Dumbarton scored three second-half goals as they beat Raith Rovers and boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation.

The visitors made a strong start to the game but it was the hosts who opened the scoring courtesy of Ryan Hardie's strike.
Dumbarton levelled when Christian Nade nodded in.
Daniel Harvie gave them the lead before Gregor Buchanan turned the ball in at the back post.
The win ended a three-game losing run for Stevie Aitken's side, but the home side were booed off the pitch as their winless run extended to 12 league and cup matches.
Raith boss Gary Locke made three changes to the side beaten by Hearts in the Scottish Cup in midweek and he saw his team take the lead in controversial fashion.
Mark Stewart looked to have fouled Harvie before crossing for Hardie to score his fifth goal of the season, but referee Mat Northcroft waived away the Dumbarton appeals.
Kevin Curthbert had done well to save efforts from Robert Thomson and Sam Stanton in the first half, but he was well beaten after the break when Nade rose above his marker to head Stanton's cross into the net for an important equaliser.
Referee Northcroft then waived away a strong penalty appeal when Andrew Stirling looked to have been brought down in the box, but the visitors did go in front when Aberdeen loanee Harvie was allowed to run and shoot past Cuthbert from 20 yards.
To compound the home fans' misery, the Raith defence then allowed a Stanton corner to drive right across the box to Buchanan, who made no mistake with an angled shot.
Raith have not won a match since 29 October and they go to Dundee United next week in danger of being dragged towards the relegation zone, while Dumbarton will face St Mirren in confident mood after a thoroughly well deserved win.
Raith Rovers manager Gary Locke: "The second half showed the after effects of the cup ties against Hearts, but we need to look to win our home games and we have to do better than what we produced today.
"Heads went down and there should not have been any reason for that, it was one of those days where we looked tired, but the run is alarming and while we did well against Hearts we have to find the consistency and we cannot go blaming each other.
"It is a tough spell, but at the end of the day you either disappear or come out fighting and we intend to do that."
Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken: "After 10 minutes [new assistant] Ian [Durrant] turned to me and said 'what am I doing here', but he has made a massive difference in the time he has been at the club and this was a terrific result.
"Ian's presence about the place gives everybody a lift and we are delighted to get somebody with his ability in.
"There is a spell of games coming up that will test us, but if we keep producing performances like that, I am sure we will continue to do well."
Match ends, Raith Rovers 1, Dumbarton 3.
Second Half ends, Raith Rovers 1, Dumbarton 3.
Calum Gallagher (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers).
Calum Gallagher (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Rudi Skacel (Raith Rovers).
Hand ball by Stuart Carswell (Dumbarton).
Ross McCrorie (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Kyle Benedictus (Raith Rovers).
Substitution, Dumbarton. Tom Lang replaces Andy Stirling.
Attempt saved. Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Rudi Skacel (Raith Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Dumbarton. Ross McCrorie replaces Samuel Stanton.
Attempt missed. Rudi Skacel (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a set piece situation.
Ryan Stevenson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Mark Docherty (Dumbarton).
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Kevin McHattie.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Rudi Skacel replaces Jason Thomson.
Foul by Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton).
Jason Thomson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Corner,  Raith Rovers. Conceded by Stuart Carswell.
Attempt blocked. Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution, Dumbarton. Calum Gallagher replaces Christian Nade because of an injury.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Scott Roberts replaces Bobby Barr.
Goal!  Raith Rovers 1, Dumbarton 3. Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Andy Stirling with a cross.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Jean-Yves Mvoto.
Attempt blocked. Christian Nade (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Ryan Stevenson replaces Chris Johnston.
Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers).
Calum Gallagher (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Goal!  Raith Rovers 1, Dumbarton 2. Daniel Harvie (Dumbarton) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Jean-Yves Mvoto.
Foul by Ryan Hardie (Raith Rovers).
Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jason Thomson (Raith Rovers).
Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Ross Matthews (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Andy Stirling (Dumbarton) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!  Raith Rovers 1, Dumbarton 1. Christian Nade (Dumbarton) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner.


David Warner made his maiden double century as Australia piled up 416-2 against New Zealand on the first day of the second Test at the Waca.

The left-hander hit an unbeaten 244 off 272 balls, with 22 fours and two sixes.
Usman Khawaja also scored a century (121) in a second-wicket stand of 302, as the hosts dominated in Perth.
Warner also hit centuries in both innings of the first Test of the series, which Australia lead 1-0, and averages 261.5 in the series to date.
"He was outstanding," Khawaja told ABC Radio. "I was shocked when he got his third hundred in a row. That's pretty impressive - not many people can do that.
"I just kept telling him he's a genius and he is, he's on fire. The way he's batting at the moment, he's making it look so easy.
"Test cricket isn't easy, no matter who you play against. It's just really nice to watch. I hope it continues for a long time - you don't want to waste good form."


Facebook has added selfie video filters to its Messenger app, similar to Snapchat's Lenses feature.

The software includes thousands of masks and special effects that are applied in real-time to video chats.
Facebook said it made the move because the "camera is now replacing the keyboard" in the way that users communicate.
One expert noted that chat apps are becoming increasingly feature-laden, as the industry becomes more competitive.
"Every time one messaging provider brings out new features, the others need to react quickly," said Ben Wood at the CCS Insight consultancy.
"This is undoubtedly Messenger reacting to the challenge it has from rivals such as Snapchat."
Snapchat used to charge its users to access its lenses but made them free in January. However, it continues to make money from the facility by charging brands to feature their "sponsored" versions.
Facebook reportedly tried and failed to buy Snapchat for $3bn (Â£1.6bn) in 2013. The smaller firm has had particular success at attracting younger users.
Facebook has since faced criticism for alleged "copycat" tactics, adding features to its products that Snapchat had already had success with. Recently, the Guardian pulled together a list of several examples.
"The way people share today is different than it was five or even two years ago, not only on our platform, but across any social media platform," a spokesman for Messenger said when the BBC asked about the matter.
"Facebook continues to have the largest global audience of teens and millennials [...] so we want to cater to these changes."
Mr Wood also noted how the rise of "over-the-top" messaging services that use mobile data had caused a decline in SMS messaging.
"Network operators who have seen text messaging revenues crater as consumers have figured out it's far better to use an over-the-top service," he told the BBC.


Robbie Brady said scoring the goal that sent the Republic of Ireland into the last 16 at Euro 2016 felt like "an out-of-body experience".

Media playback is not supported on this device
His 85th-minute header gave the Republic a 1-0 win over Italy and set up a tie with France in Lyon on Sunday.
"What a moment for everyone involved. I am over the moon. I am emotional," said midfielder Brady.
"I grew up waiting to play at [the Euros]. I don't think we've anything to fear this weekend. Roll on France."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Wes Hoolahan missed a glorious chance shortly before his superb left-footed cross from the right allowed Norwich team-mate Brady to secure the Republic's place in the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
"We stuck at it and put in a great performance and in the end got the result we deserved," said 24-year-old Brady.
"We said we were going to do a job and we did it. To do it in front of my family is great.
"This was the last chance for us to push ourselves through. It has been a two-year project and we were not going to give up.
"All the plaudits to Wes Hoolahan as well. He put it right on my head. I would have done well to miss it."
Republic manager Martin O'Neill, who celebrated on the pitch with his players at the final whistle, said: "I thought the chance had gone when the goalkeeper saved from Wes.
"I didn't want it to be one of those nights of 'if only'.
"We deserved to win it. We dominated for periods of the game and played some phenomenal stuff."
He added: "There is a great spirit among the players.
"Spirit alone won't win you games. You have to have ability and we have shown that.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"Some players have come of age. We keep going; the players never give up."
France beat the Republic in the World Cup play-off in 2009 when Thierry Henry handled the ball in the build-up to William Gallas' winning goal in the two-legged tie.
"It is great for us because we are playing the host nation," said O'Neill.
"France are very strong. They will be favourites. It will be a big test for us, but one we are looking forward to immensely."
Brady added: "We can go as far as we allow ourselves in this tournament."


Solutions to prevent flooding on a road closed several times after heavy rain are being "urgently" sought.

Dorset County Council hopes a proposal will be in place for West Stafford bypass between Dorchester and Crossways by the spring.
It said there was a "clear need" to find a solution.
The road was built 20 years ago but high ground water levels and surface water and silt from neighbouring land have made it increasingly flood prone.
Andy Canning, from the council, said the existing drainage was no longer working.
He added: "The county council is very aware of the problem at West Stafford.
"It is great news for local residents that a team has been appointed to work on options to stop future flooding.  I particularly welcome the commitment to solve this problem before next winter."
The council said it was also working with Natural England and the Environment Agency and speaking with local landowners.


The number of families facing homelessness in Bristol more than trebled in the past year, according to Bristol City Council.

It said it had placed 140 families in emergency accommodation at a cost of Â£3.2m. Last year the figure was 40.
It blamed "shortages in affordable housing, rising rents in the private rental market and welfare reform".
The Department for Work and Pensions said it was "completely misleading" to blame homelessness on welfare reform.
Labour councillor Naomi Rylatt said: "There's a fight for the property we have in Bristol,
"So rents for the private rental go up and people who are in long-term permanent work then can't afford the rent they're being charged. They then find themselves homeless."
Mother-of-two Ria Stevenson found herself homeless earlier this year when she was unable to afford temporary accommodation offered to her by the council.
She said: "When I got there [to the temporary accommodation] and was ready to sign the forms, they said it would cost me, I think it was Â£803 for the month.
"Because I wasn't entitled to housing benefit... I'd have to cover all that myself, which was unaffordable. I couldn't do it, so I ended up being homeless."
The council report said: "Factors including the shortage of affordable housing in Bristol, rising rents in the private rental market and welfare reform have led to a significant increase in the amount of accommodation that is 'spot purchased' to meet our statutory duties to house people on an emergency basis."
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "There are many reasons for homelessness and to suggest that they are due to welfare reform is completely misleading.
"We provided almost Â£500m to local councils to support people transitioning to our reforms and have already seen those affected by them take action by moving into work or downsizing."
Bristol is run by an independent mayor with a cabinet of councillors from different parties. Labour holds the largest number of seats on the city council.


An SNP MSP has warned that a probe over £150,000 given to the T in the Park music festival should not turn into a witch hunt.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
29 September 2015 Last updated at 09:53 BST
George Adam was speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme ahead of Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop being quizzed about the government money.
Earlier in the programme, Labour MSP Alex Rowley said there needed to be greater clarity on the matter.
Mr Adam responded by saying: "I listened to Alex Rowley's interview and I was quite disappointed because Alex is normally very reasonable.
"He has almost made it sound as if it is a witch hunt with the individuals that we are talking about here, making unfounded allegations."


Jockey Barry Geraghty has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival after sustaining injuries in a heavy fall at Kempton on Saturday.

The 37-year-old suffered a punctured lung and six broken ribs in a fall from odds-on favourite Charli Parcs in the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle.
"I'm obviously devastated to miss the Festival," Geraghty told At The Races.
"There were so many good horses to look forward to as JP McManus' team all look in particularly good shape."
The Irishman said the evening of the fall had been "pretty rough".
"I've broken ribs individually before but never had six go all at the same time," he added.
"I'll be in hospital for a few more days but once the lung improves my recovery should be straightforward."
The jockey has ridden at least one winner at each of the past 15 stagings of the Cheltenham Festival, and is second on the top Festival jockeys' list on 34 wins, 18 behind Ruby Walsh.
He was due to ride a string of big-name horses owned by McManus, including hurdlers Unowhatimeanharry and Yanworth.
Geraghty needs a drain to remove liquid from a punctured lung, but hopes to be back in time for Aintree in April.
BBC Sport horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght.
After a whole lot of four-legged stars were ruled out of Cheltenham, now a major two-legged casualty.
With major Festival wins on big-name runners like Moscow Flyer, Kicking King, Bobs Worth, Sprinter Sacre, Jezki and More Of That, Geraghty is one of the fixture's most reliable and consistent performers of recent years.
And he's that rarity, a jockey who's lifted all of the fixture's 'Big 4' trophies - the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle and Gold Cup - more than once.
McManus' number two jockey Mark Walsh is set to be the main beneficiary of Geraghty's misfortune.


Labour would create an £80m fund to pay for new NHS drugs, First Minister Carwyn Jones has announced.

He made the pledge during a visit to St Asaph, Denbighshire, after a lengthy political row over the use of a so-called cancer drugs fund by UK ministers in England.
Over the last assembly term Conservatives pressed Mr Jones's Welsh Government to adopt the same scheme.
The scheme in England is being revamped this summer.
He said the Labour proposal was different  because it was "including but not limited to cancer".
Mr Jones said new medicines were being developed on an "almost weekly basis" but many were very expensive.
"The money will be made available for drugs that have been approved, so that the cost issue will have been addressed, and it means that people across Wales will have access to new approved drugs as quickly as possible, regardless of where they live," he said.
The Welsh Conservatives have said they would create a £100m cancer patients' fund if they win the election, while Plaid Cymru's election manifesto promises £50m for a "New Medicines and Treatment Fund".
The Liberal Democrats said they would extend the Health Technologies Fund, which pays for specific new NHS equipment, to cover medicines too.
UKIP are planning a specific cancer strategy for Wales, including a dedicated cancer nurse for each patient diagnosed with the disease.
Plaid health spokeswoman Elin Jones said most problems for patients were caused by "unfair processes".
"Plaid Cymru would create national panels and get rid of the exceptionality criteria in order to ensure universal access for patients where they need it and when they need it," she said.
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said Labour politicians could not be trusted on the issue of life-saving drugs.
"They've just spent the last five years in government here in Cardiff refusing to bring a cancer drugs fund forward, and many patients have had to go over to England to get post codes so they can access cancer drugs that have in many instances saved their lives, or at least given them valuable time with their family, and now with an election coming on Labour have pulled this one out.
Why would you trust them now with an election round the corner?"


A widely used location-tracking system can be intercepted or fooled with fake data, claims a security researcher.

Many firms use Globalstar's satellite-based system to keep an eye on trucks, cars, containers and ships as they move around.
However, said Colby Moore from security firm Synack, the way it passes data around is "fundamentally broken" making it vulnerable to attack.
Globalstar has not yet issued any comment on Mr Moore's findings.
Mr Moore said the problems with Globalstar's network arise because it does not encrypt the data passing between devices and satellites. Instead, he said, the system attempts to conceal what it does by changing frequencies and padding transmissions with useless data.
The system also does not check that data was coming from where it claimed, he said.
"I ended up figuring out how to decode the data in transit," Mr Moore told Reuters, adding that it might prove hard to fix the flaws as existing hardware was not easy to update.
Globalstar has been told about the flaws, he added, but so far has not issued any updates or fixes.
Attackers can easily find out these flaws, he said, making it easy to spoof data or keep an eye on assets being tracked. Organised crime gangs, police and intelligence agencies might already be listening in, he said.
Mr Moore is planning to release more details about his work at the Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas next week. This month has seen the early release of other investigations into the security of cars and Android phones that will also feature at Black Hat.
Earlier this week, security experts from Zimpherium released some information about a vulnerability that affected almost one billion Android handsets. Google has produced a patch for the bug but many handsets have yet to have it applied.
Last week, in separate demonstrations, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek from security firm IOActive and Andy Davis from the UK's NCC Group showed how it was possible to attack some makes of car via their entertainment systems.
The IOActive work led car maker Chrysler to issue a recall of more than 1.4 million vehicles to patch the software hole.


The US government has joined a lawsuit against Lance Armstrong after talks with his lawyers broke down.

The suit argues Armstrong defrauded the American public by insisting he was not using drugs while riding for the publicly funded US Postal Service team.
Last month, Armstrong admitted using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.
The suit, filed by his former team-mate Floyd Landis, aims to recover sponsorship money from Armstrong.
"Lance Armstrong and his cycling team took more than $30m from the US Postal Service based on their contractual promise to play fair and abide by the rules - including the rules against doping," said Ronald C Machen Jr, US Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"The Postal Service has now seen its sponsorship unfairly associated with what has been described as 'the most sophisticated, professionalised, and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen'.
"This lawsuit is designed to help the Postal Service recoup the tens of millions of dollars it paid out based on years of broken promises.
"In today's economic climate, the Postal Service is simply not in a position to allow Lance Armstrong or any of the other defendants to walk away with the tens of millions of dollars they illegitimately procured."
Armstrong's legal team had tried to convince the US government not to join the so-called 'whistleblowing' lawsuit filed by Landis, who himself admitted using drugs throughout his career.
"Lance and his representatives worked constructively over these last weeks with federal lawyers to resolve this case fairly, but those talks failed because we disagree about whether the Postal Service was damaged," said Armstrong's counsel Robert Luskin.
"The Postal Services's own studies show that the Service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship - benefits totalling more than $100m."
By flagging up allegations of fraud, Landis could receive a substantial share of any money recovered from Armstrong under the federal False Claims Act. The law, introduced by President Lincoln in 1863, stipulates the person bringing the lawsuit can receive 15-25% of any damages.
Armstrong ended years of denial in January during an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey in which he described doping as part of the process of winning the Tour.
The 41-year-old has since said he will not agree to be interviewed under oath by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada).
Armstrong was charged by Usada in June 2012 with using performance-enhancing drugs.
He filed a lawsuit against the organisation the following month, accusing it of "corrupt inducements" to other cyclists to testify against him.
However, Armstrong then announced in August that he would not fight the doping charges filed against him, and was given a life ban by Usada and stripped of his Tour de France titles.
Armstrong won seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. The US Postal Service sponsored the team between 1996 and 2004.


A hi-tech glass bridge is having to be jet washed every week to stop it from cracking.

The 34m-long walkway (113ft) links Castle Green to Goodland Gardens near the museum in Taunton, Somerset.
Unless it is kept clean, debris builds up between the panels and could lead to them breaking.
The cost of washing the bridge is about £10,000 a year and now council leaders are considering spending £11,000 on permanent repairs.
Norman Cavill, who is responsible for Taunton Deane Borough Council's economic development, said the jet washing has to be done because of the bridge's design.
He said: "Although some power washing was expected, it was certainly not expected that in between the glass and the edge so much detritus could build up and require a weekly wash.
"With the grit and the slight movement of some of the panes, they can delaminate which will then cause them to crack and look unsightly.
"Eventually they would fail, but they're a long way from ever letting anybody drop through them."
Permanent repairs involving the installation of spacers and silicone sealant to protect the glass will cost almost £24,000.
Just over half the cost will be paid for by contractor Britannia Construction.
Mr Cavill added: "For £11,000 Taunton Deane tax payers can improve the design and that should do away with the feature of jet washing."
The idea is due to be discussed at a council meeting later and it is hoped work will begin early next year.
The bridge won an award for engineering excellence last year.


Hong Kong has moved to weaken its currency for the first time in three years as demand from investors fleeing Western markets has caused a sharp increase in its value.

The Hong Kong dollar is fixed against its US counterpart and hit a high of HK$7.75 on Friday, the upper limit of its trading band.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority sold HK$4.67bn ($603m) of foreign bonds.
The Hong Kong dollar acts as a proxy between the US and Chinese markets.
Because of its status as a Chinese financial hub with its own currency and legal system, foreign investors generally consider Hong Kong as a gateway to mainland China and the yuan - a currency that is not freely tradeable.
Investment from people - including wealthy Chinese - fleeing the eurozone debt crisis and weak US economy have parked themselves in Hong Kong, which has seen its stocks and property market surge in value. The local Hang Seng index is close to a six-month high.
The Hong Kong dollar is allowed to trade in a band between HK$7.75 and HK$7.85 against the greenback.
The last time the HKMA intervened in its currency was in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis, when it moved to weaken the currency.


HSBC has said 2014 was a "challenging year" after reporting a 17% drop in profit to $18.7bn (£12.2bn).

The bank blamed the negative effect of $2.4bn in fines and settlements and UK customer redress for the sharp fall.
The results follow allegations, which emerged earlier this month, that HSBC had helped people evade UK tax using hidden HSBC accounts in Geneva.
HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver saw his overall pay for the year fall to £7.6m from £8.03m in 2013.
The lower total reflects a smaller bonus of £3.4m for the year, compared to £5.5m in 2013. Mr Gulliver said the lower bonus reflected "failures" linked to foreign exchange manipulation.
Chairman Douglas Flint's total pay increased to £2.5m from £2.4m for the year, but he did not receive a bonus.
Pressed after the results on whether he should have received a bonus, Mr Gulliver said his bonuses were subject to 100% clawback by the bank for seven years, enabling the bank to demand repayment "if anything turns up later that happened on my watch".
Mr Gulliver was also asked about the bank's policy on placing advertising in newspapers.
It follows an allegation made by the former chief political commentator at the Daily Telegraph who said that the newspaper avoided writing negative stories about HSBC, so as not to lose its advertising.
Mr Gulliver confirmed that HSBC does withdraw advertising from companies that publish negative editorial content.
But he said it was not an effort to influence newspapers' editorial decisions.
Mr Gulliver said: "We advertise in order to sell more banking products. We don't put adverts alongside hostile editorial coverage because we won't get any value for spending that advertising dollar."
And Mr Gulliver went on to describe the move as "just common sense" for HSBC's marketing team.
"There's nothing sinister to it at all. Genuinely, there is nothing beyond a commercial decision as to where we put our advertising."
HSBC's shares fell more than 5%, hitting their lowest level for two-and-a-half years, after it reported its fall in profit, which was larger than analysts had expected.
The drop in profitability was driven by $2.4bn in fines and customer compensation costs, largely connected to fines in connection with traders' attempted manipulation of foreign exchange rates and compensation for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance.
The bank has been streamlining its business in an attempt to boost earnings, and Mr Gulliver said it had now closed or sold 77 businesses and lost 50,000 jobs since he took the helm in 2011.
"For all the recent media furore around potential conduct issues, it is the 'underlying' performance which, we believe, should be the greatest cause of investor concern," said Investec analyst Ian Gordon.
In all the coverage of HSBC's Swiss private banking arm and Stuart Gulliver's banking arrangements (channelled through Switzerland and Panama), it is easy to miss the fact that HSBC has more broadly had a torrid year.
Its return on equity (the key marker of the return a bank is making on the money it invests) has fallen from 9.2% to 7.3%. Its earnings per share are down. Its operating expenses - the amount it costs to run the bank - are up 6.1%.
Fines and "redress" (in the main payments for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance) total £2.4bn. The bank has also raised significant concerns over Europe, saying that reform is "far less risky than going it alone".
No wonder HSBC's share price is down 5% this morning.
On Monday, HSBC reiterated its recent apology for the conduct of its Swiss private bank, saying the historical practices and behaviour were "unacceptable".
The bank said restoration of trust in the industry "remains a significant challenge as further misdeeds are uncovered but it is a challenge we must meet successfully".
"When commentators extrapolate instances of control failure or individual misconduct to question the culture of the firm, it strikes painfully at the heart of our identity," it added.
On Sunday, Mr Gulliver himself was dragged into the Swiss tax furore, with HSBC confirming he used a Swiss bank account to hold his bonuses.
The bank was responding to a report in the Guardian that Mr Gulliver has £5m in the account which he controls using a Panamanian company.
HSBC said he opened the account in 1998 when he was living and working in Hong Kong and full tax was paid in Hong Kong on the bonus payments.
On Monday, Mr Gulliver said he had never paid below the highest rate of UK tax on all his earnings since becoming chief executive.
"I'm UK tax resident, Hong Kong domiciled. I've paid full UK tax on the entirety of my worldwide earnings. It's not surprising as a 35-year HSBC veteran that I should be Hong Kong domiciled. I would expect to die abroad, which is a test of domicility," he added.
He said HSBC's computer system in the 1990s let everyone in the bank access the bank accounts of every other member of staff. As a result, he opened a bank account in Switzerland to hide his compensation from prying colleagues. He said he then used a Panamanian company to ensure HSBC staff in Switzerland also could not access his account.
"Really it was to enable me to have confidentiality in my own firm. There was no tax advantage," Mr Gulliver said.
The Financial Conduct Authority, HMRC, Swiss prosecutors and MPs on the Treasury Committee are looking into the allegations that HSBC helped people evade UK tax using hidden HSBC accounts in Geneva.
The former director of public prosecutions, Lord Ken Macdonald, has warned that HSBC has left itself open to criminal charges in the UK over the tax-dodging scandal.
The QC said there were strong grounds to investigate the bank for "cheating" HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).


A motorcyclist has died and two others have been seriously injured in a crash in East Sussex.

The 65-year-old crashed with a car on the A2100 Hastings Road in Telham, near Battle at about 21:40 BST on Wednesday.
The man, from St Leonards, died at the scene.
His pillion passenger, a woman aged 61, has life-threatening injuries and an 18-year-old man driving the car was seriously injured. They are being treated in hospital.


Kuwait has announced it is recalling its ambassador to Iran as a regional row over the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia deepens.

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran was ransacked and set alight on Saturday, after it executed Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others.
Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in response, followed on Monday by its allies Bahrain and Sudan.
The US, UN and Turkey are among those calling for calm in the region.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran are major rivals for power in the Middle East and back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
Saudi insists peace efforts should not be affected by the dispute but has criticised Iran's contribution to the process.
Iran has reiterated its condemnation of Saudi Arabia, with President Hassan Rouhani saying it cannot "hide its crime of beheading a religious leader by severing political relations with Iran".
The Saudi-US-Iran triangle: How crisis reflects deeply fractured Middle East
Great rivalry explained: Why don't Iran and Saudi Arabia get along?
Spiralling tensions: Why crisis is 'most dangerous for decades'
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Who was leading Saudi Shia cleric?
The Kuwaiti government said it was recalling its ambassador from the Iranian capital, describing the attacks as a "flagrant breach of international norms".
It did not expel Tehran's ambassador or downgrade diplomatic ties.
Saudi Arabia's unexpected decision to carry out the executions - following convictions over terror offences - prompted an expression of "deep dismay" from the UN secretary general, while the US accused Saudi of exacerbating tensions "at a time when they urgently need to be reduced".
But since then, Saudi Arabia has gained support from some allies in its response to the attacks on its missions in Tehran and the Iranian city of Mashhad.
Saudi authorities on Sunday severed diplomatic relations with Iran. They said that all commercial and air traffic links were being cut and that Saudi citizens were banned from travelling to Iran.
Bahrain's transport ministry also suspended all flights to and from Iran on Tuesday, the official Bahrain News Agency reported.
As well as the moves by Bahrain, Sudan and Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has downgraded its diplomatic team in Iran.
And on Monday, the UN Security Council issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack on the Saudi embassy - making no mention of the execution of the cleric.
However, several of the smaller Gulf Arab states have good working relationships with Iran, and two of them, Oman and Qatar, have yet to take any action at all, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.
Sunnis and Shia: Islam's ancient schism
Protests against Saudi Arabia have erupted outside Iran, including in Shia-majority Bahrain, where nonetheless Sunni authorities moved to express solidarity with Saudi, clamping down on demonstrations.
Iran has responded angrily to the diplomatic moves, insisting it had no hand in the violent protests that followed the execution.
Earlier, in New York, Saudi UN ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi accused Iran of "interfering in the affairs of other countries, including our own", and "taking provocative and negative positions".
The UN's special international envoy for peace in Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is holding talks in both countries and will be hoping the storm will blow over before a major peace conference on Syria is held towards the end of the month, our correspondent reports.


Welsh cyclist Ciara Horne says she needs psychological help before returning to road training after being knocked off her bike while commuting.

The double European champion said she fears she suffered a fractured wrist in the incident on Thursday but knows she "escaped serious injury".
The 27-year-old - Team GB's reserve as they won 2016 Olympic Team Pursuit gold in Rio - said she had lost confidence.
"It's frightening and has made me question my safety," she said.
The full-time physiotherapist was riding from her home in Cardiff to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant when the accident happened.
She was rushed to hospital in an ambulance with severe cuts and bruises and will have an MRI scan on a suspected fracture of the scaphoid, a bone in the wrist, on Monday.
Miss Horne has had "get well soon" wishes from British cycling greats Jo Rowsell Shand, Laura Trott and Geraint Thomas since the incident near Pontyclun Fire Station in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
"As the car pulled from a side road straight out in front of me, I couldn't swerve or break in time so hit it," she recalled.
"I bounced off the windscreen. As I crashed to the floor, my head was spinning and couldn't close my jaw. I was pretty hysterical.
"The man in the car behind me stopped and rung my mum. He said it was 'spectacular' and I was 'lucky to be alive' so I'm blessed to still be here."
Miss Horne competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and is expected to be in the Welsh cycling squad, including Olympic gold medal winner Elinor Barker, that is among the favourites to win the four-rider, 4km team pursuit title at next year's Commonwealths in Australia.
But she told the BBC: "It's frightening and has made me question my safety.
"I have lost a lot of confidence on the road. I know I should get straight back on the road but I will need the help of the brilliant Sport Wales psychologists who I can talk to, to build my belief back up.
"You don't ever think something like this is going to happen to you, it gave me one hell of a fright.
"My fitness is good, but I need to work on the mental side now and have a phased return to the road.
"I have a lot of soft tissue injuries and I know they take time to heal, often longer than broken bones."
Miss Horne has stepped away from British Cycling in Manchester to work full-time, as well as being funded by Welsh Cycling and training in Newport.
She will now take inspiration from fellow Welsh rider Becky James, the former double world champion, who recovered from a cancer scare and a chronic knee condition to win two silver medals at last year's Rio Olympics.
"Her Olympic silvers were like gold," said Miss Horne. "She came back from numerous injuries and I hope I can do something similar. She's an inspiration.
"It's all about the journey and learning from adversity to come back stronger."


Hearts' return to the Scottish Premiership is "good" for the top flight's profile, according to SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster.

Robbie Neilson's side will unfurl the Championship flag on Sunday before taking on St Johnstone in their first game back in the top flight.
"There's real anticipation this year," Doncaster told BBC Radio Scotland.
"It's good for the profile of the top tier to have the very biggest city clubs back."
Neilson has said a top-six finish would represent success for the Edinburgh club this season.
Doncaster believes the exciting drama of last season augurs well for the new campaign.
"After such an exciting end to last season: we had Aberdeen pushing Celtic close at the top and we had an incredible battle at the bottom of the Premiership with the top of the Championship in the play-offs; absolutely endorsing the decision the clubs made a couple of years ago to create them," he said.
"With Hearts returning to the top tier, you've still got Rangers and Hibernian in the Championship and I'm sure there'll be as much tension in the Championship this year as there was last.
"Who knows where Hearts will be this year?
"The league never gets to choose the clubs that appear at any level of the game. Last year was incredible to have Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers - three huge clubs - in the second tier.
"We welcome Hearts back this year and a lot of people will be looking to see how Robbie Neilson gets on."
Doncaster also responded to reports that the SPFL has been inundated by complaints that all 10 in League Two clubs will be worse off as a result of corporate hospitality and advertising requirements in the ruling body's new £2m sponsorship agreement with Ladbrokes.
"I read that I was inundated with complaints which seemed a bit hyperbolic," he said.
"I had two clubs who emailed me with some queries on the deal. There is a concern about the distribution model and the way in which the sponsorship revenue is divvied up.
"But the reality is that if you look at broadcasting revenue, that gets divvied up amongst all 42 clubs and League Two clubs don't put anything into that deal.
"So, I think it's a fair distribution model and has delivered more money for clubs than under the old split league system - with the SFL operating independently of the SPL - I think the vast majority of clubs are delighted with the way the merger has panned out and the way the SPFL is operating.
"The overall response I've had from the majority of clubs has been overwhelmingly positive."


A former colleague of Lord Brittan has hit out at the "wicked insinuations" surrounding his handling of historical child abuse allegations.

Lord Deben, who, as John Gummer, served alongside the former home secretary in government in the 1980s, said claims he had failed to properly investigate a dossier of allegations "was obviously not true".
Those who believed to the contrary should supply "real evidence" or "shut up", the Tory peer told the BBC.
Lord Brittan died on Wednesday aged 75.
Tributes have been paid in the House of Lords to Lord Brittan, a key figure in Margaret Thatcher's government and later a European Commissioner, after his death from cancer.
Lord Brittan recently faced questions over his handling of child abuse allegations, centring on a dossier on alleged high-profile paedophiles handed to him in the early 1980s by former Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens.
It was claimed that the dossier containing the allegations had been "destroyed" by officials although Lord Brittan insisted the proper procedures had been followed and a review last year found no evidence that records were deliberately removed or destroyed.
Lord Brittan said he had received a "substantial bundle of papers" from Mr Dickens, which he had asked Home Office officials to examine and "report back to me" if "action needed to be taken".
The review failed to locate "the Dickens Dossier", or any clear evidence of what Lord Brittan had done after receiving it.
Lord Deben, who served in a number of ministerial roles during the Thatcher government as well as being Conservative chairman, said he did not believe the dossier consisted of any "detailed, well thought-out list of work or real research".
It was more likely to have been made up of "bits and pieces" and newspaper cuttings, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"It was dealt with as any secretary of state would deal with it," he said. "But the subject is so disgraceful, awful and appalling that people, not realising that, would be asking, 'Why wasn't it dealt with in some special way?'"
Suggestions that Lord Brittan had sought to cover up the allegations in any way was completely false, he said.
"Anyone who knew him knew that it was not the nature of the man. He was very direct in saying that was not true and it was not true.
"Anyone who does not have real evidence should recognise it is a wicked thing to do to make allegations about anybody even if you don't like their politics.
"I do think that, particularly, politicians making innuendoes and insinuations, in order to make it look as if they know something when they don't, should shut up. If they do know something they should come forward directly and give that information."
Speaking in the Lords, former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Fowler said it was "inconceivable" that Lord Brittan would have been involved in any kind of cover-up.
"I hope, now he is dead, people will not use the release from libel to attack his reputation," he said. "He certainly does not deserve that."
In October Fiona Woolf, the government's chosen head of the wider public inquiry into child sexual abuse, stepped down over criticism of her links with the Conservative peer.
Her predecessor, Lady Butler-Sloss, also stepped down after questions were raised about her independence and potential conflicts of interest.
Labour has said there is "no choice" but to restart the inquiry with a new chair and statutory powers, since survivors of abuse risk being "let down".
Home Secretary Theresa May has said she will announce the new head, powers and structure of the inquiry by the end of January.
But the BBC's home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said the inquiry was in disarray, with no chair and the panel members in disagreement with each other.
The "clock was ticking" for the inquiry, he added, given that it was dealing with allegations stretching back to the 1950s, and those in positions of authority at the time who were still alive were nearing the end of their lives.


A woman who was seriously hurt in a fatal hen party motorway crash is now helping other major trauma victims rebuild their lives.

Sarah Johnson was one of 21 women heading to Liverpool when their minibus was hit by a lorry on the M62.
Her friend Bethany Jones, 18, was killed while Ms Johnson and several others were badly hurt.
Minibus driver James Johnson was jailed for more than six years for causing Bethany's death, in April 2013.
Ms Johnson, who broke her shoulder, back and pelvis, said the help she received from a charity while in hospital led her to want to support others.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the crash, Ms Johnson described how everyone was "excited and giddy" for the hen party.
"To me the impact was just a massive explosion," she said.  "I thought the bus had blown up.
"I remember the bus dropping on its side. The next thing, I woke up on the roadside so I'd actually come out of the window."
Ms Johnson was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where she, along with Bethany's sister Amy Firth, underwent major surgery and spent time in intensive care.
Whilst she was there she got support from charity Day One, which helps victims of major trauma.
She said: "It's absolutely fantastic.
"It supports people by giving benefit advice, legal advice and peer support such as me and Amy, who have been in similar situations and who are now helping other people who've suffered from major trauma."
Ms Johnson said the crash had made her realise how lucky she had been.
"Beth can't complain, she's not here," she added.  "We just have to be grateful for what we've got."


A man accused of raping a drunken student had role-played a similar scenario while volunteering with a student support service, a court heard.

Alistair Cooke, 22, who studied at Durham University, denies raping a woman after a house party in June 2015.
The third-year geography student, from Perranarworthal, Cornwall, is said to have followed the woman home.
He found her sleeping on a couch before taking her to bed, Durham Crown Court was told.
Cooke was a volunteer with the Nightline student listening service and during his training he role-played being accused of raping a drunken woman after following her home, Durham Crown Court heard.
Words he used in response to being accused of raping the woman were said to be similar to those he used during the training session with the volunteer service.
The complainant, who gave evidence from behind a screen in the witness box, has accused Cooke of raping her when she was "very drunk".
She told the jury she can only remember him putting on a condom.
Two days after the alleged rape, the woman texted Cooke saying: "You hurt me."
As part of a series of text messages which followed, he told her: "At the time I definitely was not in a clear state of mind but never felt I got any signals (from) you that it was wrong.
"Now I feel shady and more in the grey and that makes me worried and a bit sick."
Later on the day she alleged she was raped, the woman texted a friend to ask how drunk she had been at the party.
The friend replied that the woman had been unable to walk or have a coherent conversation, the jury was told.
The trial continues.


Three men who dressed in capes, masks and camouflage gear before holding a gun to a schoolboy's head have been warned they face jail terms.

Adam Parkin, Kieran McIntyre and Liam Scott set upon four boys, aged 14 and 15, who were camping in woods on the outskirts of Dundee in March last year.
They pulled the boys out of their tents in a "terrifying" attack before demanding valuables.
The three men, all from Dundee, pleaded guilty to assault and robbery.
Scott and Parkin admitted further charges of possessing an air rifle without lawful authority on 7 March 2014.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that the four boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were camping in Baldragon Woods in Clatto Country Park when they were attacked.
Twenty-year-old McIntyre along with Scott and Parkin - who are both 19 - sat the boys on rocks and shone torches in their eyes, the court was told.
One of the boys had the barrel of a rifle put against the back of his head by Parkin who took him into this tent to get his mobile phone.
The group were then ordered to stay in their tents until sunrise or they "would be shot".
One of the men later told police it was "intended as a joke".
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the court the boys were left "fearing for their lives" by the attack.
"All of the males were dressed in camouflage, military-style clothing with faces masked and only eyes visible.
"Parkin was also wearing a cape and was described as being 'like the leader'," she said.
The teenage campers were forced to hand over mobile phones, cash and cigarettes,
Miss Robertson added: "The boys described the incident as 'shocking' saying they were 'in fear for their lives', 'shaken', 'terrified', and 'frightened'."
Lawyers for the three men said they were "extremely apologetic", "disgusted" and "extremely contrite".
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC deferred sentence until January for psychological assessments on Parkin as well as further reports on the other two.
She said: "These were terrifying offences. In my view it is quite clear that these offences justify custody."


The Egyptian-born Nobel-winning scientist Ahmed Zewail has died in the US, aged 70.

Mr Zewail won the Nobel chemistry prize in 1999 for his pioneering work in femtochemistry, the study of chemical reactions in ultra-short time scales.
A professor at the California Institute of Technology, he was a science advisor to President Obama and the first Arab scientist to win the Nobel Prize.
Mr Zewail became a naturalised American in 1982 after studying there.
No immediate cause of death was given.
In 40 years working at the the California Institute of Technology , he experimented with lasers to monitor chemical reactions at a scale of a femtosecond, which is a millionth of a billionth of a second.
He is also credited with developing a new research field dubbed four-dimensional electron microscopy, which helps capture fleeting processes and turn them into a kind of digital film.
Mr Zewail was appointed US science envoy to the Middle East, and became outspoken on political issues in his native country.
In 2014, he wrote an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times that urged the US to avoid cutting aid to Egypt after a military coup that ousted the elected president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
He argued that constructive engagement was important in keeping Egypt as a partner in the war on terrorism.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi expressed his condolences over the death, saying the country had lost a son and role model.


A sales manager who embezzled more than £73,000 from his former employer has been jailed for a year.

Two clients paid money directly into Jonathan Green's bank accounts thinking they were settling bills with Graham Builders Merchants in Dundee.
The fraud was uncovered when the company noticed the discrepancies and challenged the 45-year-old.
A court was told that Green, from Letham, Angus had repaid the money in full from his pension fund.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told previously that Green worked for the firm as a sales manager for over a year.
Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed said the first client paid £7,763 into Green's bank account.
Miss Rasheed said: "When his employer chased the sum with the client, the accused told them he would 'fix it.'"
The court heard that a second client made three payments totalling £65,622 into Green's bank account.
After Green's employer noticed the discrepancy he wrote a letter of apology and said he had been in "financial difficulties."
Green admitted embezzling £73,386 from Graham Builders Merchants in Dundee between August 2011 and July 2012, while employed there as a contract sales manager.
Ross Bennett, defending, said Green had been sacked by the company when the fraud came to light and the money had been repaid in full.
He said that while £73,000 had been paid into Green's account, he had only kept £23,000 and forwarded the remainder to Graham Builders Merchants
Mr Bennett said: "This is very much a one-off. I would be surprised if Mr Green was ever in court again.
"If he is given a fine it will have to be a significant one."
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC told Green: "You are well-thought-of, a family man, and a first-time offender.
"But I have to look at the amount embezzled, which was over a prolonged period of time.
"The sentence must deter others and a period of custody is inevitable."


A 16-year-old boy has been arrested at Windsor Park in south Belfast on suspicion of possession of a firework or flare.

He is being questioned by police.
The stadium was hosting the Irish Cup semi-final on Saturday afternoon, between home side Linfield and Lurgan Celtic.


A Scottish conductor spent five years working with the Iraqi National Youth Orchestra, a venture that began while he was having a quiet pint in an Edinburgh pub.

Paul MacAlindin went out to Iraqi Kurdistan in 2008 after spotting a young pianist's plea for help to set up the orchestra.
Over the next five years he worked with dozens of youngsters, most of whom had never played as part of a group before.
They had several successful concert tours including an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival, but the project collapsed when Iraq was plunged into a new phase of conflict.
"It all started when I was having fish and chips and a pint in a pub in Edinburgh," says MacAlindin.
"There was this copy of the Herald on the table and the headline read 'Iraqi teen seeks maestro for orchestra'. It was the story of Zuhal Sultan who was a 17-year-old pianist.
"She wanted to create a national youth orchestra bringing together young players from across the whole country to act as a symbol of unification and reconciliation and also, most importantly, to deliver some sort of music education summer camp to these young people at a time they had nothing.
"I answered this call for help without really knowing what I was getting myself into."
The conductor adds: "All the reporting on Iraq that I'd seen painted a picture of violence but told me nothing about the people who were being attacked. I wanted to answer the question, who are these young people?"
MacAlindin's first step was to set up music tuition summer camps which were run in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
Between 33 and 46 youngsters were recruited on to the course each year, after auditioning on YouTube, with their ages ranging from 14 to 29. All places were fully subsidised with priority given to the best musicians who would be able to pass their skills on to others.
"Their talent was incredibly intuitive and natural and unformed because there were no teachers," says MacAlindin, whose new book on the project, Upbeat, has been published by Dingwall-based Sandstone Press.
"These people were teaching themselves by downloading fingering, exercises and music from the internet and just trying to make the best of it with their deep love of classical music.
"It was very tough at the very beginning when many of the musicians had never played with others before. They were playing to themselves in living rooms in some cases because it was too dangerous to go out. So the first orchestra was incredibly raw but year after year they got better and better."
Iraq is a divided society and that was reflected in the orchestra.
MacAlindin says: "The Kurds couldn't speak Arabic to the Arabs and the Arabs couldn't speak Kurdish to the Kurds.
"This language barrier in the orchestra - which was about 50-50 - meant we had to bring in a highly-skilled translation team so that communication was fluent and fluid and people felt confident that people weren't saying bad things about them.
"It took two years for them to get a handle on what the orchestra course was and what we expected of them. It was about unlearning what they were used to which is corruption, incompetence and political strife.
"And once they realised we had created this little utopian bubble for them and all we cared about was making music, they started dropping their guard and making friends with each other and trusting that we had their musical best interests at heart.
"And the way in which these young people just drove their passion forward is something I have never seen in a European player before."
MacAlindin says the feeling of finally getting up on to the stage after all their hard work to play works by Beethoven and others is something he will never forget.
"It was murderously difficult getting there but at the end of the day the relief of standing up in front of an audience in Iraq, in Edinburgh or Cologne was enormous," he says.
"We could make music after years of preparation and enjoy ourselves and receive well-deserved applause."
In 2014, the orchestra had hoped to tour America but war intervened.
"It all wound up about as badly as it possibly could for me," says MacAlindin.
"There was a perfect storm which was driven by the invasion of Isil [so-called Islamic State] into Iraq - which cut the country in half.
"We'd been making our big attempt to get to America, but that was our final breakthrough that we didn't make.
"I was left completely and utterly devastated and floored when the project folded, which left me with the job of rebuilding my own life. And part of that was to write the book and look back on all we had achieved."
He adds: "The good news is that every player is physically still safe. Some have managed to get out and claim asylum in Europe or America. But many are still back in Iraq.
"They are still making music but they are all far from safe for as long as Isil exists.
"All I can hope for is that they will remember what we learnt together and they will remember that shared feeling of success we had on the concert platform and they'll be able to take that learning and that positivity into Iraq's future and help rebuild this culture."


There are reports that David Beckham's eldest son, Brooklyn, has signed for Chelsea's youth side.

13 year-old Brooklyn, the eldest of Beckham's four kids, was pictured having a trial on Tuesday at Chelsea's Cobham training base in Surrey.
It's thought he took part in an under-14 training match.
Brooklyn's dad David isn't with a club at the moment and is working out where he'd like to play next. Some think he may join a Premier League side.
When dad David was playing for American side LA Galaxy, Brooklyn was in the youth team there.


Catalan separatist parties say their victory in regional elections on Sunday gives them a mandate to push for independence from Spain.

The Madrid government has reaffirmed its opposition to a vote on secession, noting that nationalists failed to get a majority of Catalonia's popular vote.
The main separatist alliance and a small pro-independence party won 72 of the 135 regional parliament seats.
Despite their parliamentary majority, separatists got 47.8% of votes cast.
Catalonia has 7.5 million people and provides about one-fifth of Spain's national output (GDP).
"Catalans have voted yes to independence," Catalan regional President Artur Mas told cheering supporters.
"We have a clear, absolute majority in the Catalan parliament to go ahead," Mr Mas added.
His "Junts pel Si" (Together For Yes) coalition has vowed to implement a "roadmap" to achieve an independent Catalan state within 18 months.
The future of Catalonia is expected to be a crucial issue in Spain's general election in December.
The turnout of 78% was a record for a regional vote in Catalonia.
A spokesman for Spain's ruling conservatives, the Popular Party (PP), argued that the separatists had "failed" by not securing a majority of votes.
The PP's Pablo Casado said "this election should serve to end the independence debate once and for all".
Junts pel Si won 62 seats. It can secure a parliamentary majority by combining with the far-left separatist CUP party, which got 10 seats.
Pro-independence Catalans argue that their region gets an unfair deal, contributing too much tax to Madrid in return for insufficient state investment. In terms of GDP theirs is the richest region in Spain.
The result was more ambiguous than the positive rhetoric suggests. The pro-independence camp continues to say they are ready to break away from Spain, even in the face of strong opposition from the Spanish government.
But they know that would be controversial and complicated.  In truth, their aim is still to get a legally-recognised referendum.
So they will continue to pile the pressure on the government, safe in the knowledge that a Spanish general election is less than three months away.
A more fractured political landscape at the national level suggests there will either be a change in who holds power, or at least the position of the governing PP will be weakened.  And that might lead to a change of stance over the Catalan question in Madrid.
Catalonia's quarrel with Spain explained
Independence debate gets personal ahead of Spain vote
Opposition parties in Spain have criticised the PP's stance on Catalan independence.
Pablo Iglesias, leader of the left-wing protest party Podemos, said: "Only if our party governs in Spain can we build a country called Spain where there is also a place for a nation called Catalonia."
Podemos supports Catalonia's right to hold a referendum on independence, but does not want the region to break away.
Opinion polls suggest a majority of Catalans favour a referendum on independence but are evenly divided over whether to secede.
Liz Castro, chair of the Catalan National Assembly - a pro-independence civil society organisation - said she hoped Spain's government would be receptive to a negotiated separation.
"We hope that it's not going to be loggerheads.  We would like, very much, for it to be a stable negotiated agreement, not about whether or not there is independence, but about when," she told the BBC.
The pro-independence parties said ahead of the vote that they considered it a de facto referendum on independence from Spain.
They argue that the Spanish government has consistently refused to allow a legally recognised referendum to take place, ignoring an unofficial vote backing independence in November 2014.


Comedian Peter Kay has returned to the theatre where he worked in the box office before he was famous, to record a voice-over for its latest play.

Kay will be heard in Lighthearted Intercourse at the Bolton Octagon.
Maxine Peake, who started her acting career at the theatre, also returned to record lines as Kay's character's wife.
The play is a new version of one written by Bill Naughton. He was most famous for writing Alfie, which later became a film starring Michael Caine.
Lighthearted Intercourse has only been staged once, in Liverpool in 1971. In that production, William Roache, better known as Coronation Street's Ken Barlow, took the lead role as a young married man in 1920s Bolton.
Kay and Peake, who both hail from the town, have recorded parts as a "muckmiser" at the local sewage works and his wife.
Bolton Octagon artistic director David Thacker said: "It's a real pleasure for us to have Maxine and Peter back here at the Octagon.
"Both have a history at the theatre - Maxine's first professional production was at the Octagon and Peter worked in the box office - so it's great that they wanted to return for this project."
Naughton, who died in 1992, described the play as a "high comedy in low places" - but he was never completely happy with the finished product.
His widow Erna has now given Thacker a dozen draft scripts, as well as notes left by Naughton, in order to create a new version.
Thacker said: "Though it retains the title from the Liverpool Playhouse version, Erna Naughton considers the Octagon's Lighthearted Intercourse to be a world premiere."
Naughton's other plays included Spring and Port Wine, which was turned into a film starring James Mason, and The Family Way, which was filmed with John and Hayley Mills.
Lighthearted Intercourse is at Bolton Octagon until 3 November.


The number of cruise ship passengers stopping off in Orkney has increased massively in recent years but the tourist invasion has not all been plain sailing.

This year, 140 cruise liners will berth at Hatston pier, on the outskirts of Kirkwall, the biggest town on Orkney's mainland.
More than 130,000 tourists are expected during the season - between the start of April and the end of September - six times the population of the entire Orkney archipelago, which lies about 10 miles off Scotland's northern tip.
In 2011, the number of cruise line visits for the year was just 36,000.
The ships bringing tourists to Orkney range in size from a couple of hundred passengers to the huge MSC Preziosa, the biggest ship to have ever berthed there.
It arrived on 10 May with a capacity of 4,345 passengers and 1,400 crew, more than half the size of Kirkwall's population.
Jimmy Poke, who operates the shuttle bus service that takes passengers into the town, tells the BBC Scotland documentary Orkney: When The Boat Comes In that the increase in cruise ships has been a "very positive thing" for his business.
He says: "When we started we had one bus and now we have 23. It is not the only thing that keeps us in business but it's a huge factor in the summer time."
However, Jimmy admits that there is some "negativity" on the island, with shopkeepers saying they sometimes struggle to cope with the large influxes of people and complaining that many of the tourists are not big spenders.
Jimmy says: "I still think that if I wasn't involved in the industry I would be happy to see people here because I like the hustle and bustle of it all."
By 10:00 on the morning of the MSC Preziosa's arrival, 460 passengers have already been shuttled into town.
Judith Glue's shop on the high street, selling knitwear, gifts and jewellery, is doing good business.
She says: "I opened the shop when I was very young and I've seen lots of changes throughout the years particularly with the increase in the liner traffic.
"I think it has given us such a boost in the summer time to have all these people coming here.
"There is no way our town centre would look as good as it does if we did not have those cruise ships."
She says that the town is "absolutely dead" in January, February and March.
"There are no tourists here, it is as quiet as anything," Judith says.
"In order to survive the winter we do need these cruise ships."
By lunchtime, Jimmy is already shuttling passengers from the town to get back onboard the ship.
He says: "Sometimes people get annoyed because the food is all-inclusive on the ship so people go back at lunchtime and the cafes and restaurants in the town say they don't make a lot."
At Lolz, owner Lorraine Pilkington-Tait says she feels that the food industry does not do very well out of the liner passengers.
She surveys her crowded cafe and says: "Everybody is having teas and coffees. Nobody is eating any food.
"We get people coming in and having a cup of coffee, sitting on the wifi, they can stay hours.
"You can't exactly ask them to move on."
Lorraine also voices the opinion that the number of people visiting the island has spoiled some of its undiscovered magic.
She says: "Some friends of mine who used to come to Orkney feel these cruise liners are changing everything, it's spoiling it."
Recent research suggested that local business-owners were fairly positive about the impact of the liners and their passengers but much depended on which cruise ship was visiting.
High-spending passengers such as those who arrived on the recent Disney Magic cruise were seen to have the most positive benefit.
Jeweller Steven Cooper, owner of Aurora, says: "The jewellery side can be really good if you get people coming in and they want to buy a gold ring.
"I've had people buying a gold ring or a diamond for Â£1,000 but it tends to be more silver because they are generally buying it as gifts.
"Actually last year I had a passenger off a cruise ship who bought a gold bangle for Â£2,500. It's great when they do."
Steven adds: "Jewellery is ideally suited for cruise ship passengers because it is a small item which is not taking space up in their luggage.
"Over and above that they really like textiles, tartan products etc. That's quite a big part of the business."
One shop that does good business from the cruise liners but does not attract big spenders is the Clan Cancer Support charity shop.
Kayleigh Archibald says the crew from the liners seem to buy a lot of bedding and handbags.
She says most of the crew are from South Asia.
"They do a lot of shopping to take back to their families," Kayleigh says.
"The reason they come into charity shops is because it is a bit cheaper. Today they were buying bodywarmers because they were finding it a bit cold."
Orkney: When the Boat Comes In is on BBC One at 19:30 on Monday 31 July.


Internet giant Amazon's owner Jeff Bezos has made an amazing underwater discovery.

He says that he's found the engines from the Apollo 11 space rocket - the craft that carried the first men to the moon in 1969.
The five engines broke off from the spaceship after blast off and crashed somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
He's now planning on trying to bring one of them to the surface.
Mr Bezos paid for a team to use advanced sonar scanning equipment to track down the lost F-1 engines.
They were found 4,300 metres below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, but he hasn't said exactly where they were spotted.
In a blog post about the discovery he wrote: "I was five years old when I watched Apollo 11 unfold on television, and without any doubt it was a big contributor to my passions for science, engineering, and exploration."
He said he was going to ask Nasa, which owns the rockets, for permission to display one of the engines in the Museum of Flight in his home city of Seattle.


An urgent review of how lifejackets are tested has been recommended following the deaths of the skipper and two crew of a crab boat that sank last year.

The Stornoway-registered Louisa sank on 9 April as it lay at anchor in calm seas off Mingulay in the Western Isles.
An investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found the lifejackets the men were wearing did not function as they should have done.
The probe also highlighted a delay in the rescue effort.
The bodies of Chris Morrison, 27, from Harris, and Martin Johnstone, 29, from Halkirk, Caithness, were recovered following the sinking.
The body of skipper Paul Alliston, 42, from Lewis, was lost during a lifeboat crew's attempts to recover him and remains missing.
Only Lachlann Armstrong, 27, from Stornoway, Lewis, survived after swimming ashore.
The MAIB said the men who died in the incident were wearing approved lifejackets, but the survival aids did not work as would have been expected.
An urgent review of lifejacket testing protocols by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has been recommended by the MAIB in a newly-published report of its investigation.
Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents Steve Clinch said: "A lifejacket should turn an unconscious person onto their back and keep their airway clear of the water.
"It is therefore of concern that the skipper and two crew were tragically found unresponsive and face down in their lifejackets when the rescue services arrived on scene.
"The results of lifejacket trials undertaken by the MAIB and of lifejacket testing commissioned by the MCA following the accident strengthen that concern.
"Therefore, as a matter of urgency, I am recommending the MCA to conduct further research to confirm or otherwise the suitability of historical and extant lifejacket water performance test protocols."
The Louisa had been anchored close to shore in Mingulay Bay.
The skipper and crew, who had been working long hours before anchoring late the previous evening, were asleep onboard, said the MAIB.
Investigators believe the boat's deck wash hose flooded the hold and the crew were woken by the Louisa "sinking rapidly".
The four men escaped to the aft deck, activated the boat's emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and put on lifejackets.
However, they were unable to inflate the liferaft as they abandoned the vessel.
Louisa's EPIRB was detected and the coastguard was alerted.
But the MAIB said "confusion over terminology resulted in delays before search and rescue units were sent to the scene".
The investigation of the incident involved raising the wreck of the crab boat and taking it to Clydebank.
A spokeswoman for the MCA said: "This is a deeply tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the families of these fishermen, who've suffered a terrible loss.
"Saving lives at sea is our highest priority, and we strive to ensure that our search and rescue techniques are  continually reviewed in order to deliver an effective and efficient emergency response."
She added: "The MCA is continuing to collaborate with the MAIB on the contents of this report in order to address the recommendations put forward."
A spokesman for Louisa fishing vessel owners, Duncan and Murdo Kennedy, said: "The tragic events of 9 April 2016 resulted in the loss of three fine fisherman and our thoughts remain with the families of Martin Johnstone, Chris Morrison, Paul Alliston and surviving crew member, Lachlan Armstrong.
"We have fully cooperated with the MAIB inquiry and are committed to implementing the report's recommendations. We hope the wider issues raised in the report will lead to improved safety for all those working at sea and prevent any similar incident from happening."


Indonesian police have named a controversial hardline Muslim preacher as a suspect in a pornography case.

Rizieq Shihab is accused of exchanging graphic messages and nude pictures in text conversations with a woman.
The cleric, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, has denied the accusations.
Mr Rizieq heads the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which led mass protests against Jakarta's former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama who was  jailed for blasphemy last month.
Known for his fiery rhetoric, Mr Rizieq has been jailed twice for violence and disrupting public order.
In this latest case, Mr Rizieq is accused of violating Indonesia's strict anti-pornography laws by transmitting pornography to activist Firza Husein, who has also been named as a suspect.
Screenshots of what appeared to be text and picture messages between the two of them began circulating online earlier this year.
It's being seen by many as the height of hypocrisy. This is a man whose group's core battleground has been against sexual promiscuity, prostitution and alcohol.
His group campaigned for the very laws that their leader is now being charged under, the controversial anti-pornography laws.
To his supporters, Rizieq Shihab is a hero who embodies the true face of Islam. Now he is being charged with transmitting pornographic content with a woman who is not his wife.
Some legal experts have questioned why the police are pursuing this particular case. He faces six other charges including defaming the country's founding principles and first president, and blasphemy against Catholicism for questioning whether Jesus was really the son of God.
Police have repeatedly summoned Mr Rizieq for questioning since April, but he has yet to report to them. The preacher has been in Saudi Arabia with his family since late April.
An FPI spokesman told Reuters that the legal complaints were "unfounded" and "engineered to criminalise" clerics.
Mr Rizieq's lawyer has also said the allegations were fabricated by supporters of Mr Purnama, also known as Ahok.
Mr Rizieq is known to be a vocal opponent of Mr Purnama.
He and the FPI campaigned for months last year against Mr Purnama, a Christian and ethnic Chinese, claiming that he could not lead Muslims.
When Mr Purnama addressed these claims in a speech while campaigning for Jakarta's mayoral election, he was accused of insulting Islam, prompting even larger protests.
He was subsequently tried and found guilty of blasphemy.


Mae menyw yn wynebu carchar wedi iddi achosi marwolaeth cyn-gariad ei chymar wrth ei rasio ar hyd strydoedd Caerdydd.

Fe achosodd Melissa Pesticcio, 23 oed, i gar Sophie Taylor, 22 oed, i daro yn erbyn wal ar gyflymder wedi i'r ddwy ffraeo.
Roedd Pesticcio "wedi dechrau a parhau" i ddilyn Sophie Taylor yn ei char ar hyd strydoedd y brifddinas ar ôl ei gweld tu allan i gartref ei chariad, Michael Wheeler, 22.
Roedd y ddwy wedi ffraeo'n gyson ar ôl i Wheeler adael Pesticcio am Ms Taylor, ond aeth Wheeler yn ôl at Melissa Pesticcio yn ddiweddarach.
Yn dilyn anghydfod dros arian, dilynodd Pesticcio a Wheeler y ddynes ifanc drwy strydoedd ardal Adamsdown.
Roedd car Vauxhall Corsa Wheeler wedi "gorfodi" car BMW Sophie Taylor i mewn i wal, gan achosi ei marwolaeth a gadael teithiwr arall yn y cerbyd gydag anafiadau oedd "wedi newid ei fywyd".
Roedd Wheeler wedi cyfaddef achosi anafiadau difrifol drwy yrru'n beryglus ac achosi marwolaeth drwy yrru'n beryglus, ond roedd Pesticcio wedi gwadu iddi fod yn rhan o'r digwyddiad ar 22 Awst y llynedd.
Fe'i cafwyd yn euog o achosi marwolaeth Ms Taylor drwy yrru'n beryglus ac anafu bywyd ei chyd-deithiwr Joshua Deguara ar ddiwedd achos llys 10 niwrnod yn Llys y Goron Caerdydd.
Fe'i cafwyd yn ddi-euog i honiad arall o yrru'n beryglus mewn digwyddiad arall.
Roedd y tri char wedi gyrru'n gyflym drwy strydoedd Caerdydd, gyda lluniau cylch cyfyng yn dangos car Pesticcio ar y blaen gyda Wheeler yn ei dilyn tu ôl i gar Sophie Taylor.
Roedd Wheeler wedi gyrru ar ochr anghywir y ffordd ddwywaith er mwyn gyrru'n agosach at gar Ms Taylor.
Gyrrodd i mewn i'w char gan olygu bod ei char yn troi allan o reolaeth i mewn i wal.
Bu farw Sophie Taylor ac fe ddioddefodd Mr Deguara anafiadau difrifol gan dreulio "misoedd lawer" yn yr ysbyty.
Mewn datganiad, dywedodd teuluoedd Ms Taylor a Mr Deguara fod "y ddau deulu wedi eu dryllio am byth".
Cafodd Ms Taylor ei disgrifio fel "ein tywysoges brydferth", ac fe ychwanegodd y datganiad: "Mae hyn nawr yn hunllef barhaus y mae'n rhaid i'n dau deulu ddioddef yn ddyddiol."
Disgrifiodd y datganiad hefyd sut y dioddefodd Mr Deguara "anafiadau difrifol sydd wedi newid ei fywyd am byth".
"Roedd yn ddyn annibynnol gyda chylch gwych o ffrindiau ac felly roedd ganddo fywyd cymdeithasol prysur. Roedd yn mwynhau chwarae pêl-droed ac roedd i fod i gychwyn swydd newydd ychydig cyn y gwrthdrawiad.
"Nid dyma'r achos bellach - mae nawr yn gaeth i'r tŷ ac mae wedi colli ei annibyniaeth" meddai'r datganiad.
Bydd Pesticcio, o Gaerdydd, yn cael ei dedfrydu ddydd Gwener. Cafodd ei chadw yn y ddalfa.


The Great Barrier Reef should not go on a World Heritage danger list, according to a United Nations draft report.

However, it says Australia must carry out commitments to protect the reef, including restoring water quality and restricting new port developments.
The final decision on its status will be made at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Germany next month.
Conservationists have warned that the outlook for the reef is "poor".
A report published in 2014 concluded that the condition "is expected to further deteriorate in the future". Climate change, extreme weather, and pollution from industry were listed a key concerns.
However, in 2015 Australia submitted a plan to the UN heritage body, Unesco, outlining how it would address these threats.
This included a proposed objective of reducing pollution by 80% before 2025, as well as reversing a decision to allow dredged material to be dumped near the reef.
The Unesco draft report says that Australia must implement this 35-year action plan, and Unesco will continue to check on its progress.
The matter - along with the future of other World Heritage sites - will be debated at a Unesco meeting taking place in Bonn from 28 June to 8 July.
* The Great Barrier Reef includes 3,000 coral reefs and 600 islands
* It is the world's largest marine park, covering 348,000 sq km
* It contains 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 kinds of mollusc
* It receives about two million tourists each year.
* The region contributes A$6bn ($4.6bn; Â£3bn) a year to the Australian economy
Q&A: World Heritage 'in danger' list
In pictures: Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef was given World Heritage status in 1981.
It is a vast collection of thousands of smaller coral reefs spans, stretching from the northern tip of Queensland to the state's southern city of Bundaberg.
The UN says this is the "most biodiverse" of its World Heritage sites, and that is of "enormous scientific and intrinsic importance".
Greenpeace issued a statement saying the draft report was "not a reprieve - it is a big, red flag from Unesco". The group's reef campaigner Shani Tager highlighted the fact that the Australian government had been asked to prepare a report within 18 months.
"Unesco now joins a long line of scientists, banks, organisations and individuals who are deeply worried about the reef's health," Ms Tager said.
Prof Callum Roberts, a marine conservation biologist at the University of York in the UK, said he thought Unesco had made the right decision, based on "major progress" that has recently been made in the Australian authorities' approach to the reef.
But he noted that the announcement was more of a postponement than a final judgement.
"They're setting targets and they're obviously going to watch this very closely," Prof Roberts told BBC News.
"I think Unesco is right to put on hold its decision, in view of this long-term sustainability plan. But it's also very right to set some target dates for Australia to produce evidence that it's actually sticking to the plan - that it's investing enough money to make that plan happen."
Prof Roberts also pointed to efforts by the Queensland state government.
"The situation a couple of years ago was that the Queensland government was fast-tracking major industrial developments along the Great Barrier Reef coast - particularly a number of very large port developments which would service coal exports.
"That has all been scaled back significantly. [The government] has also responded to the major impact of nutrient runoff from agricultural lands.
"The outlook for the reef is a lot better today than it was two years ago."


A British man has been missing for nearly a week while walking in the French Alps.

David Wood left his holiday home in Marie in the Alpes-Maritimes region last Tuesday, as reported in The Sun.
The family of the 61-year-old, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, said on Facebook police, mountain rescue teams and a helicopter were involved but there has been no sign of the "strong" walker.
The Foreign Office said it was supporting the family.
"It is with much pain that we have to report the disappearance of our beloved father, husband and best friend, David Wood," the missing man's son Danny Armstrong-Wood wrote on social media.
More on this and other news from Suffolk
The 3.7-mile (6km) walk from Marie to Clans was "a relatively straightforward and a well-known route from the village", but it includes "sheer drops, rocky patches and a number of rivers".
Mr Wood is described as having "a full head of curly white hair".
He was wearing an orange cap, beige trousers, a brown T-shirt and walking boots when he set off.
His son said he was "strong, with a reasonable level of fitness but was recently diagnosed with slightly raised blood pressure".
Writing at the weekend, he said: "It is now the fifth night, our worry has turned to confusion, fear, sadness, and back to worry again, nothing is making any sense.
"Our concerns are that the sun might have affected him, or that he fell over then woke with concussion - maybe he walked down to the mountains in a confused state."
Mr Armstrong-Wood said his mother had called her husband twice during his walk.
"The second time he admitted to tiredness," he said.  "After these two calls his phone continued to ring, but he did not answer."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in contact with local authorities and providing support to the family after a British national was reported missing in France."


When police confronted the "owner" of a house in Banbridge in the early hours of Saturday morning, they did not receive a warm welcome.

He told police that he was a lawyer and was just clearing out his shed before telling police to "get out of my garden if you don't have a warrant".
In a Facebook post, PSNI Banbridge said: "That would be well and good, if he was a lawyer or if it was his house or if it wasn't 05:30am or if we needed a warrant".
The man was arrested by officers from E section for questioning about burglary and attempted burglary.
"A big shout out to the alert neighbours who phoned us to make us aware," the Facebook posted added, "It doesn't come much easier than that! Keep the calls coming, and we'll keep slapping the cuffs on".
The work of officers did not go unnoticed by Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin who tweeted: "Excellent work @PSNI Banbridge!"


A cyclist has been killed after he was hit by a car as the driver tried to speed away from police.

The man died at the scene on Cottingley Cliffe Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire, shortly after 19:34 BST on Tuesday.
Police said they tried stopping the car after it was seen "acting suspiciously" but it drove off at speed hitting the cyclist a short distance away.
The driver is in custody and the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.


The growth in Scotland's housing market has slowed to its lowest rate in a year, according to surveyors.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) found that the number of people looking to buy a home in February increased at the slowest rate since April last year.
Statistics showed that a lack of properties for sale meant that house prices continued to rise.
However, the report expects the market to pick up over the summer months.
Rics' latest residential market survey suggests the initial surge in demand driven by the more accessible housing market had started to ease off slowly.
A net balance of 24% of surveyors reported a growth in inquiries from people looking to make a purchase.
The comparable figure for January was a 34% net balance of surveyors, while December recorded a 52% balance.
Statistics in the survey also suggest the number of homes being placed on the market for sale failed to pick up and supply was still "falling well short of required levels".
This lack of available properties helped continue the rise in house prices last month, with a balance of 45% more chartered surveyors reporting prices increasing rather than falling.
This increase means that the cost of a home has now risen across Scotland for 10 months in a row.
Rics Scotland director Sarah Speirs said: "The growth in buyer numbers that we've seen for some months started to slow down in February, as the surge in interest sparked towards the end of last summer began to level off."
She added: "While this does not mean an end to the increasing activity we've been seeing recently, it does suggest that the pent-up demand generated throughout the downturn is gradually exhausting itself."


A top UN official says "crimes against humanity" are being committed by the military and police against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority.

The UN's special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, was speaking as part of a joint BBC Newsnight-BBC Our World investigation.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been in power almost a year, declined an interview.
A spokesman for her party said the allegations were "exaggerated" and an "internal" not "international" issue.
Ms Lee has not been given free access to the conflict area in Myanmar. But after speaking to refugees in Bangladesh she told the BBC that the situation was "far worse" than she expected.
"I would say crimes against humanity. Definite crimes against humanity... by the Burmese, Myanmar military, the border guards or the police or security forces."
She said the problem of abuse was "systemic" within the Burmese security forces, but said that Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government should bear some of the responsibility.
"At the end of the day it is the government, the civilian government, that has to answer and respond to these massive cases of horrific torture and very inhumane crimes they have committed against their own people."
Former democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy (NLD) to a majority win in Myanmar's first openly contested election in 25 years in November 2015.
More than 70,000 Rohingya - a Muslim minority group from Myanmar - have fled to Bangladesh in the last few months, after a militant attack in October triggered a military crackdown.
In camps in Bangladesh, the BBC heard allegations from recently arrived Rohingya refugees that the Burmese security forces had shot civilians, and abducted and raped young girls.
Many of the refugee accounts are supported by both satellite and video evidence.
The BBC has repeatedly asked Ms Suu Kyi for an interview to discuss the Rohingya.
Although the Myanmar constitution forbids her from becoming president, she is widely seen as de facto leader.
But since she won an election landslide 16 months ago, Ms Suu Kyi has not done any interviews with journalists based in Myanmar - international or foreign - or held a meaningful press conference.
The spokesman for Ms Suu Kyi's political party, the National League of Democracy, Win Htein, told the BBC that under the current constitution, Ms Suu Kyi did not have the power to get the army to stop.
Responding to Ms Lee's claims of "crimes against humanity" he said reports of hundreds of dead Rohingya were "exaggerations" and that "sometimes the United Nations is wrong".
"As a new government we're just trying to achieve to a modern country. We have thousands of problems.
"We don't believe it's crimes against humanity," he added. "It's an internal affair - it's not an international affair."
The Burmese government has set up its own investigation into allegations of abuses.
It is led by a former general and has been criticised by Ms Lee for being dominated by military men and for its methodology.
On Monday Ms Lee will present her latest findings to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and will formally call for a Commission of Inquiry to be established, similar to the ones looking at abuses in places like North Korean and Syria.
Contacted by the BBC, both the UK and the EU refused to say they would support the establishment of a commission of inquiry.
A draft Human Rights Council resolution seen by the BBC proposes a watered down investigation.
Many are wary of doing anything that might be seen as undermining Myanmar's elected leader.
More on this story on BBC Newsnight on Friday at 22:30 GMT and on BBC Our World on Saturday and Sunday at 2130 GMT on the BBC News Channel and on BBC World.


A US man aimed high when he decided to propose to his girlfriend - climbing a steep cliff face to pop the question via a video-app on his phone.

Only Michael Bank's romantic gesture hit the rocks after he became stuck on his way down and had to be rescued.
The drama unfolded on the 600ft (180m) high Morro Rock off California's Central Coast.
The good news, his girlfriend said yes. The bad news, he now faces a hefty bill for his rescue.
A helicopter had to be called to help bring the 27-year-old back down to earth.
Police said he was later arrested on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Witnesses told reporters he was acting erratically.
"He couldn't go any direction, on a sheer ledge, with his feet dangling 80ft (25m) off the ground," Morro Bay fire Capt Todd Gailey said.
Climbing on Morro Rock is officially banned, though some people ignore the warnings. There have been several fatal falls over the years.


Mitsubishi Motors has said it has used fuel consumption tests that broke Japanese rules for the past 25 years.

The admission follows last week's revelation that it had falsified fuel economy data for four "minicar" models sold only in Japan.
Regulations changed in 1991 to better reflect stop-start urban driving, but Mitsubishi failed to heed the change.
"We should have switched, but it turns out we didn't," said Ryugo Nakao, executive vice-president.
That meant many more models than the four minicars may have used fuel tests that did not comply with the regulations.
Koji Yokomaku, another executive, said Mitsubishi had raised fuel economy targets five times in two years while developing the minicars, ending at 29.2 km (18.1 miles) a litre from an initial target of 26.4km a litre.
Tetsuro Aikawa, Mitsubishi Motors' president, said an inquiry led by three external lawyers had been opened: "We don't know the whole picture and we are in the process of trying to determine that. I feel a great responsibility."
More than 600,000
vehicles in Japan affected
157,000 Mitsubishi models
468,000 Nissan models
50% - the amount shares in Mitsubishi have fallen since the scandal erupted
Shares fell a further 10% in Tokyo on Tuesday, bringing the slide since the scandal erupted to almost 50%.
The inaccurate mileage tests revealed last week involved 157,000 of its eK wagon and eK Space, and 468,000 Dayz and Dayz Roox vehicles produced for Nissan. All were sold in Japan only.
The main attraction of the "minicars", which have tiny 600cc engines, is their frugal fuel consumption and their tax breaks.
Mileage fraud breaks Japan's fuel efficiency laws and possible penalties were unclear due to the uncertainties about the outcome of an investigation, the transport ministry said.
Mitsubishi has stopped making and selling all four models.
The company had repeatedly promised to come clean after a huge scandal 15 years ago that involved a systematic cover-up of vehicle defects.
That affair brought the carmaker close to collapse and it was bailed out by other companies in the Mitsubishi Group. Doing so again could prove more difficult, however.
Takehiko Kakiuchi, chief executive of Mitsubishi Corporation, said he was "aghast" at the scandal affecting its sister company.


An overnight shooting in the US state of Mississippi has left eight people dead, including a local deputy sheriff, police say.

The shootings took place in three separate locations in Lincoln County, south Mississippi.
A male suspect, named in local media as Willie Cory Godbolt, was detained by police on Sunday morning.
Authorities say it is too early to consider any possible motive behind the killings.
Mr Godbolt's mother-in-law, two other relatives, and deputy sheriff William Durr were found dead at the scene of the first shooting in Bogue Chitto, reports said.
The next shooting took place in Brookhaven, where "the bodies of two juvenile males were located", police said.
The third crime scene was in East Lincoln, where a man and woman were killed.
Willie Godbolt spoke to local paper The Clarion-Ledger after he was detained.
He said he was "sorry" and "ain't fit to live, not after what I done".
He said he was in conversation with his wife and her family "about me taking my children home" when someone called the police.
His stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, told AP news agency that Mr Godbolt's wife and two children had been staying with him after she left her husband.
Mr Godbolt opened fire after the deputy sheriff arrived, Mr Mitchell added.
A 16-year-old, believed to have been taken hostage by the suspect, was safe, The Daily Leader reported.
Mississippi governor Phil Bryant called the incident a "senseless tragedy".
"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest," he said in a statement.
Mr Durr, the deputy sheriff killed in the shootings, was described as a "mild mannered officer" who liked making people smile.
In a 2014 interview with The Daily Leader, the 36-year-old said he also worked as a ventriloquist, doing puppet shows for children's groups.


Fife Flyers have confirmed Todd Dutiaume will return as head coach for the 2017-18 season, in what will be his 20th campaign with the Kirkcaldy side.

The Canadian led the Flyers to sixth place in the Elite League last season and a sixth successive play-off spot.
But they missed out on the final-four weekend after a two-leg quarter-final defeat by Belfast Giants.
Dutiaume admitted he had a big decision to make with the club reconsidering its long-term future.
However, the Flyers announced last week that they will be in the Elite League next season.
"The club had to take a step back at the end of last season, and consider their long-term future and the options available to them, both in this league and in other leagues," said the 43-year-old, who arrived in Kirkcaldy as a player in 1998 before taking over as a coach in 2005.
"I also wanted to take my time to consider my position and my future. To represent this club for almost a quarter of its existence is a huge honour, and something I am extremely proud of.
"When I spoke with the directors regarding the future of the club and the season ahead, I wanted to bring up some of my own concerns.
"I also wanted to express my desire to ensure we get more information out there in the public domain and that we all work hard to be a more engaging and transparent organisation.
"I get that fans are frustrated right now, but we are not able to sign a whole team in such a short period of time.
"We are in advanced talks with a couple of returning guys and I would like to think that we will be in a position to share that information very soon with our fans."