Residents trying to prevent building on land near their homes by having it designated a village green have accused the council of a conflict of interest.

Newcastle City Council has indicated it might sell The Valley in High West Jesmond for sheltered housing.
It looked "suspicious" that it would also decide on the village green application, residents said.
The authority said it was "not an unusual situation".
Friends of the Valley and the Little Dene secretary John Stephenson said: "Our concern is that, where a council is the authority promoting the development, there must be a conflict of interest when it is also acts as the Commons Registration Authority."
These authorities decide on village green and common land applications. It is an offence to build on land with this status.
"The council will obviously ensure that it deals with the application properly and in accordance with its statutory duties," the council spokesman said.
East Gosforth Liberal Democrat councillor and resident Peter Leggott said: "However well intentioned it is, it will always look a little bit suspicious if it's two branches of the council."
The council, which is aiming to make Â£138,150 savings on legal costs this year, has paid a London barrister Â£1,650, including VAT, to draw up a legal argument against village green status.
It was "appropriate to seek external advice" and the fees represented "value for money", the council spokesman said.
In 2013 the authority identified a number of potential sites for sheltered housing.
The Valley had not been marketed and there have been no discussions with developers, it said.
"Should the eventual outcome be that it goes forward as a site for development, then any proposals would be subject to the statutory planning process, including local consultation with councillors and residents," a spokesman said.


One of the 26 canoeists caught up in a major rescue operation on the River Foyle on Saturday said "they had a lucky escape".

They were all treated for mild hypothermia after two canoes capsized due to weather conditions.
It happened on the river between Magheramason in County Tyrone and Carrigans in County Donegal.
Foyle Search and Rescue said it was the biggest operation they were ever involved in.
Two canoes were taking part in a "married versus singles" race when one of them capsized at about 14:00 BST on Saturday during a fundraising event for the YMCA.
William Lamrock from the YMCA said all 26 people ended up in the water, some for about 20 minutes. All were wearing life jackets.
Bill Minky, from north America, told BBC Radio Foyle: "We were on a canoe from Strabane to Culmore and we were in the lead canoe and all of a sudden we didn't see the rear canoe.
"We decided to go back and they had taken on some water. The canoe then sunk.
"Some of them got into our canoe then ours tipped.
"The emergency services then came and plucked everyone out.
"The youngest was probably in his 20s and the eldest was 62.
"We were having a good time and then the swell came over.
"We had life jackets on, so we were prepared for something like this happening.
"I take my hat off to the emergency services. They did a terrific job.
"I'm here on holiday and it's not one I was expecting."
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, the PSNI and the Irish coastguard were all involved in the rescue.
Six people were airlifted to Londonderry's Altnagelvin Hospital and were treated for mild hypothermia.
Another 12 were taken by ambulance and the rest were treated at the scene.
Ian Faulkner, who lives in Magheramason, watched events as they unfolded with his telescope.
"I came home from work and noticed that the weather was awful. At the corner of my eye I could see people in the very centre of the water.
"Some of them were on their own in the water. My wife then called the police."
Stephen Twells, from Foyle Search and Rescue, said: "Without Mr Faulkner's quick reaction we could've had a tragedy.
"The water would've been extremely cold.
"The weather was  pretty unpredictable on Saturday but the group was being led by experienced leaders.
"It was a difficult for us due to the weather and also due to the number of people involved."


Ambulances in Stockholm are testing a system that interrupts in-car audio systems to warn drivers that they need to get through.

The solution was developed by students at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in the city.
It broadcasts a voice warning, while a text message also appears in the radio display.
It uses an FM radio signal to jam drivers' speakers and stop music playing.
It will only be able to alert cars that have their radios turned on. It can also interrupt CDs and music connected via Bluetooth.
The radio transmission is sent from the emergency vehicle to nearby FM tuners that are equipped with RDS, a communications protocol for embedding small amounts of digital information in FM radio broadcasts. It is most commonly used to display the station or song title.
"Often drivers have only a few seconds to react and give way to emergency vehicles," said Mikael Erneberg, a KTH student who worked on the system.
"The optimal warning time is at least 10 to 15 seconds."
Loud music can prevent sirens from being heard and, according to the students, accidents involving motorists who have not heard emergency vehicles are on the rise.
"We want to catch motorists' attention at an early stage, and mitigate stress that impairs road safety," said Mr Erneberg.
"It fulfils three functions: improving accessibility for first responders, improving road safety and make the working environment in transport better for vulnerable professions," said Mr Erneberg.
The city will begin testing the system in a limited number of ambulances and fire engines, with plans to expand across the country later this year.
The warning system can work out how far in advance messages need to be heard depending on the speed of traffic.


The trade in counterfeit products has moved online, where it can be hard to tell a genuine from a fake.

Lucy Lane ordered what she thought was a Nutribullet blender on eBay in February 2015. It turned out to be a counterfeit.
"I bought it from eBay and I paid £124.99 for it. I think they retailed for £150. That eBay [seller] came up as one of the cheapest but not by a dramatic amount."
"I didn't think for a minute that it could be fake - I mean £125 is still quite a lot of money. It's not like I'm paying 25 quid and hoping that it's real."
Lucy used it for several months and noticed one of the blades was starting to rust, but thought she hadn't dried it properly.
Then in October 2015, she was blitzing up some soup and "it exploded. The cup pretty much catapulted off the base and the liquid flew straight into my face."
"I just panicked. I thought 'God, this is burning through my skin.' You think the worst. That's how terrifying it was: it was just excruciating pain and you have no idea what you're going to be left with really."
Lucy was treated at A&E and attended a burns clinic. She said; "The deeper areas around my eyes - because it hit my eyelids - were scabbed. Luckily for me it healed. It could have been a lot worse, I'm thankful that it wasn't. It was very scary."
Lucy contacted High Street TV- the official UK distributor of Nutribullet - and they told her it was a fake appliance. They say they warned eBay in October 2014 about the seller, E-Digitech based at Newbridge Crescent in Wolverhampton. But five months later the seller was still operating, and sold Lucy the fake blender.
E-Digitech told the BBC they "purchased these goods from abroad believing them to be genuine" but developed doubts about their authenticity and withdrew the stock from sale. They say they will give Lucy and other customers a refund.
Ebay say they have no record of being warned about this issue. They said counterfeits are "not welcome on eBay", and added that they work hard to protect legitimate sellers "through anti-counterfeit initiatives" which help brands to protect their goods.
High Street TV say the genuine Nutribullet is independently tested to ensure that it meets all UK and European safety regulations for electrical products of this type. They have a small team scouring the internet for counterfeit sellers, and say they are contacted by three or four people every day who discover they have purchased a fake.
Donna Crossland of High Street TV told 5 live Investigates: "A lady contacted us last month, she was absolutely furious. She'd bought a Magic Bullet to make food for her six-month-old, and she fished out a bit of plastic from the back of her baby's throat. It was a counterfeit product and it had come apart. When you read an email like that your heart sinks.
"We've also seen reports of units exploding causing injury, which of course you would not get with the genuine article."
A report by the charity Electrical Safety First revealed the dangers of counterfeit electrical goods sold in the UK.
Steve Curtler, their product safety manager, told the BBC: "We've got serious concerns about the number of counterfeit electrical goods coming in to the UK. We know from the authorities' figures that there has been a 12% increase in the last year alone. A lot of those are from online sales."
He warned about the dangers of fake electrical goods: "They're not just a waste of money - they might not work - but they are actually a potential fire risk, electric shock risk. It's just not worth taking the chance."
The trade in counterfeits in the UK is believed to run into billions of pounds - with the government estimating that it loses £1.3 billion in unpaid tax from the sale of fakes.
Mike Andrews from the National Trading Standards eCrime Team says they are increasingly seeing counterfeit goods being sold on social media, rather than through conventional online shopping platforms.
He said: "This year we've worked more closely with Facebook than before to take down rogue profiles and listings selling dangerous counterfeit goods and pirated material.
"Interestingly, we've also seen more Facebook sellers switch to taking orders from consumers and fulfilling those orders with goods from third-party sources, "with an increasing number of counterfeits being sent directly from the manufacturer to the customer's address.
"This reduces the seller's risk of losing large amounts of their own stock if seized in any raids."
His team have been coordinating a national campaign - Operation Jasper - targeting counterfeiters selling their wares on social media. After the most recent operation, which ran for the last two weeks of November, 7,800 Facebook profiles were taken down or delisted, and 63 separate investigations launched.
Goods seized include Internet Protocol television boxes, clothing, footwear, headphones, and illicit tobacco.
5 live Investigates is on BBC 5 live on Sunday 13 December at 11:00 GMT. You can listen online afterwards or download the programme podcast.


Cardiff is well placed to create more jobs in financial services, the UK head of finance giant Deloitte has said.

The group's finance and administration centre of excellence officially opened in the city's enterprise zone on Wednesday.
David Sproul said the lower cost of office space gave Cardiff an edge over Birmingham and Manchester.
Half of the promised 700 staff are already in place; the remaining jobs will be created over five years.
It comes as ministers said they had supported 10,000 new finance and professional jobs in Wales since 2011.
As for the future, Mr Sproul added: "There's no reason that we couldn't be twice as big here as we look forward and have 1,500 people here instead of 700."
The company - which has a technology centre of excellence in Belfast - had looked at a number of cities before opting for Cardiff as an "attractive" location.
He said: "We knew we could get a broad range of graduates, it was a great location in terms of office facilities and also in terms of commuter distance back into London - for those who need to see clients there it's only two hours on the train."
Deloitte also looked at the cluster of other finance companies like Admiral and legal firms in the city.
Mr Sproul, Deloitte UK's chief executive and senior partner, said the £3.5m of Welsh government support was linked to jobs and what they would do for the economy.
"We're creating 700 new jobs that wouldn't be here otherwise," he told BBC Wales.
The posts include tax, IT and administrative support for clients and the group's other offices.
Most will be on entry-level starting salaries of around £20,000 but more senior staff were on up to £80,000 a year.
Fewer than 50 people had relocated from Bristol and Reading.
"We're creating career opportunities for all these people. Nationally, we employ 15,000 and recruit 1,500 a year at entry level."
He said the quality, diversity and ambition of graduates in Cardiff was equivalent to Manchester and Birmingham but the rental and infrastructure costs were lower.
Mr Sproul said Cardiff was one of the options for other companies in the sector.
"Once you have people in the city that prove it successful, why would others not want to replicate it and come here? The infrastructure and support structure are already here."
Around 140,000 people work in the finance and professional sector in Wales, an increase of 14,000 since 2011.
First Minister Carwyn Jones, who officially opened the offices, said it was a "vote of confidence" in the city's enterprise zone.
He said he was confident that growth would be felt beyond the zone in years to come.


Seven species of yellow-faced bee native to Hawaii have become the first bees to be added to the US federal list of endangered and threatened species.

Conservationists say the bees face extinction through habitat loss, wildfires and the introduction of non-native insects and plants.
The bees are crucial to pollinating some of Hawaii's endangered plants.
The listing follows years of study by researchers including the Xerces Society conservation group.
Sarina Jepson, director of endangered species and aquatic programmes for Xerces, said although yellow-faced bees are found elsewhere in the world, the species now under protection are native only to Hawaii and pollinate indigenous plants.
While those species could potentially be pollinated by other bees, she said many could become extinct if the native bees were allowed to die off.
She told the Associated Press news agency that threats to the bees include feral pigs and invasive ants.
The bees had also suffered loss of habitat due to wildfires, invasive plants and land development, especially in some coastal areas, she added.
Hawaii-based entomologist Karl Magnacca, who worked with Xerces, said it had taken almost 10 years to achieve the listing.
"It's good to see it to finally come to fruition," he said.


Serena Williams must wait until Friday to continue her pursuit of a calendar Grand Slam after the women's semi-finals at the US Open were postponed with heavy rain forecast.

The matches will now take place at 11am local time (16:00 BST) on Friday.
Williams will face Roberta Vinci after second seed Simona Halep meets Flavia Pennetta in the other last-four match.
The men's semi-finals will take place after the conclusion of the women's matches at 22:00 BST.
Top seed Novak Djokovic faces defending champion Marin Cilic first, with second seed Roger Federer taking on his fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in the other match.
The rainy conditions did not prevent the men's doubles semi-finals from going ahead as scheduled on Thursday.
Great Britain's Dom Inglot and his partner Robert Linstedt were beaten 7-5 6-2 by French duo Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, but Jamie Murray and his Australian partner John Peers won their semi-final later on.
Murray and Peers saved a match point to beat Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (9-7) and take their place in Saturday's final.


A dog walker has been taken to hospital after being attacked by a group of men and women in Greenock.

The man and a friend were walking a black whippet on Kilmacolm Road on Sunday night when they were set upon.
The 45-year-old man was hit with a weapon - thought to be a blade or hammer  - and needed stitches for three cuts to his head.
He was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital where he received treatment for his injuries.
The 48-year-old man with him was also assaulted but escaped injury.
Det Insp David Wagstaff, of Police Scotland, said the men were attacked by a group of men and women they spoke to at a bus stop on Kilmacolm Road at about 22:40.
He said: "The two men were attacked for some unknown reason.
"We would like to hear from anyone who saw the attacks or knows anything about them."


Nick Blackwell's family expect the boxer to wake from his induced coma in the next 48 to 72 hours, reports BBC boxing correspondent Mike Costello.

Blackwell, 25, was taken to hospital after Saturday's British middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr was stopped in round 10.
He suffered a small bleed on the brain but has not required surgery.
"I'm told the vital signs are good and doctors are cautiously optimistic," Costello told BBC Radio 5 live.
Blackwell is heavily sedated, but doctors are gradually reducing the amount of drugs over the next two to three days.
"There are no major issues within the context of his condition," added Costello.
Towards the end of the fight, Eubank's father - former world champion Chris Eubank Sr - told his son to punch Blackwell's body rather than his face.
The ringside doctor then halted the fight in round 10 because Blackwell's left eye was swollen shut.
He was taken from the ring on a stretcher while being given oxygen.
Eubank Sr later told BBC Sport he would have stopped the fight had his son been in the same situation, while Eubank Jr said he eased off in the final round and that referee Victor Loughlin should have ended the bout sooner.
However, Eubank Jr's trainer Ronnie Davies disagreed and said both Loughlin and Blackwell's corner were right not to pull him out of a "title fight".
The British Boxing Board of Control said it is satisfied with the way the fight was handled and respected trainer Adam Booth told BBC Radio 5 live that Loughlin had "acted immaculately".
Meanwhile, boxing promoter and former world champion Barry McGuigan said it was an "isolated incident" and "nobody was to blame".


A private college has paid £1,377 to a former student who claimed that slow feedback and marking led to her course certificate being issued months late.

Monika Maldrik says the delay by ABI college in west London meant she "lost a year".
The college was initially ordered to pay her £5,000 but this was reduced to £1,377 at a later hearing.
A spokesman for the college said late feedback was the only part of her claim that the court had upheld.
The issue has since been rectified, said the spokesman.
Ms Maldrik, from Margate in Kent, who works part-time as a carer, received her Higher National Diploma in health and social care management in June this year - more than a year after the course ended.
The college contested an order for £5,000, made against it in May by the County Court Money Claims Centre.
Last month, Thanet County Court reduced the amount payable to £1,377, including £277 costs.
Ms Maldrik says she is disappointed not to have received the higher amount and still maintains that she did not get a satisfactory service during the two-year course.
The college rejects the bulk of her criticisms but accepts that changes in teaching personnel did cause some delays in marking assignments, an issue that it says has now been resolved.


Thousands of people have rallied in the Italian capital Rome against a bill giving gay couples legal recognition and adoption rights.

Protesters came from across Italy to attend "Family Day", which featured conga-dancing Catholic priests.
Parliament began considering the legislation earlier this week and is due to vote on it in February.
Italy is the last major Western nation not to give legal recognition to same-sex couples.
Many of those attending the rally at Rome's Circus Maximus, a former chariot-racing venue, held up banners saying "It is wrong even if it becomes law".
"These unions are very easy to form but also easy to collapse," said one protester. "Instead, we think that the family has great value and this law can destroy it."
A clause in the bill that allows gay people to adopt the biological children of their partner is proving particularly contested.
"The traditional family is based exclusively on a man and a woman. We don't want to deprive children of the right to have a father and a mother," said another of those there.
Organisers said two million had attended, far more than the venue's capacity, and journalists at the scene estimated the figure at around 300,000.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi faces opposition within his coalition government in his bid to pass the bill, with his environment minister attending and his interior minister tweeting support for the rally.
Last week rallies were held in major cities across Italy demanding legal recognition for same-sex couples
Italy has faced repeated complaints from European Court of Human Rights over its stance on gay marriage.


Championship side Leeds United have signed Bournemouth and Republic of Ireland midfielder Eunan O'Kane on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

O'Kane played 118 games for the Cherries, helping them to two promotions after joining in 2012.
The 26-year-old played in 16 Premier League games last season but is yet to make a first-team appearance this term.
He has won four senior international caps, but was not included in Martin O'Neill's squad for Euro 2016.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A man was trapped in his bed by a tree that smashed through the roof of his house, causing the ceiling to collapse.

A neighbour raised the alarm at about 07:00 GMT and the man was rescued from the property in Mawgan, Cornwall by fire crews and treated by paramedics for minor cuts and bruises.
Neighbour Julian Rand said the trapped man was "understandably very shocked".
The man was calling for help when fire crews arrived.
More on this story and other news from Devon and Cornwall
Mr Rand said: "The large tree which was standing in the Old Rectory came down and smashed into the garage and house.
"The man wasn't injured by the falling tree, but was trapped."
Tolvaddon Station Manager, Mark Salter, said the man was in his 50s or 60s and was "literally just pinned beneath the branches and the tree trunk so he was unable to move".
Mr Salter said firefighters freed the man using small handsaws.
He said the man, who was taken to a bed and breakfast, had minor injuries to his torso and legs.
About a third of the roof was damaged and the garage destroyed by the tree, Mr Salter said.
"Looking at the damage, I'd say it may be sometime before he can get back home," he added.
Power lines were also brought down by the tree and fire crews from Helston, Mullion and Tolvaddon attended.


Alma Siller Contreras is a 59-year old Mexican woman who lives in Hermosillo, a town two-and-a-half hours south of the US border.

For as long as she can remember she has had a tourist visa for the US, a document Mexicans require if they want to visit their northern neighbours.
Ms Siller used her visa regularly to go on shopping trips and on weekend visits to see family living in Arizona, Las Vegas and New York.
However, last Monday, she went to the US consulate in her hometown to hand the document back.
"I've come to do something rather unusual. I want to return my visa," she announced to stunned consular staff.
Her decision dates back to last year, when she heard the then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump refer to Mexicans as rapists and criminals.
Watch:What Trump thinks of Mexicans
"I told my husband: 'That's not right, imagine if he becomes president'," she recalls. "If that happens I'll return my visa," she pledged at the time.
On Monday, Ms Siller walked into the consulate and handed in her visa along with a handwritten letter in which she explained her decision.
"I'm returning my visa voluntarily because I'm offended by your new President Donald Trump's attitude towards my country, Mexico, and its people," she wrote.
"This is my way of protesting and expressing my support for my beloved country and its inhabitants," she added.
Ms Siller also announced that she would be requesting a new visa once Mr Trump was no longer in office.
"If I get it, great. If not it's fine too, my decision is made," she concluded.
After a family member posted a copy of Ms Siller's handwritten letter on Facebook she became somewhat of a celebrity in Mexico.
Many of her acquaintances told her they admired her for what she did.
Ms Siller says her was not an act of courage, as some of her friends had called it.
She also does not expect other Mexicans to do the same.
"Every person has to follow his or her own soul. I wouldn't ask anybody to return their visas, not even my children," she said.
But she does have a message for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
One of Mr Trump's main promises during his electoral campaign was to build a wall on the border with Mexico.
Three days into his presidency, Mr Trump signed an executive order to start its construction and said that Mexico would pay for the wall.
In response, President Pena Nieto cancelled a state visit to Washington.
Ms Siller said she would like to see Mr Pena Nieto stand up to his US counterpart a bit more.
"He should be a bit more aggressive in defending us," she said.


Private talks about the site of a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland in the Borders could be opened up to the public.

Scottish Borders Council was going to consider the subject behind closed doors at a meeting on Thursday.
However, council leader David Parker has now confirmed he will ask for the discussions to be held in public.
Tweedbank was the preferred site for the development but a location in Galashiels has since emerged.
The council report on the project was to be discussed in private as it contains commercially sensitive information.
Mr Parker said that on behalf of the local authority's administration, he would move that the business cases for the two sites should be presented in public.
"A decision as to whether this matter will be held in private or public can only be made on Thursday by council - as the papers for the meeting have already been published," he said.
"For that reason I will raise the matter on the day and, if agreed, this will mean that all of the information councillors will consider as part of their decision-making at Thursday's meeting will be made public.
"Although it was recommended to members that the report be taken in private, due to the commercially sensitive information contained in it, the administration believes it is crucial that all the information is released to enable the Borders' public to make their own assessment of the information councillors will debate."


Birmingham City Council is still failing to do enough to protect vulnerable children but there are signs of improvement, a report says.

Its children's services are still inadequate, an Ofsted inspection report concluded, and inspectors said too many children had been identified "as being at risk of immediate harm".
Inspectors identified "serious and widespread failings" in some services.
The council said it was still part-way through a three-year improvement plan.
Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country
The city's children's services has held an inadequate rating since 2008.
Criticisms include "inconsistent" work to tackle sexual exploitation of children, with inspectors concluding "much (of the work) is poor".
Services for children missing from home or care were also described as poor, while disabled children in need of help were having to wait too long for support.
Referrals for domestic abuse were found to be "high" at more than 3,000 per month.
Inspectors said improvement was also needed to support and plan the care of 94 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
But Ofsted also found "a sharper focus on front-line services" and a more stable workforce following successful measures to keep hold of social workers.
The inspection found "progress" in the adoption service, work with care leavers, looked-after children and tracking youngsters who were missing education.
The council, which welcomed the report, said its plans to spin-off the children's services department as a voluntary trust were continuing.
Cabinet member responsible for children's services Brigid Jones said she saw "this as a positive report in the context of where we expected to be".
A Department for Education spokesman said: "Birmingham City Council has made improvements to the way it runs its children's services, but this progress has not yet gone far enough, fast enough.


A prehistoric stone panel said to be the "most important in Europe" is being unearthed for the first time in more than 50 years in Clydebank.

The Cochno Stone dates to 3000BC and is described as one of the best examples of Neolithic or Bronze Age cup and ring markings in Europe.
Located next to a housing estate, the stone was buried in 1965 to protect it from damage.
Excavation work started on Monday and is expected to last three weeks.
Archaeologists will use 3D-imaging technology to make a detailed digital record of the site.
They hope this will provide more information on the stone's history, purpose and the people who created it about 5,000 years ago.
Dr Kenny Brophy, from Glasgow University, who is leading the dig next to Cochno farm, said: "This is the biggest and, I would argue, one of the most important Neolithic art panels in Europe.
"The cup and ring marks are extensive but the site just happens to be in the middle of an urban housing scheme in Clydebank.
"It was last fully open to the elements and the public up until 1965. Sadly, as it was neglected it was also being damaged through vandalism and people just traipsing all over it.
"Renowned archaeologist Ludovic Maclellan Mann, with a team of experts, decided the best way to preserve it was to cover it over to protect it from further damage."
A trial excavation last year indicated modern graffiti is "probably extensive" over the stone's surface.
The joint project between the university's archaeology department and the Factum Foundation for Digital Technology in Conservation aims to gather high-resolution data of the stone's surface before reburying it.
The foundation then hopes to produce a lifesize copy of the 8m by 13m stone using the recorded digital data and historical sources, including the graffiti as well as the prehistoric surface.
The foundation's Ferdinand Saumarez Smith said: "Factum Foundation captured the world's attention through its 3D scanning work that led to the discovery of evidence of a new chamber in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
"With the Cochno Stone, we are going to use similar recording methods to bring the world's attention to Scotland's equally important, mysterious and beautiful heritage.
"We believe that if we trust people, they will look after it."


A teenager has appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with raping a woman in Midlothian.

Daryl Wallace, 19, made a brief appearance in private before Sheriff Kevin Drummond QC.
No plea or declaration was made and the case was continued for further inquiry. He was released on bail.
His appearance follows reports of an attack on a 27-year-old woman  in a wooded area of Dalkeith in the early hours of Sunday 28 June.


An expert panel is to meet to help decide where a Viking treasure hoard discovered in southern Scotland should be permanently housed.

Both Dumfries and Galloway Council and National Museums Scotland are bidding for the artefacts.
The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel is meeting to discuss the hoard's future.
It will make a recommendation on where the treasure should go to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer.
The find was made by a metal detectorist in south west Scotland in 2014.
Dumfries and Galloway Council wants to house the hoard in a new art gallery being built in Kirkcudbright.
Their bid has been backed by a local campaign which delivered a 5,000 signature petition to the Scottish Parliament earlier this week.
They have both argued that the treasure should be returned to the region where it was found.
It had been hoped a joint bid could be agreed with NMS but that has proved impossible.
NMS said it believed it had put forward a proposal which benefitted both organisations.
It would see some of the hoard go on display permanently in Kirkcudbright and, on occasions, the entire collection hosted in the town.
However, no agreement has been reached between the two bodies and it will now be up to the SAFAP to make a recommendation.
It assesses the applications according to a number of criteria with a presumption that they should be allocated locally unless a "convincing argument" for placing it elsewhere can be made.
Other factors taken into account include:
If an organisation bidding to host a hoard disagrees with the recommendation made by the panel it can make a case for it to be reconsidered.
That would result in the case being deferred for further consideration at a future meeting.


Suriname have pulled out of May's World Cricket League Division Five tournament in Jersey after an inquiry into the eligibility of their players.

The South American country qualified for the event by winning the Division Six tournament in Essex last September, when they beat Guernsey in the final.
But the International Cricket Council launched an investigation after eligibility issues came to light.
They will be replaced by Vanuatu, who finished third in Division Six.
The World Cricket League is the ICC's one-day tournament for non Test-playing nations, which offers them the chance of qualifying for the World Cup.
"The Surinaamse Cricket Bond (SCB) has now accepted that it failed in its duty to ensure the provision of accurate residency information in respect of a number of players," the ICC said in a statement.
Suriname has also been relegated to the World Cricket League's Americas Division One and forfeited a $25,000 grant received for the tournament in Jersey, which takes place from 21 to 28 May.
"We were obviously disappointed by the shortcomings in the SCB's procedures that were revealed by our investigation," said Tim Anderson, the ICC's head of global development.
"There is inevitably an element of self-certification when it comes to determining compliance with the player eligibility regulations, and for this reason the wider cricketing community needs to be able to place the utmost trust in the accuracy of information submitted by other ICC members.
"We are, however, heartened by the action the SCB have taken in confronting the issues raised and look forward to working closely with them to ensure they can resume their participation in ICC competitions in 2017."
Nigeria, Tanzania and Oman will compete against Jersey, Guernsey and Vanuatu with the aim of winning promotion to Division Four of the World Cricket league.
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US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson has sparked outrage after describing poverty as a "state of mind".

During an interview with Sirius XM radio on Tuesday, Mr Carson suggested people are poor because they learned the "wrong mindset" from their parents.
The retired neurosurgeon oversees a department that manages housing for the country's low-income population.
His comments quickly drew sharp criticism on social media.
"I think poverty to a large extent is also a state of mind," he said in an interview that aired on Wednesday.
"You take somebody that has the right mindset, you can take everything from them and put them on the street, and I guarantee in a little while they'll be right back up there.
"And you take somebody with the wrong mindset, you can give them everything in the world, they'll work their way right back down to the bottom."
The interviewer was Mr Carson's own top adviser during his failed 2016 Republican presidential campaign.
History according to Ben Carson
Mr Carson also suggested there was a "poverty of spirit" and bad parenting could result in "the wrong mindset" and "defeatist attitude".
Mr Carson has previously spoken about his experience of climbing out of poverty in Detroit, Michigan, to become a famous neurosurgeon.
During the interview, he attributed his success to his mother.
"If everybody had a mother like mine, nobody would be in poverty," he said.
"She was a person who absolutely would not accept the status of victim."
Shortly after, Mr Carson faced backlash on Twitter from users including Star Trek actor George Takei.
The interview was recorded as the White House touted its 2018 budget, which proposes cutting more than $6bn (Â£4.6bn) from the Housing and Urban Development department.
But it was not the first time Mr Carson has stirred controversy.
In March, he called African-American slaves "immigrants" and in 2013 he said Obamacare was the "worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery".


Emergency patients are being assessed quicker, but safe nursing levels remain a problem, according to the latest inspection of Kent's Maritime Hospital.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said Medway NHS Foundation Trust had "made progress" under a new chief executive.
But the CQC ruled it should stay in "special measures" for another six months.
The trust said patients were now seen and discharged quicker and saw fewer different doctors.
The CQC returned to Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham on 29 and 30 March after a previous inspection found the A&E department could not cope when busy.
The Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards has sent his initial findings to the health secretary Jeremy Hunt:
In her response, the Trust's chief executive Lesley Dwyer said: "We have made the hospital safer, cleaner and more responsive to the needs of patients.
"We recognise there is considerably more to do. We need to address staffing levels and recruit more permanent colleagues to reduce our dependency on agency staff."
The trust was first put into special measures in July 2013 because of concerns about death rates and care standards.
In January the hospital was again rated inadequate and Sir Mike warned the trust's registration could be cancelled without a "clear and coherent improvement strategy".


Manchester City's signing of Gabriel Jesus was like buying a watermelon, said manager Pep Guardiola after the Brazilian's first goal for the club.

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The 19-year-old, who joined from Palmeiras, scored one and assisted another on his first Premier League start as City thrashed West Ham 4-0.
"You never know. It's like a watermelon. You have to open to see if it's good or not," said Guardiola.
"The prospect was good. Jesus is a fighter with instinct for the goal."
City signed the striker in the summer for £27m, but he spent the rest of 2016 with his Brazilian club - helping them to win their domestic title.
Since joining up with City last month, he has started twice and made one substitute appearance, scoring one goal and assisting two.
Guardiola told BBC Sport: "He played a few minutes against Tottenham and created chances and it's not easy to play at Crystal Palace. He's good at assists too. He made a marvellous assist against Palace and today with Kevin de Bruyne."
The City manager added: "He has dreams about what he wants to do in his future career. He wants to become something in world football, and we're going to try to get it for us."
Guardiola left top scorer Sergio Aguero on the bench, starting Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Jesus up front - and the trio impressed, linking up well and playing a part in all four goals.
De Bruyne opened the scoring after a one-two with Jesus, Sane set up David Silva for the second, and Sterling squared for Jesus to make it 3-0 before half-time.
Yaya Toure added a fourth from the penalty spot after Hammers debutant Jose Fonte brought down Sterling.
"We played a front three with an average age of 20," said Guardiola. "In Europe, nobody has strikers this young. I like the fans to be excited. Those players are the future of the club."
Asked if Aguero would have to get used to life on the bench, Guardiola said: "No. I'm a guy who likes to involve as many players as possible."
While discussing Jesus, the former Barcelona boss was repeating a phrase Leeds owner Massimo Cellino said in June 2014 about new coach David Hockaday.
"Coaches are like watermelons, you only know [how good it is] when you open it," said the Italian.
Hockaday was sacked after six games.


Manchester City deserved to win Sunday's derby but you have to give Manchester United great credit for the way they played with 10 men.

MOTD2 pundit Danny Murphy expands on his TV analysis of how 10-man Manchester United almost rescued an unlikely derby draw against Manchester City, despite having Chris Smalling sent off before half-time.
City had been on top when it was 11 against 11 and, from their point of view, it was good to see that they maintained that level of pressure when Chris Smalling was sent off in the 39th minute.
Manuel Pellegrini's players could have been frustrated by the fact they were not awarded the penalties they should have been given with the score at 0-0.
Instead of feeling hard done by, they kept pressing forward.
They got their reward when Sergio Aguero put them ahead with a brilliant finish, but the momentum of the game turned with that goal, which came with just under half an hour to go.
The first part of what changed is fairly obvious: once United had fallen behind and knew they had nothing to lose, they attacked with greater numbers and greater intensity in search of an equaliser.
What you might not expect, especially with them playing against 10 men, is for City to do what they did next - which was to drop deeper and deeper rather than continue pushing forward in search of the second goal that it appeared they needed to be sure of victory.
Having been in the same position myself, I would suggest City's recent poor form might have had something to do with their caution, and the fact it was such a big game.
But knowing they had an extra man would have been irrelevant.
City just wanted to protect their lead even if, by doing so, they created some problems for themselves by allowing United a foothold in the match.
I always think that when you are a man up in games the hardest thing is maintaining the same intensity in terms of pressing for the ball.
When your team has an extra man, you automatically assume that you will have more possession, even though you still need to win it in the first place.
But it is easy for players to get in the mindset that they don't have to work as hard when it is 11 vs 10 as when it is 11 v 11.
What usually happens is that the team with 10 men starts working harder than they were, so you need to do the same.
It only takes one or two players to trigger that response and get everyone else chasing the ball again instead of just sitting back, but even then, by doing that, you think you are taking a risk.
By pressing high up the pitch, you are stopping attacks at their source but you are worried about the space you are leaving behind. It is hard to change that mentality, as City found out.
Even when they did have the ball, there were other reasons why they did not just bomb forward.
If they had committed more men up the pitch in search of a second goal and got caught on the counter then everybody, including their manager, would be asking what on earth they were doing - why not just keep the ball, keep their shape and make sure United can't score?
It is a balancing act but City probably just erred on the side of caution too much in the latter part of the game and gave United confidence.
As the game drew on, they got a bit panicky with their clearances and, instead of playing the ball out from the back, they went long early. Their nerves gave United more belief.
Another way City went wrong was with their substitutions.
Pellegrini brought on Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri with 20 minutes left when he really needed an extra man in midfield to try to get some control back.
He did eventually make the correct change, and Fernandinho did well when he came on. But if he had been brought on 15 minutes earlier, it might have stemmed the momentum that United were building.
United also made the right change at the wrong time, because young James Wilson made a big difference when he replaced Robin van Persie up front eight minutes from time.
When you play one up front with 10 men, your striker has to be able to give you a get-out when you are under pressure, whether that is by running the channels or holding the ball up.
With Van Persie up front, they did not have that. He showed one bit of class in the game, with a nice turn in the corner and a shot that Joe Hart saved, but otherwise it was a difficult day for him.
He was isolated and did not have the athleticism to run the channels effectively, or the pace to out-run Vincent Kompany or even Martin Demichelis.
I was surprised Marouane Fellaini did not get put up there to have some battles with City's centre-halves but instead Louis van Gaal went for Wilson's pace, which stretched City and forced them even further back - maybe he should have made the change sooner.
United still had some defending to do of course, but the longer they hung in there with the score at 1-0, the more they would have believed they could still get something from the game.
That did not happen, but they can still take some encouragement, and not just from the grit and determination they showed.
Daley Blind was superb in United's midfield and showed a really calm head.
Another attribute you need when you are playing with 10 men is someone who is not worried about playing under pressure and Blind did that brilliantly at Etihad Stadium.
He did a great defensive job but rather than just whacking the ball out and clearing their lines until the next attack, he was trying to get them playing and taking a risk to try to build something for United to come forward.
The positives were all in the result for City. This is the start of a big week for them, and they will need a better performance to be sure of the victory they need against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Just like in Russia a fortnight ago, they kept the ball poorly in the last 20 minutes against United and almost paid for it again.
I still think that is psychological, rather than down to any lack of ability. They were desperate for a win and now they have seen this game out, I would expect them to push on.
For that to happen, though, they need to keep Sergio Aguero fit.
He is the best striker in the Premier League and watching him against United made me think he could be the difference between them staying close to Chelsea at the top of the table, or not.
Aguero gives City amazing quality in the final third, which we saw all game.
For his goal, there was his movement away from Paddy McNair to find space and then a brilliant finish to what was a difficult chance on his weaker foot.
He should have had two penalties because of his quick feet and skill and, with his movement and energy, he was a focal point for everything City did and a constant threat.
Aguero has the ability to turn matches no matter how many players teams put behind the ball.
He was frustrated to come off, but Pellegrini was right to be thinking of the part he has to play in future games, starting with Moscow on Wednesday.
Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


A County Tyrone primary school has been reinstated as a polling station, after it was dropped because of loyalist protests during last year's elections.

Chief electoral officer Graham Shields had announced in January that Howard Primary School in Moygashel would no longer be used.
However, the Electoral Commission told him voters should have had a chance to provide their views on the proposal.
Mr Shields has now announced a further two-week consultation.
Mr Shields, who is head of the Electoral Office in Northern Ireland, said it would be held from 26 March to 9 April.
"A decision will be announced on polling arrangements for the affected electors as soon as possible following the end of the consultation period," the Electoral Office said in a statement.
During the European and council elections in May 2014, a group of loyalists held a protest outside Howard Primary School.
Observers from the Electoral Commission voting watchdog who were at the school raised concerns about what they described as a hostile environment.
The MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone, Sinn FÃ©in's Michelle Gildernew, complained to the Electoral Commission about its use as a polling station.
After the initial decision in January to drop the primary school as a voting location, people were to be assigned to polling stations in Dungannon and Eglish.
However, this move was appealed by Lord Morrow of the DUP, while Ulster Unionist assembly member Tom Elliott, who is standing as a joint unionist candidate in Fermanagh South Tyrone, also sent representations from more than 30 voters.
In a letter to Mr Shields, the Electoral Commission said there was a failure to properly consult on the decision to no longer use the school.
"We wish to stress that we express no comment on the substantive merit of the decision that you reached," it said.
"We only find that the process that was followed during the review that led to that decision did not meet electors' reasonable requirements because of the failure to consult them on the significant changes made to the arrangements that were initially proposed."
In the last general election in 2010, Mrs Gildernew took the Fermanagh South Tyrone seat by four votes, following three recounts.


It was an unexpected fragment of Northern Ireland's military history that had lain dormant for decades.

Builders had moved into the Belfast Metropolitan College building on College Square East with the job of converting it into student accommodation.
Instead, they discovered a memento from a long-passed wartime era.
Photographs of teachers and students in uniform who had enlisted to fight in World War One.
These photos, found covered in dust in a box, shed light on a chapter of the college's history indelibly tied to the events of 100 years ago.
"You're staring into the faces of people who died or fought in that war," said Henry Bell, a former staff member and historian of the college.
"I think those photos are there so relatives could come into this college as a kind of memorial and look at them.
"You've officers, you've people who have medals and honours and you've just got the ordinary boys who lost their lives maybe in a ship in the Battle of Jutland.
"You've got the strange case of somebody who ended up in the Italian Army, somebody who ended up in the Australian Camel Corps."
Among the young men captured in the photographs is Billy McFadzean, the first soldier from the 36th Ulster Division to die at the Somme on the morning of 1 July 1916.
The Belfast-born soldier was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
"He had been assigned to bomb distribution," said David Brown, a Somme history researcher.
"His job was to distribute bombs to other men in the trenches who were going to use them in attacking the enemy.
"He lifted a box, which were secured by ropes, and one of the ropes broke off.
"Two of the bombs fell out of the box, the pins came off the bombs and dropped to the floor.
"There was over 600 men in the trench.
"He hadn't time to think about it. He had about four seconds of his life and all that was left that he could do was to throw himself on top of them and he was blown to smithereens."
According to Henry Bell, it was the political situation at the time, combined with the enthusiasm of some at the college, that would have convinced so many to join the fighting.
"The principal of the college at the time, Frances Forth, was very heavily involved with the military.
"He would've probably held meetings in this hall encouraging boys in those heady days of 1914 to go off and fight for their king and country.
"And, remember, there was a heightened tension here about the Home Rule bill and people feeling that fighting for king and country would actually stop Home Rule.
"So, in a way, it (the photos) is part very much of the history not just of the war but what was happening here politically between 1912 and 1914."
While the old college building has taken on new life, this photographic memory of those who fought at the Somme and elsewhere now rests with their families and historians for generations to come.


A senior military figure in the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah is reported to have died in Syria.

Hezbollah said Ali Hussein Nassif was buried in the Bekaa valley on Monday and had been killed "performing his jihadist duty", but did not say where.
Rebels said Nassif and several of his men had been killed in an ambush by the Free Syrian Army. Other reports said they had died in clashes on the border.
There has been no confirmation that he was Hezbollah's commander in Syria.
The US has accused Hezbollah of "providing training, advice, and extensive logistical support" to the Syrian government, an allegation the group has denied.
Lebanese officials also believe members of Hezbollah's military wing, the Islamic Resistance, are fighting in the Syrian conflict, citing as evidence a number of quiet burials of "martyrs" in Hezbollah-dominated areas.
"Hezbollah has been active in supporting the Syrian regime with their own militia," one official allied to a political bloc opposed to Hezbollah told the Washington Post last week. "They've been quite involved in a combat role, quite involved in fighting."
Obituaries for Hezbollah fighters have begun to appear in Lebanese newspapers, without the circumstances of the deaths being explained.
However, after another senior Hezbollah military commander, Musa Ali Shahimi, was reportedly killed fighting in Syria in August, there was a public funeral attended by two Hezbollah MPs in the capital, Beirut.
As with Ali Nassif, the pro-Hezbollah news website, al-Intiqad, reported only that Shahimi had "died while performing his jihadist duty".
According to Syrian activists and the rebel Free Syrian Army, Nassif was travelling in a car near the Syrian border town of al-Qusair at the weekend when a roadside bomb was detonated nearby. It is not clear whether he was killed by the blast or in an ensuing gunfight.
However, sources in Baalbek - the main town in the Bekaa valley - told the Reuters news agency that Nassif and two other Hezbollah members were killed when a rocket hit a building in which they were staying.
A security official told the Associated Press that Nassif's body was returned to Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, and the pro-Syrian regime Lebanese newspaper al-Diyar, have both reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ordered thousands more troops sent to the northern city of Aleppo to finish the battle against rebels there.
Al-Diyar said Mr Assad was flown to Aleppo by helicopter and was personally directing the campaign, thought that has not been confirmed.
In a separate development, the UN's refugee agency said the number of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries had reached 311,500.
"Many refugees and the communities hosting them are already running out of resources," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters.
Last week, the UN and other humanitarian agencies launched an appeal for $487m (Â£301m) to help up to 710,000 Syrians who they estimate will have fled to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the US has played down the significance of video footage that emerged on Monday purporting to show the missing US freelance journalist Austin Tice being held by a group of masked men.
State department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the video might have been staged and officials believed Mr Tice was being held by the Syrian government. Mr Tice disappeared near Damascus in mid-August.
Russia has urged Nato and regional powers not to seek any pretexts for military intervention in Syria.
Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Moscow opposed the creation of humanitarian corridors or buffer zones to protect civilians. He also called for calm along the border between Turkey and Syria.
On Tuesday, Turkish troops fired across the border into the north-eastern Syrian province of Hasaka, killing a Kurdish militiaman and wounding two others, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The activist group said the Kurds were members of the Popular Protection Units (YPG), a militia close to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which the Turkish government has accused of being a front for the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).


Cliftonville boss Gerard Lyttle is looking forward to Saturday's "massive" Irish Cup quarter-final against Linfield at Solitude.

The Reds go into match on a high after a 2-0 win over Glentoran on Tuesday night kept their title hopes alive.
"I can't wait for the game - it's massive for everyone involved and the boys are raring to go after the victory over the Glens," said Lyttle.
"This is not make or break for our season but we're determined to win."
Another north Belfast quarter-final sees Premiership pacesetters Crusaders take on Carrick Rangers at Seaview.
Rangers gave up home advantage because of continuing problems with their Belfast Loughshore Arena pitch.
Crues defender Joshua Robinson has been named the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Month for February.
Robinson will soon be travelling to English League One side Fleetwood Town on trial.
There a chance of a shock in the other two quarter-finals with Championship One sides chasing a spot in the semi-finals.
Loughgall meet Glenavon at Mourneview Park while Lurgan Celtic face Portadown in a mid-Ulster derby.
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Celtic, who are managed by former Glenavon boss Colin Malone, are a team in form while Portadown have struggled this season
Lurgan striker Shea Conaty is one of three former Ports players in the squad - he was on the Shamrock Park team's bench for last season's Irish Cup final defeat by Glentoran.
"We're underdogs and that's exactly how we want it," said Conaty.
"No-body expected them to be so poor this season while we are flying high - we've nothing to lose."


Gambian forces routinely commit abuses, with a paramilitary group allowed to act with impunity, a new report by Human Rights Watch claims.

Political opponents and critics of ruler Yahya Jammeh are regular targets, says the report, the first into The Gambia by HRW investigators.
One man was reportedly forced to drink cooking oil, while others had melted plastic bags dripped on to their skin.
The Gambian government has declined to comment on the report to the BBC.
The report was based on interviews with 35 victims and witnesses of violations committed mainly over the last two years in the west African nation.
Much of it focuses on the actions of Gambia's National Intelligence Agency, a group also known as the Jungulers, who are loyal to President Jammeh.
Their reported torture methods include rape, near-suffocation with plastic bags and electric shocks.
President Jammeh has ruled The Gambia with a firm hand since he came to power in a coup 20 years ago.
He has also implemented tough measures against the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. He has called gay people "vermin" and threatened to slit their throats.
Homosexual acts are illegal in The Gambia and MPs passed a bill last August imposing life sentences for "aggravated homosexuality".
HRW said one gay man was beaten with clubs and threatened with death if he did not name other gay men.
While the European Union withdrew nearly $15m (Â£9.7m) in funding from The Gambia last year, HRW is not calling on other donors to follow suit.
"So long as security forces and paramilitary groups act with impunity, Gambians will suffer," said Felicity Thompson, the group's West Africa researcher.
Correction 18 September: This article has been updated to make it clear HRW is not calling for donors to cut aid to The Gambia.


The UK government is to match the first £5m of donations made by the public to a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Announcing the move ahead of the appeal being broadcast on Thursday, International Development Secretary Justine Greening said doing so will help the money go "twice as far".
The "unprecedented" outbreak "requires a huge global response", she said.
It is the first time the DEC has sought funds over a disease outbreak.
The DEC - a group of 13 UK aid charities - said the public appeal for money is "a sign of how serious the situation has become".
Ebola has killed almost 5,000 people and infected more than 10,000 in West Africa since the start of the year.
DEC appeals are due to be made via all the main UK broadcasters.
Ms Greening said the UK government would match the first £5m of donations "pound-for-pound".
"The British people have always shown immense generosity in situations like these, with hundreds of our health workers having already volunteered their services," she added.
In its 50-year history, the DEC has launched appeals for humanitarian disasters caused by floods, famines, earthquakes, typhoons and conflicts, but not previously for a disease outbreak.
Announcing the appeal, DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said the "explosive nature of the disease" had caused a "humanitarian catastrophe".
"That has compelled the DEC to respond and help by ensuring that we are able to support people to stop the spread of Ebola before it becomes a major global catastrophe," he said.
He added that member agencies faced a shortfall of £69m to carry out their work in West Africa.
Of the 13 DEC charities, 11 are currently supporting work or planning to respond to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, with the majority of work focused on stopping the spread of the disease and providing support to those affected.
The committee says £25 can provide cleaning kits including bleach, soap and a bucket for three families at risk from Ebola.
Basic protective clothing for three volunteers supporting people under quarantine can be provided for £50 and £100 can buy training for a community on how to keep itself safe from Ebola.
It comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) says there could be 5,000-10,000 new cases of the deadly virus every week in the worst affected countries by December. Infection rates continue to grow in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
However, there has been a decline in the spread of Ebola in Liberia - the country hardest hit in the outbreak - the WHO's Bruce Aylward said.
The new number of cases globally was 13,703, he said, adding the death toll, to be published later on Wednesday, would probably pass 5,000.
Mr Saeed also warned of other risks in West Africa as health workers focus on fighting Ebola.
He said: "The health service in West Africa was virtually on the edge of collapse already. Now with the Ebola outbreak, unfortunately it means that other patients are not getting the care they need, whether it be pregnant ladies or those who have contracted HIV/Aids or malaria."
In the US, two medical workers in Dallas, Texas, who treated a patient - who later died -  tested positive for Ebola but have been released from hospital after treatment.
Spanish nurse Teresa Romero was the first person to contract the virus outside West Africa. She was part of a team of about 30 staff at the Carlos II hospital in Madrid looking after two missionaries who returned from Liberia and Sierra Leone after becoming infected.
Germany, Norway and France and the UK have all treated patients who contracted the virus in West Africa.
Ebola special report
To make a donation to the DEC Ebola Crisis Appeal visit www.dec.org.uk


Valentino Rossi won his first MotoGP in 15 months with victory at his home track in San Marino.

The Yamaha rider finished ahead of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo with Honda's Dani Pedrosa in third.
Championship leader Marc Marquez suffered an early crash and finished down the field in 15th. His overall lead was reduced to 74 points from 89.
Rossi's win at Misano was the Italian's 81st career victory and took his MotoGP points total beyond 5,000.
British riders Bradley Smith and Cal Crutchlow finished seventh and ninth respectively.
The Misano circuit is located near nine-times world champion Rossi's home town of Tavullia.
His last win came at Assen in the Netherlands in June last year and the victory saw an end to Honda's 100% winning record this season.
"It's a really great win and with Marquez in such amazing form it's not like it happens often," said Rossi.
"It was the right moment and I took advantage of it, thanks to a Yamaha which was better than the Honda."
Rossi, 35, had qualified third on the grid, behind Spain's Lorenzo and Italy's Andrea Iannone, with Marquez starting from the second row for the first time this season as he looked for his 12th win in 13 races.
Marquez and Rossi battled from the start, until the young Spaniard fell on lap 10.
He lost control of his bike with 19 laps to go with the machine slipping out from beneath him under braking.
"Winning was the main aim of the season and I did," Rossi added.
"I knew I could do it and I continued to push and believe in it always, regardless of everything.
"I kept telling myself that it would happen one day - that Marquez wouldn't be at 100% and I had to be ready."
The next race is in Aragon, Spain, on 28 September.
San Marino MotoGP result:
1.  Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha        44'14.586secs
2.  Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha          +1.578
3.  Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda            +4.276
4.  Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati       +5.510
5.  Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati         +11.771
6.  Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha          +18.999
7.  Bradley Smith (GB) Yamaha        +23.100
8.  Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Honda         +36.458
9.  Cal Crutchlow (GB) Ducati        +38.480
10. Yonny Hernandez (Col) Ducati     +45.878


A 12-year-old girl was among six injured at a shooting during a memorial for a victim of gun violence in Chicago.

Police were called on Wednesday night to the city's south side after a gang ambushed the vigil.
Among the victims was the mother of the 20-year-old dead woman whom mourners had gathered to remember.
Last year the Illinois city recorded 762 homicides, according to police records.
Police spokesman Ron Gaines said the 12-year-old girl suffered a bullet-graze wound to her head, and is currently in hospital in stable condition.
"Another gang saw them on social media and came out and shot up the memorial," community activist Jedidiah Brown told the Chicago Sun-Times.
"No regard for life, they shot up anybody who was there."
A 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman are in hospital in a serious condition after suffering gunshot wounds, Officer Gaines said.
The other victims, ranging in age from 17 to 43, are in a stable condition.
No arrests have yet been made.
The attack came hours after President Donald Trump threatened to "send in the Feds" if Chicago officials are unable to stop the "carnage" of gun violence.
It is not clear what type of federal intervention Mr Trump had in mind for the city of 2.7 million people.
So far in 2017, 43 people have been killed in Chicago, according to the Chicago-Sun Times.


When it comes to Wednesday's Budget, British businesses have drawn up their wish-lists and argued their case with the Chancellor, Philip Hammond.

This Spring two themes have emerged: reforming Britain's business rates and ensuring economic stability as the country prepares to start Brexit negotiations with the European Union.
Here are the highlights of what Britain's business bosses are calling for.
The government must work in partnership with firms to prioritise stability as Britain starts Brexit talks, says the Confederation of British Industry.
"By supporting businesses to invest, the government can promote growth at a critical time for the UK economy as we enter into EU exit negotiations," said CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn.
The CBI says that as uncertainty about how the UK leaves the EU dampens investment and higher inflation erodes consumer spending growth, "the government must show it is serious about supporting companies to invest, to help our regions and nations prosper".
In its Budget submission letter, the group urges the government to make sure it does not add to the mounting burden of costs facing firms for just doing business.
"Prioritising stability will inject further confidence in the economy now, and help boost the country's productivity and prosperity for the future," says CBI chief economist Rain Newton-Smith.
For the BCC, it is "all about business rates". It wants Mr Hammond to deliver "real reform" to the business rates system.
"Despite attempts by successive governments to introduce marginal reforms, the fundamental unfairness of business rates remains," says BCC director-general Dr Adam Marshall.
The government should end the "fiscal neutrality principle" in business rates reforms, it says. This means there are winners and losers across the country from reforms but limits the government's scope to bring about fundamental changes, it argues.
The BCC is also calling for further changes on business rates:
"Businesses from across the Chamber network of all sizes, sectors and locations, lament the burden of this high up-front cost, which they are forced to pay before making even a penny of profit," says Dr Marshall.
For the UK's car industry it is vital that the chancellor does nothing to harm the sector's competitiveness, which is "very internationally exposed," says Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
He wants a reform of the business rates system to encourage investment in plant and machinery and additional funding for supply chain companies to boost skills levels and productivity.
Measures to boost the uptake of low emission vehicles will also be good news, Mr Hawes says.
There has been speculation ahead of the Budget that Mr Hammond intends to provide more details about his Industrial Strategy and investment plans.
Mr Hawes said: "We must also prioritise technologies of the future such as connected and autonomous vehicles and the digitalisation of manufacturing which could yield significant economic advantages for the UK in years ahead."
"There is a risk that Brexit distracts attention from the pressing need to make sure the UK economy is fit for the future," says Institute of Directors chief Stephen Martin.
Mr Hammond should act to "re-energise" the UK business community, says the IoD.
While the government needs to act to help small businesses facing business rate hikes, "we should also look to the future, launching a new Tax Commission to look at what the growth of self-employment and online business mean for the tax system," says Mr Martin.
"The goal must be a much more level playing-field, which treats both High Street and online businesses fairly and adapts to the growth of the 'platform economy', which is leading to an increase in flexible work."
The IoD also wants to see an increase in the Annual Investment Allowance cap to Â£1m to boost investment by small and medium-sized businesses.
The government should reiterate its manifesto pledge for the UK to have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 countries.
This is set to fall to 17% by 2020, but if President Trump cuts US corporation tax to 15% the UK should follow-suit, it says. It also wants to see consultation on a simpler tax system for small businesses.
Mr Hammond should create a 'white-list' for acceptable tax-planning, to separate it from aggressive evasion, so businesses are clear about what kinds of tax planning HMRC will accept.
It wants the government to consult on liberalising investment schemes for start-ups.
The rules for the Enterprise Investment Scheme, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts are too restrictive and unnecessarily complex for entrepreneurs seeking equity funding, says the IoD.
The manufacturers' organisation wants Mr Hammond to maintain his focus on boosting productivity and pressing ahead with infrastructure investment to ensure businesses are ready for "for post-Brexit success", says the EEF.
The government must "enable more research and innovation, skills development and higher levels of investment" - critical for future growth and productivity across British manufacturing.
The chancellor should also act decisively to end the annual bout of controversy about the UK business rates system., it says.
"Action that enables more innovation, more investment and supports better skills and infrastructure in the economy are not optional if the UK is to be ready to make the most of post-Brexit opportunities," says EEF chief economist Lee Hopley.
The EEF is also calling for competitive funding for the government's new institutes of technology, and that the Institute for Apprenticeships should be operational ahead of the new levy being introduced in April.
The Federation of Small Businesses is calling for has a "pro-business Budget that boosts jobs and long-term growth".
The Chancellor should use the Budget to show he backs British businesses to improve job creation and drive productivity - and carry out urgent business rates reform.
"The broken business rates system needs radical change. It's time for the Government to indicate it seeks a sensible, fair system for the 21st century that reflects businesses' ability to pay," says FSB national chairman Mike Cherry.
The Budget is a chance for Mr Hammond to recognise that while "small businesses are the engines of job creation, spiralling labour costs are now threatening their growth ambitions and hiring intentions," he says.
The Budget should deliver as much certainty as possible for City firms and preserving the Square Mile's "number one global financial centre position", says the City of London Corporation.
The City also wants to ensure "the fullest possible Single Market access... [and] strong trade links with international partners, maintaining our ability to attract highly-skilled workers," says a Corporation spokesman.
"Certainty and clarity is key."
Follow Tim Bowler on Twitter@timbowlerbbc


Scotland's Martin Laird shot a one-over-par 73 to slip to joint ninth after three rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Tied for fourth overnight, he is now on six under, three shots behind joint leaders Scott Brown of the USA and South Korea's KJ Choi at Torrey Pines.
Americans Jimmy Walker and Gary Woodland share second on eight under.
Sweden's Jonas Blixt, who carded a second successive 66, is in a group of four players one shot adrift.
Compatriot Freddie Jacobsen and Americans Michael Kim and Jon Huh are tied for fifth with Blixt.


A folk festival has banned Morris dancers in black face make-up after it received complaints they could cause racial offence.

Shrewsbury Folk Festival bosses said dancers wearing full black face paint would not be booked from next year.
But the organisers said there were "no racial connotations" and they had "never wanted to upset people."
Fairness, Respect, Equality Shropshire (Fresh) said the ban showed sensitivity "to a changed social climate".
The weekend's event will be the last where Morris dancers will be allowed to showcase the 500-year-old custom of covering their faces with black make-up.
But the festival's organisers said it was "a national issue that should not be focused solely on the Shrewsbury Folk Festival".
More Shropshire stories
Adrian Pitt: "I am disappointed that the organisers are not prepared to tolerate my traditional disguise, which has nothing to do with mimicry of any racial group and doesn't even look like any particular racial group, the evidence of which goes back centuries."
Liz Weaver: "I don't think some of you are quite understanding the offensiveness of the blacked-up face. This singing and minstrel costume is depicting Uncle Tom. A black man who used to perform for white people. The implication that Uncle Tom was complicit in his own slavery is where the offence comes in."
Jon Roads: "It's terrible that PC nonsense is being used to repress our traditional customs in this way. These ancient traditions are at risk of dying out completely. Just disgusting."
Richard Day: "Just because we have done something for a long time does not necessarily mean we should continue it unless you want to bring back the burning of witches maybe?"
Joseph Bond: "Has everyone missed the irony that all those complaining and bemoaning this progressive decision are white? It's also interesting that most of you mourning your traditions are too stubborn to breathe life into them in order to help them survive."
Have your say on the BBC Radio Shropshire Facebook page.
Jonathan Hyams from Fresh said the group had contacted festival organisers after a complaint from a member of the public.
The groups had met to discuss the issue and Fresh suggested the dancers use another colour of face paint or patterned make-up instead.
Sandra Surtees, from the festival, said: "We are somewhat caught in the middle - we've been contacted by an organisation that's asked us not to book them, and we've been contacted by a group upset because we've not booked them.
"But we recognise that times have changed. We're happy to change our policy."
From 2017, "you will still see black make-up on Morris dancers but not [on the] the full face," she said.
She said two of the three Morris groups booked for this year's festival had "already moved away from wearing full face black make up of their own volition".
One interpretation of the tradition is that it started when begging was illegal, when people would conceal their faces to avoid being recognised, she said.
The most notorious version of the 'Blackface' was used in the United States from minstrel shows of the early 19th century, in which actors caricatured and mocked black slaves.


Swiss has said the aim of his new track is for people to educate themselves about the use of the N-word, rather than trying to stop them using it.

Speaking to 1Xtra's Semtex, the rapper said: "I'm not trying to tell people not to use it and I'm not saying that you should use it.
"I'm just saying here's the information that I've gathered.
"I've put it into five minutes, and I want you to take that information and go and research yourself."
Swiss, who is best known for being part of So Solid Crew, added: "Gather the information and then make a decision on what you want to do with it."
Before the show, Radio 1Xtra explained to Newsbeat that: "The track, which tackles the complex issues around the word, will be played in the late-night specialist show with full warnings ahead of its play and an appropriate introduction giving context to the song.
"The decision to play the track is based on musical merit and it is in line with audience expectations."
Before playing the five-minute track in full during his 22:00 - 01:00 show, Semtex reflected the mixed response the track has had online.
He said: "In case you haven't heard it this is a track that stopped the internet this week.
"It didn't break the internet it stopped the internet.
"It stopped everybody to put down what they were doing and think about what this guy was saying on the track.
"Some people got offended, some people were like 'I'm glad somebody said that', other people were educated."
The track opens with a series of samples referencing black slavery, including quotes from Django Unchained and references several cases of when the media has reported the term being used in a negative way.
A sequence of lyrics, which ends with the song's title, reiterate the point Swiss made during the interview.
"It can be a term of endearment or an emotional trigger.
"It can be the difference between jovial and bitter. It depends on how it's presented, said, spoken delivered. But the expression presents a social dilemma.
"Everybody should understand the historical picture before we ever choose to use the word nigger."
After the track was played a clip of Professor Randall Kennedy Harvard University, who teaches a course on race relations, explained the thought that some rappers put into their use of the N-word.
He said: "With hip-hop there have been some who have put great store on the spelling... because that differentiates from [the traditional spelling] which has principally been used a as racial slur."
Following the clip Semtex added: "I think in hip-hop it's confusing" before playing a Y.G track and referring to a Rick Ross song which both contain heavy use of the word.
He asked Swiss if hip-hop is at fault for using the word, even when it's seemingly used in an endearing way.
"I don't think hip-hop's at fault," replied the rapper.
"A lot of negative things are celebrated in our society.
"I think the word's got a strange journey.
"The way our language works if that it can change over time.
"It has no sort of loyalty to any gender, any race or any time period. Words can change and this is an example."
He explained that during his research he found that some people the word comes from the Latin word negro before being used in the slave trade, while others believe it was first used in Ethiopia as a term for a king.
"When you speak about people using it today who are ignorant from where it comes from... I don't think you can just put the blame of hip-hop."
Semtex then suggested that tracks like Kanye West and Jay Z's In Paris are sustaining the term and referred to a show at the O2 when Kanye announced that white people in the audience could use the term during the song, which they played a number of times.
"Does he have the right? Does any black person have the right to say you can use it?" he asked.
Swiss replied: "I think if you accept that they have - then they have. It's down to you.
"If you choose not to use it based on your own conviction then you're standing on your own two [feet]."
Sky, who produced the track, added: "It doesn't matter if someone gave you the right. It's how you feel about it. You've got to educate yourself and make your own decision.
"I want people to think about how they use it and how it affects the mood of people about them."
Swiss has made a documentary to accompany the track, which has the same name.
The trailer sees artists including Wretch 32, Fuse ODG, Akala, Ms Dynamite and SBTV founder Jamal Edwards discussing what the word means to them.
Semtex went on to ask if the rapper ever uses the word himself.
"Until the So Solid concert [at London's O2 in 2013] came up and I had to perform lyrics... which have the word in it... I always blocked it out i didn't use it. I put brother there [instead].
"But when the So Solid concert came up, when I was rehearsing and performing it with the guys I just felt like I needed to use it because that's the word that I used at that time.
"So within the context of that song, in order to have the same passion and integrity I felt like I should use it."
They discussed how some people outside of black communities, including Latin and white communities, now regularly use the word before Semtex asked why Swiss had released the song now and if it was a case of society having to "examine this issue".
"I had the idea years ago," said the rapper.
"I was invited to Cambridge University recently... the invite rekindled the idea because basically they asked me to come there and have a round table debate about the word itself.
"I gathered all the information, started researching and due to unforeseen circumstances I couldn't actually attend."
He explained he was working on some new music with Sky at the time.
"We made a few tracks but there was nothing that was that hard-hitting thing. Obviously I had the N-word idea in my head."
Nas released an album in 2008 which was untitled but it's widely understood that he had planned to use the N-word as the title before changing his mind before release because of controversy surrounding the term.
Swiss said that he had seem some negative feedback online about the title of the track online but that he wasn't too bothered about it.
"I use the word in its entirety because when you use the word it hits home. I feel like the word does need to be used properly."
Sky added: "It's not a race debate. It's about the word."
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube.


There is an "unacceptable inequality" in care for people with diabetes, according to charity Diabetes Scotland.

It said there were significant differences, between health boards, in the number of people getting essential check-ups aimed at avoiding serious complications.
About 276,000 people in Scotland have been diagnosed with diabetes.
The Scottish government said it had an action plan to improve care and urged people to attend appointments.
Diabetes Scotland has published its annual report charting the variations in care for people living with the condition across the country.
As well as those diagnosed with diabetes, the charity said there was a further 45,500 people estimated to be unaware they have type 2 diabetes.
There are nine key checks which should be carried out annually to help prevent the complications of diabetes - which can include blindness, limb amputations and stroke.
Diabetes UK said the number of people receiving these checks varies from health board to health board.
Its figures suggested the number receiving foot checks alone varied from 60% in Grampian, to 85% in Tayside.
Jane-Claire Judson, national director of Diabetes Scotland, said: "It is indefensible that people living with diabetes are subjected to such disparities of care across Scotland.
"Whether you live in Orkney or Forth Valley should have no bearing on the level of care a person receives but what we are seeing are significant differences in the percentage of people receiving each of the nine essential care processes dependent on the health board area in which they live."
She added: "We must focus on improving diabetes care for all, reducing avoidable complications, and supporting people to live well with the condition which should include offering a range of appropriate education opportunities.
"If action is not taken now, the longer-term costs will be severe to people living with the condition, NHS Scotland and wider society."
The charity also found that people with Type 1 diabetes - which often develops during childhood - received poorer care than those with type 2 diabetes - which appears in later life and is related to obesity.
The report looked at other factors and said there were poorer health outcomes for people living in areas of deprivation.
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "We know that the number of people living with diabetes in Scotland is increasing.
"However, this is not because we are seeing an increase in the number of new cases of diabetes picked up every year, but rather that people with diabetes are living longer with the condition.
"Latest figures show that for the first time we are seeing the percentage of people with poor glucose control decreasing and more people than ever accessing crucial eye screening and feet checks.
She added: "Our Diabetes Improvement Plan, which was published in November 2014, builds on these positive findings and sets out a programme of work to enhance services for people with diabetes, and help reduce their risk of complications."


The family of mentally ill man who died after he was left naked on the floor of a police cell have criticised the force following an inquest into his death.

James Herbert, from Somerset, died of a cardiac arrest in June 2010 after being detained under the Mental Health Act.
An inquest jury said a lack of communication between police officers about his mental health and drug use may have contributed to his death.
The IPCC said it had found a case to answer against four officers.
But the watchdog said that Avon and Somerset Police had decided not to take disciplinary action.
The three-week inquest heard officers had restrained Mr Herbert after he was seen acting strangely in Bath Road, Wells.
He was handcuffed and restraints were fixed around his ankles and thighs, before he was put in the back of a van and taken to Yeovil police station.
Within hours of being placed in the police cell he was found on the floor and not breathing.
The former public schoolboy, who smoked cannabis as a teenager and also took cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, LSD and 'legal highs', was pronounced dead at Yeovil District Hospital.
Delivering a narrative verdict, an inquest jury at East Somerset Coroner's Court said Mr Herbert had been "intoxicated by synthetic cathinones", more commonly known as "Bath Salts".
He had "struggled violently against necessary restraint" and "displayed acute disturbances", the jury said.
"These factors probably contributed to his death."
Speaking after the inquest, Mr Herbert's parents, Tony Herbert and Barbara Montgomery, criticised Avon and Somerset Police and said they would be taking legal action against the force.
"Evidence throughout the inquest has shown that had the officers responded differently, and treated the situation as a medical emergency, there is every likelihood that James would have survived his ordeal and still been with us today," they said.
Describing the incident Mr Herbert said his son had been "in a distressed state" running in and out of traffic on the Bath Road.
"One-and-a-half-hours later he lay dying naked on a bare concrete floor of a police cell at Yeovil police station," he said.
"He was taken on a 45-minute journey where he lay, in the words of one member of the public, 'trussed up like a chicken'.
"No person should be treated in the inhumane way that James was, let alone someone in such a vulnerable and highly distressed state."
Mr Herbert said they hoped lessons would be learned and his son's death would help make it "a safer world" for other vulnerable people.
Before delivering their verdicts East Somerset Coroner Tony Williams asked the jury to consider matters of concern that may have also contributed to Mr Herbert's death.
They noted a lack of communication between police officers over his mental health, his drug use and previous encounters with police.
They also expressed concern over when medical services were called and closer monitoring of Mr Herbert during the journey to Yeovil police station.
Mr Williams said he would be writing to the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police to highlight those issues raised by the jury.
The Independent Police Complaints Commissions (IPCC) said it had made a number of recommendations to the force.
"Avon and Somerset Constabulary held misconduct meetings for these officers and decided that the officers would not face misconduct sanction," a spokesman said.
"The legislation governing police misconduct gives the employing force the decision on what sanctions, if any, to apply and the IPCC has no powers to direct outcomes."
Ch Supt Nikki Watson, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "My officers were faced with an extremely difficult situation and did their very best to protect James and other members of the public.
"Police stations are not the most appropriate place of safety for people detained under the Mental Health Act. However, on many occasions they are the only option available.
"We have taken note of the coroner's helpful comments about communication, risk-assessment and places of safety.
"We will now reflect on how we can improve our service when dealing with these challenging, but thankfully rare, situations."


While the Nigerian government says it is ready to hold talks with the Islamist group Boko Haram, the chances are that intermediaries are already involved in behind-the-scenes efforts to secure the release of the more than 200 school girls being held captive by the militants.

They could be moderate Muslim clerics, human rights activists or local elders, but their task is probably far more difficult because of the media glare on Nigeria - a point ex-US Navy Seal Dan O'Shea makes.
"Hostage releases were done in Iraq. They were done in secrecy. They were done in back-door channels," Mr O'Shea told BBC Newsday.
"This case has brought such worldwide attention that it takes that option off the table for the Nigerian government."
Boko Haram has a propaganda arm, known as the "public enlightenment department".
It is not as sophisticated as that of militant groups such as Somalia's al-Shabab which runs a radio station and has propagandists with a good command of English. It also had several Twitter accounts until recently.
Instead, Boko Haram hand delivers videos to journalists in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the group's former headquarters, containing messages from its leader, Abubakar Shekau, in the local Hausa language and Arabic.
The videos are given to local newspapers and one foreign news agency - French-owned AFP, which obtained the video showing 136 of the abducted girls on 12 May.
"The media focus makes it more challenging," says Mr O'Shea, pointing out that it gives Boko Haram the opportunity to gain maximum publicity and "leverage" over the Nigerian government.
Who are Boko Haram?
Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau
Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram
Some analysts believe the intervention of countries such as the US, UK and Israel - which have sent experts to Nigeria to help deal with crisis - will also complicate efforts to gain the freedom of the girls.
Boko Haram has a deep-seated hatred for these countries, and it is bound to toughen its position in the hope of humiliating the Western powers to enhance its status in the eyes of the global jihadi movement.
The abduction of the girls has, after all, put Boko Haram in the big league of African jihadi movements - alongside al-Shabab, which was responsible for the siege of the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya in September 2013, and Mokhtar Belmokhtar's Signed in Blood Battalion, which seized control of a gas plant in Algeria in January 2013, with about 800 workers in it.
Both these sieges ended in a bloodbath - in Kenya, at least 67 people died while in Algeria, where the security forces stormed the gas plant after refusing to accept foreign help, about 80 people were killed in the ensuing shoot-out.
In Nigeria, more than 200 children are being held in the vast Sambisa forest - the main hide-out of Boko Haram, along the border with Cameroon.
Grant Fredericks,  a forensic video analyst who teaches video science at the FBI's national academy, says experts will study the the video carefully.
"The investigators will look at the kind of vegetation in the area that will narrow to a degree some of the potential locations. They will also look at shadows and try to determine, if they can, where and when it was recorded," Mr Fredericks told the BBC's Today programme.
He says the US once did this effectively with the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, using an "iconic" video of his to establish his location while he was on the run after the overthrow of the Taleban in Afghanistan in 2001.
In Nigeria, locals already have clues to the whereabouts of the children and their captors.
Hunters - with expert knowledge of the area - tried to enter the forest soon after the 14 April abductions to track down the girls, but turned back after villagers warned them that the Boko Haram base was well-protected and they risked death.
Mr O'Shea says there are bound to be casualties if the security forces launch a rescue mission.
"Many of the young girls could be caught up in the crossfire. There are very few options for everyone involved - the Nigerian government [and] the Western governments that are sending law enforcement, military and intelligence capabilities to help with the search for these girls," he told the BBC.
Boko Haram and the government have quietly negotiated prisoner swaps in the past - including that of Mr Shekau's wife in exchange for the release of the wives and children of government soldiers.
And last year, Reuters news agency reported that the Nigerian  government paid a ransom of more than $3m (Â£2m) for the release of a French family of seven, including four children, abducted by Boko Haram in neighbouring Cameroon.
So if intermediaries are involved in efforts to free the girls, money is bound to change hands - and that would help strengthen Boko Haram's war chest.
"How this ends no-one knows but there just isn't a lot of good endings to this story," says Mr O'Shea.
"No matter what path you go down - be it negotiations or the attempt to launch a hostage rescue mission that will be fraught with danger."


Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man's body was found in a burned-out car.

Vilson Meshi, 30, was found dead inside an Audi A4 on Pincey Mead near Pitsea Road, Basildon, on Saturday.
Two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old, all from the town, were arrested on Wednesday night.
They are still being questioned over the death, police said. A post-mortem examination found he died from smoke inhalation.
Mr Meshi's friend, Anthony Chooah, has described the victim as a "cuddly bear".
More on this and other stories from Essex
Mr Chooah said he was at a loss to understand why anyone would kill him and was struggling to come to terms with the attack.
"He was probably one of the nicest people you could ever meet," he said.
Mr Chooah added: "I've been spending a lot of the last four to five days in constant tears, having anxiety attacks.
"He was a big cuddly bear... but someone has taken his life."


Mae Heddlu Gwent yn dweud eu bod wedi eu galw i ddelio a digwyddiad yng Nghaerffili yn gynnar fore Sul wedi i ferch 15 oed farw.

Cafodd y gwasanaethau brys eu galw i ardal oddi ar ffordd Mynydd Caerffili yn dilyn pryderon am iechyd merch o'r ardal, ond bu farw yn fuan wedi iddyn nhw gyrraedd.
Dyw amgylchiadau ei marwolaeth ddim yn hysbys ar hyn o bryd, ac mae'r ymchwiliad yn parhau.
Mae pedwar person yn y ddalfa yn cynorthwyo'r heddlu gyda'u hymchwiliad.