The former Network Rail boss, Sir David Higgins, has told the BBC there was "no indication of a crisis emerging" while he was running the company.

Network Rail was recently forced into an embarrassing admission that it can't deliver three huge modernisation projects on time or on budget.
Sir David, who was speaking exclusively to the BBC, ran Network Rail between 2011 and 2014.
He is now executive chairman of the High Speed 2 (HS2) project.
During the interview, he was also keen to back Network Rail's current boss, Mark Carne, describing him as "strong".
"We are highly supportive. Don't underestimate how difficult it is working on live railway," he said.
Sir David stressed that the massive cost overruns at Network Rail won't affect the budget of HS2. They are separate companies but both funded by the government.
HS2 "has a defined budget controlled by the Treasury", he told me. "There is no reason to confuse them."
Network Rail has bitten off more than it can chew.
Having not electrified a big line for twenty-plus years, they agreed to electrify three at once. Two of those schemes, through the Midlands and across the Pennines, have since been "paused", while they concentrate on the third, beefing up the link between London and the South West of England and South Wales.
I have spoken to a large number of very senior people in the industry, people who don't want to go on the record (to be clear, I do not mean Sir David Higgins).
They were throwing punches everywhere. At Network Rail for misjudging the costs and staffing problems. At the regulator, who did warn of problems ahead but still agreed to the plans and the costs. And at the government, who plenty of people feel knew the scale of the problems before the election, something ministers vehemently deny.
But a narrative emerged amongst several well placed people I spoke to.
A feeling that the board currently running Network Rail simply didn't have enough railway experience to see the problems looming on the horizon. There has been quite a "brain drain" of senior execs, I've been told.
"Everyone at the top has come in at the top, they haven't worked their way up". And there were suggestions that no-one was offering "practical counsel" to the new boss, an oil man, Mark Carne.
One person said to me, "I feel for Mark Carne, he's inherited something extremely challenging".
I asked Sir David if he felt there was a lack of relevant expertise at the top of his old company.
"I don't accept that", he told me. "I think that Peter [Hendy, the new chairman] and Mark Carne are a strong team, a supportive partner."
Another critical factor came last September, when Network Rail's finances, including its Â£38bn debt, were put onto the government's balance sheet. In the old days, the company might have borrowed more money from private investors, if the regulator approved, to see projects through.
One very experienced person suggested that, "ministers might turn a blind eye" to the extra costs, as long as the job got done.
Now all the money comes from the Treasury, a change which jointly restricts flexibility and increases scrutiny from politicians. It represents a "sea change" according to one person I spoke to.
This didn't happen overnight. Plans to spend a record amount of money on our railways began in September 2011. Everyone was involved - industry, Network Rail, the government, the regulator.
But even after years of negotiation, fundamental details haven't been worked out.
For example, are there enough specialist engineers to do the job? And how tricky will it be to make major changes to all those Victorian bridges and tunnels whilst still running trains on the line during the day?
Network Rail bought a purpose built, Â£45m factory train that was meant to put in 120 electrification piles a week. One experienced person told me the best he'd heard it manage was 30. Apparently, it can be quicker on some days, but it was meant to replace all those missing engineers and it hasn't worked as they hoped.
Sir David Higgins says there won't be similar issues with HS2 though. It's "very, very different", he told me. "For us, it's like trying to build a new motorway. Our electrification is very simple. They [Network Rail] are having to work out of hours, trying to modify track and bridges on the existing railway."
To be clear, Network Rail also does a lot of things right. The repairs after storms destroyed the line at Dawlish were phenomenal. They're balancing aged infrastructure with record growth, which is no mean feat.
So now we sit and wait for the new chair, Sir Peter Hendy, to report back in the autumn on what projects will actually go ahead, when, and how much they will cost.
The government's under a lot of pressure to prove its much vaunted plans for a "northern powerhouse", won't suffer as a result.


A man died after a light aircraft crashed near an airfield in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Police confirmed the man died at the scene after the plane came down in a field close to Dinton, near Salisbury, at about 10:50 BST.
Another man was rescued from the wreckage and taken to hospital in Salisbury.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch confirmed it will be conducting an investigation into the crash.
Wiltshire Police said the dead man's next of kin have been informed and its "thoughts remain with the families of those involved at this difficult time".


Despite disappointment at the withdrawal of his fourth highest-ranked player, Great Britain and Ireland captain Nigel Edwards is confident his team can regain the Walker Cup this week.

The 10-man home team will be without highly rated 18-year-old Sam Horsfield. The Florida-based player, who became the youngest Briton to qualify for the US Open earlier this year, withdrew last week citing "personal reasons".
Of the line-up that will compete for the amateur version of the Ryder Cup, only Ashley Chesters, Cormac Sharvin and Paul Dunne are higher than Horsfield in the world rankings.
"It was a great surprise and extremely disappointing," Edwards told BBC Sport before the contest against the United States, who will defend the famous trophy at Royal Lytham this weekend.
At his last meeting with Horsfield, Edwards was struck by the youngster's apparent enthusiasm for the contest. "When I went to the US Amateur, all the talk was 'when are you announcing the team', then to be told he isn't coming is disappointing."
Edwards says he received no elaboration on why the Manchester-born student decided to pull out. "No, that's it - just personal reasons," he said. "Very strange, yes. I can't add anything."
However, the home skipper is convinced Horsfield's absence will not weaken his side's bid to wrest back the trophy they last won at Royal Aberdeen four years ago. "We have a great replacement in Ewen Ferguson," he said.
"Ewen is a former British boys' champion, a winner twice this year in Scotland and part of the winning Scottish team at the European team championships.
"He will love the Walker Cup. It was a very tough phone call to make to him, actually, when I had to tell him originally he wasn't in the team."
The Americans are favourites and boast a side that dominates the amateur standings. World number two Maverick McNealy, 19, is the highest ranked player in the match and one of six US players in the top 10.
That list also includes the recent US amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau, 21, who is also a National Collegiate Athletic Association individual champion. The team, captained by John 'Spider' Miller, features Jordan Niebrugge, who finished sixth at The Open earlier this year.
"Clearly they will have 10 good players but that just makes the challenge even greater and something more to relish," said Edwards. "We will be inspired to perform against them."
Great Britain and Ireland also boast a couple of players who excelled at St Andrews in July, with third-round leader Dunne and Chesters, who was 12th.
"I'm sure they will have learned a lot from those experiences," said Welshman Edwards, who leads the team for the third match running.
"The more used you are to playing in front of crowds, the easier it does become.
"I'm sure the other lads will feed off that and take great confidence from it."
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Dunne is one of a record five Irish players in the home team. "These Irish lads have been together for some time now, playing boys' and men's golf for the last four or five years. One drags another along, don't they?" Edwards said.
Inevitably, Walker Cup teams are also shaped by the churn of players turning professional. The Americans are without Oliver Schneiderjans, and amateur champion Bradley Neil gave up a likely place in the home team after deciding to join the paid ranks.
"I've no issue with anyone turning pro because of the rewards out there - but I do have an issue with the timing of some of them," said Edwards, who is director of coaching for England Golf.
"From my perspective with the England team, since the last Walker Cup we've had 20 either England squad or age squad players turn pro.
"It's a great shame, I don't think the players are appreciating the value of experience.
"You've only got to look at the very best players. OK some don't stay in amateur golf very long, but look at Tiger Woods - three US junior amateurs and three US amateurs. Who can argue with that?
"If you get used to winning that really helps your transition. The age of players turning pro in the last few years has gone down, I'm guessing, by a couple of years.
"The game has to do something because there's not enough room on the pro tours for them all to make a living."
That said, Edwards is more pre-occupied with the forthcoming hostilities. As a player back in 2003, the Welshman completed a famous GB and I victory at Ganton.
Four years ago he skippered them to success over an American side that included Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Russell Henley and Peter Uihlein - and Edwards believes another victory is within the compass of his 2015 side.
"I've got a really good feeling about this team," he said. "They've gelled really well, we are looking forward to getting going. We know the golf course.
"They all sense it, this is a great opportunity for them to create history and become not just a Walker Cup player but a Walker Cup player in a winning team."


Leinster resisted a spirited Cardiff Blues revival to strengthen their position at the top of the Pro12 table.

Tries from Dan Leavy and Luke McGrath - either side of a brilliant breakaway by the Blues' Tomos Williams - put the hosts 14-7 ahead at half-time.
The visitors fought back to lead 21-17 after counter-attacking scores from Williams and Sion Bennett.
But Ross Molony plunged over from close to give Leinster a seventh successive league win.
Leo Cullen's men are now six points clear at the Pro12 summit, with second-placed Ospreys away against Treviso later on Saturday.
Defeat for the Blues, meanwhile, sees them stay in eighth place.
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Glorious sunshine and a pristine pitch made for perfect conditions at the RDS, encouraging both teams to play adventurous, running rugby.
Leinster led after just four minutes as flanker Leavy collected a neat grubber kick from centre Noel Reid to touch down in the corner.
Their lead did not last long as the visitors counter-attacked at pace, with captain Blaine Scully and Rey Lee-Lo offloading sharply before Williams cantered over.
The Blues were threatening whenever their backs got their hands on the ball but their pack struggled against the ballast of Leinster's forwards, whose powerful carries paved the way for scrum-half McGrath to dive through a crowd of bodies and touch down.
The visitors fought back in spectacular fashion, with Williams finishing after a fine run from hooker Kristian Dacey, before replacement back-rower Bennett showed a similarly impressive turn of pace to run in from 40 yards and put the Blues 21-17 ahead.
It was the Leinster pack, however, who had the final say, with lock Molony emerging at the bottom of a pile of bodies to score the decisive try.
Leinster: J Carbery; A Byrne, R O'Loughlin, N Reid, I Nacewa; R Byrne, L McGrath; C Healy, R Strauss, M Bent; R Molony, H Triggs; D Leavy, J van der Flier, R Ruddock.
Replacements: J Tracy, P Dooley, M Ross, M Kearney, M Deegan, J Gibson-Park, T Daly, F McFadden.
Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Steven Shingler, Blaine Scully (capt); Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Corey Domachowski, Kristian Dacey, Anton Peikrishvili, George Earle, Jarrad Hoeata, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Nick Williams.
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Gethin Jenkins, Scott Andrews, Sion Bennett, Ellis Jenkins, Lloyd Williams, Willis Halaholo, Tom James.
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Matteo Liperini (Italy), Richard Kerr Ireland).


A man has appeared in court charged with kidnap after a nine-year-old girl was dragged from a park's play area into a wood.

Paul Barton, 32, of no fixed address, appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court and his due to appear at the city's crown court on 18 October.
The girl had been playing in Pointers Field, Norwich, when she was grabbed at about 16:30 BST on Friday.
She managed to break free and escaped uninjured, Norfolk Police said.
Mr Barton was remanded in custody ahead of the crown court hearing.


Brighton & Hove Albion winger Joe Ward has extended his loan deal at National League side Lincoln City for a further two months.

The 21-year-old initially joined for a month and has made two appearances for the Imps, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Welling in the FA Trophy.
Ward's stay at Sincil Bank will now run until 14 April, and will take his loan to the maximum 93 days.
Danny Cowley's Lincoln are currently top of the National League.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


England "threw in the towel" as they collapsed to defeat in the fourth Test in South Africa, says former captain Michael Vaughan.

The tourists lost their last seven wickets for 43 runs on the final morning, bowled out for 101 to lose by 280 runs in Centurion.
England, who were dismissed inside 35 overs, won the series 2-1.
"It was a really feeble way to finish the tour. They've shown no heart," Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special.
"I thought this would be a day where England would graft. I thought they'd last until tea. That's not good enough."
England won the first Test in Durban by 241 runs and the third in Johannesburg by seven wickets to establish an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
But dropped catches allowed South Africa to establish a first-innings lead of 133 in Centurion, before Kagiso Rabada hurried South Africa to a consolation victory with 6-32 in the second innings and 13-144 in the match.
"There are no dead rubbers in Test cricket," said Vaughan, who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests.
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"They haven't been on it. Whether you're winning the series or not, if you're a good team you don't relax."
Joe Root, Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad edged drives and Ben Stokes pulled to deep square-leg as England's hopes of saving the game disappeared amid a flurry of reckless shots.
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said: "Get your head down and save the match. There was no effort this morning.
"Coming out and playing shots - does that excuse you after winning the series? No. There's no excuse for that. You have to be professional."
Vaughan added: "Some of those shots this morning were not the shots of a team that was thinking we can really win this Test match."
South Africa captain AB de Villiers said: "To take seven wickets in the time that we did was not part of the thinking. We were ready to go to 5.30 today."
England, having already won the Ashes against Australia in 2015, lost the final Test at The Oval by an innings and 46 runs.
"It's the same feeling we had against Australia at The Oval," said Vaughan. "England were winning the series but they put in such a flat performance."
England captain Alastair Cook said: "We spoke honestly about how we were going about this week; we tried not to do what we did against Australia.
"We always try and play positively but on certain wickets you have to play a different way. We didn't get the balance right.
"Whether that's the end of the tour mentality I don't know."
England are only the second team to beat South Africa, who began the series as the number one Test team in the world, on their own turf since 2009.
"I take my hat off to them," said Boycott. "Winning abroad - winning anywhere - is good. England receive all the credit."
De Villiers added: "They completely outplayed us in the first two Tests. They're possibly the team to beat in the next year or so."
But Cook admitted England's defeat in Centurion left "a bit of disappointment in our mouths".
"Today was a limp batting performance," he said. "If you'd offered me 2-1 before the series I would have snapped your hand off.
"It just shows how much work this side has still got to do and yet we can still win away against the team who were top of the world rankings."
Coach Trevor Bayliss added: "It frustrates not just me but the players as well.
"They are young guys that make mistakes. As a Test team, we're on the rise. They are a team full of talent but talent never won anything."
Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott review England's final-day collapse in the TMS podcast


A Grade II-listed prison, once home to Oscar Wilde, is opening for public tours as part of an arts project that focuses on the jail and its most famous inmate.

Reading Prison was closed by the Ministry of Justice in 2013 and its fate has since remained uncertain.
Wilde was held between 1895 and 1897 and wrote about his experience in his poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol.
The project involves the work of artists, performers and writers.
Actor Ralph Fiennes and singer Patti Smith will be among those taking part.
Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years with hard labour for gross indecency after his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas was exposed in 1895.
After his release, he composed The Ballad of Reading Gaol, which was inspired by his time as a prisoner and reflected the brutality of the Victorian prison system.
The project has been organised by London arts organisation Artangel, in conjunction with the National Trust, which is presenting the tours.
Artangel co-directors Michael Morris and James Lingwood said the building was a "powerful place" and they had taken away some of the more recent structures inside the prison to return it, as much as possible, to the way it would have been when it was built.
The event opens on Sunday and continues until 30 October.


Liverpool are expected to confirm Adam Lallana's £25m arrival early next week.

Lallana, 26, will complete his medical and other formalities of the move from Southampton this weekend, before being announced as the club's latest signing.
Liverpool had two bids for the England midfielder rejected before the World Cup began, but reopened talks after he returned from Brazil.
Lallana will be reunited with Rickie Lambert at Anfield, while Luke Shaw has left Saints to join Manchester United.
Lallana has been at Southampton for 14 years, having joined the club as a 12-year-old from Bournemouth, who hold a 25% sell-on clause.
He featured in all three of England's games at the 2014 Fifa World Cup, as a second-half substitute in the defeats by Italy and Uruguay, and from the start in the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.
Lallana's sale would take Southampton's summer transfer earnings to £56m, with Shaw departing for £27m and Lambert sold for £4m.
Executive director Les Reed has "guaranteed" new manager Ronald Koeman will be able to reinvest "any revenues" in the team.
Liverpool have already agreed to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can, who will join the club on 1 July.
They have been linked with Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno, while teenage forward Divock Origi, who scored Belgium's winner in their World Cup encounter with Russia, has also emerged as a target.


Former world number one Lee Westwood says he had doubts about his ability to compete for majors again before his runner-up finish at the Masters.

Westwood, 43, tied second with Jordan Spieth last month, three shots behind fellow Englishman Danny Willett.
Westwood quit the PGA Tour last year following his divorce, dropping as low as 67th in the world before Augusta.
"Playing well at the Masters was a kick I really needed," he said before this week's PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The Nottinghamshire golfer won the Indonesian Masters in April 2015 but slipped down the rankings during the rest of the year.
He only qualified for the Masters by sneaking into the world's top 50, who are automatically invited to Augusta, ahead of the cut-off point at the end of last year.
But after missing the cut in three of his four warm-up events, Westwood found himself in contention for his first major before playing partner Willett pulled clear in the final three holes.
"When you haven't played well for a long time, then you do start to have doubts in your mind," said Westwood, who has moved back up to a ranking of 35.
"But it never takes long for golfers to snap out of it, really. We're only one good shot, really, from a comeback."


Former Manly Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey has been appointed as the new coach of the reformed Bradford Bulls.

The 47-year-old Australian spent three years as coach of the NRL side before leaving in 2015.
He replaces compatriot Rohan Smith, who left the club on Tuesday by mutual consent.
The old Bradford Bulls were liquidated at the start of the month and the new club will start the Championship season with a 12-point deduction.
Joint-owner Graham Lowe said: "He won't be bringing loads of people from Australia. He wants to work with people here and the community.
"I am so pleased we have reached terms with him. He is a football man and is a players' coach.
"He will make young players thrive. He is uncompromising and has always had the leadership skills required."
The new team, captained by Leon Pryce, will play their first game in a friendly against Huddersfield Giants on Sunday.
And despite a number of departures, they have 26 players signed up for the forthcoming season.
They start their league campaign against Hull KR on Sunday, 5 February.
BBC rugby league correspondent Dave Woods
Toovey won 18 Australia caps, a tally artificially boosted by the fact he played for the ARL-loyal Manly at the time of the Super League war, but he was a class act.
As a player and coach he's been a one club man so far. His appointment appears to be out of the blue as he has no working knowledge of the English game, especially at Championship level.
But the link is Bulls' new co-owner Graham Lowe, another former Manly coach and legend.
And he could prove to be just the man for the job after all the financial chaos that the previous Bradford club went through... he's a qualified chartered accountant.


A State Department official "pressured" the FBI to change the classification of a Hillary Clinton email in a "quid pro quo", according to FBI documents.

Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy asked the bureau to unclassify the message so it could be archived, "never to be seen again".
He made the request in relation to an email about the 2012 attacks on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.
But the FBI said it did not change the classification level.
The email in question described reports in November 2012 that Libyan police were arresting suspects in the attack of two months earlier, which left Ambassador Christopher Stephens and three other Americans dead.
Other interesting revelations from the newly released FBI documents include:
The 100-page FBI document published on Monday says an unnamed FBI official was "pressured" in summer last year to change the classified Clinton email to unclassified.
The official said he had received a call from a colleague - whose name is also redacted - at the FBI's International Operations Division.
The colleague said he had been contacted by Mr Kennedy asking him to change the email's classification level in "exchange for a 'quid pro quo'".
The State Department, the FBI document says, offered to "reciprocate by allowing the FBI to place more Agents in countries where they are presently forbidden".
Mr Kennedy, according to the FBI documents, followed up on this matter at a subsequent meeting, spending 15 minutes attempting to influence the FBI to unclassify the Clinton email.
He also pressed FBI assistant director of counterterrorism Michael Steinbach on the issue.
Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said the revelation "bears all the signs of a cover-up".
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted: "Unbelievable."
Mr Kennedy, who has spent more than four decades at the State Department, was already a lightning rod for Republican criticism.
He oversaw both diplomatic security during the 2012 attacks in Benghazi and the records and IT departments during Mrs Clinton's use of a private email server.
But State Department Deputy spokesman Mark Toner denied any wrongdoing by Mr Kennedy.
"Under Secretary Kennedy sought to understand the FBI's process for withholding certain information from public release," Mr Toner said.
"As has been reported, there have been discussions within the interagency on issues of classification."
The email in question was among some 100 messages recovered from Mrs Clinton's private email server that the FBI would ultimately designate as classified.
The FBI and State Department engaged in a review of the former secretary of state's emails as they were being made ready for public release.
FBI Director James Comey concluded in his investigation Mrs Clinton had been "extremely careless" in handling the classified material.
The scandal has fuelled the perception among many voters she is untrustworthy.
The emails scandal relating to her private server is different from the messages that Wikileaks have been releasing recently.


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has chosen a white dove on a red background as the design for his official Christmas card.

The picture also spells out "2017", if one takes stands a certain distance away and stares at it for a while.
Mr Corbyn's minimalist selection contrasts with cards sent by Prime Minister Theresa May and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who both opted for pictures by children in their constituencies.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon went for cartoon character Oor Wullie.
Mr Corbyn's card bears the message "With warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", the dove often being used as a symbol of purity and peace.
The Labour leader's offering last year showed snow-covered bicycles chained to a rack next to a red telephone box. The traffic light in the photograph was also on red.
This year, her first as prime minister, Theresa May has sent three different Christmas cards, bearing pictures of Downing Street by children in her Maidenhead constituency.
Mr Farron also featured a drawing by a youngster from his Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, in which a dog lies asleep on a crescent moon (also sleeping), both wearing Santa hats.
Wales' First Minister Carwyn Jones chose a design by a schoolboy, showing a red dragon pulling Santa's sleigh over a Christmas tree, with a mountain range in the background.
And Ms Sturgeon's features Oor Wullie - the comic-book character celebrating his 80th anniversary this year - whom she described as a "much-loved national treasure adored by both children and adults across Scotland".


Differences in access to key NHS services, including stroke and cancer care, are putting patients at risk, an official report suggests.

The NHS Atlas of Variation - published by NHS England and Public Health England - looks at service performance in more than 200 local areas.
It found a two-fold variation in early cancer diagnosis and quick stroke treatment between the best and worst.
The atlas also pointed to "unwarranted" differences in diabetes monitoring.
Patient groups called the findings "extremely concerning", while NHS bosses warned action must be taken by local health chiefs as the variations in care would be costing lives and harming health.
The atlas found:
NHS England medical director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh urged local health bosses to take action.
"The atlas exposes some inconvenient truths about the extent of variation in care for some common conditions."
And Prof Julia Verne, from Public Health England, said: "It is really important to tackle this unwarranted variation because patient lives are being put at risk.
"If we can iron them out then more patients will survive, they will have fewer complications and they will have better quality of life."
The report is effectively an annual stocktake of what is happening in each of the 211 clinical commissioning groups in England.
It has been compiled using official data across more than 100 different areas of care. Extreme outliers - the very best and worst - are excluded to try to ensure the figures are not skewed by possible data collection errors.
This, the authors believe, is a more accurate way of reflecting the true differences in performance.
There are some areas - liver disease and tooth decay in children for example - where the variation is as much, if not more, to do with how people are living their lives as it is about the quality of care.
But in other areas, such as stroke and diabetes, the differences are more likely to be down to how the NHS is performing.
Alexis Wieroniey, of the Stroke Association, said: "Immediate treatment on a stroke patient is essential as this helps to minimise the long-term effects and can prevent death.
"The wide-ranging variation in the time it takes people to be admitted to a stroke unit across England is extremely concerning and it is unacceptable that too many people are still not admitted within four hours.
"Wherever they live, people must have an equal chance in getting the immediate treatment they need to make their best possible recovery from stroke."
And Nick Ormiston-Smith, Cancer Research UK's head of statistics, added: "Cancer survival is improving, but these statistics show that cancer services are not meeting the needs of all patients.
"We know that catching cancer early saves lives. Diagnosing the disease at an early stage means patients have the best chance of their treatment being successful. Improving early diagnosis and ensuring patients get the best possible treatments must be a priority for the NHS."


The Duke of Cambridge has admitted he is "feeling the nerves" as he begins his new job as an air ambulance pilot.

Prince William completed a civilian pilot course in September before taking dedicated 999-response training in order to take up the role with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).
The former RAF helicopter pilot will cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
His first shift began at Cambridge Airport at 07:00 BST.
The prince's first shift as a co-pilot alongside medical staff will be nine-and-a-half hours long.
He said: "It's my first day and I'm feeling the nerves.
"We're starting off on a wet Cambridge day, but I'm really looking forward to getting started."
Prince William's shift pattern will be four days on, four days off, but it will take into account his official royal duties.
The prince said: "Obviously at some point there is going to be a lot more pressure and responsibility from the other side of my life, but at the moment I'm juggling the two of them and a young family and I'm enjoying the challenge.
"It's a follow-on from where I was with the military search and rescue with many of the same sorts of skills, so it was a natural progression."
Bond Air Services operates the air ambulance on behalf of the charity and the prince will be paid a salary which he is donating to charity.
Speaking when the appointment was announced, EAAA chief executive Patrick Peal said the organisation, which needs to to raise Â£7.5m a year to continue its work, would benefit from William's skills as a pilot and the charity's profile would be boosted.
"It is a very close-knit crew with the pilot operating closely with the doctor and paramedic so we need a strong team in every operation we go on," he said.
Following the birth of Princess Charlotte in May, the prince and his family have spent much of their time at their home, Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.


A consultation on possible changes to how schools are governed "excluded many parents", according to an organisation representing parent teacher councils.

The Scottish Parent Teacher Council said it gathered more than 800 responses to submit to the Scottish government's consultation.
But it said most respondents skipped questions about the school governance review itself.
The SPTC also said some parents were left puzzled by consultation events.
The Scottish government has said that more than 1,000 people and organisations responded directly to its consultation.
The responses it received came from a wide range of people including teachers, parents and other stakeholders.
The government intends to devolve more powers to head teachers, and is also looking at creating new regional education boards to work across council areas.
Some in local government fear councils will end up with a greatly-reduced practical role.
A government consultation closed on Friday, with detailed plans likely later this year.
In the introduction to its response, the SPTC highlighted what it sees as problems with aspects of the consultation itself.
It said: "While we gathered more than 800 responses, the majority of respondents skipped the questions about the governance review. This in itself communicates a great deal about the perspective of parents on this consultation.
"The feedback received regarding the consultation events has similarly indicated that parents who attended (and are therefore by definition motivated and engaged) have generally been left puzzled and feeling excluded from the debate.
"It is ironic that a document which has as one of its stated aims that parents should be more empowered, in fact excluded very many parents from participation.
"The consultation presumed high levels of knowledge about the existing governance model in Scottish education, and used language which would be familiar only to those working in the sector.
"It is tantamount to expecting a patient with a broken leg to understand the inner workings and operational structures of the various NHS services they might encounter: A&E, orthopaedics, anaesthesia, radiology, physiotherapy to name just a few.
"In reality, we know that the patient relies on the NHS to organise and provide the services needed to treat their injury, just as parents rely on schools and local authorities to organise and provide the educational support their child needs in the school system."
One of the key aims of the government's plans will be to try to ensure parents are more closely involved with schools.
On this issue, the SPTC said: "In terms of parental involvement, our experience is that school leadership is the key determining factor for the successful inclusion and involvement of families.
"This does not simply mean the presence of Parent Councils (though this is very often a proxy for parental involvement) but extends to shared leadership and engagement with the wide range of families who have a stake in a school.
"This variation is not only counter to statute and policy, it also impoverishes the school community and has a negative impact on the learning of young people.
"Sadly, in some situations there is a culture of parent blaming: if parents were more responsible and interested, or less feckless and demanding, then the schools could do their job. This type of world view does nothing to build partnership with families, which is a necessary component if schools are to work effectively.
"Parents, almost without exception, want the best for their children but often their circumstances or own learning difficulties make it difficult for them to see where they can make a difference."
A spokesman for the Scottish government said it had an "unwavering focus" on improving Scotland's education system to make it world-class.
He added: "That is why we are reviewing school governance and over 1,000 parents, teachers, head teachers, members of the general public and organisations including local authorities and unions have responded to our consultation which closed on 6 January.
"We will consider these consultation responses as we move to put schools and communities at the heart of the education system and ensure that decisions about the life of schools are driven by the schools themselves.
"As part of this process we have already committed to consult on a new Education Bill in early 2017."
Scottish Labour's Iain Gray said the SPTC response was "damning".
He added: "Parents now join teachers, headteachers, Cosla, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and even SNP councils like Dundee in telling John Swinney his "reforms" are wrong-headed, and that the real problem in schools is year in year budget cuts."


A Somali-American has become the first to compete in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant wearing a hijab and burkini.

Halima Aden, 19, donned the traditional Islamic dress and full-body "burkini" during the event's swimsuit segment.
Ms Aden, who was born in Kenya and moved as a child to St Cloud, Minnesota, was one of the top 15 contestants in the two-day pageant.
She said she hopes her participation inspires other Muslim women to be confident about their identity.
"A lot of people will look at you and will fail to see your beauty because you're covered up and they're not used to it, so growing up I just had to work on my people skills and give people a chance to really know me besides the clothing," Ms Aden told local television station KARE.
The St Cloud resident said she was overwhelmed to be in the top 15 contestants and has received an outpouring of support from women around the world.
"This is a big win for us, you know. I'm the first to do this and I'm hoping to see more Muslim women wearing burkinis and being celebrated," she said.
"I'm just challenging you to be outgoing and just do your best in everything that you do."
Minnesota is home to the largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the US.
Denise Wallace, executive co-director of the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, praised Ms Aden for her decision to wear the traditional dress.
"I think for Halima standing on the stage this weekend she is showing other women that they too can do that and that it's possible for them," she said.
The winner of the pageant was Minneapolis resident Meredith Gould, who will go on to compete in the Miss USA pageant next year.


A Catholic priest under investigation for people smuggling has told the BBC that politicians are trying to criminalise people helping refugees.

Don Mussie Zerai has lived in Italy for more than 25 years, since fleeing Eritrea as a teenager.
He says he regularly receives calls from distressed migrants making the crossing from Africa to Italy.
Mr Zerai was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for helping save lives by simply answering his phone.
But the prosecutor's office in the Sicilian town of Trapani is investigating him, along with others, over allegations of aiding and abetting illegal immigration.
He denies the allegation.
"When I receive a distress call [from people coming to Europe] I collect information and I pass the information to the Italian coastguard (which takes the lead in co-ordinating rescues) so the authorities can intervene," he told BBC Newsday.
Mr Zerai, 40, says he sends the same information to various non-governmental organisations, including Medecins Sans Frontieres and Migrant Offshore Aid Station.
But he denies he has been working with German NGO Jugend Rettet, which is accused of having direct contact with traffickers in Libya.
The Iuventa, a boat operated by Jugend Rettet, was impounded on the Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this month.
"The newspapers claim that [I] have secret chat, all this parallel communication - all this is false. My communication is clear, open and legal," Mr Zerai told the BBC.
He believes the accusations are part of a political campaign drawn up by Italian authorities, who have accused many charities of working with smugglers to act as a taxi service for refugees and migrants.
"If some NGOs are involved and do something illegal, it is correct to ask them for accountability but politicians are using campaigns to criminalise others. The consequence of this is, those who pay the price are the people who are in need."
Organisations involved in rescue operations have rejected accusations of collusion, saying their only concern is to save lives.
Italy is the main route for refugees and migrants trying to reach Europe due to its proximity to Libya, with many fleeing war, poverty or persecution.
Over the years the number of people coming to Italy due to the migration crisis has increased, and so has the public hostility.
Mr Zerai says he makes this clear to those back home.
"I tell them stay at home and that the atmosphere in Europe is not good, you are not welcome here at this time because of the economic crisis and discrimination.
"They say yes we know, but what's the alternative?"
Almost 1,000 people are thought to have drowned in waters between Libya and Italy this year, according to the UN refugee agency.
Mr Zerai believes the key to tackling the crisis is better leadership across Africa.
"It's not easy to say stay at home if no-one gives them a chance for a better life and a dignified life, so we need to invest resources and money to create these conditions," he says.
His comments echo those of Italy's ambassador to the European Union, Maurizio Massari, who told the BBC that the only way to tackle the crisis is to have stable African countries.
But Mr Zerai said this could take more than 30 years.
As a refugee, he cannot return to Eritrea because it is a "dictatorship", he said.
"I have denounced it many times so I'm at risk. But not all Eritreans have the same problem," Mr Zeria added.
Listen to the full exclusive interview with Don Mussie Zerai on Newsday on the BBC World Service on Thursday 17 August


Indian papers say the world of cricket is set to go "colourful" with 30 days to go before the World Cup starts in Australia.

Most papers feel the Test, which is played in all whites, is set to take a backseat as players get ready for the one-day international tournament.
India, Australia and England are set to play a tri-series from 16 January before the World Cup.
"The Test whites have given way to a burst of colours on cricket fields across the globe. It's slam-bang season," says The Indian Express.
The Hindustan Times kicks off its coverage with this compilation of the 10 best World Cup matches.
Papers also expect India to successfully retain its 2011 World Cup title in Australia.
"There'll be a lot at stake this time around as [captain MS] Dhoni & Co try to get their young team, over the next two weeks, on the right track hoping that it eventually becomes a path to ultimate glory for the second time running," the paper adds.
The Times of India remembers that India failed to win the cup in Australia in 1992. The team played the 1992 edition after a long tour of the host country.
The paper adds that India once again are set to play the tournament in Australia after an arduous tour of the country.
"During a long tour, fatigue and injuries are big factors, especially when the going gets tough," it says.
"These are issues the Indian side will have to battle on the remaining part of their tour of Australia as they plunge into the tri-series next week, after being involved in a taxing four-match Test series, and thereafter the World Cup," the paper adds.
In what some papers say appears to be a case of religious intolerance, two men vandalised a Catholic church in the Vikaspuri area of Delhi on Wednesday, reports say.
"Around 6:30 am (local time) when the priest arrived at the church, he found the glass cabinet mounted on the outside wall broken and the statue of Mother Mary lying on the ground," The Hindu reports.
A CCTV camera installed inside the church has captured the footage of the two suspects breaking the glass, the paper says.
"It was definitely planned and orchestrated. There is a clear pattern in all these attacks. We expect the police to stand with us during our time of crisis," said Savirimuthu Sankar, spokesperson of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese. 0
Despite the footage, the police are yet to identify the suspects, the Hindustan Times adds.
The attack is "the fourth such attack in a period of one month" in the capital, the paper says.
And finally, the government has reassured the Supreme Court that it would clean the river Ganges by 2018.
A bench headed by Justice T S Thakur asked the government if it would be able to clean the river in its current term, The Times of India says.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, representing the government, told the court that "the project would be completed by 2018 and it won't go to 2019 when term of the government ends".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged to clean the river in his poll campaign last year.
Locally called the Ganga, the Ganges is revered by Hindus. It is India's longest river and supports a third of the country's 1.2 billion people living on its floodplains.
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


In the current era of ultra-low interest rates it is important to make the most of your savings.

One of the best ways to do this is to keep the amount of tax you pay on your savings to a minimum.
The government allows you to do this by using a special kind of account called an individual savings account (Isa).
This is a tax-efficient way to save or invest, with no tax liability when the proceeds are withdrawn.
Any growth in the value of your savings or investments will be free of capital gains tax and there is no liability to tax on any income taken from the fund.
An Isa is not an investment in itself but a wrapper to shield an investment from tax - whether it is cash, bonds or equities.
There are two kinds of Isa: Cash Isas and stocks & shares Isas.
A cash Isa could be in the form of bank and building society deposits, and some money market unit trusts.
Some National Savings products may also be included, as well as a range of existing savings bonds and accounts on which tax is normally payable.
Stocks and shares Isas, often referred to as investment Isas, can include most authorised unit or investment trusts, open ended investment companies (OEICs) and exchange traded funds (ETFs), as well as any share quoted on a stock exchange recognised by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If you want to invest in individual shares or choose the funds yourself, a 'self-select' Isa may be suitable.
Unit trusts and OEICs can usually be bought more cheaply within an Isa wrapper, as fund management groups often offer discounts on initial charges, particularly in the run-up to the end of the tax year in the period between January and March.
If you have a fund in mind for investment it is often worth shopping around as charges can vary between outlets.
Stocks and shares Isas are not entirely tax free; you pay no tax on any growth in the value of your investments, either during the time of investment or when you take your money out, but tax at 10% is paid on any dividends received within the fund.
Everyone aged over 16 can have a cash Isa, and those over 18 can also have an investment Isa.
For the 2012-13 tax year you can make a maximum investment of £5,640 in a cash Isa or £11,280 in a stocks and shares Isa.
If you put money into a cash Isa the balance up to £11,280 may be invested into a stocks and shares Isa.
These limits are for each person, so a couple could invest as much as £22,560 in Isas in each tax year.
From 6 April 2013 the Isa limits for each person will rise to £5,760 and £11,520 respectively.
Defaqto's research shows that there are 185 different stocks and shares Isas available, from 123 different companies.
These companies include banks, investment firms, fund managers and other authorised institutions, as well as 'fund supermarkets' and discount brokers.
If you want advice on what to invest in, your local adviser will probably help.
If you are confident in your selection you can usually go direct to the Isa provider.
You can normally invest in an Isa via lump sums, while nine out of 10 providers will also allow you to make regular monthly investments.
The minimum lump sum investment required is typically £500 or £1,000 but one in seven providers have higher minimums than this.
Regular monthly contributions are typically a minimum of £50 or £100, although some allow lower regular contributions.
An investment Isa can therefore be used as a tax efficient regular savings plan.
All stocks and shares Isas (and cash Isas for that matter) will allow transfer to another Isa provider without affecting your annual allowance.
You can only open one stocks and shares Isa and one cash Isa in any one tax year.
Once investment into an Isa has been made, this counts against your annual Isa allowance, even if you make a withdrawal in the same tax year.
The majority of investment Isas come with initial and annual management charges, which usually reflect the charges of the underlying investments.
The initial charge on investment funds placed within an Isa can range from 2.5% to 5%, although many outlets offer discounts of 2-3% off initial charges.
The annual management charge is typically between 0.5% and 2% depending on the type of fund selected.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by the BBC unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Links to external sites are for information only and do not constitute endorsement. Always obtain independent professional advice for your own particular situation.


Hundreds of people have marched through a rural town in support of its maternity services.

Protesters claim midwife-led services at Ludlow Community Hospital could close or be scaled down.
Organiser Sarah Meek said lives could be at risk if someone having "complications in birth" had to travel to Telford or Shrewsbury.
Hospital bosses said proposals included making some midwife-led units into birth centres.
The hospital recently closed its midwife-led unit for about three weeks over concerns about the condition of the building.
It re-opened in a more modern building last month and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said the temporary closure had been taken in the best interests of mothers, babies and staff.
However, some campaigners say Ludlow and two other midwife-led units are still at risk of closure in the longer term because of funding shortages.
Ms Meek said: "You can't put a price on a baby's life or a mother. If there are complications in birth you don't want to to be travelling to Telford or Shrewsbury.
"It's one hour away if traffic is good. Why should we have to?"
Sarah Jamieson, Head of Midwifery at the trust, said a review of services over the past two years had followed a "shift in choices"  made by women over where they gave birth. They aimed to support choices while delivering "safe, high-quality services".
She said proposals included turning some smaller midwife-led units into birth centres which would "retain the full range of services" offered by the units but would not open overnight.
Instead mums-to-be would use an "on-call system" and then be supported through labour by their midwife.


Mo Farah ran a blistering last lap of 52.6 seconds to sprint away to a brilliant 5,000m gold and become the first man in history to pull off a distance 'triple-double'.

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Farah made it three successive world 5,000m titles and has now won golds in both track distance events at the Olympics and two World Championships as he once again found both the perfect tactical response and the form to pull it off.
This time he would not be allowed to lead it out from 500 metres to go, as we have seen so often, with Kenya's Commonwealth champion Caleb Ndiku going to the front before the bell and stretching away down the back straight.
But as the field splintered Farah first hung on and then, coming off the final bend, surged past Ndiku to go away to his seventh global track title in a row.
"It's great to make history," Farah told BBC Sport.
"I didn't feel great, my hammy (hamstring) was playing up a bit, but the medical team helped me through it and to come out here and make a double means so much to me.
"I was kind of getting nervous for the first time in a little while, but thanks to all the medical team. It was amazing to do it."
It had been a slow race, and Farah's finishing time of 13 minutes 50.38 seconds was in itself not remarkable, Ndiku 1.37 seconds back in silver and Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet taking bronze from his compatriot Yomif Kejelcha.
Yet this was about the response to a fresh and dangerous challenge: a final 800 metres of 1:48.6 and a last 400 metres that none of his rivals could possibly match.
With a series of allegations made against his coach Alberto Salazar - all denied by the American, and with no suggestion Farah has done anything wrong - this has been a difficult summer for the man who won the 10,000m and 5,000m double at both the last Worlds in Moscow and the London Olympics.
But in the same Bird's Nest stadium where he failed to make it through the 5,000m heats of the  2008 Olympics, Farah continued his unparalleled sequence of distance victories in wonderful style.
The race was slow to unfold, Britain's Tom Farrell taking them through 2,000 metres in just under six minutes.
Farah was content to sit at the back, going wide to pick up a drink of water from the feeding stations on the back straight early on and dump it over his head.
Only with seven laps to go did he move up through the field, cruising into second behind Ethiopia's Imane Merga before easing to the front with 1,600 metres to go.
Gebrhiwet went to his shoulder with three laps to go and was joined by his two Ethiopian team-mates as the pace finally quickened.
Ndiku then threw in a big effort with 800 metres left and as Farah tried to come past him at the bell held the Briton off and kicked again.
But Farah would not be beaten, the best distance runners left in his wake once again.
Brendan Foster, Olympic medallist and BBC athletics commentator said: "I would say Mo is the greatest sportsman Britain has ever had.
"Tonight has put him at the top table. When you talk about the greatest distance runners of the world, he has gone alongside them. He is up there with the greats Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Emil Zatopek and Lasse Viren.
"Nobody has worked out how to beat him and he's got the Rio Olympics next year and then maybe the Worlds again in London in 2017.
"This guy is still adding to his record books. He is getting better as he gets older."


The French government is to take steps to break up a far-right group allegedly linked to the death of a left-wing activist.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has asked the interior minister to take steps "immediately" to dissolve the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth (JNR).
Five people are under investigation over the death of Clement Meric, 18.
He was badly beaten in a clash between far-right and anti-fascist activists in Paris on Wednesday, and later died.
The Paris Prosecutor, Francois Molins said according to witnesses the two groups had run into each other by chance in a busy shopping district near St Lazare train station, where a fight broke out.
He said the arrested suspects claimed to have responded to provocation by the left-wing group.
All five suspects went before a judge on Saturday, two days after they were detained.
According to the prosecutor, the main suspect named Esteban, 20, was being investigated on suspicion of murder.
"The [suspect] named Esteban acknowledged to police that he had struck Clement Meric twice - bare-fisted, he claimed - including the blow that caused him to fall to the ground," Mr Molins said.
Other witnesses said "Esteban" had worn a knuckle-duster.
"A friend of Clement Meric said he saw him with a knuckle-duster, while another witness at the scene referred to a 'shiny object' in his hands."
Two sets of knuckle-dusters had been found at his home, the prosecutor added.
The teenager was placed on life support but was declared brain dead and died on Thursday.
French President Francois Hollande said he condemned the attack "in the strongest terms".
France has seen increasing tension between left and right, following a fierce debate over the introduction of same-sex marriage.
The JNR is the militant wing of a far-right movement known as the Third Way.
It has denied any link to the brawl. Its leader, Serge Ayoub, has been questioned by police following the killing but is not a suspect.
But Mr Molins said on Saturday that all the suspects under investigation had ties to the Third Way. Only one, a young woman named Katia, was said to have admitted being a member, he added.
Prime Minister Ayrault said in a statement: "I have asked [Interior Minister Manuel Valls] immediately to begin the procedure... to proclaim the dissolution of the Revolutionary Nationalist Youths."
The government has vowed to crackdown on fascist groups.
Mr Valls said: "Sadly such movements are resurging... racists, anti-Semites and homophobes".
France's main far-right party, the National Front, described the killing of Mr Meric as "appalling".


The UN Security Council is preparing a response to North Korea after it test-launched two mid-range missiles, China's UN ambassador Liu Jieyi says.

The two launches on Thursday came after a similar test on 15 April.
Observers say all the tests appear to have failed, but a UN spokesman said such actions, which violate sanctions, were "deeply troubling".
It comes amid a recent ramp-up in weapons activity as the North prepares for a rare party congress.
There are also indications it is planning to carry out its fifth nuclear test, despite condemnation of its last test in January.
In a rare comment on the situation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China - North Korea's closest ally - was committed to ensuring stability.
He told a meeting of regional foreign ministers in Beijing on Thursday: "As a close neighbour to the (Korean) peninsula, China will never allow war to erupt on the peninsula. Once such a situation occurs, it will do nobody any good."
South Korean officials said the first mid-range missile launch on Thursday took place in the morning near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan but the missile "crashed a few seconds later" in the coastal area, Yonhap news agency reported.
A second test was detected in the evening, but South Korean officials said that too had failed.
Both tests, like the earlier one, are thought to have been of a mid-range missile which has been given the nickname Musudan by observers.
The missile is thought to have a range of about 3,000km (1,800 miles), meaning it could reach Japan or the US territory of Guam.
Japan's ambassador to the UN, Motohide Yoshikawa, said the missile was "a threat to Japan's national security".
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing that such actions by North Korea "are extremely troubling" and said the UN urged Pyongyang to "cease any further provocative actions and return to full compliance of its international obligations".
Strengthened international sanctions were placed on North Korea after it tested what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb and launched a long-range missile.
It also recently claimed to have fired a submarine ballistic missile.
Observers have speculated that Pyongyang is boosting the development of its weapons programs ahead of the Workers Party Congress in May, the first in nearly 40 years.
The North announced this week that the congress would take place on 6 May.
It is aimed at solidifying the power of its leader Kim Jong-un, and will be watched closely for indications of political change and comments on the North's nuclear ambitions.


Typhoon Mujigae has killed at least 11 people and injured more than 200 in southern China, the Xinhua state news agency has said.

The typhoon landed in Guangdong province on Sunday but moved later to neighbouring Guanxi. Deaths and injuries were reported in both areas.
Officials said the typhoon, as well as the tornadoes that came with it, were to blame for widespread power outages.
Mujigae also swept through Taiwan and the Philippines on Saturday.
The typhoon, whose name means "rainbow" in Korean, had prompted the evacuations of thousands of people in southern China prior to its arrival.
It landed in Zhanjiang on Sunday afternoon with winds of 180 km/h (112 mph) at its centre and rain.
It caused widespread blackouts and a cut-off in water supply in some areas in Zhanjiang, according to Xinhua.
It grounded flights and prompted suspensions of rail service in some cities along China's southern coast, including places popular with tourists such as Hainan and Sanya.
Another tourist spot, Fangji Island, also saw more than 500 tourists stranded during the typhoon.
The Guangxi civil affairs department said the typhoon had affected more than 1.44 million people by early afternoon Monday.
Mujigae landed amid China's week-long National Day holiday, disrupting plans for many holidaymakers.


Sussex have signed South Africa all-rounder Stiaan van Zyl on a three-year contract.

The 29-year-old, who has played 12 Tests for the Proteas, will move to Hove from Cape Cobras at the end of the South African domestic season.
Van Zyl averages 42.55 with the bat in first-class cricket and has taken 52 wickets at an average of 35.07.
"He is a very accomplished cricketer and I still believe his best is yet to come," Sussex coach Mark Davis said.
Davis, speaking to BBC Sussex, added: "His ability to bowl is important as having somebody in the top-order who can bowl seam is an important part of our strategy moving forward.
"He plays all formats and is versatile, which is a great asset to us. To get someone of the ilk of Stiaan is very good for us."
Van Zyl, who played his last Test in August, joins Sussex as a non-overseas player under the Kolpak ruling.


Jose Mourinho has played the part of killjoy at Liverpool before - and he had no hesitation in puncturing the optimism growing around Jurgen Klopp's side on his first Anfield visit as Manchester United manager.

It was in April 2014 when he oversaw Chelsea's 2-0 win at Anfield that caused Liverpool to stumble and lose the title almost on the finishing line - and he was cast in the role of villain again by The Kop on Monday.
Manchester United's stifling, smothering performance in a mediocre goalless draw bore all the hallmarks Mourinho has perfected in a career laced with success, and the travelling fans seemed happy enough at the final whistle.
So what did this attritional 90 minutes say about Mourinho's Manchester United?
In many ways, this was vintage Mourinho, a throwback to his great nights with Chelsea and Inter Milan when opponents had the creativity strangled out of them, floundering on the meticulous defensive organisation the Portuguese had brought into play.
Is it, however, the Manchester United way? It is certainly a far cry from the flamboyance and all-out attacking intent of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Times, however, have changed and so have Manchester United.
Mourinho has not inherited an all-conquering force of former years. Management's arch-pragmatist happily flicked through his old tactical playbook at Liverpool and will make not a single apology for doing so.
For all the social media chatter and criticism from Liverpool fans, where Mourinho's crime appeared to be a refusal to allow Klopp's side to play in a manner in which they would win, United's manager was realism personified.
It was functional, not easy on the eye and brought predictable accusations that Mourinho had parked the bus. He will respond, with justification and a point in his pocket, that United came away with a draw at a place plenty will leave empty-handed this season.
United had only 35% possession, their lowest figure since statisticians Opta started compiling in 2003, although Mourinho returned to Anfield's media room after his main press briefing to dispute the finding, claiming they actually had 42% of the ball.
Juan Mata was confined to the bench, alongside Wayne Rooney, while Marouane Fellaini was back in midfield in a big, physical side designed to give United strength all over the pitch.
And man-of-the-match Ander Herrera was key in midfield, not giving Philippe Coutinho or Roberto Firmino any time or space. The Spaniard made 11 interceptions, the most by any Premier League player this season.
Mourinho deals in realism not romance. And this was a realistic approach - one United's fans who still crave the devil-may-care approach of the Ferguson era will have to get used to.
This was Mourinho's analysis, and it was as far removed from Ferguson's mantra as it was possible to get as he said: "It is not the result we wanted but it is a positive result. It is a result that stops a direct opponent getting three points at home so not a bad result.
"I think it was a positive performance. This is a point that stopped them winning three."
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Former Old Trafford great Paul Scholes helped set the agenda for Manchester United's meeting with Liverpool by saying they have yet to form an identity under Mourinho.
Ironically, United looked more like a Mourinho team against Liverpool than they have at any time since he arrived in the summer.
And yet there is weight to Scholes' observation.
The Portuguese manager has to find a formula to accommodate a squad that still looks to mix-and-match and which has yet to get the best out of £89m midfielder Paul Pogba, who was pedestrian again.
Pogba, the world's most expensive player, delivered one cross that provided United's best chance but which was headed badly off target by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Too often, though, Pogba either lost, or was knocked out of, possession too easily.
Zlatan himself, the ageing centrepiece of United's attacking plan, looked ponderous and off the pace and made a complete mess of their best opportunity, seemingly caught in several minds as he headed wide.
Mourinho has questions to answer before he will be able to present evidence of the identity Scholes desires, although this was a display of real steel and organisation.
It is not just Wayne Rooney's long-term future that is up for debate. Where will he utilise Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mata when they are all available - and does anyone know where £25m Henrikh Mkhitaryan is, let alone where he might play?
Mourinho's United are still, understandably, a work in progress but more cohesion and structure will be expected soon given the money spent in the summer.
For now, though, United can feel a draw at Liverpool represents a glass half full.
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It was exactly a year ago to the day since Klopp took charge of his first game as Liverpool manager, a goalless draw at Tottenham.
And it has been very clear from day one how the German wants Liverpool to play. He wants a passionate, intense, aggressive attacking style that taps into the emotions of The Kop and the extended Anfield, whose towering new stand was gracing its first night game on Monday.
Klopp's approach worked a treat against pliable opponents such as Leicester City and Hull City at home, against whom they scored a total of nine goals, and when facing Arsenal and Chelsea away.
Liverpool did not find it so easy in defeat at Burnley, when manager Sean Dyche ensured his side sat in a rigid defensive shape and let Klopp's team have the ball and against opponents as obdurate and organised as Manchester United.
Mourinho ensured United set about Liverpool from the start, making sure they could not gain momentum and intensity. When it came to high pressing, United started by turning the tables on Liverpool. It worked to perfection as the home side became hurried into making too many mistakes and poor decisions.
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Liverpool will have better days than this but one factor that was made clear is the increasing importance of Adam Lallana, who was only fit enough to start as a substitute.
Klopp's side lacked drive and invention without the fast feet and creation of Lallana and it was no coincidence Liverpool's threat increased from the moment he was introduced for the struggling Daniel Sturridge on the hour.
Liverpool lacked the balance and that swift movement the triumvirate of Lallana, Coutinho and Firmino gives them until that change. It is a sign of Lallana's rapid development under Klopp.
Georginio Wijnaldum's injury also robbed them of composure that would have served Liverpool well in a game Klopp described as hectic - although the German has always given the impression of revelling in hectic.
The rising frustration around Anfield after the stadium started awash with expectation was an illustration of the success of Mourinho's approach - but also perhaps the sound of realisation that Klopp and Liverpool still have plenty of room for improvement.


It's not even 24 hours since the PM called the general election she said she wouldn't call.

It's the opposite of Gordon Brown's "election that never was", rather the "election that wasn't meant to be".
Much will be written about her motivations for the U-turn, the change of heart that led her to this point. The long-term view of her motivation will in time be coloured by the eventual result of course.
But as the unofficial day one of this campaign draws to a close, some things are clear.
For months there has been a pretty straightforward balance sheet of advantages and disadvantages to holding an early poll. Theresa May believed it tipped to holding firm.
There were plenty of reasons for going early - most temptingly making the most of Labour's weakness to grab dozens of seats.
It would free Theresa May from the strictures of the 2015 manifesto - she's already proved she doesn't feel much constrained by that - which no one who remains in government had involvement in putting together.
It would give her her own mandate, even though PMs are not directly elected. It would draw a line between her leadership and David Cameron's, once and for all.
And with a likely majority, IF the polls are correct, it would make it easier for her to get her Brexit plans through Parliament, give her more freedom to pursue her other - some controversial - plans like reintroducing grammars, and strengthen her hand with EU leaders as she gets down to negotiations.
Going early could also minimise the potential fallout over the Tory expenses saga - a bad hangover from the 2015 election.
In the negative column:
Until only a few days ago it was those arguments that held sway.
Theresa May has shown time and again that she is willing to change her mind when the facts change.
For example, she and her chancellor dropped a major plank of his Budget in only a week when they saw resistance, and the government junked a review of the powers of the House of Lords.
Her public argument for calling an election - that it was resistance from the opposition and the Lords over Brexit - does not quite tell the full story.
Parliament has been tricky for the PM, but certainly not impossible.
Notwithstanding that, nor the factors that have created strong political arguments for taking the plunge in the last couple of months, senior government sources point to a specific factor that changed the prime minister's calculation.
The end of the likely tortuous Article 50 negotiations is a hard deadline set for March 2019.
Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, that's when the Tories would be starting to prepare for a general election the following year, with what one cabinet minister described as certain "political needs".
In other words, the government would be exposed to hardball from the EU because ministers would be desperate to avoid accepting anything that would be politically unpopular, or hold the Brexit process up, at the start of a crucial election cycle.
As one insider put it: "We'd be vulnerable to the rest of the EU in 2019 because they know we'd have to move fast."
Ministers say that's the central reason for Mrs May's change of heart because "if there was an election in three years, we'd be up against the clock".
By holding the election now, Theresa May hopes she gains a fresh start on the political clock on Brexit, even though the Article 50 process still has a deadline of only two years.
This gives what was described as "flexibility over the logistics of Brexitâ€¦ we don't have to pretend we can do it all in two years".
That's not to say for a second this means departure from the EU will be held up. The Article 50 process will proceed, the government says, exactly as planned.
But, if the Tories win, an early election may have bought ministers some valuable breathing space to work out what the UK really looks like outside the EU.
They'll have, in theory, three years after exit for things to settle down before the public get another chance to have their say.
That timetabling question was not her only reason, as outlined above.
But after the EU's initial brush off after the Article 50 letter, that argument became more compelling.
The PM's conclusion was that the best way of her going into those negotiations in as strong a position as possible, was by taking advantage of the window between the French and German elections before the EU gets down to proper business.
A hypothetically bigger majority of course also acts to neutralise the cruelly dubbed "Remoaners" in her own party, and the far larger, and much more powerful, group of ardent Leavers who have been able to exert a lot of pressure.
But while the polls suggest an early election could make many of her political problems disappear, polls prove nothing.
Politics in 2017, as we've discussed again and again, is unpredictable and taking bets is a fool's game. The reasons Theresa May hung back from an early election haven't disappeared.
PS: Westminster's guessing game has been who knew, and when.
No one will confirm officially on the record. For what it's worth, sources tell me that David Davis and Philip Hammond were the only ministers who were extensively consulted.
Both Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd were told before Tuesday morning's cabinet meeting. But there were ministers around the cabinet table who had no idea and who were, it's said, visibly shocked when Mrs May told them.
The cabinet was kept in the cabinet room during the announcement, and watched it on TV.
The mood was apparently very enthusiastic, with one moment of huge laughter when the wifi link that was playing her announcement on the screen in the street just outside broke down and the PM suddenly went to black.
Apparently the glitch was sorted within a few seconds, but her colleagues will hope the PM is better at running an election campaign than sorting out the Number 10 broadband.


A party founded by ex-pop star Mark "Bez" Berry has been fined £1,800 for not complying with electoral rules.

The We Are The Reality Party fought three seats at the 2015 general election, with Bez gaining 703 votes in Salford and Eccles.
But the Electoral Commission said it failed to submit spending records and Bez - who is also party treasurer - ignored demands to pay an earlier fine.
The treasurer of a party formed by late union boss Bob Crow was also fined.
Bez, a former Celebrity Big Brother winner who found chart fame as a maraca-shaking dancer with the Happy Mondays in the 1990s, was in trouble with the Electoral Commission before he had even officially launched his party in January last year.
He was forced to change its name after the watchdog ruled it sounded too similar to another group, The Realists' Party.
The rechristened We Are The Reality Party, which campaigned against fracking and austerity, is now under fire for failing to submit a campaign expenditure report and other paperwork required by law, including quarterly donations and loans reports.
In a statement, the Electoral Commission acknowledged Bez's party was "relatively small and does not have substantial resources".
But it added: "Despite the Commission's ongoing efforts to engage with the party it continues to fail to meet its statutory requirements. The level of the fine reflects this."
In a separate move, the treasurer of No2EU Yes to Democracy, Mary Bryce, has been fined £3,750 for non-compliance.
The now defunct party was set up by Bob Crow's RMT union, with backing from the Communist Party of Britain among others, to fight the 2009 European elections on an anti-EU, pro-workers rights platform.
It de-registered in 2010 when activists drifted away but was brought back for the 2014 European elections, when it fielded 46 candidates, including Mr Crow, who died of a heart attack two months before polling day.
The party was wound up again in October 2014 - but its treasurer failed to deliver a spending report for the 2014 election, despite appearing to "spend a substantial sum" and delivered donations and loans reports late, the Electoral Commission said.
The commission said it had chosen to fine the treasurer rather than the party because of the lack of co-operation specifically by the treasurer.
An initial fine of £3,000 has been increased to £3,750 and will go up to £4,500 if the fine is not paid by 31 March, it added.
Louise Edwards, Head of Regulatory Compliance and Casework at the Electoral Commission, said: "Transparency around party spending does not become less important because a party ceases to be registered.
"It remains the treasurer's legal responsibility to ensure all required reports have been delivered to the Commission.
"Despite our efforts, NO2EU's spending almost two years ago at the European Parliament Elections still remains unknown as a result of this lack of co-operation."


Algeria beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in their World Cup play-off second leg in Blida to qualify for Brazil on the away goals rule after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Trailing by one goal after last month's first leg, Algeria produced a patient and disciplined performance to stifle Burkina and nick the goal they needed.
Madjid Bougherra claimed Algeria's goal when the ball rebounded in off him from Bakary Kone's attempted clearance.
Algeria avoided a late own goal when the ball crashed back off their bar.
Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, South Korea
Europe: Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Spain
North & Central America & Caribbean: Costa Rica, Honduras, United States
South America: Argentina, Brazil (hosts), Colombia, Ecuador, Chile
It would have been cruel on the hosts had Burkina profited right at the last, especially as the visitors barely created a chance of the own throughout the match.
And although Algeria hardly played an uninhibited game themselves they did enough to secure their fourth appearance at the finals and their second in succession.
In a tense first half, chances were virtually non-existent. Burkina had the ball in the net early on but the referee had long since blown for an earlier infringement and in the only other incident of note Islam Slimani sent a head off target despite being unmarked in the box.
With just one goal in it and the sides evenly matched, it was clear that neither side were prepared to take any risks.
And so the pattern continued after the break, until a slice of good luck handed Algeria the advantage.
After Bougherra had poked the ball towards goal, Kone attempted to thump the ball clear but instead it hit the Algerian skipper and the ball bounced off him and into net.
It was all Algeria needed to boost their confidence and they took almost complete control after that. And Slimani sent a shot just wide after swivelling to find space as Algeria threatened to add to their lead.
Burkina were unable to muster any attacking impetus as they were forced back by high pressing from Algeria and simply could not come up with any creative ideas.
With virtually the last action of the game, Algeria scrambled to get ball clear from a corner and the ball smacked against the bar, taking with it Burkina's hopes of a goal that would have sent them to Brazil.
Instead, Algerian players and fans celebrated wildly as the full-time whistle blew almost immediately after - even though it seemed there should have been at least six or seven added minutes time because of time-wasting.


Holders Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and record eight-times winners Al Ahly of Egypt were both surprisingly held to goal-less draws at home at the start of their African Champions League group campaigns.

Sundowns drew 0-0 with Ethiopia's Saint George on Saturday as Ahly suffered the same score against Zanaco of Zambia.
Sundowns, who defeated Zamalek in the 2016 final to lift the trophy,  found it difficult to break down an impressive Saint George defence in Pretoria.
The hosts dominated play, squandering several good scoring chances, including one for Sibusiso Vilakazi during the second half when he shot wide.
Saint George, who defended in depth, had Ugandan goalkeeper Robert Odongkara to thank after he made several fine saves.
Before the match on Saturday, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane had said fixture fatigue could threaten their hopes of successfully defending their Champions League title.
The result highlights the progress Saint George continue to make on the continental scene, whilst the holders are already behind in Group C after Tunisian side Esperance beat DR Congo's AS Vita Club 3-1 on Friday.
Saint George, the first club from Ethiopia to make the group phase, won all four of their qualifiers and will be looking to continue that form in the remaining games of the group phase.
Later on Saturday night, record eight-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt drew 0-0 with Zanaco of Zambia in Alexandria in Group D.
Ahly wasted a great chance to snatch victory in stoppage time when Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly failed to beat Zanaco goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata from close range.
The Champions League group phase has been expanded from eight clubs to 16 this season.


Lucas Piazon scored against his former club to snatch 10-man Fulham a share of the points in a draw against Reading.

The Brazilian midfielder pounced on a loose Joey van den Berg backpass for the equaliser seven minutes from time.
Liam Kelly had netted his third goal in two games to give Reading the lead from the edge of the box on the hour mark.
Fulham earlier had a nightmare start when centre-back Tomas Kalas was sent off for a foul on Reading striker Mo Barrow, only 39 seconds into the game.
In a repeat of last season's Championship play-off semi-final, Kalas' bad luck at the Madejski Stadium continued.
The 24-year-old's handball in the second leg of that tie in May gave away a penalty and Reading eventually won 2-1 on aggregate.
But Slavisa Jokanovic's side here denied Reading a first league win of the season despite playing the majority of the game a man down.
The Royals were unable to add to Kelly's strike, which followed a midweek brace against Gillingham in the EFL Cup first round, as David Button made a string of fine saves.
Fulham have drawn their opening two league games 1-1 while Reading, who finished third last season, have lost one and drawn one.
Reading manager Jaap Stam:
"Disappointed? You can say that again.
"We needed to be patient and wait for that moment. Even when the opponents have only 10, it's not a guarantee that you will create loads of opportunities.
"We got the goal in the second-half and went for a second. But it didn't happen and then we gave away the equaliser."
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic:
"It's a great result in a very complicated situation, it was not easy for us to play without one player after half a minute.
"The team showed tactical ability, they defended very well, we stuck together and were organised.
"They scored the first goal but we caught them making one mistake. That was a priceless point for us."
Match ends, Reading 1, Fulham 1.
Second Half ends, Reading 1, Fulham 1.
Foul by Adrian Popa (Reading).
Kevin McDonald (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Pelle Clement (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
Attempt missed. Joseph Mendes (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Pelle Clement.
Liam Moore (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
Corner,  Fulham. Conceded by Liam Moore.
Attempt blocked. Kevin McDonald (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Piazon.
John Swift (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan Fredericks (Fulham).
Attempt missed. John Swift (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Joey van den Berg.
Attempt blocked. Pelle Clement (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Liam Kelly.
Foul by Liam Moore (Reading).
Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Reading. Adrian Popa replaces Modou Barrow.
Goal!  Reading 1, Fulham 1. Lucas Piazon (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
Liam Moore (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
Substitution, Fulham. Aboubakar Kamara replaces Stefan Johansen.
Attempt saved. Oliver Norwood (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
John Swift (Reading) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by John Swift (Reading).
Stefan Johansen (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Reading. Pelle Clement replaces Tiago Ilori.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by Tim Ream.
Attempt blocked. John Swift (Reading) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tyler Blackett.
Tiago Ilori (Reading) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Tiago Ilori (Reading).
Lucas Piazon (Fulham) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Liam Moore (Reading) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Liam Moore (Reading).
Denis Odoi (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Liam Kelly (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Modou Barrow (Reading) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Ryan Fredericks (Fulham).
Foul by Tyler Blackett (Reading).


UK car production fell by 0.7% last month compared with October 2014, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Some 148,976 cars rolled off UK production lines last month, down from 150,060 in the same month last year.
But, for the 10 months to end-October, production was still running at its highest since 2005, driven by exports.
Overseas demand rose 1.5% in October year-on-year, but domestic demand fell 8.3%.
About 80% of UK car production went for export, according to the figures.
"Despite a small drop in overall output last month, the industry has delivered a robust performance so far this year, particularly in terms of exports," said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.
"Given the slowdown we've seen in several key global markets in recent months, UK automotive manufacturing still remains in a strong position."
For the year so far, production is at 1,318,452, up 2.8% on the figure of 1,282,080 in the same period for 2014.
On Tuesday, Europe's trade body for the car industry, the Association of European Carmakers, reported that car sales across the EU slowed sharply in October from the month before.
Analysts suggested that buyers may have been put off purchases while they awaited the outcome of investigations into how carmakers report emissions data, sparked by the discovery that VW cheated emissions tests.


Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered in Istanbul at the end of a 450km (280-mile) "justice" march against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Large numbers have joined the march since it began in Ankara on 15 June.
Opposition and protest leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu criticised the wave of arrests and imprisonments that followed last year's failed coup.
President Erdogan has accused the marchers of supporting terrorism.
He said the Mr Kilicdaroglu's Republican People's Party (CHP) - which has organised the march - had gone beyond political opposition and was "acting with terrorist organisations and the forces inciting them against our country".
The rally was the biggest show of defiance against President Erdogan since the Gezi Park protests four years ago.
Mr Kilicdaroglu accused the government of taking advantage of the coup attempt on 15 July last year to seize the authority of parliament and pass executive, legislative and judicial powers to one man.
He said the rally marked "a new birth".
"Nobody should think this march is the last one. It's the first step!" he said.
He launched the march after one of his MPs, Enis Berberoglu, was arrested for allegedly leaking documents purporting to show that the government was arming jihadists in Syria.
Mr Berberoglu denies the charge. Sunday's rally drew a sea of people to an area close to the jail in which he is being held.
More than 50,000 people have been arrested and 140,000 dismissed or suspended during a state of emergency in place since last year's attempted military takeover.
The detentions of human rights activists and leading journalists have drawn international condemnation.
Mr Kilicdaroglu, who has walked around 20km a day for the past three weeks, condemns the coup attempt but says the purges and emergency rule by Mr Erdogan constitute a "second coup".
He told crowds at the rally: "We marched for justice, we marched for the rights of the oppressed. We marched for the MPs in jail. We marched for the arrested journalists.
"We marched for the university academics dismissed from their jobs. We marched because the judiciary is under a political monopoly."
The failed coup last July saw rogue soldiers bombing government buildings and driving tanks into civilians, killing more than 260.
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says there is a widespread feeling that the government has seized the chance to crush all opponents, not just alleged coup supporters.


A 41-year-old man has been charged with trespass in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, after allegedly scaling a perimeter wall.

Dennis Hennessy, 41, of Wembley, north-west London, was charged on Thursday with trespass on a protected site and criminal damage.
He was found by officers seven minutes after an alarm was activated on Wednesday evening, the Met Police said.
He will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday.


Real Madrid will have to wait to seal their place in the Champions League knockout stage after a thrilling six-goal draw against Legia Warsaw, which was played behind closed doors.

The match was played in an empty stadium after crowd trouble at Legia's last Champions League home game - a 6-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund - resulted in a £69,000 fine and stadium ban.
Wales forward Gareth Bale put Real Madrid ahead after 57 seconds, before assisting Karim Benzema to double their lead.
But goals by Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe and Miroslav Radovic drew Warsaw level, before the Polish side took the lead through a superb Thibault Moulin strike.
The celebrations were short-lived though, with Madrid, on Zinedine Zidane's 100th match in charge, cancelling out Warsaw's lead only two minutes later through former Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
The 3-3 draw means Warsaw - who are the first Polish side to make the Champions League group stage for 20 years - will go out after before the knockout phase having claimed only a single point in their first four games.
Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge will also exit at the group stage, having recorded four consecutive defeats in the tournament.
The Croatian side lost 4-0 to Sevilla, while the Belgian team lost 1-0 to Porto.
Borussia Dortmund were the only team to secure their last-16 status on Wednesday. A 12th-minute Ramos goal was enough to seal a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon.
Meanwhile Monaco top the standings in Group E after a 3-0 victory over CSKA Moscow.
Valere Germain opened the scoring for the Ligue 1 side, while two goals from Radamel Falcao ended Russian hopes of a comeback.
An 84th-minute Lyon equaliser prevented Juventus from cementing their position in the knockout phase and ended Gianluigi Buffon's hopes of keeping a clean sheet in his 100th Champions League appearance for the side.
The Bianconeri went ahead after 12 minutes as Gonzalo Higuain slotted a penalty into the bottom left corner, but a header by Corentin Tolisso denied the Italian side three points and the game ended 1-1.
Leicester maintained their Champions League unbeaten run with a 0-0 draw away at FC Copenhagen, but will have to wait to ensure their position in the last 16. The Foxes are yet to concede in the tournament.
Meanwhile Tottenham's miserable run at Wembley continued with a 1-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen at 'home'. Tottenham have won only once at the new Wembley - on their first trip there in the League Cup final against Chelsea in 2008 - and have now lost six consecutive games at the stadium.
Match ends, Legia Warsaw 3, Real Madrid 3.
Second Half ends, Legia Warsaw 3, Real Madrid 3.
Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Gareth Bale with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Bartosz Bereszynski.
Attempt blocked. Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Hand ball by Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw).
Foul by Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).
Michal Pazdan (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Hlousek.
Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid).
Guilherme (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Hand ball by Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).
Corner,  Legia Warsaw. Conceded by Nacho.
Attempt missed. Guilherme (Legia Warsaw) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Thibault Moulin with a cross following a set piece situation.
Substitution, Legia Warsaw. Tomasz Jodlowiec replaces Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe.
Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid).
Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Goal!  Legia Warsaw 3, Real Madrid 3. Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Carvajal.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Mariano replaces Álvaro Morata.
Goal!  Legia Warsaw 3, Real Madrid 2. Thibault Moulin (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Aleksandar Prijovic.
Offside, Real Madrid. Gareth Bale tries a through ball, but Álvaro Morata is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Aleksandar Prijovic (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe.
Foul by Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid).
Thibault Moulin (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Toni Kroos (Real Madrid).
Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Legia Warsaw. Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe tries a through ball, but Aleksandar Prijovic is caught offside.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marco Asensio replaces Fábio Coentrão.
Substitution, Legia Warsaw. Aleksandar Prijovic replaces Miroslav Radovic.
Offside, Legia Warsaw. Guilherme tries a through ball, but Miroslav Radovic is caught offside.
Foul by Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid).
Guilherme (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Toni Kroos with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Guilherme.
Attempt missed. Miroslav Radovic (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Michal Kucharczyk with a cross.
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Mateo Kovacic with a cross.
Substitution, Legia Warsaw. Michal Kucharczyk replaces Nemanja Nikolic.
Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is too high following a set piece situation.
Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.