Evidence of a major Roman fort, designed to keep invaders out of Britain, may have been unearthed by archaeologists in Lancashire.

A two-week excavation has revealed evidence of a Roman wall and road in a field close to Lancaster Castle.
They are believed to be the remnants of a large 4th Century shore fort built to stop seaborne raids and immigration.
Lead archaeologist Jason Wood, who specialises in Roman fortifications, said it was a "remarkable" find.
He said: "We did a geophysical survey a couple of years ago which suggested that the corner of the fort lay in this field.
"We excavated here and...you can see the junction of the edge of the wall and an external road surface."
The excavation has partly re-opened trenches dug in the late 1920s and early 1970s in the hope of understanding previous research.
Mr Wood said: "The Romans in the later period, in the 4th Century, were particularly concerned with seaborne raiding and immigration.
"The borders were becoming more porous in the Roman empire and these large shore forts were erected around the south, the east and latterly the west coast of Britain to control immigration, to control raiding and to act as supply bases for the army."
Lancaster Castle was built on the site of the fort which stood as a bastion against the forces of the ancient Picts and Scots tribes.
The buildings include a 12th Century Norman keep, a 14th Century Witches' Tower and the 15th Century Gatehouse.


Sixty prisoners have taken control of part of a wing at a prison in Kent.

The Prison Officers Association (POA) said there was an "ongoing disturbance" at the category B training prison, HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey.
Specialist "Tornado" teams have been deployed to tackle the unrest, the Prison Service said.
POA chairman Mike Rolfe said the extent of the disturbance was unclear, but it did not appear to be on the scale of a riot at HMP Birmingham last week.
Riot police were used to quell last Friday's disturbance, which lasted for 12 hours and involved hundreds of inmates.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "The Prison Service is dealing with an incident involving 60 prisoners at HMP Swaleside.
"The incident is contained to one landing on A Wing. The rest of the prison is secure with all prisoners in locked in cells."
Later, he added: "The situation at the prison remains contained and is in the process of being resolved."
Mr Rolfe described Swaleside as "a particularly difficult place to work" because of an "acute staff shortfall" and high levels of violence.
A man claiming to be an inmate there contacted the BBC to say the disturbance had started when staff raided cells and confiscated prisoners' possessions.
The unverified source said tension between inmates and prison officers had increased after an intake of young, inexperienced staff, and the cutting of family visits.
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the disturbance had been contained but prisoners had refused to go back into their cells.
"Tornado" squads were also used to quell last week's riot in Birmingham, after prisoners set fires, stole keys to residential areas from a guard and one inmate was seriously injured.
Up to 240 prisoners were moved following the riot, but the Ministry of Justice has not commented on whether any were sent to Swaleside.
Guardian prison correspondent Eric Allison said he had been told of problems at the prison during a recent research visit.
"The governor told me that it was a troubled jail," he said.
"He said that there were high levels of violence and access to and use of [formerly] legal highs".
However, Mr Allison said Swaleside, which houses about 1,100 inmates serving terms of more than four years, had some "innovative" education schemes.
An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report in July described the prison as "dangerous" and found levels of violence were "far too high", with many of the incidents classed as serious.
On Thursday, a former deputy prime minister and two former home secretaries called for the prison population of England and Wales to be cut to 45,000,
In a letter to the Times, Nick Clegg, Ken Clarke and Jacqui Smith said jails had become unacceptably dangerous.
They said inmate numbers had risen to more than 85,000 since Michael Howard declared in 1993 that "prison works".
Former Lib Dem leader and deputy PM Mr Clegg, ex-Conservative Home Secretary Mr Clarke and former Labour Home Secretary Mrs Smith said the recent violent unrest at Birmingham Prison was a "wake-up call for this country".


Three Welsh universities are among the top places in the UK for student satisfaction, a new survey shows.

At least 90% of final year students at Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor said they were happy with their university experience.
Aberystwyth and Cardiff Metropolitan both scored 83% in the 11th National Student Survey.
Elsewhere, Glyndwr scored 80% while University of South Wales and Trinity St David both had 79% satisfaction.
More than 300,000 people were surveyed at universities and colleges around the UK were asked about a wide range of subjects.
The results shows overall satisfaction has remained steady, and there were particular gains in the areas of learning resources and satisfaction with the students' union.
There have also been improvements in teaching, assessment and feedback, academic support, organisation and management, personal development and NHS practice placements.
In all categories relating to the academic student experience, satisfaction has either improved or stayed the same since 2014.
Dr David Blaney, chief executive of Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, said: "The strong performance of the Welsh HE [higher education] sector reflects the continuing work to enhance the student experience and provide students with an excellent learning environment.


Works to bring to an end a "temporary" one-way system which has been in place for more than three-and-a-half years will start on Monday.

Repairs to a retaining wall outside the Glen Hotel on Yarrow Terrace in Selkirk are expected to last for 10 weeks.
The area has been cordoned off to motorists for safety reasons while negotiations about the wall continued.
A temporary one-way system has been in place since May 2013 while these discussions carried on.
Repairs are now scheduled to start on 16 January.
During the initial stages of the Â£100,000 works, Yarrow Terrace will be closed to all traffic for a fortnight at the location of the retaining wall.
Councillor Gordon Edgar said: "I am pleased work is finally to begin on the retaining wall on Yarrow Terrace.
"The two-week closure is unfortunately unavoidable due to the nature of the works taking place, but once the repairs have been fully completed Yarrow Terrace will return to a two-way road.
"Once again, can I thank local people for their patience during the negotiations and their co-operation once the works start."


Manchester City have completed the signing of Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony in a deal that could be worth up to £28m.

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Bony has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal at Etihad Stadium through to 2019 and will wear the number 14 shirt.
"It's a great feeling for me, it's a big honour to be here and it's a great challenge," the 26-year-old said.
He joined Swansea for £12m from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013 and was Premier League top scorer in 2014 with 20 goals.
The two clubs agreed the terms of the transfer at the weekend, with £25m cash up front and a further £3m in performance-related add-ons.
The deal makes Bony one of the most expensive African footballers in history.
Bony is on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations and could potentially have to wait until mid-February before he can make his City debut.
"As a player it's always good to be part of one of the biggest clubs in the world and it's a good opportunity for me to be in that situation now - I'm really proud," Bony told Manchester City's website.
"I felt excited to wait for this moment and now it's come, it's fantastic.
"I think it's a great decision for me - Manchester City are in the Champions League.  It's a motivation for me to give my maximum to be in that place."
City boss Manuel Pellegrini added: "He is an intelligent footballer who has skill and power. His goals record has been excellent since he came to England.
"He adapted very quickly to the game here and I think he will settle in at City quickly. We now have four top-class strikers and I am looking forward to seeing them work together."
Swansea earlier criticised the Ivory Coast Football Federation for claiming the deal had gone through before either club had announced it.
The Ivory Coast Football Federation said: "Bony has signed with Manchester City this Wednesday, 14 January."
But a Swansea spokesman said the Ivory Coast "have no right to comment".
Swansea later confirmed the deal in a statement that thanked Bony "for his superb service to the club".
Bony scored 25 goals in all competitions in his first season at the Welsh side and has scored nine goals so far this term.
The fee for Bony, who has also scored 11 goals in 32 games for the Ivory Coast, is almost double Swansea's previous record sale of Joe Allen to Liverpool in August 2012.


Two award-winning photographers have been killed while covering the conflict in the Libyan city of Misrata.

Briton Tim Hetherington, 40, is said to have been killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack.
US photographer Chris Hondros, 41, was also killed, and two others, including Briton Guy Martin, were injured.
Mr Hetherington co-directed the Oscar-nominated war documentary Restrepo. Mr Hondros won the Robert Capa Gold Medal for war photography.
Mr Hetherington's friend James Brabazon, who worked with him on Restrepo and had been e-mailing him right up until his death, said: "He was extremely talented, experienced and dedicated."
He explained why Mr Hetherington was working for Vanity Fair magazine in Libya: "He went there for humanitarian reasons. He went there to shed light on a very confusing situation."
In a statement on the magazine's website, his family said: "It is with great sadness we learned that our son and brother, photographer and filmmaker, Tim Hetherington was killed in Misrata, Libya, by a rocket-propelled grenade.
His family said he would be "forever missed".
"Tim will be remembered for his amazing images and his Academy Award-nominated documentary Restrepo."
They added: "Tim was in Libya to continue his ongoing multimedia project to highlight humanitarian issues during time of war and conflict."
Obituary: Tim HetheringtonIn pictures: Tim HetheringtonThe making of Restrepo
Vanity Fair magazine said Mr Hetherington was "widely respected by his peers for his bravery and camaraderie" .
In a recent entry on Twitter, Mr Hetherington described "indiscriminate shelling" by pro-Gaddafi forces, who have been battling rebels trying to end the rule of long-time leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Mr Brabazon said Mr Hetherington very last Twitter message mentioned that there was "no sign of Nato".
He said: "Although it's an oxymoron to say it, Tim was a very cautious war reporter. He knew the risk but he decided to take them in order to cover the story."
Mr Hondros was based in New York for Getty Images.
The company's director of photography, Pancho Bernasconi, said Mr Hondros had covered conflict zones since the late 1990s including Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The White House issued a statement expressing its "deep sadness" at Mr Hondros's death.
"Chris's tragic death underscores the need to protect journalists as they cover conflicts across the globe.  Our thoughts are with Chris's family and loved ones," it said.
Cornish photographer Guy Martin, who was working with Panos Pictures agency, was hit by shrapnel and is being treated at a hospital in the city.
Mr Martin's girlfriend told the BBC his condition had stabilised.
Polly Fields said: "He was in surgery for about six to eight hours. He's come out of that now.
"Now it's a case of getting him stable enough so he can be evacuated from Misrata."
New York-based photographer Michael Christopher Brown was also treated for shrapnel injuries.
A survivor told the BBC that a group of journalists had been pulling back from near the front line during a lull in the fighting in Misrata when they were attacked.
Doctors at a Misrata hospital say they have treated more than 100 casualties, mostly civilians injured by mortar and sniper fire.
Libyan government forces have been battling rebels in Misrata, which is in western Libya, since late February and an estimated 300 civilians have died.
The Foreign Office confirmed Mr Hetherington's death and said it was offering consular assistance to his family.
Mr Hetherington, who had dual UK and US nationality, studied Literature at Oxford University.
The New York-based journalist was best known for his work in Afghanistan, and the film Restrepo followed US troops on an outpost in the country. He won the World Press Photo of the Year Award in 2007.
Another of Mr Hetherington's friends, Peter Bouckaert from the campaign group Human Rights Watch, said he had a "tremendous reputation and a giant heart".
He told BBC News the journalist had been planning to "slow down" and start a family with his partner.
"I was just with Tim two weeks ago in Benghazi, the rebel capital. At our last lunch together, he told me about the wonderful relationship he was in with this Somali woman and how he wanted to slow down and spend more time making kids," he said.
Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter said Mr Hetherington was "about as perfect a model of a war photographer as you're going to find these days".
In an editorial for the magazine, he described him as a "rangy, charming workhorse of a photographer".
"Devilishly good-looking and impossibly brave, he was both a ladies' man and a man's man," he said. "There were few like Tim, and there will be fewer like him."
Tributes have started to appear on his Facebook page.
One from film director Jean Manuel said: "Tim Hetherington, I love you. Thank you for everything. I will help make sure our work continues."
The New York-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) said two other journalists had been killed this year in the Libyan conflict.
Cameraman Ali Hassan al-Jaber was shot when his Al-Jazeera crew was ambushed near Benghazi on March 13. Mohammed al-Nabbous, founder of the online Libya Al-Hurra TV, was killed as he was streaming live audio from a battle in Benghazi on March 19.


For the last month or so on Radio 4's PM, we've been borrowing a question from The Clash: Should I stay or should I go?

Now, we have our answer: we're going.
Not geographically, for the UK won't float off into the Atlantic; and not any time soon, for unpicking four decades of knotty agreement can't be done instantly.
But for those of us in the business of reporting politics, particularly the relatively uneventful, peaceful, democratic breed of the beast, we're inured to the inevitable consequence of that predictability: most of the people, most of the time are barely paying the blindest bit of notice.
And that is rational. The stable transfer of power from one relatively centrist, relatively benign government to another doesn't rivet many, and the soap opera of its leading characters has its rivals on Manchester's cobbles and in London's East End.
Every five years or so, this "normal" is briefly shaken. A big political decision comes along, and a window opens; the conversations I spend my life having at Westminster become mainstream, as a decision is taken - and then the window slams shut again.
But this is a moment far bigger than even that; today really is different; the sort the next generation will be taught about after that module on the Tudors and Stuarts.
Make no mistake - a giant brick has been lobbed into the political pond. The ripples, nay waves, of the thunderous splash it is causing are washing away a generation's worth of assumptions.
By definition referenda divide; they force a binary choice. They extinguish compromise.
But the absence of a referendum on a topic that divides does little to hide that division either.
In its aftermath, a people cheer; a people mourn.
And so they would, in reverse, if the decision had been the equal, but opposite of what happened.
But those waves in that pond have drenched a particular, but amorphous and ill-defined blob - the so-called establishment; in politics, in business, in the arts and in sport.
It is they who look soaked with grief, despite the 17.5 million smiles on the faces of their fellow countrymen.
As a correspondent in Brussels some years ago, the UK always felt like the embarrassing uncle at the Christmas party; the invite obligatory, the jokes crude, the patience of others tested.
Crotchety, crabby and cantankerous was the default position; ebbing and flowing only marginally as governments at Westminster changed.
In that context, this result shouldn't seem that surprising.


A fresh inquest can take place into the death of a young soldier at an army barracks in Surrey 21 years ago, a high court judge has ruled.

Pte Sean Benton, 20, from Hastings, was found with five bullet wounds to his chest in June 1995 while on guard at a perimeter fence at Deepcut.
An original inquest into his death recorded a verdict of suicide.
His family applied for a new hearing after using the Human Rights Act to access evidence held by police.
His twin, Tony Benton, and sister, Tracy Lewis, wept and said: "We are just happy and relieved. It's been too long."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "We care deeply about our young recruits and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Private Sean Benton."
BBC Local Live: For the latest updates and more news
The malevolent culture at Deepcut barracks
Justice Collins said fresh evidence had "come to light which casts some doubt upon the correctness" of the original decision.
He added that under article two of the Human Rights Act there was material that questioned the care Pte Benton received from the Army at the time.
Mrs Lewis said: "Our family had just 20 years with Sean. It has taken us another 21 to secure the thorough, independent inquiry we should have seen immediately after his death."
"For two decades, our family has been tormented by questions about what Sean went through at Deepcut," she added.
"If his death had been properly investigated in 1995, we would have been spared years of uncertainty and pain.
"It should be a source of huge shame to the Ministry of Defence and Surrey Police that our mother had to fight for so long - far longer than she should have had to - to force the authorities to answer basic questions."
The family said the original inquest took less than two hours and heard from six people. A criminal investigation seven years later found no evidence of third party involvement.
Pte Benton's medical records were not obtained and no evidence was gathered or presented about his experiences at the base.
The family, who are represented by human rights group Liberty, believe he was subjected to severe bullying.
In a statement, the MoD said: "The Armed Forces will not tolerate abuse, bullying, or discrimination. All allegations are taken very seriously and will be thoroughly investigated, either by the civil or military police and, where appropriate, action will be taken."
"It would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing -  we will assist the coroner as necessary," it added.
Pte Benton was the first of four young soldiers to die at the barracks between 1995 and 2002.
Pte Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, North Wales, shot herself in November 1995, according to a second inquest into her death which concluded in June. However, the coroner criticised a lack of training, structure and inappropriate sexual relationships in the camp.
Pte James' father, Des, said he had applied to the MoD for a full public inquiry into what went on at the barracks.
Pte Geoff Gray, 17, from Hackney, east London, was found dead with two gunshot wounds to his head on 17 September 2001.
Pte James Collinson, 17, from Perth, was found dead with a single gunshot wound through his chin on 23 March 2002.
A date for the fresh inquest into Pte Benton's death is yet to be set.


US President Barack Obama has delivered a stirring speech at the Democratic convention, hailing Hillary Clinton as his political heir and rounding on "home-grown demagogue" Donald Trump.

"There has never been a man or woman, not me, not Bill, nobody more qualified than Hillary" to be president, he said.
When boos rang out at the name of the Republican candidate, Mr Obama simply said: "Don't boo. Vote."
Mr Trump responded by rejecting the president's portrayal of optimism.
"Our country does not feel 'great already' to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence and despair," he said on Twitter.
Mr Obama extolled Mrs Clinton's character, calling her a "leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American".
"She's been there for us, even if we haven't always noticed," he said.
Mr Obama described his nation as "full of courage", "decent and generous", but also concerned about racial divisions and "frustrated with political gridlock".
He said: "Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me.Â I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me."
President Obama is good at this. He's really, really good at this.
For all his flaws - and conservatives will be quick to point them out - he's always been able to deliver a pitch-perfect speech on the biggest stages, and this was no exception.
It was the kind of speech that had some conservatives shaking their heads, wondering how their party ceded the optimistic high ground to their opponents. Mr Obama even quoted Ronald Reagan's "shining city on a hill" line, if only to make the political shift all the more clear.
Read more from Anthony
But he also reserved fierce words for Mr Trump, challenging the Republican's view of the US as "a divided crime scene".
Mr Obama said the US he knew was not a "country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world".
He added: "Our power doesn't come from some self-declared saviour promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way."
Turning to Mr Trump's business acumen, he said: "I know plenty of businessmen and women who have achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits and unpaid workers and people feeling like they got cheated."
Mr Obama added: "Does anyone really believe that a guy who spent his 70 years on this Earth showing no regard for working people is suddenly going to be your champion, your voice? No."
The former secretary of state joined him on stage for a hug after he finished speaking.
Writing in the Washington Post, EJ Dionne Jr says that Mr Obama's mission in his speech was to try "to safeguard his legacy by ensuring his time in the White House would not be seen by history as having culminated in the election of Donald Trump. And so he went to work, combining rational argument with evangelical exhortation in the classic Obama fashion".
Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael Shear in the New York Times recall Mr Obama's speech at the 2004 convention that thrust him into the national spotlight, in which he rejected the "politics of cynicism". His challenge now, they say, is "to find a way to acknowledge that the political divides he promised to bridge have only grown deeper and more acrimonious while arguing persuasively that the way to rise above them is to elect Mrs Clinton".
On the Politico website, Michael Hirsh says Wednesday's speeches confirmed "a dramatic shift, perhaps even a reversal, of the roles the two major parties have been identified with for several decades. For the first time, perhaps, since Vietnam, the Democratic Party is now the party of national security expertise."
In his response, Mr Trump said in a statement that the Democrats had described a vision of America that did not exist for most people.
Seventy percent of Americans thought the country was on the wrong track, said the property developer, who defied all predictions to win the Republican primary contest.
"Never has a party been so disconnected from what is happening in our world."
Vice-President Joe Biden earlier delivered his own spirited address, saying Mr Trump "backs torture", "religious intolerance" and "betrays our values".
"He has no clue about what makes America great," Mr Biden said, before the crowd started chanting, "Not a clue!"
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine took the stage to "humbly" accept his party's nomination for vice-president and then also went on the attack.
"Folks, you cannot believe one word that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth," he said.
The crowd then erupted into chants of "Not one word!"
In other highlights from Wednesday night:
Mrs Clinton will officially accept the nomination on Thursday, setting up an election fight with Mr Trump that will take them to the presidential election in November.


Pope Francis preached an Easter message of hope after a grim week in Europe, calling on Christians not to let fear and pessimism "imprison" them.

Speaking amid tight security at the Vatican, the Pope said: "Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control our hearts."
His message followed a condemnation on Friday of the Brussels terror attacks.
Islamist violence is expected to be a prominent theme of his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message.
Many pilgrims cancelled their planned trips to Rome in the wake of the violence in Brussels, but St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican was packed when Pope Francis celebrated mass on Saturday evening.
The Pontiff entered a darkened basilica with just a single candle guiding him. As he reached the altar, the basilica's floodlights came on to symbolise the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Delivering his homily, Francis said: "Today is the celebration of our hope. It is so necessary today."
The lengthy vigil service also included a papal baptism for 12 adults hailing from China, South Korea and other countries around the world.
On Sunday morning, Francis will preside over Easter Mass and offer his annual Easter blessing.
On Friday, he denounced the "terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence".
Meanwhile, Vatican officials distributed sleeping bags to 100 homeless people.
The police presence in the streets around the Vatican has been stepped up this year, as more pilgrims than usual are expected after Francis declared a jubilee year for the Catholic Church, calling it a "Holy Year of Mercy".


The Philippines has reached a deal with the country's largest Muslim rebel group to share wealth generated from Mindanao's natural resources.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will receive 75% of the gold, copper and other resources mined from the southern island.
It follows lengthy negotiations aimed at ending a 40-year conflict that has cost an estimated 120,000 lives.
But a rebel group not at the talks has continued attacks on the national army.
Two soldiers and five guerrillas died in an ambush by the violent break-away faction Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on Saturday.
Sunday's agreement was reached after six days of talks in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.
It adds details to an outline agreement - the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) - signed last October in which the Philippine government agreed to give Muslims on Mindanao more autonomy in the southern region where Muslims represent a majority in the mainly Catholic nation.
"The Parties believe that the Annex, which forms part of the FAB, will provide sufficient guidance for the crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law's provisions on wealth sharing and revenue generation for the Bangsamoro as envisioned by the FAB," said the government and MILF representatives in a joint statement.
Under the terms of the FAB:
The deal makes it more likely the two sides will reach a final peace agreement to end a decades-old conflict, says BBC Asia analyst Michael Bristow.
But other aspects of a final peace agreement still need to be worked out, such as how to disarm the rebels and exactly how much autonomy the will get, he adds.
As well as the 75%-25% agreement on sharing the wealth from natural resources, the two sides agreed to split earnings from energy resources equally.
The government in Manila says a failure to bring about a binding agreement could give other groups a reason to continue fighting.
The government's chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer told AFP a final peace deal could be signed after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which ends later this month.
The MILF, created after a split with another rebel group in 1977, originally wanted an independent Muslim state, but dropped this demand.
The Philippines has faced separatist movements for decades in Mindanao, where the MILF is based, and in Jolo, home to the radical Islamist Abu Sayyaf group, which is reputedly linked to al-Qaeda.
Communist rebels have also waged a guerrilla conflict over parts of the country from 1969.


A UKIP candidate for one of the party's target seats has apologised for offensive remarks made in a phone call.

Kerry Smith was selected for the South Basildon and Thurrock seat this week, after former Tory MP Neil Hamilton pulled out of the contest.
In a recording obtained by the Mail On Sunday, he is heard making offensive remarks about gay people, other UKIP members and Chigwell in Essex.
He later issued a "wholehearted and unreserved apology".
UKIP said the phone call was made some time ago, when Mr Smith had been prescribed sedatives after an injury.
During the recorded conversation, Mr Smith talks about UKIP's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group and he can be heard jokingly referring to it as BLT UKIP, and adds "what the old poofter groups call themselves".
He jokes about "shooting peasants" from the Essex town of Chigwell and supporting "a peasant's hunt through Chigwell village".
Last week Mr Smith was chosen as UKIP's candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock, a seat in which the party hopes to make a serious challenge.
A UKIP spokesman confirmed to the BBC that Mr Smith had apologised to the party's leader Nigel Farage for allegations made against him during the phone call - which Mr Smith has since retracted.
Patrick O'Flynn, UKIP MEP for the East of England, told BBC One's Sunday Politics that the phone call had been made "some time ago while he was on sedatives" and he had not been "speaking and thinking rationally".
He said the party's candidates had to "watch how to express themselves" adding: "What many people call political correctness is often just politeness and using derogatory terminology, pejorative slang is not right at this level of politics and you shouldn't do it."
He said Mr Smith was not homophobic but needed to "learn to express himself more respectfully about minorities of all kinds".
He pointed out that this week other parties had suffered gaffes by members - with Labour MP Frank Doran apologising for suggesting the post of fisheries minister was not a "job for a woman", while Conservative peer Baroness Jenkin of Kennington apologised for saying "poor people don't know how to cook".
"The hand grenades are rolling down the corridor.  We're still way up in the polls, we've had a fantastic year, we've won two by-elections."
"He's a young man he's learning politics - we also have to have a balance, we don't want to become so anodyne speaking in such non-colloquial language that we lose touch, and I think some other parties risk doing that.
"But clearly what he has said there is unacceptable - he's apologised unreservedly there.  There are big mitigating circumstances here, it was from some time ago, and so we are willing to judge him on his performance from now on."
In a statement made by a UKIP spokesman on his behalf, Mr Smith said: "I wish to issue a wholehearted and unreserved apology to those who I have offended within the party and anyone else.
"With regards to the leadership and management of the party I was completely wrong and my comments were fuelled by frustrations."
Former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton pulled out of the selection contest for South Basildon and East Thurrock after a letter from UKIP's finance committee was leaked to Channel 4 News querying Mr Hamilton's expenses claims for the party.
The former MP has suggested there is a "dirty tricks" campaign against him.
A report in the Financial Times said party officials were accusing one of its biggest funders of trying to pressure them into accepting Mr Hamilton's candidacy. He previously pulled out of another selection process, in Boston and Skegness.


Hundreds of parents have taken part in a protest march against what they claim are "unfair" school funding plans.

The government has announced a new national formula for schools to address "inconsistent" funding levels.
The march started at Sandbach School on Crewe Road at 11:00 and ended at Sandbach Cobbles in the town centre.
Organiser Laura Smith said the march allowed Cheshire parents to show their anger at changes they claim will leave their children worse off.
The national funding formula proposals would reduce spending per pupil in Cheshire East to just under Â£4,200, which is among the lowest in the country.
In the London borough of Westminster schools will receive almost Â£6,000 per pupil.
The protest in Sandbach follows a similar demonstration staged in Nantwich last month.
One parent of a pupil at Vernon Primary School in Poynton said: "We're protesting against education funding cuts and the proposed national funding formula which is anything but fair."
Heva Simpson said it was "wonderful to see parents coming together to make sure our voice is heard".
In January MPs debated warnings that schools in England faced deep funding problems during which shadow education secretary Labour MP Angela Rayner accused the government of failing in its pledge to protect school spending.
Education Secretary Justine Greening said schools were already receiving record levels of funding.
She told MPs she accepted there were "cost pressures" but that schools had "significant scope for efficiencies".
The Department for Education has said the current system for distributing funds across the country is "unfair" and the new plans will see more than half of England's schools receive a cash boost.
The consultation for the proposals closes on 22 March.
Research by the Education Policy Institute suggests every state school in England will see budget cuts before 2020 even after the proposals are put in place.


Drones flown by the general public are "a real and growing threat" to civilian aircraft, the head of aviation trade body Iata has warned.

Tony Tyler called for drone regulations to be put in place before any serious accidents occur.
He said the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles is still evolving.
"I am as excited as you are about the prospect of having pizza delivered by a drone," he told a conference in Singapore.
"But we cannot allow [drones] to be a hindrance or safety threat to commercial aviation," said Mr Tyler, director-general of the International Air Transport Association.
"The issue is real. We have plenty of pilot reports of drones where they were not expected, particularly at low altitudes around airports," he added. "There is no denying that there is a real and growing threat to the safety of civilian aircraft [coming from drones].
"We need a sensible approach to regulation and a pragmatic method of enforcement for those who disregard rules and regulations and put others in danger."
Drones were recently involved in four serious near-misses at UK airports, the UK Air Proximity Board said in January.
The board, which investigates near-miss incidents in UK airspace, said a drone had come very close to colliding with a Boeing 737 that had taken off from Stansted airport.
IATA's primary concern is drones flying at low altitudes near airports that could threaten planes taking off or landing, Rob Eagles of Iata said.
Aviation regulators also want to make sure that the radio spectrum used to control the drones does not interfere with air traffic control systems, he said.
In December the US government set up a registration system for Americans who own drones.
Anyone who has a drone must register with the Federal Aviation Administration before the device takes its first flight.
Owners have until Friday to register their details or face being fined.
The move comes after several reported incidents of drones hindering emergency services' efforts in fighting fires and other dangers.


Arsenal have signed teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw for a reported £2.4m.

Bielik, 17, who underwent his medical at Arsenal last week, signed for Legia from their Polish rivals Lech Poznan in July and has made six appearances in all competitions this season.
Arsenal say the deal "is subject to the completion of regulatory processes".
The Poland Under-17 international can play in both a holding midfield role and at centre-back.
He said: "I've decided to move to Arsenal and although I cannot be sure of what's to come in the future, I'm going to London to fulfil my dreams.
"I'm grateful to my team-mates and manager Henning Berg for trusting such a young player and giving me a chance to play for the first team. It's mostly thanks to him that I'm able to move to Arsenal."
Berg said: "Krystian is a very talented player, who is going to achieve big success in football in the future."
For each position, select whether you think Arsenal are sorted, or if a player is needed.


A man who died after becoming unconscious while being restrained outside a bar in Devon was a "larger than life gentleman" his wife has said.

Leslie Douthwaite, 38, from Widnes in Cheshire, died in hospital three days after being restrained outside Murphy's Roadhouse in Paignton on 29 April.
Police had been responding to reports of an altercation between two men and door staff.
Mr Douthwaite's wife, Marianne said he was an "exceptional father".
"Les was... a devoted husband, a loving son and a loyal brother.
"He was so special to all his family and friends... Les inspired and enthused all he knew with his irrepressible zest for life," Mrs Douthwaite said in a tribute.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of affray and have bailed pending further inquiries.
The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.


One in three people born in the UK this year is projected to develop dementia in their lifetimes, according to Alzheimer's Research UK.

The charity described the forecast as a "looming national health crisis".
The figures were based on current life expectancies and the risk of people developing dementia as they age.
However, there is acknowledgement that the figures - projecting what could be happening 100 years in the future - are only an estimate.
More than 800,000 people in the country are already affected by the disease, which is caused by the destruction of brain cells.
Age is the biggest risk factor for dementia and rising life expectancies could increase the number of people living with the condition. Heart disease, diabetes, smoking and a lack of exercise are also linked to the condition.
The charity commissioned the Office of Health Economics to make the projections.
It predicted that:
Dr Matthew Norton, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "These figures underline a stark reality - as people are living longer, more and more people will develop dementia in the future if action is not taken now to tackle the condition.
"It's wonderful news that each generation is living longer than the last, but it's important to ensure that people can enjoy these extra years in good health.
"Dementia is our greatest medical challenge and if we are to beat it, we must invest in research to find new treatments and preventions."
By James Gallagher, health editor, BBC News website
This analysis is based on just life expectancy and the "risk" of dementia at different ages.
However, as we reported a month ago, another study came to the surprise conclusion that the risk of dementia may actually be falling in some western countries.
That has not been factored into this latest analysis and is also a warning about long-term projections.
Improvements in the nation's health overall are the most likely explanation for any fall in dementia risk.
So what happens if heart health continues to improve dramatically over the next six decades while cases of diabetes and obesity soar? What impact will that have?
Meanwhile there is no treatment that slows the onset or progression of dementia, yet there are the first hints that it might be possible with the drug solanezumab.
Last year's Office of Health Economics report showed a drug to delay dementia by five years would reduce cases by 33%.
A lot will change by the time today's newborns are collecting their pensions.
These figures are not set in stone and act as a warning of the cost of not investing in dementia research.


Coleraine midfielder Ruaidhri Higgins has been released by the club.

The former Derry City player joined the Bannsiders in January but has endured a frustrating time with injuries in recent times.
The 32-year-old is planning to take a couple of weeks before deciding on his future.
"From the fans to the players, Oran (Kearney, manager), the coaching staff and the board, I can't speak highly enough about the club," said Higgins.
Boss Kearney thanked Higgins for his contribution during his time at the club.
"I'd like to thank Ruaidhri for all he did here at Coleraine and wish him well for the future in whatever he decides to do," he said.


The SNP's national executive has ruled not to endorse two sitting MPs as candidates in the general election.

Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry, who were elected as SNP MPs but now sit as independent members, were told by the party's ruling body that they would not be selected.
Ms Thomson withdrew from the SNP whip last year amid an ongoing police investigation into property deals.
She  said she was "very disappointed with the decision".
And the Edinburgh West MP confirmed that "after careful consideration" she had decided not to put herself forward for election.
The SNP confirmed on Saturday that all 54 of its sitting MPs would be endorsed as candidates.
The leader of the party at Westminster, Angus Robertson, said: "SNP MPs have been the hardest working group at Westminster and, with Labour in complete disarray, the only real opposition to the Tory government.
"Over the coming weeks we will work harder than ever to retain the trust of people in every community across Scotland."
In a statement, Ms Thomson said: "Since September 2015 there have been reports concerning a solicitor I used some seven years ago.
"I have always made it clear that I have done nothing wrong and it is a matter of public record that it was the solicitor who was under investigation and not myself, that no charges have ever been brought and that I assisted PS (Police Scotland) on a purely voluntary basis.
"I must note that, even in political parties, the concept of natural justice must apply, as must the need for defined processes that are applied fairly, rigorously and transparently.
"I would advise the SNP to employ the services of an external body to help them develop a process as soon as possible."
She added: "I have been privileged to be the MP for Edinburgh West.  After careful consideration I have decided not to stand again at this time and I would encourage all the political parties to avoid personal smears and instead focus on what people really want to hear about."
Ms McGarry failed to receive the party's endorsement as a general election candidate following allegations of fraud.
She tweeted: "Today's decision by the SNP NEC was of no surprise to me. I'll be making no statement. My focus remains with my constituents & staff."
The UK goes to the polls on 8 June after Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans for a snap election, subsequently endorsed by MPs by 552 votes to 13.
The SNP now needs to find five candidates, including three for the seats the party did not win in 2015.
A number of party activists have already announced their intention to bid for the SNP ticket in the Glasgow East and Edinburgh West seats formerly occupied by Ms McGarry and Ms Thomson.
The other three constituencies where candidates have still to be selected are Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Edinburgh South, and Orkney and Shetland.


Requests for forgiveness have sparked anger in Chile among relatives of people tortured and killed during Augusto Pinochet's 17-year rule.

Ten men, who are all serving long sentences for human rights abuses, asked for forgiveness during a special Christmas Mass held inside their jail.
But campaigners said if they were truly repentant, they would reveal where some of their victims were buried.
Some 3,000 Pinochet opponents were killed during the 1970s and 1980s.
The human rights campaigners said the event was a cynical, empty gesture, designed solely so the prisoners - among them a leading member of the DINA, the general's feared secret police - secure an early release from jail.
Some relatives chained themselves to pews at the Cathedral of Santiago to protest against the mass.
Protester Luis Andrade told the BBC: "They've committed crimes for which in other countries they would have given them the lethal injection or the electric chair. They murdered people.
"They shot them, they raped them, they tortured them. My aunt herself was tortured while she was pregnant. So what do they care about us? Did they care about us when they were torturing us?"
But Catholic priest Fernando Montes, who led the service at the top-security Punta Peuco prison on the outskirts of Santiago, said none of the men had asked to be released or to have their sentences reduced - they had simply asked for forgiveness.
He added: "Perhaps, from today, those people who have information about what happened can come forward with it, and in that way help bring about justice?"
Pinochet took control of Chile in a military coup in 1973, declaring himself president the next year.
He ordered many of the purges which saw thousands killed, and many more thousands tortured and driven into exile.
Pinochet stepped down as president in 1990, as commander-in-chief of the army in 1998 and died in 2006.
But the scars of his rule still remain and, four decades on, the bodies of some of the victims have still never been found, Gideon Long reports for BBC News.


Not enough trees are being planted in Wales and the Welsh Government needs to do more to meet targets, woodland organisations have said.

The Wales Climate Change Strategy, published in 2010, contains an aspiration to create 2,000 hectares of new woodland every year between 2010 and 2030.
It is seen as a way to help Wales meet its carbon emission reduction targets.
Ministers said they were committed to increasing new trees in Wales.
The Woodland Trust said Wales had not met its tree planting objectives and had failed to address the need for them in the landscape to deliver key environmental, public and economic gains.
"Tree planting in Wales has fallen off a cliff," a spokesman said.
"We are seeing the lowest tree planting levels in a generation, only 100 hectares in two of the last three years, showing the failures of Welsh Government to meet the already weakened aspiration of 2,000 hectares of new woodland per year until 2020."
The Welsh Government is under pressure from several sides to be more ambitious.
Wales has planted comparatively little woodland cover compared with Scotland.
Both governments have ambitious targets, but many woodland organisations feel more needs to be done to deliver these promises in Wales.
Forest industry body Confor, said it is worried about the "catastrophic decline" in soft wood over the last 15 years.
National manager for Wales, Martin Bishop said: "The lack of public support for tree planting is one reason why we have not achieved very much."
He said a complicated, slow and ponderous regulation process was also causing problems.
"We have no appetite in Wales to see land use change and we seem to want to preserve everything we have as it is in perpetuity," he added.
"We will not achieve the 1000 ha we have funds for, unless something is done about the regulatory process. Wales seems to want to put in even more regulation than anyone else."
In Abbeycwmhir, Powys, farmer Jack Lydiate has participated in a farm diversification project to plant Wales' largest new forest.
At 48 ha, it is a fraction of the Welsh Governments 2,000 ha yearly target.
Mr Lydiate said: "I'm looking towards a sustainable future for myself and my family. I know where my business is going to be over the next 30 to 40 years due to the revenue from the trees.
"How many people can say that about their stock?
"It's hard, because there's a lot of old school thought out there. People don't want to take good land away from their stock," he said.
Scheme facilitators Farming Connect are optimistic that with the increasing need, more people will turn to planting trees.
Geraint Jones, its forestry technical officer, said: "We import over 60% of our trees into this country, which will increase over the next few years as particular trees become more rare.
"It's therefore vitally important that we get this message across, that tree planting is important looking towards the future, especially at a commercial level."
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We want to see more trees and woodland in Wales.
"We are working with Natural Resources Wales to improve the way the various regulatory processes are implemented to protect important habitats while also increasing new woodland."


Former Chelsea winger Andre Schurrle received a welcome surprise when a message flashed up on his phone recently - it was Jose Mourinho texting to say a Premier League winner's medal was waiting for him.

Schurrle, 24, completed a £22m move from the Blues to German side Wolfsburg in February.
The Germany international had made 14 appearances for Chelsea earlier this season, most of those as a substitute, and had not been expecting to receive any recognition when Mourinho's side sealed the league title on 3 May.
Speaking in an interview with BBC World Service's World Football programme, Schurrle said: "I didn't know that I'd get a medal when I didn't play most of the second half of the season.
"Jose Mourinho sent me a text to say that I'd get a medal and he asked me to come to the last game. That was very nice for me.
"I'm really happy for the boys. They played a very good second half of the season so of course, for me, it's good to get a medal but the boys did the work."
Players must make at least five appearances to be eligible for a medal.
A Premier League title-winner's medal means Schurrle could feasibly end with a hat-trick of medals this season.
He was a World Cup winner with Germany in Brazil last year, while Wolfsburg will play Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final on 30 May.
Schurrle feels his World Cup-exploits accelerated his departure from Chelsea, admitting the volume of football he played, coupled with little time off between the tournament and the start of the Premier League, left him exhausted.
"I had the World Cup which was very perfect for me and the start of the season was good as well," he added.
"Then there came a little bit of a period for me where my body didn't feel very good, I was not clear in my head and I didn't have as many good moments for Chelsea.
"I wanted to come back to the Bundesliga, I wanted to feel a little bit more in the team and to get a bit more playing time.
"I love Chelsea still, I'm not frustrated, it was a great experience."
Schurrle had joined Chelsea in June 2013 for £18m, but made just 20 Premier League starts for the club, with a further 24 appearances from off the bench.
Despite ultimately being a bit-part player for Chelsea, Schurrle says he would not hesitate recommending other players to move there if they get the chance.
"It can be difficult to get first team football because you have so many good players," he said.
"I think I took my chances very well because normally every time I got playing time I did something good and I scored.
"The manager doesn't need to change anything because the team is winning, then it's very difficult. You just have to be clear in your head and take the chances when they come.
"If you have the chance, you have got to go there."
Schurrle's interview will be available in full on the World Football podcast, available from Friday, 15 May.


Former Olympic athlete Iwan Thomas was greeted by cheering crowds as he carried the Queen's baton at a youth festival during its third day in Wales.

Sun finally greeted the relay at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Bala, Gwynedd, after rain soaked baton bearers over the weekend in south Wales and Powys.
Thomas, the current 400m Commonwealth Games record holder, handed the baton on to a number of young people.
The baton now heads to Carmarthenshire, visiting Dylan Thomas's writing shed.
The relay is the curtain raiser to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow which start on 23 July.
On Monday, the baton spent the day at the Urdd Eisteddfod, a touring Welsh language youth festival that attracts around 100,000 visitors each year.
The baton and its bearers - who were chosen for their contribution to their community, Welsh life or sport - were part of the eisteddfod opening ceremony.
They were then cheered and clapped around the Urdd's maes (field) by the watching crowd.
Thomas, who has Olympic, Commonwealth Games and European championship medals to his name, said he was proud and honoured to be a part of the relay.
"I was part of the Olympic Torch Relay and I think the Commonwealth Games this summer is going to be fantastic, and hopefully me being here today can help add a bit of excitement," he said,
BATON RELAY ROUTE IN WALES
•Day four: Laugharne, Carmarthen, Ammanford, Llanelli
•Day five: St David's, Machynlleth
•Day six: Llanberis, Beaumaris, Menai Strait, Caernarfon
•Day seven: Rhyl, Moel Famau, Ruthin, Llandegla
The baton is now heading back south where it will tour around Carmarthenshire on Tuesday.
The relay will start at Dylan Thomas's former writing shed at Laugharne as part of events taking place in 2014 to mark 100 years since the birth of the poet. It will also take in Carmarthen Leisure Centre, Ammanford Leisure Centre, Llanelli and Carmarthen.
The baton arrived at Cardiff Airport on Saturday morning and was greeted in the rain by crowds in Abertillery, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar and Merthyr Tydfil.
On Sunday it visited several places in Rhondda Cynon Taf, before heading to Llandrindod Wells in Powys in the evening.
The baton will travel 731 miles (1,176km) in Wales over seven days visiting sights including the summit of Snowdon.
The baton tradition started before the 1958 Cardiff Games and has taken place in some form before every Games since.


A teenager arrested for allegedly making racist remarks at a football match will face no further action, Cumbria Police have said.

The 15-year-old was held  on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment at the FA Cup game between Carlisle United and Everton on 31 January.
Officers told him on Wednesday no further action would be taken.
Two men aged 18 and 19 remain on bail for the same alleged offence.
Everton won the fourth round tie 3-0.


Harrison Ford has said he did not want to star in a new Indiana Jones film without director Steven Spielberg.

The actor is due to star in a fifth Indiana Jones film, which will be released in 2019.
Ford told the BBC: "I've always thought there was an opportunity to do another. But I didn't want to do it without Steven [Spielberg].
"And I didn't want to do it without a really good script. And happily we're working on both.
"Steven is developing a script now that I think we're going to be very happy with," he said of Spielberg, who is directing the film.
Spielberg directed the four previous Indiana Jones films, which were all produced by Star Wars creator George Lucas.
Ford first appeared as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, released in 1981.
He then starred in three subsequent films, most recently in 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Ford was speaking to the BBC ahead of the DVD release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the film in which he reprised his role as Han Solo.
When asked whether Han Solo, who is killed in the film, could return in some form to future movies in the franchise, Ford replied: "Anything is possible in space.
"I wanted Han Solo to sacrifice himself for the good of the other characters to bring some gravitas to the story."
Speaking about his involvement in the film, Ford said: "I was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the other characters, to work on a script that I had real confidence in, with actors that were a dream to work with, with a director that had a very sure and generous hand, and it was altogether a pleasure."
But Ford said he does not feel an emotional connection to the characters he plays.
"I hope I bring an emotional understanding of the characters and something the audience will recognise," he said.
"I want the audience to experience the character, not to feel that they know him but to be involved in seeing what happens to him."
Star Wars: The Force Awakens became the UK's biggest film of 2015 after just 16 days of release, with takings of Â£94.06m.


One of Flat racing's most successful horses, Postponed, has been retired after suffering a stress fracture to one of his legs.

The six-year-old won four races at Group One level, including the King George VI Stakes at Ascot and the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
He was trained first by Luca Cumani and more recently by Roger Varian.
Varian said he was "very grateful to Postponed for proving such a willing and talented ally".
BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght
As well as being amongst Flat racing's major talents, Postponed was also central to one of its most surprising controversies.
Soon after success in a thrilling King George in 2015, the horse was switched - for many, inexplicably - from trainer Luca Cumani by owner Sheikh Obaid al Maktoum.
Still ridden by jockey Andrea Atzeni, with whom the horse won all his major prizes, he continued to thrive with new trainer Roger Varian in the spring and summer of 2016, but had no more wins after York in August.
Varian has called him "magnificent" and there's no argument with that.


Plans to close two Carmarthenshire schools and replace them with a Welsh-language school have been backed.

The council's education and children scrutiny committee met on Monday to endorse the closure of Llangennech Infant and Llangennech Junior schools next year.
A new Welsh-medium community primary school would be built in their place.
Carmarthenshire council said the move would ensure "bilingualism is increased" in the area.
Campaigners argue the proposal is taking away parents' choice, as pupils at both schools are currently able to learn in English and Welsh.
A petition to the council said the move would have a "massive impact" on children in the community who seek an English-medium education.
The new Llangennech Community Primary School includes nursery provision and would be built on the existing sites of the current infant and junior schools.
The council's executive will discuss the proposals on 20 June and decide whether to publish a statutory notice.


Argentina has welcomed a reported offer from Iran to assist in the investigation of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires.

The foreign ministry said they had yet to receive a formal word from Tehran but if confirmed, the offer would be "unprecedented and positive".
Argentina blames Iran for the 18 July attack, which killed 85 people.
The Iranian government, which denies any involvement, has said it is ready to help solve the case.
Monday marks 17 years since the Israeli-Argentine Mutual Association (Amia) building was destroyed by a car bomb.
It was  one of two attacks targeting Argentina's 200,000-strong Jewish community in the 1990s.
The 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires that left 29 dead also remains unsolved.
Argentina has said it will publish a report into the attacks in the coming days.
Reacting to Iran's offer, the Argentine foreign ministry said it hoped to receive an official communication from its Iranian counterpart.
"But if confirmed this would be an unprecedented and positive overture from the authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Amia case, " a ministry statement said.
The Iranian foreign ministry said at the weekend it was "ready for a constructive dialogue and to co-operate with the Argentine government to shed all possible light" on the Amia case.
A statement published by the state news agency, Irna, condemned the attack and sent its sympathies to the victims.
But it also said Argentine prosecutors had unfairly accused Iranian citizens.
Iran's current Defence Minister, Gen Ahmad Vahidi, is wanted by Argentina for allegedly masterminding the Amia bombing.
Since 2007, Interpol has had a red notice in place for Gen Vahidi, informing its 187 member countries that Argentina is seeking his arrest.
At the time of the attack, Gen Vahidi was the commander of a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force.


The health board for north Wales has said it still needs to tackle waiting time issues and overspending, a year after being placed in special measures.

The move was prompted by "institutional abuse" at a mental health ward in Denbighshire's Glan Clwyd Hospital.
Betsi Cadwaladr health board's chairman said it has "new energy" and could be out of special measures next year.
The Welsh Government said positive progress has been made but more improvements are required.
Health secretary Vaughan Gething said: "It's clear that the health board still faces challenges and has a lot of work to do before it can come out of special measures.
"I have been impressed by the commitment shown and the positive attitude and efforts of staff to meet the challenges they face and deliver the improvements needed.
"I said last October that it would take some time for the health board to deliver the required improvements, but the signs of progress are encouraging."
The decision to place the health board in special measures saw its former chief executive stand down and a new management team put in place.
The board's chairman Peter Higson said he believed progress was being made.
"Special measures seems to have unlocked quite a lot of energy among staff.  Staff really want to make the board work and want to see the improvements themselves," he said.
Priorities
Mr Higson said priorities for the board were tackling waiting times for patients and balancing the health board's books.
The board ended the financial year with a £20m overspend on its budget of £1.2bn.
"We did end the year with quite a significant number of people waiting longer than they should do, particularly in orthopaedics.
"We've got to tackle those, we've got to look at our underlying financial position."


Manchester City won the Women's Super League title for the first time, with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea Ladies confirming them as champions.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Unbeaten City just needed to avoid defeat to guarantee top spot.
Chelsea captain Katie Chapman, under pressure from Jill Scott, diverted Toni Duggan's corner into her own net 12 minutes before half-time.
Duggan added the second from the penalty spot after full-back Lucy Bronze was fouled by Gilly Flaherty.
City's victory - in front of a crowd of more than 4,000 - took them 10 points clear of second-placed Chelsea, who will secure Champions League qualification if they take two points from their final two WSL games.
Nick Cushing's City can win a second trophy of 2016 on 2 October, when they face Birmingham City in the Continental Cup final.
"I'm really pleased that we've won the title - it's what we set out to do," City boss Cushing told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.
"But I'm more pleased with the performance today. In the second half especially we were dominant defensively and offensively.
"We've got some big games coming up and we want to be successful in the Champions League now that we've won the league. For now it's hard work because we've got big games."
England international Duggan added: "It's amazing to be WSL champions. It's something I've always wanted and a dream has come true.
"We've won the league - job done. We've got a cup final next week and we want to do the double. We set out to achieve big things and I'm sure the champagne can wait on ice for a couple of weeks."
City's clean sheet was their 16th of the season in all competitions and they have conceded just three league goals in 15 WSL games.
Their first title also comes less than three seasons after they were controversially introduced to the top flight, having only finished fourth in the Women's Premier League in 2013.
Cushing has now led the club to two major trophies, following victory in the 2014 Women's Continental Cup.
Match ends, Manchester City Women 2, Chelsea Ladies 0.
Second Half ends, Manchester City Women 2, Chelsea Ladies 0.
Attempt missed. Jade Bailey (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Corner,  Manchester City Women. Conceded by Millie Bright.
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Daphne Corboz replaces Keira Walsh.
Offside, Manchester City Women. Kosovare Asllani tries a through ball, but Isobel Christiansen is caught offside.
Offside, Manchester City Women. Isobel Christiansen tries a through ball, but Stephanie Houghton is caught offside.
Foul by Jade Bailey (Chelsea Ladies).
Kosovare Asllani (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Manchester City Women. Conceded by Bethany England.
Attempt blocked. Stephanie Houghton (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Millie Bright (Chelsea Ladies).
Kosovare Asllani (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Manchester City Women. Jane Ross tries a through ball, but Isobel Christiansen is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Kosovare Asllani (Manchester City Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jill Scott.
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Tessel Middag replaces Toni Duggan.
Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Keira Walsh (Manchester City Women).
Attempt saved. Bethany England (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Millie Bright.
Substitution, Chelsea Ladies. Drew Spence replaces Ji So-Yun.
Attempt missed. Ana Borges (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Foul by Jade Bailey (Chelsea Ladies).
Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Bethany England (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Karen Carney.
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Kosovare Asllani replaces Nikita Parris.
Attempt missed. Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Nikita Parris.
Substitution, Chelsea Ladies. Bethany England replaces Eniola Aluko.
Foul by Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies).
Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jill Scott (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Toni Duggan.
Attempt saved. Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Karen Carney.
Attempt missed. Jill Scott (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Toni Duggan.
Ana Borges (Chelsea Ladies) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ana Borges (Chelsea Ladies).
Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ana Borges (Chelsea Ladies).
Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Chelsea Ladies. Conceded by Demi Stokes.
Corner,  Chelsea Ladies. Conceded by Jennifer Beattie.
Offside, Chelsea Ladies. Rebecca Spencer tries a through ball, but Gemma Davison is caught offside.


Chris Coleman has resigned as manager of Greek side Larissa this week.

The former Wales defender, 41, told BBC Wales Sport that financial problems at the club means he could no longer continue in his position.
"Over the last two or three months I've had to compromise myself because of the financial situation and it's made me unhappy," he said.
Coleman joined the second tier club on a one-year deal in May and will leave them in fourth position in the league.
He applied for the Wales manager's job in 2010 and is likely to be one of those considered for the post as Gary Speed's successor, but he stressed the timing of his departure from Larissa was "purely coincidental".
"My decision to break my contract here has nothing to do with Wales at the moment," he said.
"Of course I'll be linked with [the Wales job]. Even if I was to stay with Larissa I would have been linked with it anyway."
Coleman's final game in charge was a 1-0 home win on Sunday, which kept Larissa two points adrift of the top spot.
But he said the lack of funds at the club, a result of the financial crisis in Greece, hindered him from working as he wished.
"The president has had to cut the budget by almost half so a lot of our players and staff haven't been paid for months and months and months," he said.
"It's not a situation I want to be involved in if I'm honest with you.
"But I'm leaving I think with a bit of dignity. I had a fantastic ovation from the supporters yesterday [Sunday] in our home game, which we won 1-0. They understand my reasons."
Coleman's first managerial experience abroad also ended acrimoniously when he resigned from Real Sociedad after less than six months in charge.
But he says the latest set-back to his career will not deter him from working abroad again.
"The experience is great, so are the different cultures," he said. "As a coach you're asked different questions tactically because things are done differently.
"So you learn a lot and you have to learn quickly. I've enjoyed the experience here [in Greece] definitely."
Former Wales captain Coleman started his managerial career at Fulham in 2003 before moving to Real Sociedad in 2007.
His last job before going to Greece was at Coventry City, where he was sacked in May 2010 after the Sky Blues came close to relegation during his two seasons in charge.


Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, has been named joint winner of the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize.

He shares the honour with Dr Shinya Yamanaka, a stem cell scientist.
Technology Academy Finland said Mr Torvalds's achievements had "had a great impact on shared software development, networking and the openness of the web".
It is the first time the bi-annual award has been split. Each man receives 600,000 euros ($752,000; Â£483,000).
Mr Torvalds developed the first version of a Linux operating system while studying at the University of Helsinki, Finland in 1991.
When he posted details of the project on Usenet he described the project as "just a hobby, [it] won't be big and professional".
The Linux kernel - the code that lets software and hardware work together - has since been through many revisions. It now powers a range of Linux-based systems behind many of the world's computer servers, digital video recorders, stock exchange equipment and Google's Android smartphone platform.
Mr Torvalds remains in charge of deciding which changes should be made to the kernel, based on submissions from thousands of other software engineers who volunteer contributions to the open source project.
It is estimated that a total of 73,000 man-years have been spent working on the code.
"Linus Torvalds's work has kept the web open for the pursuit of knowledge and the benefit of humanity - not simply for financial interests," said Dr Ainomaija Haarla, president of Technology Academy Finland.
Mr Torvalds now works out of an office at his home in Oregon, having moved to the US in 1997. But he acknowledged his roots in accepting the award.
"This recognition is particularly important to me, given that it's given by the Technology Academy of Finland," he said.
"I'd also like to thank all the people I've worked with, who have helped make the project not only such a technical success, but have made it so fun and interesting."
Mr Torvalds recently revealed that over the years, others - including Apple's founder, Steve Jobs - had tried to tempt him to switch jobs.
But he told the BBC that he had no intention of leaving the Linux Foundation - the non-profit organisation committed to promoting and supporting the kernel's development.
"Hey, I've had job offers, but I've really tried to make it very clear to everybody that what I appreciate most is my neutral status, and it really turns out that I think all the companies involved with Linux really do prefer things that way too," he said.
"I seriously believe that even though the Linux kernel has become a big thing for a number of large companies, people really do appreciate how nice it is that I don't work for any of them."


At least 30,000 people are facing starvation in South Sudan, the UN has said.

Three UN agencies warned that a famine could develop in southern Unity State, where fighting has prevented deliveries of humanitarian aid.
Two years of civil war have left nearly 4m people - particularly young children - facing severe hunger, the UN said.
Both the government and rebel forces have accused each other of breaching a peace agreement signed in August.
The conflict has left a third of the country's population is in crisis, up 80% since last year, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), children's agency Unicef and the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a joint statement.
"People are on the edge of a catastrophe that can be prevented," said WFP chief Joyce Luma.
Fighting has disrupted harvests, food and fuel prices have risen and some displaced families are being forced to survive on a single daily meal of fish and water lilies.
An official famine has not yet been declared, but almost a million people are described as living in a "catastrophic" situation, the highest level of food emergency under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which classifies hunger on a scale of one to five.
Under the IPC, a famine is declared when 20% of the population are deemed to be in a catastrophic situation.
Families have been "extraordinary" in trying to sustain their children but have now exhausted all their coping mechanisms, said Jonathan Veitch, head of Unicef in South Sudan.
"Agencies can support, but only if we have unrestricted access. If we do not, many children may die," Mr Veitch said.
The civil war began in December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that has split the country along ethnic lines.
Both sides are accused of perpetrating ethnic massacres, recruiting and killing children and carrying out widespread rape, torture and forced displacement of populations to force out their opponents.


General Electric (GE) has announced that Jeff Immelt will retire from the US industrial giant after 16 years as chairman and chief executive.

Mr Immelt will leave on 31 December and will be replaced by John Flannery.
In keeping with the company's tradition, Mr Flannery has been promoted from within GE where he was most recently in charge of healthcare.
Speculation about Mr Immelt's future had grown recently following reports of a clash with a major investor.
Trian Fund Management had raised concerns with GE about the company missing financial targets over a number of quarters.
GE has agreed to cut $2bn worth of costs and to align executive bonuses with cuts and profit goals.
Documents filed earlier this year showed that Mr Immelt's remuneration had fallen as a result of missing targets.
He was paid a total $27.5m for 2015, down 35% from the previous year's total of $32.9m.
Mr Flannery, 55, who described Mr Immelt as "one of the greatest business leaders of our time", has been with GE since 1987 and has worked all over the world including India and Argentina.
GE said the leadership announcements were the result of a succession plan that has been run by the GE board of directors since 2011.
In addition, chief financial officer Jeff Bornstein has been promoted to vice chairman of GE.


Police have said an attack on three men in North Lanarkshire may be linked to an earlier road rage incident.

Three men were hurt in the "targeted attack" in Cardowan, near Glasgow, when vehicles were set alight and a village street left resembling a "war zone".
Detectives now believe an incident an hour earlier, in which men in two other vehicles tried to block in a Ford Transit van, could be connected.
The van was later stolen and used in Sunday's Cardowan attack.
Det Insp David Reilly said: "What we know now is that around 12:30 on Sunday 5 June 2016, a 46-year-old man was driving his silver Transit van on Cumbernauld Road, Riddrie, when two cars, a blue BMW X6 4x4 and a white saloon car, each with three male occupants, tried to block him in.
"He managed to turn his vehicle around and speed off north along Cumbernauld Road over the motorway and towards Gartloch Road in Ruchazie where he lost the two other cars who had been pursuing him."
The van was later stolen from a street in Ruchazie.
The 46-year-old was one of the three men later attacked in Cardowan when his van was used to ram another Ford Transit van before its occupants were assaulted.
Det Inp Reilly added: "I am pretty sure, especially at this time of day and the fact that the van, which had ladders on the roof, crossed over on to the wrong side of Cumbernauld Road to get away, that someone would have either have had to swerve to avoid the van or would have at least seen the incident happen.
"If you did, then please contact police.
"The BMW and its owner have since been traced and inquiries are continuing in that regard, however, we still need information about the white saloon car."


Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova for the 18th time in a row to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.

The defending champion, seeded number one and chasing a 22nd Grand Slam title, saw off fifth seed Sharapova 6-4 6-1 at Melbourne Park.
The world number one, who has not lost to Sharapova in 12 years, now faces fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
In the men's draw, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will meet in the semi-finals after straight-set victories.
Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion who has won the tournament four times, beat Tomas Berdych 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-4, while top seed and defending champion Djokovic saw off Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 6-4.
Sharapova made it a real contest for almost an hour but eventually buckled under the American's power.
Williams, 34, appeared to struggle with her ball toss in the morning sunshine on Rod Laver Arena as she fell 2-0 down.
The intensity ratcheted up as the set progressed, with both players repeatedly yelling "Come on!" as they tried to grab the initiative.
Sharapova, 28, held on valiantly in an eight-minute game to claw her way back to 4-4, but the pressure told in game 10 and Williams clinched the set at the fourth opportunity with a volley.
The world number one called for the doctor at the changeover but powered on stronger than ever in the second set, making it 12 games out of 15 as she sealed victory after one hour and 32 minutes.
"It was super intense," said Williams. "She's an incredibly intense and focused player who was world number one.
"When you're playing someone so great you have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity."
Sharapova was equally effusive about Williams. "She's at a different level. She makes you work. That's inspiring."
Radwanska earlier beat Spanish 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1 6-3 to reach her second Melbourne semi-final in three years.
Federer had been beaten by Berdych in their past two meetings at Grand Slams, but had won their past four matches.
The Swiss fell behind early in the first and third sets but hit back immediately both times and was dominant for the most part on serve.
The 34-year-old then made a fast start to the opening-set tie-break and was in control from then on, breaking twice in the second set and making the decisive move at 4-4 in the third.
"Tomas has caused me a lot of problems over the years, but it's been a pleasure playing against him," said Federer.
"He's the type of player who makes you better."
Djokovic, chasing a sixth Australian Open title, lost just nine games as he eased past Japan's Nishikori.
The world number seven beat Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals in 2014 but he failed to make the same impact in Melbourne.
Inconsistency with his returns and a niggling leg problem saw Nishikori lose his serve six times overall and Djokovic wrapped up the victory in two hours and seven minutes.
After the match, the Serb was asked about his 45th meeting with Federer, saying: "We keep playing each other in nearly every big tournament.
"It's always a big challenge. You don't need to spend words on his achievements - he is a great champion and someone I have a lot of respect for. It will be a great match."
Britain's Jamie Murray reached the semi-finals of the men's doubles with new Brazilian partner Bruno Soares.
They beat 13th seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, conquerors of six-times champions the Bryan brothers, 6-7 (3) 6-4 7-6 (3).
Murray, the older brother of Andy, and Soares face French duo Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille in the last four after they surprised top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in three sets.


European leaders are billing their new proposal to deal with the refugee and migrant influx as a "game-changer", but the scheme is not agreed yet and there are doubts about whether it it is practical or even legal.

The centrepiece is a plan to take any refugees and migrants who cross the sea to Greece in smugglers' boats and return them, directly, to Turkey.
European Union officials say whatever is finally agreed "will comply with both European and international law". Privately, though, some admit that, while the assessment of their lawyers is "quite promising", there are legal hurdles that must be overcome.
So can Europe carry out mass returns of entire groups of people? UN officials have cited the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that it explicitly prohibits the collective expulsion of foreigners. And they say that under international law, it is not illegal for someone fleeing persecution and conflict to cross a border and ask for asylum.
Around 90% of those arriving in the Greek islands say they are fleeing conflict, primarily from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan. Under international law, each person's case must be heard on an individual basis, not as a group, because they may have very good reasons for seeking protection.
The second difficulty, UN officials have said, is that while returns can be legal, people can only be sent back to a country that is safe, is able to care for them, give them full access to work, to education, to healthcare, and, most important of all, will take responsibility for processing the individual's asylum claim.
The reason many Syrians are leaving Turkey is that it can't provide work, education and healthcare for them all. A system to apply for asylum in Europe from Turkey doesn't exist yet.
Until now, the EU has not returned people to Turkey. It hasn't viewed Turkey as what's called a "safe third country". Turkey is not a full member of the Geneva Convention. It does not offer Syrians asylum, only a lesser form of international protection. And other groups like Iraqis and Afghans don't even have that option in Turkey. So while returning Syrians is questionable, returning non-Syrians may be even more problematic.
Even if all the legal issues are settled there remains the practical problem of how Greece would send back all those making the crossings. Desperate people, men, women and children would have to be rounded up, held and then transported back across the sea.
In exchange for the mass returns, the EU is offering to take in large numbers of asylum seekers directly from Turkey. So for every Syrian sent back to Turkey, one already in Turkey will be resettled in Europe. But finding EU countries willing to accept the new arrivals may not be easy.
Last year, EU countries pledged to shift thousands of refugees directly from Greece, Italy, and Turkey and give them new homes in the EU. Just a few hundred have actually been moved. Could countries achieve now what they have failed to make happen so far?
Hungary has made clear that it is not prepared to accept quotas under this new plan. Other countries in central and eastern Europe are also opposed. So to make this work, a "coalition of the willing" - countries prepared to welcome Syrians - will have to be assembled. Germany and the Netherlands may have to be the leaders here, but they will need support from other states too.
Among Turkey's demands to secure a deal is visa-free access to the EU for Turks, ideally by the end of June, but there is significant political resistance. It would allow more than 70 million Turks to travel (but not work) visa-free in Europe's Schengen zone.
That hasn't happened before now because some EU countries have worried about the political backlash at home from anti-immigrant parties. France in particular has been opposed. The indications from behind closed doors at the summit were that President Francois Hollande may be willing to accept a deal on visas.
But then there is the problem that Turkey does not officially recognise the Greek-Cypriot government in Nicosia (Cyprus is an EU member). That's one issue to overcome, and there is also significant opposition to visa concessions for Turkey in the European Parliament, which would have to approve the change as well.
Even if all of these issues are resolved, sources say that EU countries will probably still insist Turkey meet all the technical conditions necessary for visa-free access. The hurdles, such as Turkey introducing more sophisticated biometric passports, are significant.
This is another of Turkey's demands. It may be largely symbolic, as most EU countries believe Turkey is years away from achieving EU membership, but making any headway on this will be even harder than on the subject of visas.
Opposition from Cyprus is one big issue here. Turkey must recognise the government in Cyprus before any new discussions open. Cyprus has stated clearly that it has a clear understanding from other EU countries that "Turkey cannot use its role in the refugee crisis... to ask for exchanges as regards its EU accession course".
Other countries like Italy and Belgium have doubts about making concessions at a time when there are serious concerns about Turkey's political direction, about declining media freedoms, and worries about a shift towards greater authoritarianism in Turkey's politics.
Privately, EU sources say agreement even to open any new accession discussions will be "very difficult" and is one of the most important things to clarify if a deal is to be done next week.
For all the difficulties, though, there are powerful, political reasons why all sides want a deal. The EU as a whole wants to regain control of events in this refugee crisis. There is a real concern that countries have started going it alone, consensus has broken down, and the EU has to find a plan that reverses that dynamic.
There is also a fear that if the refugee crisis remains unresolved, it could affect Britain's EU referendum. Angela Merkel needs a deal as she's come under huge political pressure at home. And the crisis has caused a real rift between the leaders of Germany and Austria that needs to be mended.
Other EU leaders want to show their electorates they can protect the EU's borders, fearing that otherwise anti-immigrant parties will seize the political initiative. Closing some border crossings to deal with the refugee crisis has had economic costs too.
And a deal suits Turkey as well. It is hosting millions of refugees and is under serious pressure because of the way the war in Syria has shifted with Russia's involvement. Despite their difficulties, the EU and Turkey both benefit if they can make a strategic relationship work, and they need support from each other to deal with the crises they are facing.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


Six people have been arrested in connection with a suspected £15m tax fraud involving restaurants and wholesalers around England.

More than 80 officers from HM Revenue & Customs searched three homes and five businesses in Manchester, Merseyside Cheshire and London.
Cash, computers and documents were seized during Thursday's operation.
Those arrested are suspected of laundering money using offshore accounts and companies.
They have been released on bail.
Andrew Sackey, deputy director of HMRC's fraud investigation service, said: "We will act against those suspected of hiding money offshore.
"Businesses committing tax fraud steal from the public purse and have an unfair advantage over honest competitors."


A road in southern Scotland looks set to be shut for days after an accident involving a lorry towing part of a wind turbine.

The incident happened at about 22:45 on Monday on the A713 Castle Douglas to Ayr road just north of Parton.
A Daf lorry, part of a convoy heading to the Brockloch wind farm at Carsphairn, left the roadway.
Police have now said the route could be closed until Friday to allow for the recovery of the vehicle.


A collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that lay in an attic for 35 years has sold for more than £5,000.

Dating from the 1980s, the 150 fighting turtles, still in their original packaging, caused "turtle mania", said auctioneer Tim Weeks.
They were put up for sale at Wessex Auction Rooms in Wiltshire by a former toy shop owner from County Mayo.
The humanoid fighting turtles caused a worldwide sensation when they were adapted for television in 1987.
Named after the Renaissance painters Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael, the series coined the word "cowabunga" and sparked a fad for terrapins as pets.
When the craze took-off in the late 1980s, Mr Weeks said the shop owner had managed to get some of the "very first" heroes direct from the US.
"He was the only person to get the original run of these turtle figures in the whole country and he said he made an absolute killing through them," the auctioneer said.
"However, after a couple of months, the big chains in Ireland started to sell them and he put his remaining stock up in the attic."
With lots including "Muckman" - described as being scarcer as "no mums or dads bought it in the 80s" - Mr Weeks said the auction room had been "filled with turtle fans".
"It's been absolutely fantastic, they've all sold and at prices I didn't think were possible," he said.
"Having them in their original packaging does help, but even if they're loose you can still get good money for them."
The turtles had been expected to fetch about £4,000, but the lots eventually sold for a total of £5,200 at the auction house near Chippenham.


Being severely obese can knock up to eight years off your life and cause decades of ill health, a report says.

The analysis showed being obese at a young age was more damaging to health and life expectancy.
The team, at McGill University in Canada, said heart problems and type 2 diabetes were major sources of disability and death.
Experts said people were frequently "ignorant" of the consequences of obesity.
The health problems caused by obesity are well known.
The report, in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, used a computer model to take those risks and calculate the impact of weight on life expectancy throughout life.
In comparison with 20 to 39-year-olds with a healthy weight, severely obese men of the same age lost 8.4 years of life and women lost 6.1.
Men also spent 18.8 more years living in poor health while women spent 19.1 in that state.
Moving up an age group to those in the forties and fifties, men lost 3.7 years and women 5.3 years to obesity.
Men and women in their sixties and seventies lost just one year of life to obesity, but still faced seven years in ill health.
Prof Steven Grover said: "Our computer modelling study shows that obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, and diabetes that will, on average, dramatically reduce an individual's life expectancy.
"The pattern is clear. The more an individual weighs and the younger their age, the greater the effect on their health, as they have many years ahead of them during which the increased health risks associated with obesity can negatively impact their lives."
Responding to the findings, Barbara Dinsdale, lifestyle manager for the charity Heart Research UK, said: "How many more wake-up calls do we need?
"This research study yet again supports the clear message that by becoming obese you not only take years off your life, but also life off your years in terms of experiencing more years in poor health rather than enjoying a happy, active and productive life."
"Whatever size you are, small, manageable but sustainable changes are the way forward for a happier, healthier and longer life, and reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes."
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: "People persist in thinking that fat is just fat and appear ignorant of the many diseases that a high body mass index triggers.
"If they were told that they could lose a leg or go blind from diabetes or develop life-threatening complications from other similar diseases, I am sure they would think hard and twice before piling on the pounds."


An Indian court has set aside the death penalty for a man found guilty of plotting a blast at a German bakery in the western city of Pune in 2010.

Mirza Himayat Baig, who belonged to a banned militant group, will now serve a life sentence for possessing explosives.
The high court in Mumbai (Bombay) cleared him of all other charges.
The blast targeted the bakery when it was full of tourists and students, killing 17 people and wounding 64.
Five foreigners were among the dead.
Baig had appealed against the death sentence, delivered by a trial court in Pune in April 2013.
On Thursday, the Bombay High Court cleared him of more serious charges of murder and conspiracy.
The defence had maintained that he was not in Pune when the explosion happened on 13 February 2010.
He was arrested the following September after investigators found a cache of explosives at his home in Latur in Maharashtra.
The prosecution had said the blast was planned at a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where Baig, a resident of Maharashtra state, was given bomb-making training.
The German Bakery is located near the Osho Ashram, a mystic centre popular with visitors to Pune.
Reports said an unattended package exploded when a waiter in the restaurant attempted to open it.
The bombing was the first major strike of its kind in India since the deadly Mumbai attacks of 2008.