet from AP on Twitter encouraging people to support me.
"He's just an amazing man, so focused, and such a good role model for me and so many other people in racing. It was a real thrill that he'd thought of me."
Though missing out on both that honour - to Team GB hockey goalkeeper Maddie Hinch - and on being named Stobart Jockey of the Month for June, when Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori were her only opponents, she's certainly been making a big noise.
Based with the prolific string of trainer Richard Fahey, located in the Malton racing centre, North Yorkshire, Bell chalked up an impressive 11 successes during June and, midway through the year, has more than doubled her combined winning totals for the two previous seasons.
It's hard not to have noticed how much more honed she looks during races, and stronger in the saddle, displaying what was described to me by one fan as a much greater 'killer instinct'.
Fahey, meanwhile, the provider of most - but not all - of her mounts, has also been impressed with her grasp of the form book, ability to unravel how races are likely to pan out, and then to pass on feedback.
All in all, the five-foot-tall daughter of point-to-point rider Jacqueline McCullough is living the life she's been dreaming about since enjoying a "perfect childhood" in the countryside close to Ballyclare, County Antrim.
Had she been asked at school to write an essay about her ideal early adult life, she believes it would have included details very similar to those actually happening today.
That reality is, of course, unfolding in the supposed 'man's world' of British horseracing where female jockeys, with honourable exceptions, have generally not managed to break down prevailing prejudices against their sex.
Three-time Group One race winner Hayley Turner and 2012 champion apprentice Amy Ryan - along with Nina Carberry, Katie Walsh and Lizzie Kelly over jumps - are among those to have enjoyed headline-grabbing success in recent seasons, but, on the whole, it's been a struggle.
As we chatted at Pontefract races - where Bell was lining up in one race having already ridden out eight of Fahey's horses on the gallops - she considered the age-old question of women in racing.
"I think really that if you are good enough you will probably get the rides, that's the long and short of it," she said. "I've got more rides this year because I've improved so maybe I didn't deserve many more rides before.
"I think if you're as good as everybody else, there's no problem with whether you're a girl or a boy.
"Probably girls will never be as strong as boys, but sometimes strength isn't really everything; there's putting your horse in the right place in the race and things like that.
"Maybe we take a little bit longer to get strong. I'm 24 now, and when I was 18 I didn't ride like this, so I've had to wait to get my chances."
And Bell believes there's no reason why a female jockey in Britain shouldn't reach the very top, like Julie Krone in the US or Emma-Jayne Wilson in Canada, not least because of the numbers that are choosing racing as a career.
"I suppose initially it was a man's world, but now, especially with the stable staff and stuff like that, there's probably more girls than boys working in racing," she explained.
"There's definitely more than one girl riding every day, there's always a few of us here and there. Anything's possible in the future."
For the present, life revolves around a mixture of riding horses, watching friends ride theirs and talking about each other's experiences while socialising.
Having reached her 20-win target for the year by midsummer, new ambitions centre on a tussle with fellow jockey Cam Hardie at the head of the apprentices' table, and the hope of remaining the championship season's top female rider.
Her mother Jacqueline, meanwhile, has been telling the daughter who's so enjoying life in racing's fast lane to slow down, not, it has to be said, in the saddle but behind the wheel.
The rush gained from a recent winning afternoon at Hamilton didn't vanish on leaving the Scottish track, and a flash from a speed camera on the way home added three penalty points to her licence.
Sammy-Jo Bell is definitely a woman in a hurry.


An international team of scientists has made the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves.

This historic discovery not only confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity in its centenary year, but marks the birth of a whole new way to study the Universe.
Gravitational waves are ripples in the very fabric of the Universe.
They are produced by violent events out in the cosmos and are detected by sensing tiny local changes in the direction and strength of gravity here on the surface of the Earth.
This discovery is groundbreaking - for a number of reasons.
The gravitational wave detected has a fabulously precise signature - matching two black holes, which are each tens of times more massive than our Sun - spiralling into collide and merge.
It's the first time we've ever directly detected a pair of such black holes, and it's the first time we've seen the merger of black holes.
Until now these events were predicted but never before observed.
Perhaps most excitingly, this detection is our first direct message from the "dark" Universe. It has come from an event that might not give out light of any wavelength - one detectable only through changes in the gravitational field.
For decades after Einstein's 1916 prediction, gravitational waves were treated as a mathematical curiosity.
Only in the 1960s did the realisation come that they could be real, and the hunt for these elusive signals started in earnest.
Why did it take five decades and the intensive work of many hundreds of scientists around the world to find them?
Well, gravity is really very weak - the weakest of the forces that control our Universe.
So to detect these signals here on Earth requires instruments that are exquisitely sensitive to the tiniest changes in gravity and building them has been no mean feat.
Gravitational wave detectors use a technique called laser interferometry.
A laser is beamed down km-scale pipes, arranged in an "L" shape to very precisely monitor the distance between mirrors at each end.
According to Einstein's theory, the distance between the mirrors will change when a gravitational wave passes by the detector.
The tricky part is that a gravitational wave changes the lengths of the arms by a tiny amount - about one-ten-thousandth the diameter of a proton.
Being able to achieve this required technology that didn't even exist 50 years ago - it had to be invented along the way.
The current peak of technological achievement is embodied in the two Advanced LIGO detectors at sites in Louisiana State and Washington State in the US.
This is a major international project involving a consortium - the LIGO Scientific Collaboration - of nearly 1,000 scientists from countries around the world.
The UK, along with Germany, are partners in Advanced LIGO, with some of the key technology essential for this detection having been pioneered in the UK-German 'GEO' collaboration.
In particular, seismic motion of the surface of the Earth would naturally disturb the mirrors much more than any gravitational wave.
Sophisticated pendulums to hold the mirrors were developed at the University of Glasgow to combat this.
In these systems the mirrors hang from ultra-pure glass fibres just a few times thicker than a human hair.
This both filters out seismic noise and reduces noise from the very atoms of the mirrors vibrating, leaving the mirrors almost motionless and ready to respond to the gravitational echoes of colliding black holes, coming to us from more than a billion light-years away.
We also need to know what shape of signals to search for, and UK researchers in Cardiff have pioneered models to predict this, whilst scientists in Birmingham have studied how best to interpret the signals and understand what they tell us about the cosmic events producing them. All part of a global partnership.
Most exciting is that this is just the start. More discoveries lie ahead - perhaps of colliding neutron stars - with rich new information about dense stellar interiors.
More sensitive detectors will expand our horizons towards the era of the early Universe, letting us map its gravitational history reaching back towards the Big Bang - further than ever before.
Future gravitational detectors in space - for which the recent LISA Pathfinder mission paves the way - should see supermassive black hole collisions of phenomenal energy.
Every time in history a new telescope has turned on it has found signals that were completely unexpected; perhaps that's the most exciting prospect of all.


A UKIP MEP who launched a personal attack on Nigel Farage in the aftermath of the election has stood down from his frontbench role in the party.

Patrick O'Flynn has stepped down as economics spokesman and apologised to Mr Farage for calling him "snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive".
The comments triggered a bout of bitter infighting within UKIP.
Another leading figure, Suzanne Evans, has said she is no longer UKIP's policy chief because her contract is ending.
Ms Evans, who has been tipped as a possible successor to Mr Farage, was a key figure in writing UKIP's election manifesto. She said she would remain in the unpaid role of deputy chairman.
Mr Farage, who has accepted Mr O'Flynn's apology, has insisted he has the overwhelming support of the party to stay on as leader in the aftermath of a fierce post-election row about the campaign and the party's future direction.
Mr O'Flynn, a former Daily Express political journalist who was UKIP's chief spokesman during the campaign, provoked the row after telling The Times Mr Farage risked turning the party - which won only one seat despite getting four million votes - into a "personality cult" and an "absolutist monarchy".
The comments highlighted a divide within UKIP over Mr Farage's decision to remain as party leader following his failure to get elected as an MP in Thanet South.
The UKIP leader said before the election that he would quit if he failed to make it to Westminster but changed his mind after the party's ruling body urged him to stay, claiming the election had been a big success for the party.
In his resignation statement, Mr O'Flynn said: "I would like to express to colleagues my sincere regret at going public with my frustrations about the turn of events following polling day."
The MEP for the East of England said his comments about Mr Farage had been a "fragment of wider passage" but added: "I should have known better than anyone what use would be made of phrases that were both unfair and unkind."
Mr O'Flynn added that he wanted to spend the coming months helping UKIP's campaign for the UK to quit the EU.
In response, Mr Farage told the BBC that he had "drawn a line" under the episode and suggested the party had "never been more united". Mr Farage said he had been "appalled" by the remarks but it took a "big man" to apologise and the row was now over.
"I was initially appalled," he said. "I couldn't believe it. We had a conversation this morning and as we spoke the tone got gentler. I understood he made a bad mistake, he understood he made a bad mistake and we move on from here.
"Bad things have been said but we now have drawn a line on this and it's all behind us.
"I think UKIP has never been more united around me."
By Political Correspondent Robin Brant
Patrick O'Flynn has gone.
His departure from UKIP's top team was inevitable. You can't attack Nigel Farage in such a personal way, via the front page of the Times, and expect to stay in post.
But note his statement offered "sincere regret at going public with my frustrations". Going public, not having the frustrations in the first place.
I understand Mr O'Flynn thought long and hard about making his intervention last week. It wasn't an off the cuff moment.
His contrition is genuine but I don't think he has changed his mind.
Some senior figures think his departure is bad for the party. Deputy Chairman Suzanne Evans - a prominent figure during the election campaign - said she is "very sorry indeed' to see him go. A senior party figure also told me: "I cant think who else could take his place and do such a good job."
Mr Farage has insisted he has the backing of nearly everyone in the party to stay on as leader in the run-up to the referendum on the UK's future in the EU, due to take place by the end of 2017.
Senior figures such as the party's MP Douglas Carswell, deputy leader Paul Nuttall and MEP Steven Woolfe have backed him but urged him to take a "short break" from politics over the summer.
Ms Evans said she was sorry about Mr O'Flynn's decision to stand down, describing him as one of the party's "hardest-working MPs".
The two were UKIP's chief spokespeople during the campaign, hosting the party's daily media briefings.
Hours later, Ms Evans clarified her own future as policy chief - a role she took on in January. "It has been a great privilege to work with UKIP for the past four months to produce the 2015 general election manifesto," she said.
"I was delighted with the way it was received, especially by party members and supporters. While my contract for that work comes to an end next week, I remain in my voluntary post as deputy chairman."


Home Secretary Amber Rudd has insisted the UK wants to maintain a "deep and special partnership" with the EU after Brexit.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that Europe now had to "fight for its own destiny".
She said the EU could no longer "completely depend" on the US and UK following the election of President Trump and Brexit.
But Ms Rudd said the UK wanted to continue to work closely with the EU.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: "As we begin the negotiations about leaving the EU, we will be able to reassure Germany and other European countries that we are going to be a strong partner to them in defence and security, and, we hope, in trade.
"This is going to be the most important negotiation that this country has embarked on for many decades. Making sure that we get this right is going to be absolutely critical, and we don't underestimate the difficulty.
"We can reassure Mrs Merkel that we want to have a deep and special partnership so that we can continue to maintain European-wide security to keep us all safe from the terrorists abroad and those that are trying to be nurtured in our country."
Prime Minister Theresa May restated her desire to work closely with the EU countries during a campaign event in Twickenham, south west London, on Monday afternoon.
She said: "We are not leaving Europe. We are leaving the European Union. But it is right that the European Union themselves will have some decisions to take about the nature of that organisation and institution going forward."
Also speaking on Monday, Germany's interior minister Thomas de Maiziere predicted that Brexit should not have a significant negative impact on security.
He said: "I am confident that the issue of security cooperation will not be among the most difficult issues in the Brexit negotiations. A lot unites us here."
Mrs Merkel's comments - which she reiterated at a press conference on Monday - came after Mr Trump refused to re-commit to the 2015 Paris climate deal at the G7 summit.
Mrs Merkel is on the campaign trail ahead of elections in September.
"The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days," Mrs Merkel told a crowd at an election rally in Munich, southern Germany.
The relationship between Berlin and new French President Emmanuel Macron had to be a priority, Mrs Merkel said, adding: "We Europeans have to take our destiny into our own hands."
On Saturday, the German leader had described climate change talks at the G7 group of rich nations as "very unsatisfactory".
Leaders from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan had re-affirmed their support for the Paris accord - but Mr Trump said he would make a decision in the coming week.
Mr Trump has previously pledged to abandon the Paris deal, and expressed doubts about man-made climate change.
Speaking in Brussels last week, Mr Trump also told Nato members to spend more money on defence and did not re-state his administration's commitment to Nato's mutual security guarantees.
Mrs Merkel's latest comments are partly a move to appeal to German voters first and foremost, the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler says.
Polls suggest Mrs Merkel is on course to be re-elected for a fourth term as German chancellor at elections in September.


Afghan security forces battled gunmen following a suicide attack outside the Iraqi embassy in the capital, Kabul.

A bomber blew himself up at the embassy's gate, then three other attackers entered the compound, the Afghan interior ministry said.
Two Afghan embassy employees were killed, and three people, including a police officer, were injured, a spokesperson told the BBC.
So-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attack.
After a gunfight lasting several hours, Afghan authorities said the attack was over and all the assailants had been killed.
The embassy is located in the central Shar-e-Naw neighbourhood. Kabul has seen a number of deadly assaults this year blamed on either IS or the Taliban.
Correspondents say this is the first attack on the city's Iraqi embassy. It comes two weeks after the embassy held a news conference to celebrate the defeat of IS in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Pictures on social media show black plumes of smoke rising into the sky over Kabul.
During the gunfight, Iraq's foreign ministry said its top diplomat in Kabul had been taken safely to the Egyptian embassy but, according to Iraqi media, two other Iraqi staff members were fighting off the assailants.
All staff were eventually safely evacuated, an Iraqi foreign ministry spokesperson tweeted.
According to the United Nations, Afghanistan has seen at least 1,662 civilian deaths in the first half of the year, with about 20% of those in the capital.
Last Monday a suicide car bomb killed at least 30 people in a mainly Shia district of Kabul. The Taliban said they carried out that attack.
On 31 May, a huge bombing in the centre of the city killed more than 150 people, the deadliest militant attack in the country since US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in 2001.
The violence underlines the precarious security situation in Afghanistan as US President Donald Trump weighs up whether to increase the number of US troops aiding the military and police in the country.
IS announced the establishment of its Khorasan branch - an old name for Afghanistan and surrounding areas - in January 2015. It was the first time that IS had officially spread outside the Arab world.
In response to the embassy attack, the commander of Nato's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan paid "respect and gratitude" to Afghan forces.
"[IS] failed in this attack and they will be defeated," Gen John Nicholson said.


About 40 people were treated by paramedics for breathing problems following a chemical leak at a holiday park swimming pool.

Emergency services were called to Wild Duck Holiday Park in Belton near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk at 14:35 BST.
Police said the entertainment complex was evacuated but the pool was declared safe at about 17:30 BST.
Norfolk Fire Service said vehicles including an environmental protection unit dealt with a chlorine leak.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokeswoman said swimmers had been treated for breathing and asthma problems. Eight were taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Tom Cassidy, a spokesman for the park's owners Haven Holidays, said about 40 people were treated with 33 of them taken to hospitals in Gorleston, Norwich and Ipswich as a "precaution".
He said: "There was a chemical leak in the indoor swimming pool in the entertainment complex and it was evacuated while police and fire and rescue were on their way.
"The casualties have been described to me as walking wounded."
He said other guests had been allowed back into their caravans, although the swimming pools and entertainment complex remained sealed off while health and safety officials carried out their investigations.
Police said none of the injuries were thought to be serious.
The Wild Duck Holiday Park has indoor and outdoor pools, a restaurant, play area and sports court.


A hospital doctor who gave a patient a vasectomy by mistake has admitted a raft of misconduct charges.

Dr Nanikram Vaswani should have removed scar tissue from the patient at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool but he performed the vasectomy instead.
The doctor has admitted four counts of misconduct before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing.
A panel will consider whether Dr Vaswani should be allowed to continue to practise.
Among the other failings listed in the charges was a failure to confirm the patient's identity and a failure to tell a urologist and his NHS Trust about the incorrect procedure.
The doctor also admitted "inappropriately" performing a vasectomy reversal procedure on the same patient.
The hearing was told this procedure was not routinely carried out in the hospital and the doctor admitted he had not performed it for approximately five years.
It heard he carried out the reversal when the patient "was physically and emotionally traumatised and/or likely to be so, in light of what had just taken place with the first procedure".


Warwickshire off-spinner Jeetan Patel claimed the 23rd five-wicket haul of his first-class career to help bowl out Durham for 207 at Chester-le-Street.

Patel cleaned up the Durham tail, taking 5-32 to become the first bowler to pass 50 Championship wickets for the season - the fifth successive summer he has reached that mark for the Bears.
Michael Richardson made 55, his first Championship half-century since May.
Warwickshire then reached the close on 25-1 for the loss of Varun Chopra.
He was given out to a leg-side catch off Chris Rushworth in the penultimate over, forcing nightwatchman Chris Wright to come in and face 10 balls before the close.
Wright ended two not out, while Ian Westwood (12) will also still be there on the second morning.
Warwickshire, who have dropped to sixth in Division One, began the game just a point above seventh-placed Durham,  who currently have a 16-point cushion to the relegation zone, currently occupied by Hampshire and Nottinghamshire.
Keith Barker was the Bears' other star performer with the ball, taking three of the first five wickets to fall- the first of which was his 50th Championship dismissal of a Durham batsman since 2012.
Warwickshire off spinner Jeetan Patel told BBC WM:
"Milestones are nice, but doing the right things and getting over the line is the important part.
"We thought the pitch was a bit tacky and it might turn, and Scott Borthwick could be threat with his wrist spin.
"We've had a good day, but Durham have a very good seam attack and it won't be easy against them."


The length of roadworks on motorways and A-roads in England should be shortened to reduce drivers' frustrations, ministers have urged.

Contractors are being asked to limit lane closures, with one report suggesting they should only be between two and five miles long.
Highways England, which manages the roads, is looking at the request to shorten roadworks, the BBC understands.
The Department for Transport said "common sense decisions" were needed.
Motorists on some major roads are contending with speed restrictions running for more than 15 miles.
Areas of particular concern are understood to include the M1 and M3 motorways, where there are currently the longest stretches of roadworks in the country.
Among the longest stretches in England - according to traffic information company Inrix - are:
A DfT spokesman said: "Our road investment strategy will deliver the biggest upgrade to Britain's roads in a generation and secure our transport network for the long-term.
"But as it is delivered we've got to respect the drivers who use our roads every day.
"That means taking common sense decisions to minimise frustrations wherever possible."
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "We'd like to see overnight working done where it's possible. We'd like to see stretches of motorways limited to 10 miles.
"We'd like to see more the variable speeds on, and also more incentives to get the roadworks finished on time."
A Highways England spokesman said: "We want to provide a better, safer experience for road users on England's motorways and major A roads, including throughout roadworks where major upgrades are being carried out.
"We are committed to minimising disruption from roadworks even further and are exploring managing work in different ways while ensuring good value for money for the public."
He added that the majority of roadworks were carried out overnight, with lanes also closed during the day on some projects like major improvement works.
BBC correspondent Danny Savage said that there was not yet a timescale on when, or if, the changes would come about.


The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have been touring Glasgow Commonwealth Games venues ahead of this summer's sporting extravaganza.

The Queen was presented with an official Games pass as a patron of the event and head of the Commonwealth.
The couple also met Games organisers and saw competitors at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
The visit came as tourism bosses said the Games should act as a "springboard" for Scotland's tourism industry.
VisitScotland estimate that up to 1.5 million visitors are due to descend on the city later this month.
The tourism agency has been working with local businesses on projects aimed at boosting the economy, improving services and driving up standards.
It said the Games were an opportunity to reinforce Scotland's reputation for hosting major events.
Last summer VisitScotland announced plans for a Â£2.5m marketing drive to promote the Games at home and abroad and encourage more visitors to Scotland.
Now with events just weeks away the focus is on the experience those visitors will be offered.
A survey by Glasgow 2014 - of 10,000 spectators - suggested about a fifth of people coming to the Commonwealth Games have never been to Glasgow before.
VisitScotland wants to build on that and ensure spectators leave the city with a desire to return.
Chief executive Malcolm Roughead said: "2014 presents a unique opportunity for Scottish tourism - not only as a chance to promote our country to a global audience, but also to leave a legacy for the industry, developing skills that will pave the way for a Scotland that is more accessible, more sustainable and even more welcoming.
"It is important that visitors coming to Scotland this year, leave impressed not just by our scenery, wildlife and landmarks but by our people and our facilities.
"This helps raise our standing on the international stage and makes Scotland a place of interest for visitors and for other businesses."
Glasgow Welcomes is a scheme involving more than 10,000 staff from hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, transport providers and tourist attractions in the city.
They have been given extra customer service training, up-to-date information about the best places to visit and what's on around the city, as well as facts and figures about Games venues and events.
Glasgow restaurateur, James Rusk said he found the Glasgow Welcomes online module a useful addition to his in-house training.
He said: "It has provided our staff with a unique blend of customer service guidance and destination knowledge that will further enable our staff to deliver an exceptional level of service, with specialist Commonwealth Games knowledge."
Businesses have been offered tips on how to attract more custom and boost profits by becoming more environmentally friendly.
VisitScotland's Greener Glasgow scheme aims to appeal to the 84% of visitors to the UK who say sustainability is important when they are choosing a holiday destination.
There has also been a focus on making the city more accessible to visitors regardless of their physical, sensory and learning disabilities or age.
Firms have been encouraged to produce "access statements" ahead of the Games which detail in words and pictures how visitors can get around their hotel, restaurant, shop or attraction.
Mr Roughead added: "Improving skills and standards helps attract more visitors, which in turn creates more jobs and boosts the economy. For every Â£50,000 spent by visitors, one new job is created.
"Tourism is one of the country's most important industries and worth Â£11bn to the Scottish economy, but there is the potential for further growth.
"We must use major events such as the Commonwealth Games as a significant springboard for our future."


Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has signed a new contract until 2022.

The 29-year-old, who captains Spurs, has made 151 Premier League appearances since joining the club from Lyon for an initial £7.8m in August 2012.
The France international, whose previous deal was worth £80,000 a week and was due to expire in 2019, said: "Hopefully the best years are ahead."
Spurs striker Harry Kane signed a new contract earlier this month that ties him to the club until 2022.
Lloris signed a four-year deal when he joined Spurs, then managed by Andre Villas-Boas.
Lyon are entitled to 20% of any profit Tottenham make should they sell Lloris.


(Close): Shares in Next slumped after the retailer reported falling sales and issued a gloomy outlook for next year.

Its shares dived more than 14% after it said sales fell 0.4% in the run-up to Christmas and added full-year profits would be at the low end of forecasts.
Next also warned that 2017 would be "another challenging year", and predicted a fall in profits.
The news hit shares in other retailers, with M&S down 6.1% and Primark owner Associated British Foods dropping 3.7%.
The falls weighed on the FTSE 100. The UK's benchmark index had closed at a record high on Tuesday, but spent most of the day in negative territory. However, at the close it was up 11.85 points to another record high at 7,189.74.
Shares in housebuilders helped to bolster the index after upbeat comments from Deutsche Bank. Barratt Developments rose 4%, while Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey were 2.8% and 3.8% higher respectively.
In the FTSE 250, B&M shares rose nearly 9.5% after the discount retailer reported a 7.2% increase in UK like-for-like sales in the three months to 24 December.
On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.45% against the dollar to $1.2293 and slipped 0.29% against the euro to â‚¬1.1727.


A woman froze to death after climbing into school grounds late at night after drinking and taking drugs and not being able to get out, an inquest has heard.

A verdict of misadventure was recorded over the death of 23-year-old Charlotte Christodoulou in Shrewsbury in January.
The inquest heard she and her boyfriend went into Harlescott Junior School as a short cut on their way home.
She was unable to climb out over a 10ft (3m) fence but her boyfriend, who was able to, left her, the court heard.
Ms Christodoulou died of hypothermia, Shropshire Coroner John Ellery ruled.
It was not clear if her boyfriend, Lloyd Butler, went back for her, the court was told.
Det Con Andrea Ross, from West Mercia Police, said Mr Butler was seen on CCTV leaving the school fields alone at about 20:00 GMT on Sunday 4 January.
Because Ms Christodoulou, who who was living in Radbrook but was originally from Walsall, was disoriented, she was unable to find her way out in the cold and dark, the inquest heard.
She was wearing only thin clothing in freezing weather conditions.
Pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar told the hearing she most likely died in the early hours of the morning but, because she was intoxicated, she was able to withstand the sub-zero temperatures slightly longer than usual.
Three people originally arrested on suspicion of her murder and obstructing a coroner were later released without charge.
Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with her death.


A man has died in a workplace accident in County Fermanagh.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Ely Lodge on the Lough Shore Road in Enniskillen at 10:45 BST.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is investigating the circumstances of what happened.
An HSENI spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with the family at this most difficult time."


Three men arrested in connection with the murder of father-of-five Brian McIlhagga have been released without charge.

Mr McIlhagga, 42, was killed by a masked gang outside a house at Riverview Park in Ballymoney, County Antrim, on 5 January.
The Ballymena man was beaten and shot in the leg and died from his injuries.
The three men, aged 24, 41 and 48, were arrested on Wednesday, but they were unconditionally released a day later.
A number of other men arrested previously have also been released without charge.
Police revisited the scene on Monday night, a week after Mr McIlhagga was killed, in an attempt to find more witnesses.


Jonah Lomu, the All Blacks player widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby players of all time, has died at the age of 40.

He had been suffering from a rare kidney disorder and was undergoing dialysis.
New Zealanders, fans and members of the worldwide rugby community have been paying tribute.


Canadian writer Margaret Atwood has been named a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The celebrated novelist is the author of books including The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye and The Blind Assassin.
British composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, master of the Queen's Music, has also been honoured.
The membership of the academy, founded in 1898,  comprises writers, musicians, artist and architects.
Other members include cellist Yo Yo Ma, actress Meryl Streep and the directors Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.
Italian author Roberto Calasso, Canadian composer Raymond Murray Schafer and Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima have also been named honorary foreign members.
Leading book editor Robert Gottlieb has also been honoured with the Distinguished Service to the Arts prize.
Gottlieb worked on classics like Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and is former editor of The New Yorker.


Ethiopian Airlines says it is to continue operating its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners after one caught fire at London's Heathrow airport on Friday.

Investigators are trying to find the cause of the blaze, which took place months after the aircraft was grounded worldwide over a battery problem.
Heathrow's runways were closed for 90 minutes on Friday, and some evening flights delayed by more than six hours.
Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of four Dreamliners in 2012.
The company said its plane had been parked at Heathrow for eight hours before smoke was spotted.
"We have not grounded any of our aircraft," the carrier said in a statement.
"The incident at Heathrow happened while the plane was on the ground... and was not related to flight safety."
The Dreamliner has been moved to a special hangar away from the terminals to allow the investigation to take place.
The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the Department for Transport is expected to lead the inquiry, with Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration, the US-based National Transportation Safety Board and Ethiopian Airlines also taking part.
No time frame has been given for the probe.
Investigators will hope it is not a recurrence of the problems with its lithium-ion batteries that grounded the entire global fleet of 787s for three months earlier this year, said BBC News correspondent Richard Lister.
Several aviation experts have suggested that the fire appears to have broken out some distance from the two batteries.
Fire-retardant foam was sprayed at the airliner and an area on top of the fuselage in front of the tail appeared to be scorched.
Passengers flying from Heathrow are being advised to call their airlines.
But most flights are expected to leave as planned, with airport operator BAA reporting "negligible" delays of around 10 minutes to some services.
Forty-two short-haul flights were cancelled, with most passengers put on alternative flights or carriers to their chosen destinations, a spokesman said.
Heathrow said no passengers had been on board the parked aircraft, named the Queen of Sheba, at the time of the fire.
Thomson Airways became the first British carrier to operate the aircraft earlier this week and is taking delivery of eight of the planes.
But Thomson said one of its Dreamliners travelling to Florida returned to Manchester Airport on Friday as a precautionary measure after the plane "experienced a technical issue".
British Airways also recently took delivery of the first two of its 24 Dreamliners.
Virgin Atlantic said it "remains committed" to taking on the first of its 16 Dreamliners in September 2014.
Other Dreamliner operators include United Continental, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, Air India and Poland's LOT.
The Dreamliner was marketed as a quiet, fuel-efficient aircraft carrying between 201 and 290 passengers on medium-range routes.
It was due to enter passenger service in 2008 but it was not until October 2011 that the first commercial flight was operated by Japan's All Nippon Airways.
All 50 Dreamliners in service worldwide were grounded at the start of the year following two separate incidents concerning its batteries.
On 7 January, a battery overheated and started a fire on a Japan Airlines 787 at Boston's Logan International Airport.  Nine days later, an All Nippon Airways 787 had to make an emergency landing in Japan after a battery started to give off smoke.
Boeing modified the jets with new batteries and flights resumed in April.
The batteries are not used when the 787 is in flight.
They are operational when the plane is on the ground and its engines are not turned on and are used to power the aircraft's brakes and lights.
Boeing said in April it may not been able to identify the root cause of the battery issues but said its modifications would prevent the problems reoccurring.


Organisers of a march for military veterans, which was cancelled in Londonderry due to security fears, have rearranged the event.

The parade by the campaign group, Veterans for Justice UK, is now set to take place in Coleraine, County Londonderry, on Saturday 4 March.
The original plan was to hold the march in Derry on the same date.
However relatives of Bloody Sunday victims objected, saying it was an "insult" to the people of the city.
John Kelly, whose brother was one of 14 Bloody Sunday victims killed by soldiers who opened fire on a civil rights march in Derry in 1972, had described the original plan as "an act of pure provocation".
The Derry parade was called off last week amid reports of counter-demonstrations planned by republicans.
Veterans for Justice UK has now lodged a fresh application with the Parades Commission to march through the centre of Coleraine.
The group said it expects 150 marchers to take part in the parade, which will start and finish at the Royal British Legion.
Last week, march organiser Anto Wickham said the aim of the event was to protect soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan facing "false prosecutions".
Mr Wickham said he was "upset" by suggestions that the Derry march had been planned to raise tensions in the city.
He told Tuesday's Belfast Telegraph: "With help from the Royal British Legion in Coleraine, we are now able to parade and carry on our fight for justice".
In recent months, a number of former soldiers and Conservative MPs have complained that Army veterans were being unfairly targeted by investigations into Troubles-era killings.
In January, hundreds of veterans marched through London to demand an end to the prosecutions.
A London-based law firm representing a number of ex-soldiers also called for an independent inquiry into the prosecution process.
The criticism drew a response from Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory QC, who defended his impartiality.
Mr McGrory told the BBC last month that critics who accuse him of treating former soldiers unfairly had insulted him and his office.


Adam Rooney and Niall McGinn scored two goals apiece as Aberdeen eased past League One side Stranraer to reach the Scottish Cup fifth round.

Rooney opened the scoring after Jonny Hayes' header put him through on goal, with McGinn arrowing in a brilliant second before half-time.
Rooney doubled his tally from the penalty spot following a Morgyn Neill hand-ball soon after the break.
McGinn completed the rout with a neat finish from outside the box.
It was no surprise the in-form Hayes had a hand in the Dons' breakthrough goal, as the Cardiff City transfer target headed on McGinn's cross for Rooney to hook home.
That came half an hour into proceedings, the hosts finally breaking the stubborn resistance of the League One bottom club, who had defended as though their lives depended on it up until that point.
They threw their bodies in the way of wave after wave of Aberdeen attacks and when the Premiership side did threaten, goalkeeper Cameron Belford bailed them out with a series of breathtaking saves.
There was nothing he could do to prevent McGinn increasing the lead as the Northern Ireland international raced on to a Kenny McLean pass to angle a stunning finish into the far corner.
It was only ever going to be a case of how many after that, but Aberdeen were given a helping hand when Neill needlessly handled and Rooney swept home his 13th goal of the season from the resulting penalty.
Four minutes later McGinn swept in Aberdeen's fourth - and his 10th of the season - with only the brilliance of Belford preventing a real hammering.
Newly-appointed Stranraer boss Stevie Farrell - watching from the stands - replaces the dismissed Brian Reid on Monday and can be confident if his players show the same fighting spirit they did at Pittodrie they can clamber off the foot of the league table.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes: "Their goalkeeper was excellent and maybe we should have been more clinical early on but we kept working away and it was hard for Stranraer to cope with our movement.
"It was a thoroughly professional performance today as there is always a bit of worry that you might not pick up quickly after a three-week break that we have just had.
"Now we hope to make one or two signings before the transfer window closes as we want to add some quality to help the squad as we are bit stretched for what we need."
Stranraer caretaker manager Chris Aitken: "I'm pleased with the effort my players put into the game and there are a lot of tired boys in the dressing room.
"Aberdeen were four-up after less than an hour but they stuck at it - a lot of teams could have folded in that situation.
"There is a lot from today for the new manager (Stevie Farrell) to build on to try and get us off the foot of the table."
Match ends, Aberdeen 4, Stranraer 0.
Second Half ends, Aberdeen 4, Stranraer 0.
Foul by Scott Wright (Aberdeen).
Scott Agnew (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Frank Ross (Aberdeen).
Scott Agnew (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Steven Bell.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Frank Ross replaces Kenny McLean.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Kyle Turner.
Hand ball by Craig Malcolm (Stranraer).
Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).
David Wilson (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Morgyn Neill.
Attempt blocked. Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Ash Taylor (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Morgyn Neill.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Scott Wright replaces Andrew Considine.
Substitution, Stranraer. Giuliano Morena replaces Ryan Thomson.
Attempt saved. Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Stranraer. David Wilson replaces Mark McGuigan.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Peter Pawlett replaces Jonny Hayes.
Attempt saved. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Cameron Belford.
Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).
Scott Agnew (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Kenny McLean (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kyle Turner (Stranraer).
Substitution, Stranraer. Kyle Turner replaces David Barron.
Attempt missed. Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Goal!  Aberdeen 4, Stranraer 0. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andrew Considine.
Attempt saved. Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Kenny McLean (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Cameron Belford.
Goal!  Aberdeen 3, Stranraer 0. Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty conceded by Morgyn Neill (Stranraer) with a hand ball in the penalty area.
Attempt saved. Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Second Half begins Aberdeen 2, Stranraer 0.
First Half ends, Aberdeen 2, Stranraer 0.


The quality of forensic science work in England and Wales is at risk and could threaten the integrity of the criminal justice system, the regulator has said.

Forensic Science Regulator Gillian Tully said some police forces were not committed to meeting the required standards, and there was a significant risk of DNA contamination.
She wants statutory powers to enforce standards "as soon as possible".
The National Police Chiefs Council said it had secured extra funding.
The government's Forensic Science Service was closed in 2012. Since the closure, forensic science work has been carried out by private firms and police laboratories
This is the third time in two years that serious concerns have been raised about the work, with other critical reports from the National Audit Office and MPs on the Science and Technology Committee.
In her second annual report, Dr Tully said the main challenge to achieving standards had been financial, and called on police forces and the Legal Aid Agency to make more funding available.
"Otherwise we will face the costs, both in criminal justice terms and financially, of quality failures and loss of confidence in forensic science."
She cited "concerning" contamination-related issues in police custody and at Sexual Assault Referral Centres, which provide support for alleged victims of rape and sexual assault.
She said a rape investigation had been compromised after samples taken from an alleged victim were found to be contaminated with DNA from an unrelated case. An inquiry is under way.
She also referred to the case of Stephen Port - the serial killer guilty of murdering four young men by poisoning them with lethal doses of a date rape drug.
DNA testing had not taken place in the third murder case, that of Daniel Whitworth, as recommended by the pathologist, because police did not believe anyone else was involved.
She said: "Whilst there is no suggestion that forensic science was not conducted properly in this case, there is a question to answer regarding commissioning decisions, which has been referred to the regulator for consideration."
She said there was a timetable for forensic science activities within policing to comply with the regulator's code of practice.
But she said not all police forces were "fully committed" to reaching the required standards, with some failing to recognise the impact of failures in the area.
She also said few organisations would reach the standard for digital forensics - which covers communications data, like mobile phones and emails - by October 2017, as set out in the timetable.
"The standards are not an unachievable 'gold-plated' ideal - they are the minimum standards expected of any reliable forensic science," she said.
Forensic science carried out by instruction from defence lawyers had also been under financial pressure because of the current legal aid funding, she said.
There was a risk that some forensic medical examiners being commissioned did not have the required level of training and qualification.
And there was a risk of incorrect classifications by investigators who classify firearms to establish whether they were illegal weapons, she said.
The government has committed to giving the regulator statutory powers to enforce standards by the end of this Parliament.
Dr Tully told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she had been calling for the powers "for some time", but the process had been "very slow" and she wants them in place "as soon as possible".
Debbie Simpson, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for forensic science, said the police were "committed" to improving standards and had secured more funding from the Police Transformation Fund.
Dr Tully's report had highlighted "key priority areas" for the police, she said.
"Nationally, we will continue to work in partnership with forces, forensic service providers and the forensic regulator to deliver the forensic strategy and respond to the challenges faced by the service."
The government has already launched a review of the internal governance of forensic science, said policing minister Brandon Lewis.
He said: "Controlling the quality of evidence is critical to reducing the risk of miscarriages of justice and criminal trials collapsing, as well as maintaining public confidence in the system."
He said he fully supported the timetable the regulator had set out, and said this must be met by all organisations providing forensic services.


The European Central Bank (ECB) has kept its main interest rate unchanged at zero for another month.

The decision by the eurozone central bank's 25-member governing council to leave its benchmark borrowing rate on hold had been expected.
It was also decided not to change the ECB's bond-buying stimulus scheme, which was extended last month amid worries about economic growth.
ECB head Mario Draghi said the eurozone economy is stronger, but still fragile.
He told a news conference that deflation risks have "disappeared" and that economic surveys are positive. But this was no time for the ECB "to relax" and that the stimulus programme had to continue and even be increased if necessary.
The 19-bloc eurozone still faces sluggish growth, and worries about the Italian banking crisis have intensified concerns about financial stability in the bloc.
Last month, the ECB said it would extend its bond-buying until at least December 2017, but cut its purchases by â‚¬20bn a month.
The â‚¬80bn-a-month quantitative easing (QE) scheme had been due to end in March. In a move that surprised markets, the ECB said it would only buy bonds worth â‚¬60bn a month from April.
Mr Draghi said on Thursday: "If warranted, to achieve its objective, the ECB will act by using all the instruments available within its mandate.
"In particular, if the outlook becomes less favourable, or if financial conditions become inconsistent with further progress towards a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation, we stand ready to increase our asset-purchase programme."
Some of the most recent economic data has been positive, and a jump in inflation across the bloc has allayed fears the eurozone may slip into deflation.
But inflation is still just half of the bank's 2% target, and, Mr Draghi, was driven mostly by rising oil prices.
"Underlying inflation pressures remain subdued," he said. "A very substantial degree of monetary accommodation is needed for euro area inflation pressures to build up and support headline inflation in the medium term."
His playing down of a faster rise in inflation saw the euro currency fall to a day's low against the dollar and a 10-day low against sterling.
The euro dropped to as low as $1.0603 and to 86.26 pence against the pound before making a partial recovery.


The father of a boy killed in the IRA bomb attack in Warrington has asked a former leader of the group to lecture at a centre set up in his son's memory.

Colin Parry said he had asked Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness to speak at the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Centre during a visit to Belfast.
Johnathan Ball, three, and Tim Parry, 12, died in the attack in March 1993.
The Northern Ireland deputy first minister, who was a senior IRA figure, has agreed to the visit in principle.
The two boys died and 54 others were injured when two bombs hidden in litter bins went off in Bridge Street.
Mr Parry made the request to Mr McGuinness after travelling to Belfast for a BBC Radio Five Live documentary.
He said he had invited the politician to speak because "part of our ethos is that we talk to everyone".
"We don't just talk to victims of terrorism or young people who are at risk of being radicalised. We also talk to people who have been associated with terrorist acts," he said.
"In simple terms, you make peace with your enemies, not with your friends.
He added that while Mr McGuinness was "now a mainstream politician, Martin's history is one of being involved with the IRA".
"His past would have placed him beyond the pale for many people, but not for me and my foundation," he said.
Mr McGuinness has previously met with Mr Parry and visited the centre and the town for private meetings.
During a visit in 2001 he said he was sorry that Irish republicans were responsible for the boys' deaths and that the bombing had been wrong.


David Wilson is thrilled to be leading Gibraltar against his native Scotland in Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier.

"You dream of it as a boy, walking out at Hampden," the visiting interim coach told BBC Radio Scotland.
"I'd made my mind up that a professional career in football wasn't for me 20 years ago.
"So what are the chances of finding a country to coach and then being lucky enough to draw Scotland? All of those stars have aligned."
A former Kilmarnock trainee, 40-year-old Wilson stepped from his assistant's role following Allen Bula's departure.
"It's surreal - what an adventure," said Wilson, who has four British-based players in his squad.
"I've got approximately 500 or 600 players to chose from. We discussed 38 players for this game and narrowed it down to 23 - what a contrast to [Scotland manager] Gordon Strachan."
Participating in their first qualifying contest, Gibraltar have lost all four of their matches in Group D, without scoring and conceding 21 goals.
"We're in our infancy in international football and we have a long, long way to go," added Wilson.
"It's always about damage limitation and then prolonged frustration, we've managed it in periods - the first 45 minutes against Poland [a 7-0 home loss], even with the Germans [4-0 in Nuremburg].
"If we can do that against world class strikers then we're doing our job."
Wilson made headlines at the weekend when he announced he would sing both national anthems at Hampden, although he told BBC Scotland he might tone it down when the home fans are in full flow.
"I'm no different to any other Scotsman," he explained. "I'm proud of where I'm from and my heritage.
"Every time I hear Flower of Scotland, I'm the first to jump up and sing it.
"I may not sing as passionately as I have in the past. My passion lies with my adopted country and the lads I've been with for the last two years.
"I'll sing the Gibraltar anthem the same way that I used to sing Flower of Scotland.
"I don't think I'm letting anyone down by singing both."


Apple chief executive Tim Cook saw his salary and bonus slide in the last financial year, but his income from the sale of shares jumped dramatically.

Mr Cook was paid $8.75m (Â£7.1m) in salary and bonus in 2016, down from $10.3m the previous year.
All Apple's named executives saw their salary and bonus payments fall after the company reported lower sales and income in the year to September.
However, Mr Cook also received $136m from the sale of shares.
The information is contained in a filing lodged with the US financial regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Mr Cook has been Apple chief executive since August 2011.
As part of his contract, he was awarded shares in the company which could only be "vested" or sold at stipulated times. It is these which have now brought his overall earnings close to $145m.
Each of the other named executives including chief financial officer Luca Maestri and Angela Ahrendts, senior vice president of retail received nearly $23m in salary, down from about $25m in 2015.
In its SEC filing Apple said it had produced strong financial results in 2016.
"However, the two financial measures used to evaluate executive performance under our annual cash incentive program, net sales and operating income, declined from our record-breaking 2015 levels.
"These results were below the target performance goals set by the Compensation Committee. As a result, the annual cash incentive payouts to our named executive officers were below target," it added.
It said cutting the cash incentive payouts reflected "strong pay-for-performance alignment".
In 2016 Apple reported net sales of $215.6bn, 7.7% lower than in 2015. Operating income came in at $60bn, 15.7% below the previous year.
Mr Cook's base salary was $3m, and the annual base salary for each of the other named executive officers was $1m.


Rolls-Royce has received its largest order to date, worth £6.1bn ($9.2bn), to supply engines for 50 Emirates A380 planes.

It will be the first time the engineering giant has made engines for the Gulf carrier's super-jumbo fleet.
The news boosted Rolls-Royce's share price after a year of profit warnings.
Emirates said the deal gave further support to trade ties between the UK and the United Arab Emirates and would have a "significant economic impact".
Announcing the deal in London, Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said: "Today's announcement is significant not only because it cements the partnership between Emirates and Rolls-Royce, but also because of the significant economic impact that this will have on aviation manufacturing in the UK and Europe."
Rolls Royce currently employs 24,500 people in the UK. No new jobs will be created as a result of this deal.
Final assembly of the engines will take place in Singapore.


Japanese police have arrested a South Korean man suspected of bombing Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni shrine, local media said.

A small blast hit a public toilet on 23 November as the shrine opened for a festival. There were no injuries.
The suspect, 27, is alleged to have gone to Korea after the incident, but was arrested on his return to Japan.
The shrine is dedicated to Japan's war dead including some convicted war criminals.
The souls of the dead are worshipped there rather than just remembered, making visits to it by conservative politicians like current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, particularly controversial with World War Two adversaries China and the two Koreas.
The visits are seen as a lack of remorse on Japan's part for its militaristic past.
Public broadcaster NHK said police approached the man at Tokyo's Haneda airport and arrested him on a charge of illegal entry into the shrine. The man denies the allegation according to NHK.
Japanese media had previously identified the suspect from CCTV footage from the shrine and the nearby area, where he is reported to have stayed.
The blast reportedly opened a hole in the ceiling and left behind the remains of batteries, wires and metal pipes that police believe contained explosives.
It is not the first time the shrine has been attacked.
In 2011, a Chinese man is suspected to have set fire to one of the gates of the shrine, although a court in South Korea - where he served time in jail for a 2012 attack on the Japanese embassy in Seoul - refused to extradite him to Japan.
And in 2013 a South Korean man was caught breaking in to the shrine carrying a bottle of paint thinners, which he was then reported to have thrown at the main hall.


Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire has said the police did not warn residents in Londonderry that an IRA bomb that later killed three people had been left in a house on their estate.

Report says RUC let down residents
The booby-trap device exploded at 38 Kildrum Gardens in the Creggan on 31 August 1988.
Two people died in the explosion.  A third person, who was injured, died seven months later.
Dr Maguire, said police did not fulfil their duty to protect the public.
However, he said this was not prompted by a desire to protect an informant.
Eugene Dalton, who was 55, and Sheila Lewis, who was 60, died in the explosion.
Another man, Gerard Curran, died the following year from his injuries.
The Police Ombudsman's investigation found that three weeks before the explosion, police records showed police received "reliable information" that the IRA intended to place a booby-trap bomb in a house in the city.
This was designed to prompt officers to carry out follow-up enquiries, during which they would be the targets of the concealed bomb.
The ombudsman found that police were told five days before the explosion that a car abandoned in Kildrum Gardens was "convenient to a house" that had been booby-trapped and that, if necessary, the terrorists planned to stage another incident to lure police to the property.
Three days before the explosion, police were aware that a document with the address of 38 Kildrum Gardens was dropped during a robbery at a local chip shop.
Records show that police treated the robbery as a "potential attempt" to lure officers into a trap and decided to delay going to the address.
Some time after 11:00 BST on 31 August, Mr Dalton, Mrs Lewis and Mr Curran had gone to 38 Kildrum Gardens, a top floor flat, concerned about the welfare of the man who lived there and whom they had not seen for a week.
They were unaware that he had been abducted by the IRA. As they went inside the flat the device exploded.
Dr Maguire said there was "strong evidence" the police had sufficient information that they ought to have known the bomb was in the vicinity of Kildrum Gardens, even if they could not be sure which property it was in.
"We found no evidence of any effort to pinpoint the exact location of the device or to warn the people who lived in and frequented the area," he said.
"The police placed the area 'out of bounds' to their officers."
Dr Maguire said in compiling his report, staff had talked to former police officers and considered other things that were happening in the city at that time, which, he said, "must have placed enormous pressures on policing".
"The safety of officers was obviously a critical concern and police were rightly very cautious in responding to such incidents," he said.
"However, police allowed a booby-trap bomb to remain in a location which presented a very real risk to life. There was an obligation on police to protect the lives of the public and I have to conclude that they failed in this regard.
"They failed to do all that could reasonably have been expected of them in the circumstances.
"That being said, let there be no doubt that the responsibility for the deaths rests with those who put the bomb there - the IRA."
An investigation was launched after members of  Mr Dalton's family complained to the Police Ombudsman's office that police had failed to warn people in the area and, in particular, failed to uphold their father's right to life.
The family alleged these failures were prompted by a desire to protect the identity of a police informant and also complained that police failed to investigate properly what had happened.
With regard to the allegation that police did not investigate the bombing properly, the Police Ombudsman said the RUC investigation involved a range of activities but said he had to conclude that it was "flawed and incomplete".
"My staff found evidence that there was an initial flurry of activity by officers investigating the bombing, but that within a short period this was scaled down and lost focus," he said.
"I am aware of the enormous and competing pressures on policing then, but by the standards of the time this was an inadequate investigation."
Dr Maguire said the current police procedures for dealing with security incidents were "very different".
"I note that police response to such threats today is much more inclusive of the community," he added.
The Police Ombudsman said his investigation was "wide ranging", involved the interview of more than 40 people and recovered almost 400 documents related to the events.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie said: "For police officers, whose duty it is to protect life, there is a deep and sincere sorrow for the loss of the lives of Eugene Dalton, Sheila Lewis and Gerard Curran.
"To their friends and families, on behalf of the police service I am truly sorry for the loss of their loved ones.
"The Police Ombudsman has been clear from the outset that the responsibility for the deaths of Mr Dalton, Mrs Lewis and the injuries to Mr Curran rests with those who planted the bomb.
"I would make a renewed appeal for the people who know who did this to come forward with information."
"Today, the policing response to a threat to life would be very different," she added.
DCC Gillespie said it was "disappointing that a number of retired officers felt unable to engage with the Police Ombudsman's investigation in a way which would have painted a fuller picture and enabled a greater understanding of the challenging and dangerous world in which they were operating."


Edinburgh Council said 1,000 more pupils are returning to schools affected by structural faults after repairs were completed a week early.

Four primary schools will reopen to pupils on Monday.
About 3,000 pupils displaced in the school buildings crisis will not be able to return to their own schools until after the summer holidays.
An independent inquiry into the school closures will be held after the summer.
Four primary schools, Pirniehall, St David's, Broomhouse and St Joseph's, will now open on Monday.
Pupils from Rowanfield School will return on Monday 27 June.
This follows the 900 pupils from Oxgangs and St Peter's Primary Schools and Braidburn School who returned to their own schools last month, followed by Firrhill High School, which completely reopened on schedule last week.
The remaining primary schools, - Craigour Park, Forthview, Craigroyston and Castleview as well as Craigmount, Gracemount, Drummond and Royal High Schools will return on 17 August.
Andrew Burns, City of Edinburgh Council leader, said: "We have continued to press the Edinburgh Schools Partnership to bring forward school reopening dates where possible so I'm pleased that we now have 1,000 pupils returning earlier than planned.
"Our priority has always been the safety of our pupils and staff and we have insisted that Edinburgh Schools Partnership and their contractors ensure that our schools are 100% safe to reopen.
"As with the schools that reopened last month, all of the relevant paperwork will be published on our website having been reviewed by an independent expert on behalf of the Council.
"I want again to thank parents for their patience and understanding and teaching staff for their commitment and flexibility during this difficult time."
About 7,600 primary and secondary school children in the capital were affected when the schools, which were all built or refurbished as part of the same public private partnership (PPP) scheme, were closed suddenly in April.
The problem became apparent following an investigation when part of a wall at Oxgangs Primary was blown down.


Bournemouth have loaned winger Harry Cornick and striker Joe Quigley to Gillingham until the end of the season.

Cornick, 21, has been on loan to Leyton Orient already this season where he made 13 appearances and scored once.
Quigley, 20, played three games for the Gills earlier this season before he suffered a cruciate ligament injury, but has been allowed to return.
"The pair know each other really well, they have a great understanding on the pitch," Gills boss Ady Pennock said.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


The Argentine government says that a group of protesters has attacked President Mauricio Macri's vehicle.

A group of 10 people threw stones at the car and broke two windows, but Mr Macri was not injured, says a statement issued by the president's office.
He was on his way to a ceremony in the  town of Villa Traful, some 1,600km (1,000 miles) south of Buenos Aires.
Argentine newspaper Clarin says two people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
Since taking office on 10 December 2015, Mr Macri has introduced a number of austerity measures to tackle inflation and boost the economy.
The changes have prompted a series of protests and strikes called by Argentina's powerful labour unions.
After the attack, Mr Macri went ahead with the scheduled event in Villa Traful, where he opened a new tourist information centre, and made a call for peace.
"We need a future without violence," he said during his speech.
"It's pointless attacking one another or being split when we need to be united," Mr Macri added.
He said his measures would get the economy growing again next year, after "five years of stagnation".


At least four people have been killed in a military plane crash near Seville airport in Spain.

The plane, a new Airbus A400M, reportedly developed a fault just after take-off on a test flight.
Local media say that those on board were Spanish Airbus employees. Two have also been seriously injured.
Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has expressed his sorrow over the incident which took place about 1.6km (1 mile) away from San Pablo airport.
Local media say that the plane had signalled that there was a fault with its systems just before the crash.
The plane reportedly hit an electric power line as the pilots tried to make an emergency landing.
The survivors have been taken to hospital by helicopter. A Spanish interior ministry spokesman told The Associated press news agency that one person had been conscious when they were taken out of the wreckage.
Mr Rajoy said the government was ready to support the families of all of those involved in the accident.
The accident took place in a field just north of San Pablo airport. According to local media, the crash site is close to the Airbus manufacturing plant which assembles the planes.
The Airbus A400M plane model is not yet used by the Spanish military. It is a large transport aircraft that has been ordered by eight countries including Spain to replace a fleet of ageing Hercules aircraft.
Airbus has said that the plane that crashed had been ordered by Turkey.
Local media report that the Spanish government has also agreed to buy 27 of the planes, with the first one due to be delivered to the military next year.
The British Ministry of Defence has temporarily suspended use of its two A400M aircraft, as a precaution.


I monitored 91 GB-wide voting intention polls during the 2015 election campaign and found nothing in them to prepare me for the final outcome.

The majority of them were so close to each other that they were within the margin of error.
At one stage it seemed there might be a difference between methodologies - telephone versus internet, with telephone polls suggesting stronger Conservative leads than those conducted online.
However, in the final polls before election day itself these differences seemed to disappear as the BBC's poll tracker demonstrates.
The good news for the pollsters was that their share for the Lib Dems was pretty close, as were the shares for UKIP, the Greens and the catch-all category of Others.
The bad news for the polling industry was that the crucial shares for Conservative and Labour were the ones where they came most adrift.
When all the qualifications of margins of error are allowed, there did appear to be a systematic overstatement of the Labour share and an equally systematic understatement of the Conservative one.
In four elections from 1992, the final polls overstated Labour but not in the fifth election - 2010 - so 2015 seems a reversion to type.
Looking at the final polls of the nine companies that published them, I have studied the combined differences in their Conservative and Labour shares from the actual outcome for both parties and they range from 6-9%.
Eight of them overstated Labour's share and all nine understated the Conservative share.
If there was any late shift to the Conservatives, the polls did not pick it up. If anything, earlier small signs of a Conservative increase seemed to stall in the final week.
How did all this happen? Shy Conservatives? But why should Conservative voters be alone in being reluctant to declare themselves?
Where was the Labour zeitgeist in this campaign that made their voters more likely to boast their affiliations?
Why would Lib Dem voters be less reluctant to proclaim their party allegiance than Conservatives?
And given the assault on UKIP from every quarter, why would their voters not be the most shy of all?
It is for the pollsters to decide whether to conduct a review of their performance but I trust they will avoid the initial knee-jerk reaction of the immediate aftermath of the 1992 polls debacle.
At that time some tried to deny there was really a problem at all - it was all down to external forces (eg late swing) and no fault of the polling companies. That proved totally unsustainable in a very short time.
Despite some pollsters being in denial, others realised there was a problem and set about finding out how to fix it.
The industry engaged in a very comprehensive investigation of the various methodologies they used in 1992 and many of the current ingredients of political polling were introduced as a result of that serious study.
This general election performance follows the performance of the polls in the 2014 Scottish referendum where the choice was simply binary and yet all the polls were out by between 4-6%.
Something is wrong. A lot of us would like to know what it is.


Port Vale have terminated the contract of Portuguese striker Carlos Saleiro, just six weeks after he signed for the League One club.

The 30-year-old made one appearance for Vale, in their 2-1 defeat by Carlisle in the EFL Cup first round on 9 August.
"Having moved to England from Portugal over the summer, the striker has found it difficult to adjust to life in the country," a club statement said.
The former Sporting Lisbon player will now return to Portugal.


A law signed this week in Texas now prohibits cities and towns from banning fracking and other activities that harvest oil and natural gas.

The law was drafted after voters in Denton, a city outside Dallas, banned "hydraulic fracturing" locally in 2014.
Fracking opponents warn that potential carcinogens used in the extraction process may contaminate groundwater.
Similar bills are being considered in US states including Colorado, Ohio, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the anti-fracking measures heavy handed regulations.
"This law ensures that Texas avoids a patchwork quilt of regulations that differ from region to region, differ from county to county or city to city," Mr Abbott said.
Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside.
Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.
In addition to concerns about groundwater, studies have found that fracking can cause small earthquakes.
Supporters of fracking say the extraction occurs thousands of feet beneath drinking water, where chemicals pose no risk.
Two of the most productive US shale oil fields are located in north Texas near Denton. The law was backed by oil and gas interests.
"The state of Texas has failed to stop Big Oil from polluting our air and water, causing earthquakes, and putting our families at risk from leaks, spills and explosions," Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger told the Dallas Morning News.
Calls for more regulations on fracking in the US are growing.
In 2013, the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court overturned a measure similar to the new Texas law, and the state's governor Tom Wolfe has promised more oversight over the industry.
New York state banned fracking in December. Maryland lawmakers passed a veto-proof 2 1/2 year moratorium in April. The governor has yet to make a decision on the bill.


Ospreys and Wales flanker Dan Lydiate will miss the rest of the season with anterior cruciate ligament damage.

The 28-year-old was taken off on a stretcher during Wales' 27-13 victory over South Africa on 26 November.
It was initially said the British and Irish Lion, who has been capped 60 times by Wales, was set to miss at least the start of the Six Nations.
"It has been confirmed surgery is required. He will not play again until next season," said a statement.
Lydiate missed the summer tour of New Zealand after injuring a shoulder during Wales' defeat by England in May.
In his absence, one of Ross Moriarty or captain Sam Warburton, whom Lydiate filled in for against South Africa, is likely to start at six for Wales. James King could replace him for Ospreys.
Wales begin their Six Nations campaign against Italy in Rome on 5 February.