In an age of 24/7 news coverage, social media and videos going viral, the war in Yemen must rank as one of the most under-reported in recent times, despite a few brave visits by intrepid journalists and film crews.

Yemen can be a remote, difficult and dangerous country to cover, and that is in peace time.
Now, six months after Saudi-led air strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels began on 26 March, the war in Yemen has taken a terrible toll on the Arab world's poorest nation, with both sides accused of committing war crimes and most of the casualties being caused by the aerial bombing.
Six months into this war the situation is not quite a stalemate but both sides do appear increasingly entrenched.
The Houthi rebels, allied with forces loyal to the previous President Ali Abdullah Saleh, still occupy the capital, Sanaa, and much of the more heavily populated north and west of the country.
Fighting them are Yemeni forces loyal to the UN-recognised President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who has just returned to the second city, Aden, after six months in exile in Saudi Arabia.
These forces are supported by a coalition of 5,000-7,500 Gulf Arab troops led by a Saudi Special Forces commander. They have total air supremacy, having destroyed the Houthi-controlled air force on the ground.
There have been several unsuccessful attempts to broker a peace deal in neighbouring Oman. These have failed over demands that the Houthis withdraw to their northern stronghold and the Houthi demand for more power-sharing and to integrate their forces into a future national army.
Saudi officials have told the BBC that if no deal can be reached soon then Gulf and Yemeni forces will surround Sanaa and overrun it. If the Houthis then chose to stay and fight the death toll amongst civilians would be catastrophic.
The statistics are sobering. The UN says that more than 4,800 people have been killed, including more than 450 children, and more than 24,000 people injured.
The majority of casualties have been caused by air strikes, with the Saudi-led coalition being accused by Human Rights Watch (HRW) of using cluster munitions and "indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas".  HRW has also accused the Houthis of bombarding residential areas of Aden with mortar and artillery fire as well as laying mines indiscriminately.
Sources: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; World Food Program - 14 September
About 1.4 million people have been displaced from their homes and more than 3.5 million now depend on food aid, yet there is still a partial blockade on the country's ports, imposed by the coalition to prevent any resupply of arms reaching the Houthis.
Many of the Houthi-Saleh arms dumps and military positions have been sited in residential areas, which have resulted in appalling casualties following coalition air strikes.
Unlike Syrians, Yemenis cannot easily flee across their land border as Saudi Arabia has partially completed a 930-mile (1,500km) border fence and reaching distant Oman entails travelling through territory controlled by al-Qaeda.
It is a sign of just how bad things have got in Yemen that many have fled by boat across the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to Somaliland and Djibouti. Some have since returned to Aden, a once thriving Indian Ocean port, now in ruins.
The Saudi-led Operation Firm Resolve began when Saudi warplanes struck Houthi rebel positions deep inside Yemen, taking most of the region by surprise.
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies maintain that the conflict really began six months earlier, in September 2014.
The Houthis swept southwards from their mountain heartland and seized control of Sanaa, with the help of the ousted President Saleh, who still commands the loyalty of much of Yemen's military and security forces.
By January 2015 the Houthis had placed the UN-recognised President Hadi under house arrest and by February he had fled to Aden, where Houthi forces very nearly captured him before he was rescued by Saudi Special Forces and smuggled out of the country.
The Houthis say they rebelled because of widespread corruption in government and because Yemen's federal system did not take their interests sufficiently into account.
The Saudis and their Yemeni allies contend that Iran has been arming, training and even directing the Houthi rebels, who are Shia Muslims.
But there has been little evidence of direct Iranian military involvement on the ground. The Houthi advance was enabled largely by renegade forces loyal to the previous president.
Saudi Arabia fears encirclement by Iranian proxies: in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and now Yemen.
So, a decision was taken in March by Saudi King Salman and his favourite son, the Defence Minister, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to draw a line in the sand and launch this war to show Iran it would not tolerate what they saw as a takeover of their neighbour by an Iranian proxy.
The Saudis hoped their massive, precision-guided air power would quickly force the Houthis to sue for peace.
When I interviewed their chief military spokesman in Riyadh during the first week of Operation Firm Resolve, Brig Gen Ahmed al-Asiri presented an upbeat, confidant assessment of the way the war was progressing.
But the Houthi rebels have proved more resilient than the Saudis expected, forcing them and their Sunni Arab Gulf allies to commit thousands of ground troops - and take casualties themselves.
Broadly speaking, there are two sides in this war.
On the one side there are the Houthi rebels, who were initially able to overrun most of western Yemen with the help of Republican Guard brigades loyal to Mr Saleh.
The ex-president's role has been crucial.
Driven from power by the Arab Spring protests in 2012, he never left Yemen and appears determined to stop anyone else ruling the country in his place.
His alliance with the Houthis is considered highly opportunistic given that when he was president he fought several wars with them, calling on help from the Saudi air force - which is now bombing both his forces and the Houthis.
Ranged against the rebels is the Saudi-led coalition. Next to the Saudis, the most important contributors are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which landed an entire armoured brigade in Aden, complete with French-built Leclerc tanks.
Qatar has committed at least 1,000 troops, and there is also a contingent from Bahrain. Morocco, Sudan, Egypt and Jordan are also contributing but Oman has remained strictly neutral, allowing its capital Muscat to be a convenient venue for peace talks.
Pakistan effectively snubbed a Saudi request to send ground troops after its parliament turned it down.
The jihadists have benefitted enormously from the recent chaos in Yemen. Both al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and so-called Islamic State (IS) have moved into parts of southern Yemen abandoned by government troops.
AQAP now controls the eastern city of Mukalla, while IS fighters have been seen in and around Aden. Both these organisations have sent suicide bombers into Sanaa, with IS latterly targeting Shia mosques frequented by the Houthis.
The controversial CIA-run drone programme that was targeting AQAP leaders in southern Yemen is still active but is likely to have lost many of its human informants on the ground.
Yemen's war can only end one way - with a political settlement.
The Saudis certainly have both the budget and the firepower to keep prosecuting their campaign until they force the Houthis to sue for peace.
But the price will be paid by ordinary Yemenis and there are already signs of growing international disapproval of the death toll incurred on civilians by the air strikes.
The Houthis, while showing remarkable resilience, have also been unrealistic in their demands. They do not represent a majority of Yemenis and the harsh reality is that impoverished Yemen depends on its big, rich neighbour Saudi Arabia to survive economically.
The Saudis are never going to bankroll a regime (the Houthis) they see as an Iranian proxy so it can only be hoped for Yemen's sake that some compromise is reached as soon as possible.


Britain's first fully polymer £5 note is in the running for the International Banknote of the Year award.

Clydesdale Bank's Scottish £5 note was the first fully polymer banknote to enter circulation in Great Britain.
The International Bank Note Society has nominated the fivers, made from a polymer substrate, for the award alongside banknotes from countries including New Zealand and China.
They are the only UK note on the shortlist.
Clydesdale chief executive David Duffy said: "We are proud that our polymer £5 note has been nominated.
"We take our responsibility as an issuer of banknotes seriously."
Two million of the £5 notes are currently in circulation.
The bank introduces around £400m of new notes every year.
A new polymer £10 note, featuring Robert Burns, will start to be made later in 2016 and is expected to enter circulation in 2017.
More than 20 countries around the world have adopted polymer notes.
The Bank of England is to begin issuing them later this year.
In 1999, Northern Bank of Northern Ireland issued a polymer £5 commemorative note celebrating the year 2000.


Burglars have used heavy cutting equipment to break into safety deposit boxes in a vault in London's jewellery quarter.

The raid is thought to have happened over the Easter bank holiday weekend at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company.
Officers from the Met's Flying Squad were called to the area at 08:10 BST.
In a statement, the Met Police said: "A number of safety deposit boxes have been broken into". They said inquiries were continuing.
The Hatton Garden area is well known for its diamond and gold trade.
BBC News correspondent Ben Ando, who is at the scene, said: "What is not clear at the moment is when the thieves actually broke in or how they broke in.
"My understanding is that they did not come in through the front door, that's because security did check during the weekend that nobody had come in through the front door and found it to be locked shut."
He said a lot of the safety boxes could contain diamonds that have not been set into jewellery.
Diamond jewellery expert Lewis Malka, who works in the area, said the haul was likely to amount to "hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds".
He said: "Most of the people who have got safety deposits there are people in the trade."


Former South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani is facing a minimum six-year ban for alleged ethics violations.

The proposed ban arises from a Fifa investigation into the organisation of international friendlies in South Africa in 2010.
Former Zimbabwe FA executive Jonathan Musavengana and former Togo coach Banna Tchanile are facing life bans.
The pair are charged with alleged bribery and corruption violations.
Fifa's investigatory chamber of its Ethics Committee will now pass its findings to the panel's adjudicatory chamber.
It has also proposed Nematandani be fined at least $10,400 (£7,980).
In December 2012 Nematandani - then serving as Safa president - was suspended by Fifa who found "compelling evidence" that friendly internationals were fixed by Far East betting syndicates.
A Fifa investigation discovered that Safa was infiltrated by convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Perumal and his Football 4U organisation.
Perumal organised referees for the games against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala, the outcomes of which were found to have been pre-arranged to benefit an Asian betting syndicate.
In January 2013 Nematandani was reinstated as Safa president but not exonerated and he was replaced the following September after failing to earn a nomination in Safa elections, which were won by Danny Jordaan.


Luton Town will assist Leyton Orient if they receive information concerning alleged homophobic chanting by fans during Saturday's League Two match.

Hatters officials have contacted Orient for information regarding the reported chanting at the Matchroom Stadium.
"Luton Town do not condone any kind of discriminatory chanting or comments from supporters, and any serious abuse will be dealt with," said a statement.
The Hatters won the game 2-1 to move up to fourth in the table.
Orient said on Saturday that the club were "reviewing CCTV footage of the incident and will be sharing all relevant information with Luton Town in order to identify any offenders".


Police have released a video telling people to "run, hide, tell" if they are caught up in a terrorist gun attack.

The four-minute video advises on how to evacuate a building, where to hide, and what information to tell police.
The video says people's first reaction if they hear gunshots should be to run - as long as it will not put them in greater danger - and not to let others' indecision "slow you down".
The terror threat level in the UK is severe, meaning it is "highly likely".
Security services have been on high alert since the attacks in Paris last month.
What should you do in an attack?
The public information film, released by the National Police Chiefs' Council, tells people to react quickly, first by running for an exit.
"Insist others come with you, but don't let their indecision slow you down," the video says.
"Consider your route as you leave. Will it place you in the line of fire? Is it safer to wait for the attacker to move away before you continue?"
If it is not possible to move to safety, then people are advised to hide.
They should consider their exits and escape routes when choosing a hiding place, avoiding dead ends and bottlenecks and staying away from the door.
Mobile phones should be switched to silent and vibrate turned off, the video says, adding: "The best hiding place with protection from gunfire will have a substantial physical barrier between you and the attacker."
Those able to evacuate should get as far away from the danger area as possible and call the police.
The film says: "When the police arrive they will be armed. The police may be unable to distinguish you from the attacker.
"They may treat you firmly. Do everything they tell you to do. Don't make any sudden movements or gestures that may be perceived as a threat."
Police said the advice has already been issued to thousands of people during security training sessions but it is now being rolled out more widely.
Mark Rowley, the country's most senior counter-terrorism officer, said: "Everyone's aware of the terrorist challenges across the world and there have been some awful attacks.
"It's our view that this advice should be rolled out to the public so in the tragic event that anyone gets caught up in a rolling firearms or weapons attack they are better informed and better advised to protect themselves."
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said the public should not be alarmed by the release of the video.
"While the general level of threat to the UK is severe, the probability of being caught up in a firearms or weapons attack is very, very small," he said.
"However, it is important the public know what to do in the event of getting caught up in such an incident."


The 2021 World Athletics Championships will be held in Eugene, Oregon, after the sport's governing body bypassed the normal bidding process.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it was "a unique strategic opportunity" to hold the event in the United States for the first time.
IAAF chief Lamine Diack said the decision was taken "in the interest of the global development of our sport".
Eugene missed out on the 2019 event.
Doha in Qatar was awarded that championships, but a recent presentation to the IAAF persuaded the governing body the American city is capable of staging a major event.
Diack added: "In granting the championships to Eugene the IAAF Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again.
"It will see public authorities, the private sector, the national Olympic Committee, NBC and a particularly enthusiastic public joining forces."
Eugene has strong links to sportswear giant Nike.
The company's co-founder Phil Knight - the 35th-richest person in the world - attended the University of Oregon in the city and has helped fund buildings at the campus. Nike's other co-founder, Bill Bowerman, was an athletics coach at the university.
Nike also sponsors the city's IAAF Prefontaine Classic, which is part of the Diamond League calendar.
The 2007 World Championships, held in Osaka, Japan, were also awarded without a bidding process.


Fifteen-year-old girls in Scotland face more pressure from schoolwork and report poorer health than others around the globe, according to research.

The major study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) compared the health of children in 42 European and North American countries.
The research suggested Scotland had a significantly greater proportion of 15-year-old girls in poor health.
The Scottish government said income equality was at the root of the issue.
The WHO analysis of the health of 11-15 year olds suggested that, while 11-year-old Scottish children have healthier habits than children in many other countries, there is a marked decline by the time they reach 15.
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study has been carried out in 42 countries every 4 years for the last 30 years and provides a valuable indication of the wellbeing of the next generation of adults.
The latest survey suggested that Scotland has a significantly greater proportion of 15-year-old girls in poor health.
Teenagers were asked to pick from a list of symptoms which included headaches, nervousness, stomach ache and sleeping problems. The health of girls in low-income households was particularly bad.
The proportion of 15-year-olds reporting "some" or "a lot" of schoolwork pressure has also been increasing since 2006, with girls reporting a lot more pressure than boys.
However, 11-year-old Scottish schoolchildren fare much better. They have healthier habits than children in many other countries, including eating breakfast every day, teeth brushing and spending time with friends outside school.
Dr Joanna Inchley, deputy director of the Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, based at the University of St Andrews, said: "It is encouraging that 11-year-olds in Scotland are doing well compared with many of their European counterparts, but we see a clear worsening of health and wellbeing during the adolescent years.
"Particularly concerning is the increase in school-related stress which may be contributing to poorer mental wellbeing especially among 15-year-old girls. It is essential that we look at ways of providing support to young people to help them navigate the challenges they face during adolescence."
A positive finding was that the level of reported alcohol consumption among Scottish 15-year-olds continued to fall.
Dr Fergus Neville, a research fellow at the University of St Andrews, told Good Morning Scotland: "This is a good news story.
"I think there's a perception that alcohol is becoming an every increasing problem for our young people but since 1998 every time we've done the survey, every four years, we've seen a steady decrease in the proportion of 15-year-olds who've reported to have been drunk two or more times in their lifetime.
"The problem isn't solved however. We still have one of the highest proportions of 15-year-olds who say they've been drunk - about a third - so there's still some work to be done."
The report revealed that the gap between the health of the richest and poorest children was having an impact. It was widest among boys in all the 42 countries studied.
Scottish Health Improvement Minister Jamie Hepburn said: "We recognise that there are deeply ingrained health inequalities in Scotland - something which has existed for generations and which will not be solved overnight.
"At its root this is an issue of income inequality - and we need a shift in emphasis from dealing with the consequences to tackling the underlying causes, such as ending poverty, fair wages, supporting families and improving our physical and social environments.
"The Scottish government is already doing as much as we can.... However, we want to do more and will use the new powers coming to Scotland to help create a fairer and more equal society."
Gerry McCartney, head of the public health observatory at NHS Health Scotland said the study allowed the examination of the factors that lead young people to be healthy or unhealthy.
"The report highlights the progress we have made in many aspects of health amongst young people in Scotland over time, such as the decrease in consumption of high sugar drinks, but it also highlights the stark inequalities in how healthy children feel themselves to be," he said.


Many eyebrows were raised when it emerged US Vice-President Mike Pence would not dine alone with a woman who was not his wife.

How old fashioned, the internet cried.
Only, now it seems he is not alone.
A surprise poll for the New York Times has discovered more than half of women agree with him - as well as 45% of men.
And as for a drink? Forget about it. Just 29% of women think that would be appropriate in a one-on-one situation.
However, the poll - conducted by Morning Consult, surveying almost 5,300 people -  found the numbers shift considerably according to your politics: the more liberal your views, the more likely you were to mix with a member of the opposite sex, one on one.
Just 62% of Republicans found it acceptable, compared to 71% of Democrats.
Similar divides can also be seen according to religion - the more devout you are, the less appropriate you view it - and to education: 24% of male respondents of who did not reach college think it is inappropriate to have a one-on-one working meeting with a woman, compared with 18% who got a bachelor's degree or higher.
Michael, US: Simply ask yourself: would you want your partner to go out for dinner alone with someone else? Most likely the answer is no. Hence, then why should you? It's simply being wise and not naive.
Sandra, US: Not entirely sure why people don't understand that you can have a platonic, working or otherwise relationship with a member of the opposite sex without  sexual overtones. To my way of thinking it demeans woman in terms of woman thinking men are only interested in their bodies... If you can't trust your partner or yourself out of sight the problem is you.
Stephen, Australia:  I totally agree with Mike Pence. He's protecting his marriage and his reputation. It is not sexist, it is wise. In an era where people look to the Kardashians for their moral standards Mike Pence's policy, in this area at least, is commendable.
Emily, US: These archaic views are just another example of why we shouldn't have been surprised at a Trump/Pence victory last November.
Mario, South Africa: Men who are not sure about their self-control should indeed dine and drink alone. Perhaps dinner and a drink with their mothers should be permitted, but I am not so sure about sisters and daughters after reading some comments uttered by Donald Trump.
Vince, UK: Really? How very Victorian of them. Are they scared they might end up doing something they shouldn't. I can't believe in the 21st century some people think this is an issue.
Sarah, US: I'm a 52-year-old, white, college educated, atheist, left-wing, married woman ... and there's no way I would have a one-on-one meal/drink with a man who was not my husband. Not even a Starbucks.
M.H., Canada: I would definitely lunch or have dinner alone with a man whom I knew and trusted and with whom I had a lot in common. I am also a year away from being 90 and find it hard to believe that there is anything wrong with this.


A Jesuit priest, who was raised as a Protestant, has been beatified at the first such ceremony held in Ireland.

Father John Sullivan was born in Dublin in 1861 and later attended Portora Royal School in Enniskillen.
Fr Sullivan was beatified in recognition of his work with the sick and the dying, a significant step towards canonisation or sainthood.
The ceremony took place at Gardiner Street Church in Dublin on Saturday.
It was conducted by Cardinal Angelo Amato, assisted by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, was also there.
During the ceremony relics relating to Fr Sullivan were blessed, including the "Sullivan Cross" which he would take with him when visiting the sick.
Cardinal Angelo Amato said Fr Sullivan had been "exemplary" in his religious duties.
He added: "Those who knew him considered him a saint, and in my opinion he had reached a high degree of perfection."
After leaving Portora, he studied at Trinity College Dublin, before being called to the bar in London.
However, in 1896 aged 35 he converted to Catholicism before entering the Jesuit order in 1900.
He taught at Clongowes Wood College in Dublin until his death in 1933, aged 71.
Brendan McManus SJ told the BBC that Fr Sullivan's life had completely changed when he became a Jesuit.
"He was over 40 by the time he got to the priesthood, he had a very successful career in law before that," he said.
"He was a very rich, very influential figure in Dublin and then gave it all up to join the Jesuits and became austere.
"He had this extraordinary devotion to prayer and a very simple, very austere lifestyle.
"He was somebody who was out on the road a lot visiting people who were sick and in hospital, so he had this extraordinary ministry which was such a contrast to what he had lived beforehand.
"The beatification is one of the key steps on the way to sainthood, which is canonisation.
"There's been hundreds of testimonies attributing various healings to him during his life and a number of those are seen as miracles and have been verified as miracles which has led to the beatification.
"After you've been beatified you need a separate miracle which happens afterwards to become a saint, so hopefully we'll see Saint John Sullivan down the line."
Representatives from the former Portora Royal School in County Fermanagh will also be present at the ceremony.
The school's other notable pupils include dramatists Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett.
Portora was a non-denominational school but it was governed by the Fermanagh Protestant Board of Education.
It is now called Enniskillen Royal Grammar School following a merger in 2016.
The school's former principal Neil Morton said he hoped that it would be known as the only Protestant school with a Catholic saint.
"That epitomises the special nature of the school, and Fr Sullivan's story also emphasises the special relationship between Portora and Clongowes Wood," he said.
"Portora has had a famously liberal tradition throughout its history and John Sullivan is evidence of that."
The event was streamed online on the Irish Jesuit website.


Welsh 400m runner Seren Bundy-Davies says she welcomes the "added pressure" of being tipped to succeed at the Rio Olympics.

Legendary former hurdler Colin Jackson has earmarked Bundy-Davies as the likeliest Welsh track and field athlete to win a medal in Brazil.
Bundy-Davies, 21, hopes to run in the individual race and the 4x400m relay.
"It's nice to have people putting pressure and hope on you," she told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"It's nice when there's added pressure because most athletes perform well under pressure.
"I'm going out there to represent Wales and hopefully bring back a medal.
"It's exciting when people are talking about the Welsh prospects and the Olympic medal hopefuls."
Bundy-Davies won 4x400m relay bronze at last year's World Championships in Beijing and claimed individual bronze at the 2015 European Indoor Championships.
She missed March's World Indoor Championships as she focuses on qualifying for the Olympics.


As the National League for Democracy (NLD) prepares to take power in Myanmar the future for Muslims in the country is unclear.

In recent years, the treatment of Muslims in Myanmar has been in the spotlight with outbreaks of deadly violence and the plight of ethnic Rohingya who are denied citizenship.
Neither of the main parties fielded any Muslim candidates in the 8 November poll, and in the months before the election, officials confirmed that hundreds of thousands of Muslims had been left off voter registration lists.
Photographer Andre Malerba met two people in a Muslim area of Yangon, to find out if they think life will improve under Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD.


South Africa clinched an 89-run win over Ireland in the first game of the four-match one-day series between the sides at Merrion in Dublin.

Chloe Tryon's 92 helped South Africa post an imposing 283-7, with Laura Wolvaardt hitting 55 and Sune Luus 52.
Luus then took six Irish wickets as the home side were bowled out for 194 in 44.5 overs.
Kim Garth's unbeaten 72 prevented a bigger hammering for the Irish, with Clare Shillington next best on 29.
Opener Cecelia Joyce contributed 23 but she was one of Luus' six victims as the South African bowler finished with 6-36 from 10 overs.
The Irish had the South Africans in some trouble at 106-5 but Tyron and Luus put on a partnership of 138 for the sixth wicket to put the visitors in control.
All-rounder Garth took three wickets, including Tryon caught and bowled eight short of her century.
After Masabata Klass trapped Gaby Lewis for two, Luus took four straight wickets, including the second Joyce sister Isobel, to leave Ireland on 56-5.
Garth and Shillington responded with a 50 partnership before the latter's dismissal by Klaas began a slide to 141-9.
Number 11 Ciara Metcalfe managed to stay with Garth as the home side put on 53 runs for the final wicket.
The sides, who drew 1-1 in a T20 series earlier this week, play the second ODI at the YMCA in Dublin on Sunday before further matches on Tuesday and Thursday.


Sky and BT Sport have paid a record £5.136bn for live Premier League TV rights for three seasons from 2016-17.

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The figure represents a 70% increase on Sky and BT's current £3bn deal.
It is unclear whether the increase will affect ticket prices, although Sky pundits and former England internationals Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville said prices should be cut.
The Premier League said £56m a year has been earmarked for grassroots projects, including 50 artificial pitches.
Under the new contract, 168 games will be shown live, at an average cost to the broadcasters of £10.2m per match.
Sky paid £4.176bn to show 126 matches per season, including the first ever Friday evening games and both Sunday packages.
BT paid £960m for 42 games per season - four more than its present deal.
Pundits and politicians clamoured for the rise in revenue to be passed down to fans and grassroots football.
The BBC's Price of Football survey showed that the average price of cheapest tickets in England has risen at almost twice the rate of the cost of living since 2011.
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Gary Neville, co-owner of Evo-Stik league side Salford City, added: "I want sensible ticket pricing and grassroots football to benefit as much as possible from this deal. Who doesn't? This is a big issue!"
Former Liverpool defender Carragher said: "The amounts involved in ticket pricing, especially for away fans, has to change."
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore told BBC Sport: "Clubs understand that the number one strategic priority is to keep the stadiums full.
"They also need to understand that young fans must be encouraged to attend games. The clubs will do the right thing.
"Our record stands for itself. Ever since the time when we invested a percentage of our income in grassroots football and the Football Foundation, that whole activity area has grown.
"We will this year give away £250m. It will be over £800m over the course of this deal."
Sky are currently paying £760m a year to broadcast 116 live games - £6.6m a fixture. That sum has risen to £11m on average for each of their matches.
Asked if the figure was obscene, Scudamore said: "It is not. It is market forces. It is unscripted drama, the show the clubs put on.
"People want to see the top stars here. Look at the excitement of transfer deadline day.
"I am surprised by the size of it. Burnley are now, economically, bigger than Ajax.
"This is a good deal for all the clubs in English football and all the other organisations and charities that depend on Premier League revenues."
The fact the football clubs are in for a big payday was reflected on the New York Stock Exchange, with Manchester United's value rising by almost 5% in the immediate aftermath of the news of the new deal breaking.
Shares in United closed at $17.03, up 77 cents, having risen sharply after the 5pm GMT announcement - 12pm on Wall Street.
BBC Business Reporter Rebecca Marston said: "What's happened in New York is evidence clubs are expecting their payday. Investors clearly believe this is a wise investment as a direct result of this announcement."


St Johnstone are still waiting to hear from Blair Alston about their approach for the midfielder - three months after speaking to the 24-year-old's agent.

But Saints boss Tommy Wright remains hopeful of getting his summer transfer business done early and Alston remains in his sights.
"Fans think you want a player and it happens overnight," he said.
"But players and agents keep their cards close to their chest and want to keep their options open."
Wright told BBC Scotland that chairman Steve Brown had agreed to increase his playing budget for next season in light of Rangers' promotion and an expected increase in competition for a top-six finish in the Scottish Premiership.
The Saints boss already has York City midfielder Michael Coulson secured on a pre-contract agreement and has also had discussions with St Mirren full-back Keith Watson and Dundee United forward Ryan Dow.
Dow's present club are in danger of being relegated form the top flight, while Alston has the chance of helping Falkirk, with whom he came through the youth ranks, win promotion to the Premiership.
Bairns manager Peter Houston remains hopeful of persuading Alston, who is out of contract this summer, to remain at Falkirk Stadium but expects to lose the midfielder.
"People like Blair Alston, we have spoken to his agent and we are waiting for them to get back to us," said Wright.
"I was down in England again this week looking at players and talking to one or two.
"I have spoken to the chairman and we feel we need to invest more in recruitment this year and that's what he is planning to do.
"Hopefully we can get some fresh faces in and help the squad maintain the standards we have set over the last few years."


Car parts and bikes retailer Halfords has reported a 11.3% rise in pre-tax annual profit to £83.8m.

The firm also passed a psychological sales barrier, reporting a 6.9% rise in revenue to more than £1bn, a year ahead of schedule.
Analysts had expected Halfords to report profits of about £79m.
The results are the first under the stewardship of Jill McDonald, who joined from McDonald's in May to replace Matt Davies as chief executive.
Mr Davies moved from the retailer after a successful two-and-a-half years in charge to take over as chief executive of Tesco's UK operations.
Halfords launched an investment drive to improve stores, customer service and cycling ranges in order to push sales to £1bn by 2016.
The retailer said total like-for-like retail sales were up 7%. Car maintenance revenue from Halfords' Autocentres rose 8.5%, while bike sales rose 11.4%.
Shares in Halfords, which has 470 stores and 305 car repair stores nationwide, rose 2.1% on Friday morning to 495p.
"New CEO Jill McDonald takes over a company with strong momentum," Investec analyst Kate Calvert said. "The job of modernising Halfords will be far from complete when the original three-year plan ends in 2016."
Halfords has been helped by British cycling successes including Team GB at the Olympics and Bradley Wiggins's win at the Tour de France in 2012.
Cycling has increased in popularity, with Halfords expanding its accessories, bike ranges and improving online categories to meet demand.
Last year, the firm reopened its specialist bike shop Cycle Republic, having shuttered it in 2009, with analysts at Deutsche Bank expecting the business to add 200 million pounds to sales.
Halfords said more remained to be done to complete its turnaround after years of under-investment and increasing online competition, with more staff training and store revamps scheduled this year, as well as a move to become a click-and-collect hub for other retailers in order to drive footfall.


Striker Alfie May announced himself on the Football League stage as he helped Doncaster rescue a point against promotion rivals Luton.

Substitute May, playing for eighth-tier Hythe Town prior to joining Doncaster in January, showed excellent composure to slot an equaliser in the 80th minute.
League Two leaders Rovers had been chasing the game since the 54th minute when Jordan Cook slammed home a shot from the corner of the box after a fine counter-attack.
It had been an enthralling contest between Doncaster and a Luton side looking to claw back ground on the sides in the automatic promotion places.
Rovers started the brighter and Tommy Rowe twice went close to opening the scoring in the early stages.
But the Hatters forced their way into the game with a block from Niall Mason needed to keep out Danny Hylton.
The visitors took the lead early in the second half after Mason was caught out in midfield, allowing Cook through to blast past Ian Lawlor.
The hosts pushed for the leveller but found no joy until 10 minutes from time when May raced on to Conor Grant's stunning through ball and slotted home.
Match report supplied by the Press Association
Match ends, Doncaster Rovers 1, Luton Town 1.
Second Half ends, Doncaster Rovers 1, Luton Town 1.
Corner,  Doncaster Rovers. Conceded by Scott Cuthbert.
Attempt saved. Harry Middleton (Doncaster Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Alfie May (Doncaster Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alan Sheehan (Luton Town).
Attempt missed. John Marquis (Doncaster Rovers) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Glen Rea (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
John Marquis (Doncaster Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alan Sheehan (Luton Town).
Substitution, Luton Town. Luke Gambin replaces Jordan Cook.
Foul by John Marquis (Doncaster Rovers).
Alan Sheehan (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Alfie May (Doncaster Rovers).
Jack Senior (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Luton Town. Conceded by Craig Alcock.
Tommy Rowe (Doncaster Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ollie Palmer (Luton Town).
Foul by Harry Middleton (Doncaster Rovers).
Pelly Ruddock (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Doncaster Rovers. Conceded by Stephen O'Donnell.
Goal!  Doncaster Rovers 1, Luton Town 1. Alfie May (Doncaster Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Conor Grant.
Substitution, Doncaster Rovers. Gary McSheffrey replaces Niall Mason.
Substitution, Luton Town. Ollie Palmer replaces Isaac Vassell.
Foul by Alfie May (Doncaster Rovers).
Isaac Vassell (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Doncaster Rovers. Conceded by Scott Cuthbert.
Substitution, Doncaster Rovers. Alfie May replaces Andy Williams.
Attempt missed. Glen Rea (Luton Town) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Corner,  Luton Town. Conceded by Niall Mason.
Corner,  Doncaster Rovers. Conceded by Danny Hylton.
Glen Rea (Luton Town) is shown the yellow card.
Tommy Rowe (Doncaster Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Smith (Luton Town).
Attempt blocked. Andy Williams (Doncaster Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Hand ball by Harry Middleton (Doncaster Rovers).
Substitution, Doncaster Rovers. Harry Middleton replaces Jordan Houghton because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Tommy Rowe (Doncaster Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Corner,  Doncaster Rovers. Conceded by Stephen O'Donnell.
Goal!  Doncaster Rovers 0, Luton Town 1. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Isaac Vassell.


Scotland opened their Cyprus Cup campaign with a win over New Zealand.

Jane Ross scored early, following up after a shot from Christie Murray hit the crossbar, with Rosie White levelling for the Kiwis.
Substitute Erin Cuthbert thundered in a great strike on the turn after 83 minutes and captain Kim Little fired the Scots further ahead.
New Zealand, world-ranked 19th, two places above Scotland, pulled one back with a late Amber Hearn header.
The scoreline could have been more emphatic had the Scots converted a number of good chances, but it is the start to the tournament they wanted.
The Cyprus Cup is familiar territory for Scotland, having taken part in the annual invitational for nine of the past 10 years. Their best finish came in 2011 when they ended the tournament in fourth place, but with many of the bigger nations no longer taking part, hopes have been raised.
This year, though, the focus is primarily on preparation for the European Championship in Holland, which takes place during July and August.
With key players missing through injury for their first game, against a side two places above them in the world rankings, it was always going to be tough, and New Zealand started with a real drive and determination.
Shannon Lynn in the Scotland goal was forced to pull off a couple of fine close-range saves, but in the Cypriot sunshine, Anna Signeul's side started to find their rhythm and after just nine minutes they were ahead.
Doncaster Rovers striker Murray watched her looping shot crash off the bar, but when it bounced at the feet of Manchester City's Ross, she made no mistake on the angle.
It was a bad error, though, that led to the equaliser 10 minutes later. Lynn tried to pass the ball out under no real pressure but New Zealand's White anticipated and intercepted before slotting under the goalkeeper from around six yards out.
Scotland should have been ahead before the break but Bayern Munich midfielder Lisa Evans blasted high over the bar from 10 yards out with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Lynn saved well from a long-range effort at the start of the second half as New Zealand started to turn the screw, taking advantage of some slack Scottish passing.
But as the game progressed, Signeul's side started to find their feet again and took the lead lead with a stunning strike from 18-year-old substitute Cuthbert.
The Chelsea midfielder swivelled and fired a right-foot rocket into the right-hand corner of the net after good build-up play from Fiona Brown.
The ever-impressive Little put Scotland 3-1 up from close range after another good cross from Brown, and as the game entered the dying stages, New Zealand pulled one back through Hearn.
Scotland head coach Anna Signeul: "I think we dropped a little bit in the second half in the middle, but when we made substitutions, we picked it up a little, then I thought we were really dangerous again.
"It was great to see Fiona Brown, Lizzie Arnot, Erin Cuthbert come on and really blend in, and everyone understand what we want to achieve in defence and attack.
"Leanne Crichton and Kim Little in the middle were fantastic on the ball. If we're playing four-four-two, that's what we're looking for. And the switch of play and penetrating runs they had - I'm very pleased.
"We've said before we've struggled with physical teams, and I think we showed today that we are getting better physically."


An Indian company has launched what is being billed as the world's cheapest smartphone.

Ringing Bells said their Freedom 251 phone would cost just 251 rupees ($3.67; £2.56), and there was huge demand in the first hours of sale.
But sceptics have raised questions about the device and the company's price strategy.
India is the world's second-largest mobile market and has one billion mobile phone subscribers.
Freedom 251 is expected to target a market already dominated by low-cost handsets.
Is India's $3.6 smartphone too good to be true?
The phone has 8GB storage and cameras in the front and back, and its model resembles Apple's iPhone 4, including the home button and icons.
"This is our flagship model and we think it will bring a revolution in the industry," the AFP news agency quoted a spokeswoman as saying.
The smartphone went on sale on Thursday morning but, just hours later, the company had to stop accepting orders after its website crashed due to huge demand: 600,000 hits per second, it said.
Ringing Bells said the phone would be produced locally, even though it still has no factory in India. The prototypes handed to journalists were, actually, of a Chinese-made phone with its brand name, Adcom, covered with white paint.
It has promised to deliver the first devices in four months.
The company had initially said the device would cost under 500 rupees (£5; $7.3), before revealing a much cheaper price at the launch on Wednesday.
But critics have raised questions about the smartphone, saying the price is far lower than what its components would cost, let alone costs with production, distribution and marketing.
"It looks like it is highly subsidized by the company and it is not clear how they plan to sustain this," Tarun Pathak, an analyst with Counterpoint Technology Research, told the Reuters news agency.
The Indian Cellular Association reportedly wrote to the country's telecoms minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying it was not possible to sell a 3G phone below 2,700 rupees.
Ringing Bells was set up a few months ago and recently launched one of India's cheapest 4G smartphones at 2,999 rupees, the Press Trust of India reported.


The downfall of Tunisia's President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali inspired pro-democracy activists across the Arab world.

Widespread discontent at economic hardship, decades of autocratic rule and corruption erupted into mass demonstrations in December 2010 after a young, unemployed man, Mohamed Bouazizi, set fire to himself after officials stopped him selling vegetables in Sidi Bouzid. Around 300 people were killed during the subsequent unrest, which forced Ben Ali to resign in January 2011, after 23 years in power, and go into exile in Saudi Arabia. He was later sentenced to life in prison in absentia.
In October 2011, Tunisia held its first democratic parliamentary elections. The moderate Islamist Ennahda party won more than 41% of the vote in the constituent assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution. Veteran dissident Moncef Marzouki was then elected president.
Since July 2013 a stand-off between Ennahda and its secular rivals, triggered by the assassination of two leftist politicians and other violence blamed on Salafists, has thwarted efforts to complete the draft constitution. Opposition supporters took to the streets to demand a non-partisan caretaker government until the constitution was finished and new elections were held, and in December 2013 the main political parties agreed on appointing Mehdi Jomaa as prime minister.


The former owner of BHS, Sir Philip Green, has called on the chairman of a Commons committee examining the collapse of the UK chain to resign.

Frank Field, of the Work and Pensions Committee, had said Sir Philip's knighthood should be removed if he did not repay £571m to BHS's pension fund.
Sir Philip said Mr Field should stand down "as he is clearly prejudiced".
Separately, former Mark and Spencer chairman Lord Myners has been appointed to advise the MPs on BHS's collapse.
Lord Myners was on the M&S board when it fought off a bid from Sir Philip in 2004.
Referring to Mr Field's comment, Sir Philip said it was an "outrageous outburst", adding that he was "horrified" that the MP "is prepared to make comments like this in public".
In his first public comments on the collapse of BHS, Sir Philip said: "Clearly he has already made his decision as to what he feels the punishment should be without even hearing any evidence from anybody about BHS or the circumstances of the last 15 years."
A committee source stressed Mr Field's remarks were his own personal views.
Sir Philip bought BHS in 2000 for £200m but sold it to Retail Acquisitions last year for £1.
He has faced criticism about his role after BHS went into administration last month, threatening thousands of jobs.
BHS was 'crashed into a cliff'
'What we'll miss if BHS closes'
Broken promises at BHS?
The demise of BHS on the High Street
Sir Philip has agreed to appear before the Work and Pensions Committee and the Business Innovation and Skills Committee, chaired by Iain Wright, to answer questions about the collapse.
Sir Philip has written to the two Commons committee chairmen asking for an end to his "trial by media".
In it Sir Philip said he wanted to record his concerns about various statements they had made to the press "for example, calling for me to lose my knighthood or suggesting that I have asset-stripped BHS without regard to pensions and employees.
"These statements suggest that you are leaping to conclusions before any evidence from any witness has been heard.
"They suggest that there will be no real attempt to run your inquiries in a fair way and that the outcome is pre-determined."
He added that witnesses would be less willing to provide voluntary assistance if the committee chairmen did not act in a responsible way.
Sir Philip said he welcomed the opportunity to assist committees that were "genuinely intended to get to the truth in a fair and balanced way and on the basis of actual facts."
Mr Field's remarks were made in a personal capacity to the Financial Times and have not been discussed officially by the two committees involved.
He confirmed to the BBC that he had received the letter and added: "Parliament will not be bullied."
The BBC has not been able to reach Mr Wright for a comment.
On Wednesday, Business Secretary Sajid Javid ordered the Insolvency Service to investigate the collapse of BHS immediately.
Mr Javid said in a statement: "This investigation will look at the conduct of the directors at the time of insolvency and any individuals who were previously directors. Any issues of misconduct will be taken very seriously."
At the time of BHS's sale last year, there were questions over the lack of retail experience of Dominic Chappell and his team at Retail Acquisitions, which became the majority shareholder of the department store chain.
A fortnight ago, the business fell into administration with debts of £1.3bn - including a pension deficit of £571m - putting 11,000 jobs at risk across 164 stores nationwide.
Sir Philip is believed to have offered to provide about £80m to help plug the pension deficit, but he has already faced accusations from Mr Wright that he crashed BHS "into a cliff".
Ahead of Sir Philip's appearance, the Work and Pensions Committee is due to hear from the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund, BHS Pension Trustees, and Mr Chappell.
There is no suggestion that Sir Philip did anything illegal.
However, last week Lord Myners told the BBC Sir Philip had big questions to answer over his stewardship of BHS.
Lord Myners said: "The big question is whether when Philip Green sold BHS to a group of individuals with no retail experience, led by a former mini racing car driver and twice bankrupt person... that the pension scheme had enough assets to meet its liabilities."
On Friday, the Work and Pensions Committee appointed Lord Myers, who also served as City minister under Gordon Brown, to lead a team of financial experts who would help MPs investigate the collapse of BHS.
Sir David Norgrove, chairman of the Low Pay Commission and former chairman of M&S's pension fund, has also been recruited as a specialist adviser to the committee.


The North-West Warriors beat Leinster Lightning by seven wickets to ensure the battle for the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy will go down to the final round.

Craig Young was the star bowler for the Warriors as he took five wickets to prevent the Lightning from retaining the trophy in front of their home fans.
Stuart Thompson top scored as the Warriors passed their victory target in the final over.
Elsewhere, the Northern Knights beat the Munster Reds by 55 runs.
Young removed Andrew Balbirnie and Simi Singh in his opening burst, and returned to dismiss George Dockrell, Eddie Richardson and Peter Chase - finishing with excellent figures of 5-22.
The Lightning were struggling on 62-6 in the 12th over before Lorcan Tucker staged a mini-revival to salvage a score of 118 all out.
Despite the early departures of the Warriors' David Rankin and Irosh Samarasooriya, the result was never in doubt.
Stuart Thompson top scored with 43 from 49 balls before captain Andy McBrine struck the winning boundary from the first ball of the last over.
At Middle Road, the Northern Knights ran out convincing winners over the Munster Reds.
James Shannon top scored with 67 runs from just 31 balls as the Knights set an imposing target for 210 for the Reds.
The visitors recovered from the first ball departure of Jamie Grassi but the end of Jack Tector's knock of 31 spelt the end of their chances.
The Warriors victory means the T20 trophy will now go down to the final round of games with Lightning still needing a point from their trip to Cork to secure a third successive title.
The Warriors will travel to the Knights hoping for a slip-up by the defending champions.
Northern Knights v Munster Reds at Carrickfergus
Northern Knights: 209-5; J Shannon 67, C Dougherty 42, G Thompson 37
Munster Reds: 154-9; S Grobler 41 no, J Tector 31, N Smith 2-22
Northern Knights won by 55 runs
Leinster Lightning v North-West Warriors at Merrion
Leinster Lightning: 118-10 (19.3 overs); L Tucker 44, C Young 5-22, A McBrine 2-23
North-West Warriors: 119-3 (19.1 overs); S Thompson 43, G Kennedy 38 no
North-West Warriors won by seven wickets


A US appeals court has ruled a couple who gave their children Nazi-inspired names should not regain custody, citing the risk of serious injury to them.

Adolf Hitler Campbell, 4, and his sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation, 3, and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie, 2, were taken from their New Jersey home in 2009.
The case first came to public attention in December 2008 after a shop refused to decorate a birthday cake for Adolf.
A family court had earlier found there was insufficient evidence of abuse.
But on Thursday, the appeals panel determined that social workers had proved the need for protective services for the three children.
The panel found that the parents, who both suffer from unspecified physical and psychological disabilities, had "recklessly created a risk of serious injury to their children by failing to protect the children from harm and failing to acknowledge and treat their disabilities".
The judges also noted that Deborah Campbell had recently passed a letter to a neighbour saying her husband had threatened "to have me killed or kill me himself".
The children's father, Heath Campbell, told the Associated Press last year that he believed they were taken into foster care because of their names.
He also alleged that the authorities had relied on unproven accusations made by a neighbour and his ex-wife.


More than 1,000 people have turned out at a country park in a bid to break the world record for the the biggest ever game of hide-and-seek.

The current Guinness record for a hide-and-seek game involved 1,437 people.
The record-breaking attempt at Milton Country Park near Cambridge was organised by Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue (CamSAR).
It is understood the total turnout, while "close", was just short of the world record-breaking target.
The exact number has yet to be confirmed.
The search group hosted a hide and seek competition in 2014 which attracted 400 people and another last year which drew in 1,100.
A spokesman for CamSAR said: "If all (those) who had pre-registered had come then we would have just beaten the record.
"Still, probably more importantly, those who spoke to me said they were having a great time at least."
CamSAR is expected to consider another record-attempt next year.
The current record was set on 1 January 2014 in Chengdu, China.


A flagship Welsh government youth job creation scheme has been temporarily closed while approval for a new one is awaited from the EU.

The Welsh government said Jobs Growth Wales had not been scrapped and placements would continue.
Last year, the scheme's budget was cut in order for cash to go to the NHS.
But the Labour-run Welsh government said this had not affected the scheme which had hit all its targets. Criticism has followed the closure.
Chancellor George Osborne from the Conservative party, said the decision to temporarily close the scheme pointed to "confusion" within labour after party leader Ed Miliband had said he wanted the programme to be rolled out across the country.
Campaigning in the Vale of Glamorgan, Mr Osborne said: "I remember the Labour party urging me to take this scheme across the whole of the UK.  Now they are cutting it in Wales.
"What it points to is real confusion in the Labour party. They don't really have a clear plan for Wales and I think Wales as a result would suffer with lost jobs, lost investment."
Other parties also criticised the decision with Jenny Willott, for the Liberal Democrats, saying Jobs Growth Wales had been "ineffective".
"However, for the Welsh Labour Government to allow this scheme to expire without replacing it is staggering," she said.
And Ian Johnson, a Plaid Cymru election candidate, added: "Earlier this year, Ed Miliband said how great the scheme was.
"Today, he has been embarrassed by his only government in the UK, who have fundamentally undermined his election pledge to young people."
Meanwhile, UKIP's leader in Wales Nathan Gill called on ministers to "focus on creating the right conditions for existing businesses to expand and for new businesses to start".
"The only way we will ever truly achieve this is to withdraw from the European Union, which spends each day dreaming up new ways of stifling innovation and creativity in the form of regulations and directives," he said.
But the Welsh government said it was aiming to launch a new Jobs Growth Wales programme in May saying it has made a "significant contribution to reducing youth unemployment right across Wales".
"The original programme was designed to create and fill 12,000 jobs and to date it has helped create over 17,000 job opportunities and fill almost 15,000 of these vacancies for young people aged 16-24," a spokesperson said.
"The European Social Fund budget for the 2007-2013 programme came to an end on 31 March and we have already begun work on the successor programme.
"Subject to approval within the new European Social Fund for 2014-2020 we are aiming to launch the new Jobs Growth Wales programme in the first quarter of this financial year."
The thrust of the criticism here is that if Jobs Growth Wales is so important to the Welsh economy then how come it has been allowed to come to a halt, albeit temporarily, and how come funding has been reduced?
The opposition parties have seized on developments partly because barely a week goes by without a member of the Welsh government trumpeting the success of its back-to-work scheme.
The Welsh government insists it is not being scrapped and has responded to criticism over continuity by pointing to the fact that anyone about to begin or in the middle of a six-month placement will not be affected.
It says officials have already worked up a new scheme and are awaiting approval from the EU within a month.


Goalkeeper Greg Fleming was Ayr United's hero as they secured promotion to the Scottish Championship after a penalty shoot-out at Somerset Park.

The sides were level at 1-1 after the first leg at Stair Park and chances were at a premium during a dour return that finished goalless.
Fleming saved nervy spot-kicks from Paul Cairney, Jamie Longworth and David Barron.
And Andy Graham took his chance to fire the winning penalty for Ayr.
Jordan Preston and Alan Trouten had already beaten Stranraer goalkeeper Cameron Belford from the penalty spot and, although Ross Docherty fired against the post, defender Graham's strike signalled a pitch invasion in the Ayrshire sunshine.
Willie Gibson was the only Stranraer player to find the net as the Blues squandered a chance to return to the second tier for the first time since 2006.
Instead, it is Ian McCall's Honest Men who take the step up after a four-season spell in the third tier.
Ayr had gone into the game as favourites after Docherty's stoppage-time equaliser in the first leg stretched their unbeaten run to three games.
They had already defeated Stranraer in three of their five meetings this season and had finished 10 points clear of their visitors as runners-up behind Dunfermline Athletic.
Stranraer, who had been bottom of the League One table at the turn of the year, were looking to complete a remarkable recovery that led to them qualifying for the play-offs by finishing fourth and then beating Livingston in their semi-final.
Brian Reid's side had scored eight goals in relegating Livi, while Ayr had struck six against Peterhead as they joined the Blues in the final.
However, this second leg of the final never threatened to be a goalfest as nerves got the better of any attempts at fancy footwork on the fiery surface.
Stranraer just edged the match in terms of chances, with an Andy Stirling drive forcing Fleming to make the first save.
Preston had an attempt saved by Belford at the other end while further chances were squandered by both sides.
However, Stranraer had the best chance during normal time, with Stirling firing over when through on goal.
Substitute striker Longworth headed wide in extra time then narrowly failed to get a touch on a Stevie Bell header across the face of goal in the dying seconds as the Blues were left wondering what might have been.
Match ends, Ayr United 0(3), Stranraer 0(1).
Penalty Shootout ends, Ayr United 0(3), Stranraer 0(1).
Goal!  Ayr United 0(3), Stranraer 0(1). Andy Graham (Ayr United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal!  Ayr United 0(2), Stranraer 0(1). William Gibson (Stranraer) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty missed! Still  Ayr United 0(2), Stranraer 0. Ross Docherty (Ayr United) hits the left post with a right footed shot.
Penalty saved! David Barron (Stranraer) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity,  right footed shot saved  in the centre of the goal.
Goal!  Ayr United 0(2), Stranraer 0. Alan Trouten (Ayr United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty saved! Jamie Longworth (Stranraer) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity,  right footed shot saved  in the bottom right corner.
Goal!  Ayr United 0(1), Stranraer 0. Jordan Preston (Ayr United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty saved! Paul Cairney (Stranraer) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity,  right footed shot saved  in the top left corner.
Penalty Shootout begins Ayr United 0, Stranraer 0.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Ayr United 0, Stranraer 0.
Foul by Nicky Devlin (Ayr United).
Paul Cairney (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
William Gibson (Stranraer) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Robbie Crawford (Ayr United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by William Gibson (Stranraer).
Attempt missed. Patrick Boyle (Ayr United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.
David Barron (Stranraer) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Robbie Crawford (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Barron (Stranraer).
Jamie Adams (Ayr United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by David Barron (Stranraer).
Attempt missed. Steven Bell (Stranraer) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Ross Docherty (Ayr United).
Paul Cairney (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Jamie Longworth (Stranraer) header from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner,  Stranraer. Conceded by Patrick Boyle.
Delay in match Peter Murphy (Ayr United) because of an injury.
Foul by Andy Graham (Ayr United).
Ryan Thomson (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Second Half Extra Time begins Ayr United 0, Stranraer 0.
First Half Extra Time ends, Ayr United 0, Stranraer 0.
Robbie Crawford (Ayr United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by William Gibson (Stranraer).
Substitution, Stranraer. David Barron replaces Mark McGuigan.
Hand ball by Robbie Crawford (Ayr United).
Corner,  Ayr United. Conceded by Paul Cairney.
Steven Bell (Stranraer) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Alan Trouten (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


A man who drove a car standing up has been given a suspended jail sentence by a judge who told him to "grow up".

Adam Elliott was spotted with his head poking out of the roof of a convertible Ford Ka, in Gateshead in January 2016.
The 26-year-old, from Newcastle, had admitted dangerous driving, but later denied he was standing, saying his 6ft 7in (2m) height made it look that way.
The judge at Newcastle Crown Court handed the car dealer a nine-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Judge Robert Adams told the defendant: "You are 26, you have a long history of offending.
"It's about time you grew up, took responsibility for your actions and recognise the danger you could cause to other road users by your stupidity."
Elliot, who had been delivering the vehicle, was picked up on traffic cameras on 26 January 2016 - another driver was so concerned about his behaviour he rang the police.
Kevin Wardlaw, prosecuting, said: "At various times the defendant was either standing up or in the vehicle with his feet on the driver's seat, his knees either side of the steering wheel, steering with his knees.
"At various times he waved to passing motorists as their attention was drawn by virtue of his seating position."
Elliott - who has since lost his car sales business - has 69 previous convictions, including 13 offences of driving while disqualified, 18 of driving without insurance, thefts, dangerous driving and fraud.
His barrister Nick Cartmell said: "It was an act of complete buffoonery. He is a big man sitting in a car and he played up to it."
Elliot was also banned from driving for two years, fined Â£100 and ordered to pay Â£1,500 prosecution costs.
Following the sentencing, Northumbria Police said: "Some people may find this type of behaviour amusing but if an individual continues to drive in that type of manner it is only a matter of time before they are involved in a serious collision.
"Motor vehicles are not toys and one slight mistake when you are driving can lead to a fatal collision that will destroy lives forever."


Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has defended the cost of security for the G8 conference in County Fermanagh as "money well spent".

There have been two arrests so far - one in Belfast and one in Enniskillen, the venue for the summit.
Security has cost at least Â£50m, with thousands of police on duty, but the final bill is expected to be higher by the time the global leaders leave.
Mrs Villiers praised the work of the police in keeping the summit "secure".
The two-day summit at the Lough Erne Resort finishes later.
Security chiefs said they had not anticipated any significant public disorder. However, there is a threat from dissident Irish republicans opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process.
"All the money spent on security has been money well spent. The terrorist threat continues to be severe," Mrs Villiers said.
"We can all imagine dissident republicans would have loved to have staged an attack when the world's media is in Northern Ireland.
"The fact they have been unable to do that is a tribute to work done by the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) to ensure a safe and secure summit."
She added: "If that kind of preparation had not been done and a terrorist attack had taken place, the impact would have been catastrophic.
"You have to plan for the worst. Without that excellent preparation we probably would have been seeing more public order issues than we have so far."
Details of the total security bill would be published after the summit, she said.
"But I am absolutely convinced this summit will generate very significant benefits for Northern Ireland," Mrs Villiers said.
"It is tremendous to show the world what a beautiful place Northern Ireland is. The backdrop at Lough Erne is absolutely stunning.
"If 99.9% of the world's population think of Northern Ireland at all, they probably think of riots in east Belfast and burning cars. It seems to be the only time Northern Ireland is in the news.
"Now we have Northern Ireland in the news for a good reason. That is the kind of publicity money can't buy."
About 8,000 police have been on duty and road checks set up near airports and the G8 venue as part of the security measures.
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said police were in a no-win position over security costs, most of which would be met by the UK government.
"If they had a lesser level of security and something was to happen, people would be asking: 'Why was there not enough police on the ground and more of an effort made?'," he said.
"I think they've got it right. It is far better to be over-prepared than to have some event occurring and regretting to take those steps.
"Yes, there is a high cost for a very short period of time, but there is a tremendous economic advantage for Northern Ireland."
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said there had been a lot of conflict around previous summits. Even though advance G8 teams had to prepare for the worst, he predicted this would be one of the most peaceful ever held.
"The worst has not transpired. We are not yet over this, but we are hugely optimistic things will be peaceful," he said.
"How could you pay for this publicity? There are places throughout the world that would dearly love to have the opportunity we have been presented with over these couple of days," he added.


A link between the size of a father's testicles and how active he is in bringing up his children has been suggested by scientists.

Researchers at Emory University, US, said those with smaller testicles were more likely to be involved with nappy changing, feeding and bath time.
They also found differences in brain scans of fathers looking at images of their child, linked to testicle size.
But other factors, such as cultural expectations, also played a role.
Levels of promiscuity and testicle size are strongly linked in animals, those with the largest pair tending to mate with more partners.
The researchers were investigating an evolutionary theory about trade-offs between investing time and effort in mating or putting that energy into raising children. The idea being that larger testicles would suggest greater commitment to creating more children over raising them.
The study, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, looked at the relationship between testicle size and fatherhood in 70 men who had children between the ages of one and two.
The team at Emory University in Atlanta performed brain scans while the men were shown pictures of their children.
It showed those with smaller testicles tended to have a greater response in the reward area of the brain than those with a larger size.
MRI scans showed a three-fold difference between the volumes of the smallest and largest testicles in the group.
Those at the smaller end of the spectrum were also more likely, according to interviews with the man and the mother, to be more active in parenting duties.
One of the researchers, Dr James Rilling, told the BBC: "It tells us some men are more naturally inclined to care-giving than others, but I don't think that excuses other men. It just might require more effort for some than others."
The exact nature of any link is not clear.
The researchers believe the size of the testicles, probably through the hormone testosterone, is affecting behaviour. But it is not clear if the process of having a baby may have some effect on the father.
"We know, for instance, that testosterone levels go down when men become involved fathers," said Dr Rilling.
Further studies, involving analysing the size before and after becoming a father, are still needed.
Cultural and societal expectations on the role of the father are also not accounted for in the study.
All of the men were from the Atlanta area so the relative impact of society and biology has not been measured.


What would you do if you had to travel miles to go to the toilet, to avoid being changed on a dirty floor or in the back of a car?

For many people with severe disabilities, their families and carers, this is a reality they are faced with every time they leave the house.
In some cases it can leave them feeling isolated and unable to enjoy the simplest of everyday activities that we take for granted just because they haven't got a suitable area to spend a penny.
Ordinary accessible toilets may be the answer for many independent wheelchair users - but what about those who need two carers to help them or need a hoist to help them transfer on to a bench to change rather than a toilet?"
Recommendations are in place to support installing Changing Places toilets with enhanced facilities when designing larger buildings such as shopping centres, cinemas and leisure facilities - but campaigners are calling for these to be made compulsory.
Lorna Fillingham, mother of six-year-old Emily-May, is concerned about the lack of truly accessible toilet facilities in town centres and has started a petition to campaign for changes in building regulations to make Changing Places guidelines compulsory
"It's like playing Russian roulette," Lorna says. "Knowing I might have to change her on the dirty floors of standard accessible toilets that just aren't suitable if there is not a Changing Places nearby when we go out as a family is so stressful.
"My daughter is only six so she doesn't have any knowledge of what she is going to be put through, but I know and the thought of that makes me feel so guilty."
Lorna has also submitted written evidence to the Women and Equalities parliamentary committee who are currently gathering evidence about how accessible the built environment is for disabled people.
There are currently 893 Changing Places toilets in the UK but what exactly are they?
They are different from standard disabled toilets as they have extra features and more space to help meet  the needs of people who use them.
Mike LeSurf, Changing Places Development Officer at Mencap says: "There are potentially over a quarter of a million people who need a Changing Places toilet - because behind the standard accessible toilet door, people's needs are not being met."
Alison Beevers describes the psychological effect on the whole family of not having an appropriate place for a change as her son Freddie gets older and their options for outings are slowly flushed away.
"Imagine having to get down on your hands and knees and laying down on a dirty floor or squashing yourself into the back of your car just because there isn't a bench and hoist in the toilet," she says.
"You just begin to get this sense of feeling like you're last in the line to be considered.
"It's soul-destroying and you don't feel like a valued member of society at all."
But it is not all doom and gloom and Alison gets by with a little help from her friends.
She said: "Freddie went to a party and one of my friends converted a room into a 'pop-up' changing places, and brought stuff from home to kit it out - it was amazing"
Alison even tweeted from the party: "Friends for life are those who organise parties in the village hall and provide a 'pop up' #changingplace so ALL can go!"
Bethan Folen and her daughter Lowri also enjoy their "girls' days out" now there are more convenient and fully accessible places to change nearby.
She said: "Lowri's favourite thing to do is to go to the Millennium Stadium [now known as the Principality Stadium] in Cardiff and watch Wales play rugby. She is a massive fan.
Even before the stadium installed its Changing Places toilet, says Bethan, "There were some nearby in the centre of Cardiff and it made things so much easier whenever we needed to change Lowri"
Changing Places specifications have been included in the Building Standards guidelines (BS 8300:2009) since 2009 as a recommendation rather than a compulsory requirement.
Architect Vaila Morrison explains why this creates a problem.
"By making it compulsory to have a Changing Places toilet in larger complexes then you will give people clarity over what is expected as there is none at the moment," she says.
"As a designer you tend to focus on what you have to do in line with compulsory legislation and recommendations can be ignored because of this."
For businesses, especially those in already existing buildings, logistical and financial barriers to installing these toilets can sometimes block plans.
At 12 square metres (3m x 4m) Changing Places are considerably larger than the standard accessible toilet (1,5m x 2.2m).
Because of this campaigners are focusing their efforts on making it compulsory for newly built larger complexes such as shopping centres, cinemas and sports stadiums in the building regulations.
Arsenal Football Club, who were the first side in the Premier League to install a Changing Places toilet, have seen a very positive reaction not just from fans but from the general public too.
Alun Francis, Disability Liaison Officer at the club, said: "There were challenges and despite already having 38 wheelchair accessible toilets we were constrained by the original building design as it existed before the recommendations came in, so we had to adapt.
"But working with the people behind the Changing Places group was such a positive experience.
"They looked at our ideas to convert two of the existing toilets into one Changing Place and helped us find a way around things so we could make it possible.
"You need to think about all of your customers when you run any type of venue and if you want their custom you have to make things accessible for them - it's important."


Midfielder Scott Allan says the reaction from fans has not been as bad as he expected since joining Celtic.

The one-time signing target of Rangers, the club he supported as a boy, says the comments have been more amusing than alarming.
Allan, 23, said: "There's been quite a lot of humour from friends. But I knew it was coming. It's not affected me at all, to be honest.
"There's not been any malice in it, so it's been fine for me."
The former Hibernian player added: "I've had the odd couple of things said but nothing too bad, nothing menacing.
"It's just good to be at a big club."
Allan has only played 35 minutes of first-team action since moving from Easter Road to the Scottish champions in August. He has made two substitute appearances against Dundee United and St Johnstone.
He believes he needs to bide his time to claim a regular place in the starting line-up and to keep up his match fitness.
Last season's PFA Scotland Championship player of the year featured in Celtic's Development League fixture with Dundee on Tuesday evening.
"I hadn't played 90 minutes since the first game of the season for Hibs at Dumbarton, so game time is vital for me," Allan admitted.
"When I signed I did say I'd need to be patient. I've still had minutes to come on and show, but I need to be patient and wait for my chance.
"There are a lot of games coming up so I think everybody will get a chance. It's up to me to take my chance when given it."
Those games for the Scottish Premiership leaders include a trip to Pittodrie this Saturday for a lunchtime fixture with second-place Aberdeen, before next Thursday's Europa League group stage opener in Amsterdam against Ajax.
He told BBC Scotland: "This match against Aberdeen is probably the biggest game domestically we've had this season. It'll obviously be good to put a marker down.
"They try and play the right way. They've got good players and a strong bench which they didn't have in previous seasons.
"Aberdeen and Hearts have both started well and I think the two of them will be up challenging this year."
With Celtic dropping into the Europa League after failing to qualify for the Champions League, Allan is looking forward to locking horns with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, the Norwegian champions Molde and Ajax in Group A.
"The Champions League was a bit of a disappointment, the fact we didn't go through, but there are big European clubs in this group so there are some good fixtures there," he said.
"We've just got to get through the group. Fenerbahce have a really strong team, Ajax have been doing well, so hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves and pick up some points.
"If we can get some good results first and gain a bit of confidence in the European games then who knows what can happen."


Figures from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to Brendan Duddy, who died on Friday, aged 80.

Born on 10 June 1936, the Londonderry businessman become known as "Northern Ireland's secret peacemaker".
For more than 20 years, he acted as secret back-channel between the British government and the IRA leadership.
He was at the centre of a chain of events that ultimately led to the historic IRA ceasefire of 1994 and the Good Friday peace agreement.
The DUP leader Arlene Foster said on social media, "(It) was lovely to meet Brendan again in recent weeks.
"Deepest sympathy to the Duddy family. They mourn a man who worked hard for a shared NI."
Sinn FÃ©in President Gerry Adams tweeted "I am very sorry to hear of death of Brendan Duddy. A decent man who did his best."
He added, "Brendan was a tireless advocate for peace over four decades.
"There was always a constant in his determination and commitment to finding agreement, achieving progress, and ending conflict."
The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin praised Mr Duddy's work throughout the Troubles, tweeting, "In a world of violence, conflict and threats of war, we need more people like Brendan Duddy. Rest in Peace".
Danny Kennedy, from the Ulster Unionist Party, tweeted: "Sorry to learn of the death of Brendan Duddy. I served with him on the NIPB (Northen Ireland Policing Board) for a brief period. He was a fine and honourable man."
The SDLP MP Mark Durkan tweeted: "Brendan Duddy RIP - Ear for thinking, tongue for explanation, eye for nuance, head for ideas, heart of peace. "Tutored" me during Hume-Adams."
The Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Charlie Flanagan said he was "saddened" by Mr Duddy's death, adding that he was a "quiet hero".
BBC reporter Peter Taylor, who made a documentary about Mr Duddy, said he was the "unsung hero of the Troubles".
The veteran journalist, who has reported extensively on the Troubles, told the BBC: "I don't think the part he played has ever been fully recognised and his place in history will be quite rightly secured.
"The fact we have a relative peace in Northern Ireland would not have happened without the remarkable efforts Brendan made.
"I'm sure that took its toll on him. He was a very fit, athletic, agile man. I think it took its toll in the long term and he did it at great risk to himself and his family."
During the civil rights demonstrations of the late 1960s, Mr Duddy ran a fish and chip shop whose beef burgers were delivered by young van driver called Martin McGuinness, the future IRA leader and deputy first minister, who died in March this year.
While Mr Duddy's public face was the family business, he got a taste of the role as go-between just before Bloody Sunday in 1972, when he was asked by the police to persuade IRA members to remove their weapons from the Bogside.
After Bloody Sunday, Mr Duddy met an MI6 officer called Michael Oatley and became the secret channel between the British government and the IRA, that would last until the 1990s.
Codenamed "Soon", he was the key link between then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the IRA during the 1981 hunger strikes.
In the early 1990s, he hosted talks at his own home in Derry between Mr Oatley and the intelligence services, and Mr McGuinness and the republican leadership.
According to Mr McGuinness, Mr Duddy's successful role in the peace process was so renowned it even reached Colombia.
In 2014, the Sinn FÃ©in politician said that when he met President Juan Manuel Santos, the Colombian leader told him that when his government opened a back channel with the rebel group Farc, the negotiator was codenamed "Brendan".
While playing the role of peacemaker, Mr Duddy also grew his business empire - the family firm, Duddy Group, has interests in property, bars, restaurants and hotels, including Derry's City Hotel and the Ramada Hotel in Portrush.


Lewis Hamilton says he wants answers from Mercedes after engine failure cost him victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix and severely dented his title hopes.

The failure was the latest in a series for Hamilton, who is 23 points behind team-mate Nico Rosberg with five races to go and 125 points still available.
"We have so many engines for eight drivers and mine are the only ones failing," said the Briton.
"Someone has to give me some answers because it is just not acceptable."
Daniel Ricciardo beat Max Verstappen in a Red Bull one-two in a gripping race.
Hamilton said: "To be fighting for the championship and only my engines are failing just doesn't sit right with me.
"There have been many decisive races but this is definitely one of those. Something or someone doesn't want me to win this year but I won't give up. I will keep pushing."
Asked later to clarify what he meant by "someone", Hamilton said: "A higher power. It feels right now as if the man above or a higher power is intervening a little bit. But I feel I have been blessed with so many opportunities. So I have to be grateful for those. While this does not feel great, I have to remain grateful."
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: "It's clear he is super-frustrated. He has been really unfortunate this year. He is losing many points but the championship is not over yet.
"I am so gutted for Lewis. He was in control of that race. Not good."
Hamilton dropped 43 points behind Rosberg after the first four races, in large part because of two identical engine failures in qualifying in consecutive races in China and Russia that forced him to start down the grid.
Hamilton fought back with six wins in the next seven races to take a 19-point lead into the summer break.
Rosberg won in Belgium where Hamilton had to start from the back of the grid after taking new engines to replace the ones that had failed earlier in the year, and a bad start from pole position led to Hamilton finishing second to the German at the next race in Italy.
Rosberg dominated in Singapore, where an out-of-sorts Hamilton finished third, to take an eight-point lead. Hamilton looked set to retake the championship lead in Malaysia only for his engine to fail.
Hamilton has a chance to claw back some of his deficit next Sunday at the Japanese Grand Prix.
He said: "I'm just going to try to recollect myself and get myself together for the next race and try to perform as I did this weekend."


A police officer has been remanded in custody accused of trying to acquire a gun, ammunition and silencer.

Allen Kennedy is also charged with having quantities of ecstasy and cocaine with intent to supply.
The 30-year-old, whose address was given as c/o Strandtown Police Station in east Belfast, was arrested in the city on Monday.
He faced six charges at Belfast Magistrates Court.
The policeman is accused of the attempted possession of a handgun, 10 rounds of ammunition and a silencer in suspicious circumstances and with intent to endanger life.
Mr Kennedy, who is currently suspended from duties due to unrelated matters, is further charged with having bullets and a shotgun cartridge.
He faces further allegations of having Class A drugs with intent to supply, and possession of cannabis.
All of the alleged offences occurred at locations in Belfast and Newtownards on 5 September.
Standing in the dock dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, Mr Kennedy confirmed he understood the charges, replying: "I do."
A defence solicitor told the court his client was not seeking bail at this stage.
He was remanded into custody to appear again by video-link in four weeks time.


It is 40 years since Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton - a victory that started their meteoric rise to super group status with millions of fans around the globe.

When the four-piece stepped on to the stage accompanied by a man dressed as Napoleon to deliver their country's entry for the competition, they were virtually unknown.
The audience at the 1,700-seat Brighton Dome on 6 April, 1974, had no idea how huge the Swedish group, which performed Waterloo, would become.  Most of them were concentrating on the UK entry - Olivia Newton John with her song Long Live Love.
John Henty, who lives in Lewes, East Sussex, was one of those watching and describes the instant impact the band had on the crowd.
He said: "Nobody knew Abba. Who were Abba? They were an unknown quantity.
"But clearly the moment they went into the number and the style of it and the outrageous costumes and the guy wearing Napoleon gear and you suddenly thought, 'this is something'."
"The Abba performance was absolutely knockout, we were instantly hit by it.
"It was brilliantly colourful, the characters were new to us, the girls were gorgeous, the guys were very trendy."
But Mr Henty, who, at the time worked as a producer for the then BBC Radio Brighton, said no-one had any idea what the band would go on to achieve.
He said: "It was just a great song and they put it over with terrific style."
Now, 40 years on, the group has sold almost 400 million albums around the world.
Claire Swift, from Brighton Dome, said: "It is a landmark, not only for the Dome but for Abba as it has been said it marked the beginning of their fame across the world."
"To have had it at the Dome was just an amazing thing to have happened."
After their win in Brighton, the group topped the charts with hits such as Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and Money Money Money until they split up in the early 1980s.
John Ingham, who conducted the UK entry and now has recording studios in Rye, East Sussex, said: "It was a double whammy because they looked extraordinary, and as a musician, I could tell they were the ultimate hook band, because they started off with the hook of the song which is just so catchy."
Abba are one of the only Eurovision acts, as well as 1988 winner Celine Dion, to achieve international superstardom.
Waterloo was voted best Eurovision song of all time at a 50th anniversary show of the contest in 2005, although it also received the lowest percentage of votes ever recorded for a winning entry in a final.
Music journalist Colin Irwin, who wrote an Abba biography The Name of the Game, said Abba would not have become so successful without their Eurovision win.
He said: "It gave them a platform that they would not have had - I think it changed everything in terms of their profile.
"It gave them the confidence to go on to become a great song-writing team and a great act."