England scrum-half Ben Youngs has withdrawn from the Lions tour to New Zealand after the wife of his brother Tom learned that she is terminally ill.

Ben, 27, is a team-mate of hooker and captain Tom, 30, at Leicester Tigers and the pair will play in the remainder of the Premiership season for the club.
Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw replaces Ben Youngs on the Lions tour.
"We are a very close family and, as I am sure everyone can respect, time is now precious together," said Ben.
"The most important thing for me at this difficult time is to be able to offer as much support as I can to Tom and his family in the remaining time we all have together."
Tom Youngs' wife Tiffany was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and he pulled out of England's tour of New Zealand that year to care for her.
The brothers played in Leicester's 28-23 win over Worcester on Saturday, with Tom scoring the Tigers' try.
Leicester will play at Wasps in the Premiership semi-final on 20 May, with the winners going through to the final at Twickenham on 27 May.
The Lions fly to New Zealand on 29 May and their first match is on 3 June.
Ben, who had been selected in the 41-man squad for his second Lions tour, informed head coach Warren Gatland of his decision this weekend.
"We fully understand and respect Ben's decision to stay at home," said Gatland. "Family comes first and I know from having toured with Tom and Ben in 2013 how close they are. This is a difficult and important time for them and we send Ben, Tom and their family our heartfelt thoughts."
Ben has won 70 caps for England and two for the Lions in the 2-1 series win against Australia in 2013, starting the second Test alongside Tom.
Wales' Rhys Webb and Ireland's Conor Murray are the other scrum-halves in Gatland's squad.


There has been a rise in the number of police investigations in London into ritual child abuse linked to witchcraft.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
8 October 2014 Last updated at 14:53 BST
The Metropolitan Police has reported 27 allegations, including rape, in the past year.
Police met teachers, childcare staff and health workers on Wednesday to discuss how to tackle the abuse.
BBC London's Guy Smith met abuse survivor Kevani Kanda and Dept Supt Terry Sharpe of the Met Police.
Some users may find details in this report upsetting. Featuring footage from Branded a Witch, BBC Three.


A Bradford MP claims car insurance premiums are so high in some parts of the city that people can no longer afford to drive.

David Ward, Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, said some of his constituents had been quoted over £20,000 for basic car insurance.
Mr Ward is to hold a summit in Bradford on Tuesday to examine the problem.
Mr Ward said: "In this part of Bradford, it's a more serious issue than elsewhere. It can't go on."
An online petition set up by Mr Ward which calls for more affordable insurance, tougher policing of uninsured drivers and tighter regulation of claims companies has so far attracted more than 560 supporters.
Mr Ward said: "There isn't one cause and there isn't going to be one solution, but the cost of each claim is going up and up."
Bradford woman Leah Greaves, 20, who has just passed her driving test, said she was finding it difficult to get an affordable quote for her Vauxhall Corsa and was being offered quotes of £7,000 to £8,000.
Ms Greaves said the Gocompare website had even come up with a quote of £53,000.
However, in a statement, the firm said: "Gocompare do not display prices above £12,000 on their website as they feel that showing such high premiums would not be helpful to customers.
"It is possible that an insurance company could provide a quote in this region but it would not be displayed at Gocompare.com."
Members of the Bradford Hackney Carriage Owners and Drivers Association said they supported Mr Ward's campaign and would be attending the MP's summit.
Association member Shabir Munir said some drivers had found it "impossible" to continue running a cab and had handed back their licences.
He said: "The first thing the insurers say is that Bradford is blacklisted.
"They claim to have raised insurance by 20% to 30% when, in fact, it's more than 100%."
Malcolm Tarling, from the Association of British Insurers, said high premiums were an issue throughout the country, not just in Bradford.
However, Mr Tarling said the insurance industry was changing.
"If we can regulate, as we're trying to, legal costs and continue to cut fraud and reduce the number of uninsured drivers then premiums will start to fall."


Great Britain made a winning start to their Fed Cup campaign with victory over Portugal in Tallinn, Estonia.

Singles wins for Heather Watson and Johanna Konta, and a doubles victory for Jocelyn Rae and Laura Robson, gave Britain a 3-0 win in Group C.
They go on to face Latvia on Thursday and Turkey on Friday, with the group winners earning a play-off against the Group B winners on Saturday.
The winners of that tie will progress to a World Group II play-off in April.
Britain are seeded third among the 14 nations in Tallinn and first in their group, and Portugal were unable to overcome the gap in rankings.
Watson, the world number 72, began with a 57-minute 6-1 6-1 win over Ines Murta, ranked 546th.
World number 10 Konta then saw off 246th-ranked Michelle Larcher de Brito 6-2 6-4 to clinch the tie.
Rae and Robson beat De Brito and Murta 6-2 6-3 in the concluding doubles match.
"I'm really happy to have got the match under my belt," said Konta. "It was a high-level match, and it got better and better as the match went on. She made me work for it in the end and I'm really happy to have come through for the team.
"We'll try to come back stronger every day."
Asked about new captain Anne Keothavong, who replaced Judy Murray in the role at the end of last year, Konta added: "I think she is doing a tremendous job of bringing us together as a team.
"It's always a tricky one because we spend most of the year as individuals, so for her to do such a good job with us, it says a lot about her.
"We've got lots of team bonding in the evenings, lots of funny things going on."
Watson added: "It's my first match since the Aussie Open so I'm really happy with the way I played and also to get the first win under the belt for GB.
"It was great having Annie there and she'll continue to do a great job. So far I've really been enjoying the trip with her as captain."
Britain are likely to face the toughest test of the group stage on Thursday when they take on Latvia, led by world number 35 Jelena Ostapenko, who beat Turkey 2-1 in Wednesday's other Group C tie.
Unlike the men's Davis Cup, which has a World Group of 16 nations, the Fed Cup divides its top teams into two groups of eight - World Group I and World Group II.
The 91 nations outside the top tiers are divided into three regional zones and Britain have one chance per year to escape - a format that hugely frustrated former captain Judy Murray.
The Europe/Africa Group I event, which this year takes place in Estonia, sees 14 teams divided into groups, with Poland, Croatia, Britain and Serbia the seeded nations.
Four group winners will progress to promotion play-offs on Saturday, and two nations will then qualify for World Group II play-offs in April - which could see Britain given a home Fed Cup tie for the first time since 1993.
They fell at the same stage in 2012 and 2013 - away ties in Sweden and Argentina - under the captaincy of Murray.


A man charged with the murder of a Cardiff woman, whose body was found in a hotel room, will stand trial in January.

US national Sammy Almahri, 44, denies murdering Nadine Aburas, 31, who was found at the city's Future Inn on December 31, 2014.
On Wednesday, Judge Eleri Rees set a date of 12 January for the start of his trial.
The hearing took place in Mr Almahri's absence at Cardiff Crown Court.
He was arrested by police agencies in Tanzania, east Africa, at the end of January after an international search.


Double Olympic champion Mo Farah has urged runners to join him in the IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships.

Up to 20,000 runners will join elite athletes including Farah to take part in the 13.1m (21m) route on Easter Saturday, 26 March.
The world champion runner said the "famous, flat and fast Cardiff course" would make for an "exciting" race.
Registration for the event closes on 29 February.
Farah, who is the event's official ambassador, said: "It's going to be great to have so many people running in the mass race and hopefully I'll get chance to meet a lot of people and cheer them on as well - because a half marathon is a great achievement."
The 32-year-old has made himself available for selection for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team and he is aiming to become the first male British winner in the event's 24-year history.
Cardiff will become the fourth UK city to host the world half marathon event on the same course used for last year's Cardiff half marathon.
More than 50,000 spectators are expected to attend and it will be shown live on BBC TV.


New guidelines for diagnosing and treating melanoma skin cancers have been issued to the NHS in England.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) hopes they will end a wide variation in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
They include advice on diagnosing how far the cancer has progressed, identifying the best treatment, and improvements to follow-up care.
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that claims more lives than any other.
In 2012, the UK saw more than 2,000 deaths from melanoma and the number of melanoma cases is growing faster than any of the 10 most common cancers.
Experts believe this is largely down to the boom in foreign holidays over the past 40 years and, more recently, a big increase in the use of sunbeds.
Prof Mark Baker, from NICE, said everyone wants to enjoy the sun, but there are safe ways to do so.
"Using a sunscreen with a high SPF, spending time in the shade between 11:00 and 15:00, ensuring you don't burn, and covering up with a hat, T-shirt and sunglasses.
"But overexposure to ultraviolet light from the sun can have very serious repercussions.
"Melanoma causes more deaths than all other skin cancers combined. Its incidence is rising at a worrying rate, faster than any other cancer.
"This new guideline addresses areas where there is uncertainty or variation in practice, and will help clinicians to provide the very best care for people with suspected or diagnosed melanoma, wherever they live."
Experts warn that even though more people are now aware of the dangers of too much sun, it will be a generation or so before the number of melanoma deaths starts to fall.


Northampton Saints prop Alex Waller has apologised to supporters for their "dreadful" second-half performance against Newcastle Falcons on Sunday.

Saints led 24-15 at the break, but a series of defensive and handling errors in the second period allowed Newcastle to turn the game around and win 46-31.
"It was not the performance we were after, after such a strong start in the first half," said 27-year-old Waller.
"We need to go and look at ourselves in the mirror."
Newcastle, aided by a hat-trick from scrum-half Sonatane Takulua, moved above Northampton to seventh in the Premiership table, and Saints are without an away win in six games in all competitions.
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder has said his side need to improve defensively, and admitted the top four "looks a fair way away".
And Waller told BBC Radio Northampton: "We played into their hands a bit, we didn't need to play a loose, expansive game, we just needed to play and we got dragged into playing a loose game, and they're very good at that."
"We can only apologise to the fans, that's not what we expect from ourselves and I'm sure they expect more from us as well.
"Rest assured we're all hurting a lot more than anyone else would think - there's plenty to work on on Tuesday morning."


Ten people have escaped uninjured after a fire broke out on a double decker bus.

Firefighters were called to the scene on the A1 between Wallyford and Tranent in East Lothian at about 18:00 on Thursday.
They found a well developed fire on board the vehicle, and extinguished the  blaze.
The 10 people, including the driver, who had been on board had left by the bus by the time fire crews arrived.
The road was closed for a time due to the large amount of smoke crossing the carriageway.
An investigation is under way to establish the cause of the fire.


Search and rescue helicopter crews based at Inverness Airport have completed 500 missions since the start of their duties in April last year.

Operated for the HM Coastguard by Bristow Helicopters Limited, the crews took over a role previously carried out by the RAF and Royal Navy.
The 500 missions include rescues of hillwalkers and climbers and searches for missing people.
The Inverness base is one of the UK's busiest search and rescue units.


Expansion plans put forward by Newhaven Port have been recommended for approval by Lewes councillors.

The French port owners want to build a new berth and slipway, and deepen a channel to upgrade facilities.
Businesses have welcomed the economic benefit but Sussex Wildlife Trust object to the loss of shingle habitat, and residents have said they will lose their only remaining sandy beach.
Newhaven Port and Properties have not commented to the BBC.
Helen Macaulay, from the town's chamber of commerce, said Newhaven needed more businesses and more jobs, and local concerns about infrastructure were being dealt with by the port.
The plans include a nature reserve but Ian Hepburn, from Sussex Wildlife Trust, said the development would damage coastal shingle and species there including reptiles, invertebrates, breeding birds and plants.
Former town councillor Rod Main said West Beach had already been closed by the port and this expansion would see the town lose its one other remaining area of sandy beach.
Calling for West Beach to reopen, he added: "This company are just taking away every sandy beach we've got."
A report submitted to Lewes council said the plans would help to regenerate Newhaven and create jobs, and the expansion would provide overspill space for the new Rampion wind farm.
Officers said it was an opportunity to create a modern port, and the benefits outweighed harm such as the loss of sandy beach, impact on surf conditions, and effects on ecology and archaeology.
The plans will be considered later.


Manchester United maintained their impressive record at Villa Park as they beat Aston Villa thanks to Adnan Januzaj's first-half strike.

Januzaj, who made a rare start having been linked with a loan move away, scored as United took their unbeaten run at the ground to 20 league matches.
The winger put United ahead when he got on the end of Juan Mata's incisive pass and finished from close range.
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Villa rarely threatened as the Red Devils kept a second clean sheet.
The victory lifted United to the top of the Premier League table for the first time since August 2013.
Memphis Depay had a chance to increase the margin of victory after the break when he was slipped in by Mata, but could only curl his shot past the post.
Villa only sporadically put the United defence under pressure with forward Gabby Agbonlahor's header from a corner the best chance that the home side could muster.
Relive Manchester United's win over Aston Villa
Striker Wayne Rooney was supposed to be the main man up front this season but the early signs have been a little worrying for United.
As in the opening game against Tottenham the United and England skipper struggled to make an impact leading the line.
And it was not until injury time that he touched the ball in the opposition penalty area, as demonstrated in this graphic.
Manchester United manager Van Gaal said before the season started that he may not buy another striker because Rooney could carry the club's goalscoring burden.
The player himself has set a target of 20 goals in this campaign. but United have only managed three shots on target in two games.
Given Rooney's lack of impact against Villa, Van Gaal may well have to revise his thinking before the transfer window closes.
Villa sold striker Christian Benteke to Liverpool for £32.5m this summer and they looked poorer for the striker's absence against United.
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Time well tell if two of the players Villa manager Tim Sherwood signed to replace him - Jordan Ayew and Rudy Gestede - can fill the powerful Belgium international's boots in attack.
"The boys gave everything for the cause but we didn't carry enough attacking threat," Sherwood said.
"The attacking force wasn't there. It may be down to personnel missing who might give us a little cutting edge."
Van Gaal sprung something of a surprise with his selection of Januzaj - who was not even in the match day squad for his side's 1-0 win over Tottenham in their opening game of the season - ahead of Ashley Young.
The youngster has been widely tipped to leave Old Trafford on loan, with Sunderland and Everton among those linked with season-long deals.
Although he looked a little short of fitness it was a good performance as the central playmaker in an attacking triumvirate behind Rooney.
"You have to wait until we have closed the transfer period," Van Gaal said of Januzaj's future.
"I am pleased with the goal because it was a wonderful goal but you have to do more than scoring a goal."
Much has been made of Manchester United's need to sign a new centre-back but having restricted Aston Villa to just one shot on target in this encounter the Red Devils look tight at the back.
Daley Blind and Chris Smalling have formed a solid pairing at the heart of the United defence and both players impressed as they snuffed out whatever threat Villa posed in the final third of the pitch.
England international Smalling's commanding presence in the air and his confident reading of the game meant he probably shaded it ahead of Blind.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal: "I think we played better than last week. For an away match I am very happy. We kept the ball better in the first 20 minutes, we scored a fantastic goal. After that we were a little bit nervous but in the second half we played very controlled football and could have scored more than one."
Aston Villa captain Micah Richards: "If you look at our team from the beginning of last season to this season there are some really exciting players - good ball players in midfield with power and pace all over.  It is exciting times, not the result we wanted but we move on."
Match ends, Aston Villa 0, Manchester United 1.
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 0, Manchester United 1.
Ashley Young (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa).
Idrissa Gueye (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Idrissa Gueye (Aston Villa).
Offside, Manchester United. Juan Mata tries a through ball, but Wayne Rooney is caught offside.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa).
Offside, Manchester United. Morgan Schneiderlin tries a through ball, but Wayne Rooney is caught offside.
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Matteo Darmian (Manchester United).
Jordan Amavi (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Manchester United. Ashley Young replaces Memphis Depay.
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Daley Blind.
Foul by Memphis Depay (Manchester United).
Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Carlos Sánchez replaces Jordan Veretout.
Attempt saved. Memphis Depay (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ander Herrera.
Foul by Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).
Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Rudy Gestede (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ashley Westwood.
Ander Herrera (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ander Herrera (Manchester United).
Idrissa Gueye (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Memphis Depay (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Juan Mata with a through ball.
Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Idrissa Gueye (Aston Villa).
Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa) has gone down, but that's a dive.
Attempt missed. Memphis Depay (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jordan Ayew (Aston Villa).
Corner,  Manchester United. Conceded by Leandro Bacuna.
Attempt blocked. Memphis Depay (Manchester United) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is blocked. Assisted by Juan Mata.
Corner,  Manchester United. Conceded by Leandro Bacuna.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa).
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Tom Clarke's goal at Burton was enough to give Preston their first win in three games and lift them into the top half of the Championship table.

The Preston skipper collected a cross that appeared to be going out of play and scored inside the far post.
Jamie Ward could have given Burton the lead, but his close-range effort was brilliantly blocked by Bailey Wright.
Burton thought they had levelled after the break, but Greg Cunningham cleared Matt Palmer's cross off the line.
The win puts North End 11th in the division, while Burton are now just one point and one place above the relegation places after their fifth loss in six games.
Albion had the better of a tame first half and Ward tried to lob Chris Maxwell from distance early on before his tap-in from the edge of the six-yard box was blocked by Wright.
Clarke's goal surprised almost everyone inside the Pirelli Stadium as he chased down what seemed like a lost cause and scored from a tight angle.
Burton introduced new signing Marvin Sordell after the break but he could not help the Brewers fashion an equaliser.
The striker had a shot blocked before Cunningham cleared Palmer's cross, with Marcus Harness waiting to pounce for his first senior goal having come on as a substitute.
Preston North End manager Simon Grayson:
"We knew we had to be at it to win the game. It wasn't sort of free-flowing football but ultimately we have had a really professional performance from individuals and as a team.
"You have to find ways to win a match at times. We were disappointed with how it panned out on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday but we had to go again quickly.
"There wasn't much in the first half. We were comfortable without asking many questions of Burton but ultimately we got the goal and that gives you a base to work from. When you look back on it, we should have made it a little bit easier with a couple more goals in the second half."
Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough:
"It was a poor goal to give away and we didn't have enough to get back into it.
"Preston are a very experienced side in the Championship. You look through their team and it is littered with experience that you need.
"I don't think we have the necessary Championship experience at the moment. We tried in the summer and we will try again in January to rectify that."
Match ends, Burton Albion 0, Preston North End 1.
Second Half ends, Burton Albion 0, Preston North End 1.
Foul by Lucas Akins (Burton Albion).
Paul Huntington (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Preston North End. Simon Makienok replaces Jordan Hugill.
Lloyd Dyer (Burton Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Alan Browne (Preston North End).
Attempt blocked. Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lloyd Dyer.
Kyle McFadzean (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Hugill (Preston North End).
Attempt blocked. Daniel Johnson (Preston North End) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Greg Cunningham with a cross.
Substitution, Burton Albion. Hamza Choudhury replaces John Mousinho.
Substitution, Preston North End. Paul Gallagher replaces Callum Robinson.
Substitution, Preston North End. Aiden McGeady replaces Eoin Doyle.
Attempt missed. Lucas Akins (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Matthew Palmer with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Burton Albion. Conceded by Paul Huntington.
Attempt blocked. Marvin Sordell (Burton Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marcus Myers-Harness.
Offside, Preston North End. Eoin Doyle tries a through ball, but Jordan Hugill is caught offside.
Foul by Tom Naylor (Burton Albion).
Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Burton Albion. Conceded by Paul Huntington.
Foul by Damien McCrory (Burton Albion).
Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Preston North End. Bailey Wright tries a through ball, but Tom Clarke is caught offside.
Corner,  Preston North End. Conceded by Jon McLaughlin.
Attempt saved. Callum Robinson (Preston North End) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Daniel Johnson.
Substitution, Burton Albion. Marcus Myers-Harness replaces Jamie Ward.
Offside, Preston North End. Ben Pearson tries a through ball, but Jordan Hugill is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Daniel Johnson.
Matthew Palmer (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ben Pearson (Preston North End).
Foul by Lucas Akins (Burton Albion).
Bailey Wright (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Tom Naylor (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Alan Browne (Preston North End).
Kyle McFadzean (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Hugill (Preston North End).
Attempt saved. Eoin Doyle (Preston North End) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Daniel Johnson with a cross.
Foul by Lucas Akins (Burton Albion).


Glenavon have confirmed the transfer of striker Eoin Bradley to his former club Coleraine.

The 33-year-old joined the Lurgan Blues at the start of the 2014/15 season and scored 40 goals in 91 appearances.
"Coleraine are getting a wonderful player in Eoin and Glenavon have done a good bit of business as well," said Glenavon player-manager Gary Hamilton.
"I think Eoin will be happy enough that he's got his move to Coleraine where he started out."
Bradley was a key player for Glenavon and helped them to an Irish Cup success last season.
Hamilton explained that Coleraine made an offer for Bradley and it was accepted after discussions with the player and club chairman.
"First and foremost I'd like to thank Eoin for everything he's done for us over the last couple of years because he did score a lot of important goals for us and led the line really well," Hamilton told the club website.
"I'm sad to see him go but we're happy with the piece of business that we've done - for everybody I think it's a good move."
Glenavon signed former Northern Ireland forward James Gray last week while fellow striker Kevin Braniff was transfer-listed by the Mourneview Park club.


Head coach Iestyn Harris has left Salford Red Devils by mutual agreement.

Harris, 39, was appointed by Salford in April 2014 but had not taken charge of a game since 30 June, with the club saying he was on sick leave.
Assistant coach Ian Watson was placed in temporary charge of the team, who are fifth in The Qualifiers.
"We are pleased to have been able to come to an amicable arrangement with Iestyn Harris," Salford chief executive Martin Vickers told the club website.
"We wish Iestyn all the best in his future career within the game and thank him for his efforts."
Harris, a dual-code Wales international, left his position as assistant coach of Wigan Warriors to take the Salford job.
The Red Devils finished 10th in Super League in 2014 and, having failed to finish in the top eight positions after 23 games this season, are not certain of a top-flight place for next year.


A UK trader accused of contributing to the 2010 US "flash crash" has been freed on bail after his conditions were changed.

Navinder Singh Sarao successfully argued he could not access bail of £5.05m because his assets had been frozen.
The US Justice Department (DoJ) wants him extradited on wire and commodities fraud and market manipulation charges.
He will return to his home for the first time since April.
The court forced him to disclose the whereabouts of his money and was told he had funds of more than £30m, £25.5m of it in Swiss accounts.
Mr Sarao told an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court that he had not "done anything wrong, apart from being good at my job".
The other bail conditions are that he must stay at his parents' address in Hounslow, west London, each night, and must not travel internationally or use the internet.
The court was also told that Mr Sarao had been diagnosed with severe Asperger's syndrome.
A full extradition hearing is scheduled for 24-25 September.
The DoJ claims that Mr Sarao and his firm, Nav Sarao Futures, made £26m ($40m) illegally over five years.
He has been accused of using an "automated trading program" to manipulate markets, and of contributing to the flash crash of 6 May 2010. On that day, the Dow Jones index lost 700 points in a matter of minutes - wiping about $800bn off the value of US shares - before recovering just as quickly.
He was granted bail in April. But one condition of bail was that he put up £5m - money which he could not access because of a worldwide freezing order granted in the US.


A "departure charge" levied on buses using the new Galashiels transport interchange could increase five-fold.

Operators using the old Stirling Street bus station were charged 35p per vehicle before its closure in 2013.
Now councillors in the Borders have been asked to approve plans to increase the charge to Â£1.75.
It would affect buses using the new Â£5.2m transport interchange, designed to link the bus service with the new Borders Railway.
Scottish Borders councillors have been told that the fee should increase to Â£2.68 (excluding VAT) to cover the running costs of the facility.
However, that would make it the most expensive departure charge in the country and officers have recommended that the local authority subsidise the charge.
They have warned that an excessive fee may "compromise the financial viability" of some of the routes through the station.
In a report to the council, officers have also raised fears that bus operators may boycott the transport interchange over the increased departure charge.
"This would leave the main sustainable access link to the Borders Railway fragmented and cause negative public relations," they said.


Aberdeen must show they can "handle Hampden" in Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final with holders Hibernian, says club hero Willie Miller.

The Dons have won just two of their past 11 visits to the national stadium since winning the League Cup in 1995 and last won the Scottish Cup in 1990.
"I have no doubts about the attributes and quality of the side Derek McInnes has put together," said Miller.
"But they have to prove they can play to their potential on the big stage."
Championship winners Hibs will be making their ninth Hampden visit in five years, having won four and lost four of those previous trips.
Aberdeen are preparing for their fifth semi-final in the four full seasons manager McInnes has been at the helm, with their 2014 League Cup triumph coming at Celtic Park.
The Dons beat Morton at Hampden in the last four of this season's League Cup, only to be crushed 3-0 by Celtic on their return for the final.
"They weren't particularly good against Morton, it wasn't a sparkling performance," said Miller, who won the Scottish Cup four times as Aberdeen captain in the 1980s and managed the Dons from 1992-95.
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"But playing the Old Firm in a final or a semi-final at Hampden is a completely different experience from playing anybody else and you have to handle it. I think that's the big question.
"Individually, they haven't performed at Hampden and this is a big test for them.
"If I go through the teams man for man, I believe Aberdeen are a better side. Derek McInnes has been fabulous; he has strengthened the team every year.
"For me, if Niall McGinn and Jonny Hayes turn up, then it's Aberdeen going to the final.
"But it's a difficult one to predict because Hibs did so well to lift the trophy. When you've got that experience it goes a long way. Aberdeen have still got to prove themselves."
Alan Stubbs was the man to lead Hibs to Scottish Cup glory last season, a last-minute goal from captain David Gray giving them a thrilling 3-2 victory over Rangers.
And the former manager believes Saturday's game could go to extra time like last year's semi-final with Dundee United, when goalkeeper Conrad Logan was the star in a penalty shoot-out.
"The teams are closely matched and I think the substitutes could play an important part," said Stubbs, who left for Rotherham after delivering the trophy only to be sacked by the English Championship outfit in October.
"It's about who deals best with the occasion.
"Whenever you go into these big games you want your big players to perform. It's crazy but they always have a habit of producing. It's not a coincidence, they have a knack.
"Last year's semi-final wasn't a great game, Dundee United probably had the better chances and Conrad was fantastic.
"In a semi-final you don't always need to play well. It's about doing enough to get through.
"You have to keep the players calm and you have to make them believe that they can win their individual battles. Every man needs to do their job. Concentration needs to be high, no sloppiness. That's not easy over 90 minutes.
Hibs, beaten finalists in 2012 and 2013, go into the match buoyed by sealing promotion last weekend and boast a record of just one defeat in 11 cup ties against top flight sides in the past two seasons.
"The fact the league is done now, means the focus turns to getting to the final," added Stubbs.
"But this will be the strongest Premiership team they have faced in that time. This is a stronger Aberdeen team than the one we beat [in the League Cup in September 2015].
"I make Aberdeen slight favourites but I could never rule my old team out."


A pensioner has been convicted of drug dealing after DNA traces were found on his clothing.

John Williamson, 73, of Manse Crescent, Stanley, was identified because heroin, found inside a leopard skin dress, had first been wrapped in his shorts.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that if they had been washed, they would not have been linked to Williamson.
The shorts were found at his home and the heroin was discovered in a box wrapped in the dress.
The haul of drugs was folded up inside Williamson's shorts and were said to have had a potential street value of Â£88,000.
Williamson, was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of diamorphine at his home on 23 December 2014.
Scottish Police Authority forensic scientist Barry Mitchell told the jury: "We would not have expected that DNA to have persisted through washing or laundering. If the item was washed we would not expect the DNA to persist. If kept in good condition it could persist almost indefinitely."
Fiscal depute Gavin Letford said the evidence against Williamson was circumstantial and there was no dispute that the drugs had been found at his home.
He also said the quantity of drugs found, almost a kilo, meant it was being stored for onward supply.
"The accused's DNA was found on the shorts," Mr Letford told the jury. "They were the shorts used to wrap up these 13 packages. That is not disputed.
"The only DNA on the shorts that found a match belonged to John Williamson. They were his shorts and they were used to wrap up these packages.
"It can be reasonably inferred that he used his house to store drugs and used his house as a safe house. He knew these drugs were stored in the storage cupboard."
Williamson was warned he faced a prison sentence, but was freed on bail pending the preparation of background reports.


Around 19 websites believed to be selling diet products containing a chemical linked to a series of deaths in the UK have been closed down.

The Food Standards Agency said the websites selling 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) were shut down in the last year.
But a BBC investigation has found hidden sites on the so-called dark web were still selling the products.
DNP is an industrial chemical licensed for commercial use but not for human consumption.
In April 2015, Eloise Aimee Parry, 21, from Shrewsbury took diet pills she had bought over the internet. Later that day she was dead.
Sean Cleathero died in October 2012 aged 28, after taking an illegal slimming pill in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
His mother Sharon Ayres, said: "Why would people still want to take it anyway, whether they think there is a safe dose, because there isn't a safe dose?"
Former Prime Minister David Cameron raised the issue in the Commons following the death of Sarah Houston who died in Leeds in 2012 after she had taken pills containing DNP.
The BBC investigation found a number of suppliers were marketing DNP as a diet product for human consumption.
A number of samples were bought online and sent for laboratory tests which found they contained about 40% DNP - a potentially lethal amount.
Jon Griffin, analyst for Kent Scientific Services at Kent County Council, said: "You're not being able to control your body temperature, at 40 per cent that danger rises significantly, this has got some potential in there for very serious repercussions.
"Worst case scenario would be death."
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized Â£1.4 million worth of unlicensed dietary medicines in 2015-16, Â£960,000 more than two years before.
Lynda Scammell, senior policy manager at the MHRA, said: "The internet offers access to a vast number of websites offering products marketed as 'slimming' or 'diet' pills.
"Many of these pills will not be licensed medicines. That means their contents are unknown and untested.
Chances are they simply will not work, but they may contain dangerous ingredients," she said.
"The consequences for your health can be devastating."


The trees lining the route to Ryazan are covered in frost, as if sprinkled with icing sugar in a Russian fairy tale.

But the harsh reality in Russia these days is economic gloom: the rouble keeps falling, prices keep rising and foreign investment is drying up. Lower oil prices and Western sanctions seem to have the Russian economy in a stranglehold.
I took the M5 motorway out of Moscow to investigate the impact of that on everyday life.
We pass a village called Gazoprovod - or "Gaspipeline". Then Lukovitsy - Russia's cucumber capital. Eventually we arrive in Ryazan.
In 1,000 years this town has been invaded, burnt, battered by war and revolution and economic chaos - like Russia itself. But it has always survived, ready for the next challenge.
In a Ryazan supermarket I meet teacher Yana Kindeyeva. She's doing her weekly shop and - with Russia on the brink of recession - she's counting every kopeck.
"Prices for everything have gone up," Yana tells me. "It's not only products, but expensive things like cars or furniture. We will celebrate the new year just here at home, instead of going to Europe - because the prices for holidays have also risen."
Yana invites me home to meet her mum Irina and grandma Larisa. The table is bursting with cups of piping hot tea, cream cakes and chocolate biscuits. No economic crisis has ever cancelled Russian hospitality.
Irina proudly shows off a tin of "English Tea" in the shape of a London bus.  Politicians in Russia and the West talk a lot about the new "Cold War". But in this cosy apartment, the Kindeyev family accord me the warmest reception.
Irina and Larisa have experienced economic upheavals in the past. They are concerned. But they're not panicking.
"Russians always cling on to hope that things will be OK, that's in our soul," Irina tells me. "We have a saying in Russia: hope is the last thing to die."
But whom do the Kindeyevs hold responsible for Russia's current economic difficulties? Not President Vladimir Putin.
"We blame mostly local officials," Yana says.
"It is difficult, maybe, for the president to control everything. We believe we should solve the problems at the local level and then go higher. People believe in the president, even when life gets tough."
Yana pours me some more tea and explains - in English - why she believes Western sanctions are not connected to the conflict in Ukraine.
"I think other countries felt the power of Russia and, of course, they wanted somehow to put some limits on it, in order that we do not grow very much. That's why they put the sanctions. It is not the question of the Crimea. We just returned what had been ours."
The Kindeyev family's faith in President Putin has deep roots. Russians trusted the tsars; many believed in the Soviet revolutionary Lenin, then Stalin. Today more than 70% of Russians approve of the way Mr Putin is running their country.
In the 15 years that Vladimir Putin has been in power, as president and prime minister, he has constructed a political system that gives him all the power, without any of the responsibility. When things go wrong, it is local officials, or the West, that get the blame. Not him.
But Russian history shows that when things go very wrong, that can change.
I meet a Ryazan businessman called Zhenya. He is worried by Western sanctions and falling oil prices and he is losing faith in his government.
"I'm not sure in the future. None of us can suppose what will happen in some months."
I tell Zhenya that Russia's government says that even if oil falls below $60 a barrel that is nothing to worry about.
"For them, maybe, it's not," Zhenya replies. "But for ordinary people it is a reason to worry. Because people's income will decrease a lot."
Across town, in the kitchen of his brand new cafe, young entrepreneur Maxim Gordeyev is sprinkling strawberries and raisins on to deliciously thick hand-made chocolate. Maxim realises this is not the sweetest moment to open a new business in Russia.
"It's a difficult time," Maxim says. "We're certainly affected by the fluctuations in the currency, because we buy our raw materials abroad, in Colombia. And because the rouble is falling, people have less money to spend. Perhaps as a result my business will grow more slowly. But I think it will grow."
At the flea market in Ryazan, it is -10C. But people are still selling: anything they can find.
Laid out in the snow are old slippers, tablecloths, pots of nail polish and a steam iron. The sellers here are struggling to get by. When I chat to them, some here blame the West. One man rants on at me about a "Zionist conspiracy". But not Yevgenia. She feels the real problem is closer to home.
"Ukraine is sucking all our resources," she tells me. "It's all very well our government sending humanitarian aid there. But we should be getting some of that flour and sugar here. Do you think we're standing here because life is good?"
As I talk to Yevgenia, I begin to wonder: as the economic situation here worsens, will more Russians join the dots between Ukraine and what's happening here? Will they start to see a link between Russia's annexation of Crimea and the current drop in their living standards?
If so, that may lead to an uncomfortable question: does the "good tsar" have bad judgement?


Entertainer Michael Barrymore wants £2.5m in damages from Essex Police for unlawful arrest but the force thinks he should get £1, a court heard.

The former TV presenter is suing police over his 2007 arrest in connection with the death of a man at his Essex home.
In court documents police said the arrest was unlawful because the officer involved had not been fully briefed.
A High Court judge was told Mr Barrymore was claiming the compensation to compensate him for loss of earnings.
Police argued he should get a "nominal" award of £1 at a hearing on Wednesday.
Mr Barrymore was questioned six years after the body of Stuart Lubbock, 31, was found in the swimming pool at his home in Roydon, Essex.
He was arrested alongside two other men. All three were later released without charge.
No-one has been ever been charged over the death of Mr Lubbock, who was found to have suffered severe internal injuries indicating sexual assault.
A trial has been scheduled to take place next summer at the High Court over the unlawful arrest case.
Lawyers said a judge would be asked to decide whether there had been "reasonable grounds" for Mr Barrymore's arrest.


A judge in Argentina has been told to reopen a criminal investigation into former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson's infamous drive through the country.

Filming of a Top Gear special was abandoned last year following protests over a number plate on a Porsche which Clarkson was driving.
The plate - which appeared to reference the 1982 Falklands War - was replaced.
Earlier this year, a local judge ruled the Top Gear team had not acted in "bad faith" in changing the plates.
But a court has now ruled the investigation be reopened, saying the crew swapped the plates knowing it was illegal.
The show provoked anger in 2014 among locals by using the registration number H982 FKL - taken by some as a reference to the Falklands.
The Top Gear team were forced to leave South America amid angry protests. The show's cars had to be abandoned by the roadside and the crew escorted to the airport after being pelted with stones.
Andy Wilman, the show's executive producer, defended the show arguing the plate number had not been deliberately chosen and it was "most definitely" not a stunt.
A group of Falklands War veterans appealed against the closure of the case and it has now been reopened by the court of appeals in the Tierra del Fuego province.
The prosecution accuses Mr Clarkson of "falsifying, altering or suppressing the number of a legally registered object".
"We think that the Top Gear team changed the plates with full knowledge of the fact that it was illegal," spokesman Osvaldo Hillard of the Centre for Malvinas Veterans said.
The case will now be reopened at Tierra del Fuego's High Court and it could take years to be solved.
Falsifying, altering or suppressing the number of a plate in Argentina can be punished with sentences of between six months and three years in prison.
Wilman said at the time: "Top Gear production purchased three cars for a forthcoming programme; to suggest that this car was either chosen for its number plate, or that an alternative number plate was substituted for the original is completely untrue."
Clarkson was sacked from the show earlier this year after attacking a Top Gear producer. Colleagues James May and Richard Hammond also left the show, along with Wilman, to start a new car show for Amazon TV.


The only smiles you see on the faces of Labour types at the moment is when there's a spot of gallows humour.

"Well, I suppose Jeremy will need a Chief of Staff, won't he?" joked John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, on his way into seeing his old boss set out his diagnosis of Labour's problems.
Hours earlier, Mr McTernan had described Labour MPs who offered left winger Jeremy Corbyn their support just to ensure he made the shortlist of Labour candidates, rather than because they supported him, as "morons".
Other occasions, when talking to Labour MPs, resemble a wake: lots of animated talk about the past, just don't mention the future.
Sometimes as a political correspondent, the most telling remarks, the best quotes, are muttered in private conversations you have with politicians. It is what we call being off the record - we offer the politician anonymity, in exchange for complete candour from them.
But who needs off the record with lines like this: Tony Blair was asked about Jeremy Corbyn's outlook: "People say, my heart says I really should be with that politics. Well get a transplant, because that's just daft."
"We are in danger of becoming the political equivalent of Millwall Football Club. Their chant? `No one likes us, we don't care.' So said shadow cabinet minister Mary Creagh in the New Statesman.
The message has even crossed the Atlantic: "My party is suffering a relapse," the Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna has told an audience in Washington.
So what is going on?
This is about so, so much more than a single YouGov poll - suggesting Jeremy Corbyn might win the Labour leadership - which may turn out to be drivel. It is, instead, about something much, much deeper.
The other day on Radio 4's Today Programme, I described what was happening to Labour as "the cries of pain of a party still deeply wounded after its heavy election defeat".
One or two Labour activists accused me of indulging in a spot of journalistic hyperbole. And let's be honest, that kind of accusation levelled at a reporter is often a fair cop.
It was nothing more than a difference of opinion, some listeners told me. Well, it was definitely a difference of opinion.
But here are ten reasons why it might be a symptom of much more than that:
1) Labour's defeat was, to many, unexpected.
2) The scale of Labour's defeat was, to many, more unexpected still.
Net result: gloomy activists wonder what the future holds.
3) Those on the right of the party say the reason is obvious: Labour was too left wing.
Net result: They argue the party has to move to the right, and point passionately and in no uncertain terms to Tony Blair as proof of it.
4) Those on the left of the party say the reason is obvious: Labour was too right wing.
Net result: They argue the party has to move to the left, and point passionately and in no uncertain terms to the SNP's success as proof of it.
5) So who's the enemy for Labour? It depends who you ask.
6) A chunk of the Labour movement, its left, has, for years, felt sidelined, belittled, scorned and ignored. Suddenly, in Jeremy Corbyn, they have a standard bearer with a platform, offering a clear, socialist platform.
Net result: He can give straight answers to straight questions, his supporters are upbeat and in the spotlight, his three rivals do rather more caveating, triangulating and not answering questions so clearly. Or even, whisper their critics, are being boring and saying nothing.
7) Two of the Labour leadership candidates, Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham, served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury when Labour was in government, at a time when Labour faces questions about its economic credibility because of its time in government. One, Andy Burnham, was also Health Secretary - meaning questions about the deaths at Stafford Hospital would keep coming too.
Net result: Some Labour activists fret these are hostages to fortune.
8) Supporters of Ed Miliband said one of his greatest achievements was keeping the party united.
Net result: this internal combustion has been a long time coming
9) Conservatives are gleeful - and quickly nicking as many Labour policies they think are worth nicking as they can
Net result: when Tories are cranking up the minimum wage and talking about 'one nation,' where is the turf for Labour, mutter some.
10) Throw one to nine into the pot, shake, stir, throw in an added dose of 1 and 2 and you arrive at... the current situation.


The widow of a former senior leader in the Islamic State (IS) group has been charged with conspiracy in the death of a US hostage, US authorities said.

Kayla Mueller was abducted when working in Aleppo, Syria and died last year.
The woman charged - 25-year-old Nisreen Assad Ibrahim Bahar, known as Umm Sayyaf -  is currently in Iraqi custody.
Prosecutors say Sayyaf kept Ms Mueller captive, allowing her to be repeatedly raped by IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Nisreen Bahar's husband, Abu Sayyaf, is described in an affidavit as IS minister for oil and gas, reporting directly to Baghdadi.
Abu Sayyaf died last May when his compound in Syria was raided by US special forces.
His widow was handed over to the Iraqi authorities for prosecution.
A US justice department statement said they supported the prosecution but would "continue to pursue justice for Kayla".
"We will always be relentless in our efforts to identify, locate and arrest those who are responsible for the kidnappings and murders of American citizens," said the FBI's Assistant Director in Charge, Paul Abbate.
Mueller had travelled to Syria as an aid worker when she was kidnapped in 2013.


The number of refugees seeking asylum in developed countries rose by almost half last year to the highest level for 22 years, a UN report says.

The UN refugee agency said an estimated 866,000 asylum seekers lodged claims in 2014, a 45% rise on the year before and the highest figure since the start of the war in Bosnia.
It said the increase had been driven by the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Germany received the most applications at 173,000 - 30% of claims in the EU.
It was followed by the US, Turkey, Sweden and Italy as the countries with the most claims. Between them, the top five receiving countries accounted for 60% of all new asylum bids among the 44 included in the report.
The surge is linked to the spiralling conflicts in Syria and Iraq, which have created "the worst humanitarian crisis of our era," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters.
She urged European countries to open their doors, and respond as generously to the current situation as they did during the Balkan wars in the 1990s.
"We need countries to step up to the plate," AFP news agency quoted her as saying.
The UNHCR figures do not include the millions of Syrians who have been taken in by countries such as Lebanon and Jordan.
Syrians accounted for the most applications for asylum in 2014 -  at nearly 150,000 - more than double the 2013 figure of 56,300.
More than 215,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the conflict in Syria started in 2011.
Iraqis came in second with 68,700 asylum requests, up from 37,300 the year before.
Afghans formed the third largest group, followed by citizens of Serbia and Kosovo, and Eritreans, the UNHCR said.
Syrians accounted for a quarter of the claims in Germany, while people applying for asylum in the US were mostly fleeing drug gang violence in Mexico and Central America.
Sweden ranked fourth in terms of numbers at 75,100 applications, mainly from Syrians and Eritreans, but topped the list relative to its population size.
The UK was the eighth largest recipient of asylum applications at 31,300 in 2014, up 5% from the year before.


Defender Rob Kiernan has left for Southend and midfielder Harry Forrester is on his way out of Rangers as boss Pedro Caixinha again insisted he has Scotland's best squad.

The Portuguese said the same last season, but they finished third.
Kiernan moved for an undisclosed fee, while Forrester is not in the squad.
But Caixinha said: "I always think that, when I'm working at a club, my players are the best, my squad is the best and my club is the best."
The 46-year-old, previously in charge of Al-Gharafa in Qatar, has been busy in the summer transfer market, with nine players added to his first-team squad and 10 heading in the other direction.
Kiernan joined Southend, in League One, on a three-year deal, and fellow Englishman Forrester were told by Caixinha at the end of last season that they would not be involved in his first-team plans.
"They are not with us since the very beginning and they knew that from me from the end of the last season," said Caixinha as he confirmed both players have been training with the club's under-20s.
"Rob's situation [has been] solved, but Harry may take a little bit longer.
"That's all I can tell you."
Meanwhile, Caixinha refused to discuss whether Jamie Walker would play a part at Ibrox this season.
The winger was left out of Hearts' squad by Ian Cathro before the head coach was sacked this week and interim boss repeated the claim that he was being left on the sidelines because the continued transfer speculation was beginning to affect his mental state.
Rangers were knocked out of the Europa League in the opening qualifying round by Luxembourg's Progres Niederkorn, but Caixinha continues to exude confidence in his team as they prepare for Sunday's opening Scottish Premiership fixture away to Motherwell.
"I need to represent it like that and I need to spread that feeling from bottom to top and top to bottom," he said.
Caixinha is taking heart from last week's friendly draw with Marseille and warm-up victories over Watford and Sheffield Wednesday after the disappointment of Europa League defeat.
"It was a long hangover, but it was a tremendous effort to look forward," he said.
"This is the best moment ever since I arrived. That shows the improvement and how pleased I am with the boys.
"The team that you may call the first XI has only been together for three weeks, so I have to be happy.
"In the last two-and-a-half weeks, we've had the best moments since I arrived - as a squad, as a team and as a working group."


Sir Cliff Richard suffered "profound and long-lasting" damage after being publicly named as a suspected sex offender, his lawyers have said.

Sir Cliff is suing the BBC and South Yorkshire Police following publicity about a 2014 police raid at his home.
The 76-year-old was investigated over historical sexual assault allegations, which he always denied, before the CPS dropped its case in June.
Details of his complaints have emerged in paperwork lodged at the High Court.
The decision to sue the BBC and South Yorkshire Police comes after Sir Cliff was the subject of a long-running police investigation based on allegations dating between 1958 and 1983 made by four men.
A raid on his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, was broadcast live by the BBC in 2014.
The story was subsequently entered into "scoop of the year" at the Royal Television Society awards - something Sir Cliff described in paperwork as "adding insult to injury".
The CPS announced it was taking no further action against Sir Cliff on 16 June because there was insufficient evidence.
Sir Cliff alleges that his privacy was invaded and wants "very substantial" damages.
Lawyers said he has since sold the raided apartment because the prospect of living somewhere that had been "so publicly violated" distressed him.
South Yorkshire Police said it had apologised to the singer for the "distress and anxiety" it had caused him.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We've said previously we are very sorry that Sir Cliff has suffered distress but we have a duty to report on matters of public interest and we stand by our journalism."


Virgin Media has launched its first 4G tariffs, the last major UK network to offer high-speed mobile internet plans.

The network said it would "zero-rate" both WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, so using the apps would not count towards customers' data usage.
However, the apps will stop working if customers use up their data allowance by other means, to stay within EU net neutrality rules.
Price comparison site Uswitch said 4G alone would no longer entice customers.
"Given that [Virgin] is late to the party, it was never going to be enough in isolation to gain ground against its rivals," said Ernest Doku of Uswitch.
"Instead Virgin has offered a sideswipe to the competition in the form of free Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger usage.
"Although these apps don't consume huge amounts of data, 42% of British mobile users continue to spend an extra Â£40 per year on out-of-tariff mobile charges - so every little helps."
Virgin Media is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses EE's network to provide its service, and already offers 4G tariffs to business customers.
Some smaller MVNOs such as TalkTalk Mobile are yet to provide 4G services, although Virgin Media is the last of the big players to switch on a high-speed service for consumers.
Addressing the delay, a Virgin Media spokesman told the BBC: "We wanted to make sure we launched 4G properly and wanted to do something different from our competitors."
That difference is zero-rating WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger so that customers can send as many messages, photos and videos as they wish, without using up their monthly data allowance.
Virgin Media said the tariffs respected new EU net neutrality regulations, designed to ensure that all data is treated equally, regardless of its content.
"Neither the EU net neutrality regulations nor the subsequent Berec guidelines prohibit the zero rating of services," the company said.
"This offer does not result in any blocking or throttling of content, and there is no prioritisation of WhatsApp or Messenger traffic."
It added that customers would be charged Â£2 a day if they used up their data allowance and continued to access online services, including the two messaging apps.
"WhatsApp and Messenger are only zero rated so long as contract data remains," it said.
The company told the BBC that there was no financial agreement between Virgin Media and Facebook, and that it was "open" to including other messaging apps in its 4G tariffs in the future.


President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine has said government officials could visit Brussels this week to resume talks on the EU association agreement.

By withdrawing just before the agreement was due to be signed last month, Mr Yanukovych sparked huge street protests by the opposition.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was cheered by crowds on a visit to Kiev's main protest site.
Police in the city have moved to break the blockade of government buildings.
Several people were hurt overnight as riot police advanced on protesters, dismantling a number of barricades in the centre of the capital.
But no action was taken against the main opposition camp on Independence Square, where several thousand protesters remained on Tuesday, huddling around braziers to keep warm.
On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of protesters turned out in Kiev, demanding the resignation of the government within 48 hours.
President Yanukovych said a working group led by a deputy prime minister would "probably" go to Brussels on Wednesday to resume work with the European Commission on the association agreement.
Q&A: EU-Russia battleground
Reverberations in Vietnam
However, Mr Yanukovych appears to have again stressed the need to strengthen economic ties with Russia, which strongly opposes the EU agreement.
"We cannot talk about the future without talking about restoring trade relations with Russia," he added, quoted by Reuters news agency.
Mr Yanukovych discussed the crisis at a televised round table on Tuesday with his three predecessors as president of Ukraine - Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko. No representatives of the main opposition or street demonstrators were present.
The president said he had asked the prosecutor general to ensure the release of some protesters detained last month - those who had not committed grave crimes and who had children or families.
These are the largest street protests since the Orange Revolution in 2004. On each of the last three Sundays, crowds estimated at 100,000 or more have flooded central Kiev.
On Monday, phalanxes of riot police, their helmets caked in snow, moved to clear Kiev's government district of protesters, tearing down barricades leading to the presidency, cabinet offices and parliament.
Scuffles broke out and, while there were no immediate official reports of injuries, members of Svoboda said several people had been hurt. Two police officers were also reportedly injured.
The unrest in Kiev and other parts of Ukraine escalated after police used violence against protesters on 30 November.
The crisis has highlighted divisions in Ukraine, with many in the east of the country more sympathetic to Russia, and opposing both closer links with the EU and the anti-government protests.
However, a number of demonstrators have been insisting that the protests are not about "east versus west", but about a total "reboot" of what they describe as the current corrupt system.
Baroness Ashton met Mr Yanukovych for three-and-a-half hours, her press service said, without giving details.
She later visited the protest camp on Independence Square, which is widely known as the Maidan.
"I make it clear that I come here in order to be of assistance. And to show to all the people that I meet, that we really do care about all the country. "
She then held talks with Ukraine's main opposition leaders.
Speaking before the visit to Maidan, Baroness Ashton voiced concern about a police raid on the headquarters of Ukraine's biggest opposition party, Fatherland.
Computer servers were removed during the raid on the party led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been in prison since 2011 over a controversial gas contract with Russia.
"I follow with concern the reports that police forces forcibly entered the office of the biggest opposition party," Baroness Ashton said in a statement.
In a speech to the European Parliament, the EU's enlargement commissioner, Stefan Fuele said the EU was ready to help Ukraine financially "including through topping up IMF loans with macro-financial assistance [and] stepping up the European Union's financial assistance programmes", but it was not clear whether this was an increase over previous offers.
Mr Yanukovych has complained of the cost of upgrading Ukraine's economy to EU standards, saying 20bn euros (Â£16.7bn; $27.4) a year would be needed while the EU offered only a fraction of that sum.
US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met leading opposition politicians and was due to have talks with President Viktor Yanukovych.
Ms Nuland met Vitaly Klitschko, the heavyweight boxing champion who leads the Udar (Punch) party, as well as Arseniy Yatsenyuk, of Tymoshenko's Fatherland party, and Oleh Tyahnybok, of the far-right Svoboda party.
In Moscow earlier, the US diplomat expressed "deep concern" about events in Ukraine, stressing Washington's support for Ukrainians' "European choice".
She "urged Russia to use its influence to press for peace, human dignity and a political solution", the US embassy in Moscow said in a statement.


A man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after a man was shot in the face as he sat in a car in a village near Coventry.

Scott Andrew Moore was arrested on Thursday over the attack on the 32-year-old in Keresley End on Wednesday.
Mr Moore, 22, of Old Winnings Road, Keresley End, appeared before Leamington Magistrates' Court.
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Warwick Crown Court on 20 June.
The victim underwent surgery after the shooting at the junction of Somers Road and Rathbone Close.


Murders in El Salvador have dropped from about 14 a day in March to five, as a truce between the country's powerful street gangs passed 100 days.

Police said that overall this year killings had fallen nearly 24%, while murders in May were down by more than 50% on the same period last year.
The gangs, Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18, agreed a halt to hostilities, in a deal brokered by the Catholic Church.
El Salvador's street gangs have a reputation for ruthless violence.
Announcing the latest crime figures, Justice and Public Security Minister David Munguia Payes said that the truce between the gangs "has had an important effect on the drop in violence".
The deal between the Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as MS-13, and Barrio 18, came about after their leaders were moved from maximum security jails to more relaxed conditions.
President Mauricio Funes has stressed his government did not negotiate with the gangs but merely facilitated the accord.
Imprisoned gang members held ceremonies on 19 June to mark the first 100 days of the accord.
Gang leaders indicated they were ready for talks about making the peace pact permanent, the Associated Press reported.
"We want a definitive ceasefire," one leader, Oscar Armando Reyes, told AP. But he said the government had to come up with concrete proposals on jobs.
El Salvador's gangs have their roots in the immigrant street gangs of the US.
Over the years they have grown to become powerful, trans-national criminal organisations with thousands of members.
The truce has attracted the attention of neighbouring countries, Honduras and Guatemala, which also suffer high murder rates and gang violence.


Indonesian officials say 141 bodies have been recovered after a military transport plane crashed in a residential area of Medan on Tuesday.

The military says none of the 122 people on board the Hercules C-130 survived when it hit houses and a hotel before bursting into flames.
Many of the victims are thought to have been relatives of servicemen and women.
But the latest death toll indicates there were at least 19 people killed on the ground.
The BBC's Alice Budisatrijo in Jakarta says the military has repeatedly revised the passenger list, a sign of how loosely the military keeps track of who gets on its planes.
It is also investigating whether some of those on board were paying passengers which is not permitted, she adds.
Police official Agustinus Tarigan told reporters at a Medan hospital on Wednesday morning that 141 bodies had been received.
One official told the Jakarta Globe newspaper that some of the victims were having to be identified by blood samples.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, but witnesses said the plane appeared to run into trouble shortly after taking off from Medan - Indonesia's third largest city - for Tanjung Pinang, an island off Sumatra.
"It passed overhead a few times, really low," a witness named Elfrida Efi told the Reuters news agency.
"There was fire and black smoke. The third time it came by it crashed into the roof of the hotel and exploded straight away."
Air Force head Agus Supriatna said on Tuesday that the pilot had asked to return to base because of technical difficulties.
"The plane crashed while it was turning right to return to the airport,'' he said.
President Joko Widodo used Twitter to send his condolences to the families, wishing them "patience and strength".
The Hercules transport plane was manufactured in 1964, but a military spokesman said he was convinced that it was in good condition.
This is the fourth crash involving the military in three years, says our correspondent, and many Indonesians are demanding an upgrade of its mostly outdated defence equipment.
It is also the second time in 10 years that a plane has crashed in Medan.
In September 2005, a Boeing 737 came down in a crowded residential area shortly after take-off from Medan's Polonia airport, killing 143 people including 30 on the ground.


Cycling needs to be made safer in Wales' capital city, according to a new survey.

The Bike Life report for Cardiff showed eight in 10 people support improving cycling safety around the city.
The study was based on the Copenhagen Bicycle Account, which helped make Denmark's capital one of the world's most bike-friendly cities.
It was developed in partnership with transport charity Sustrans and covers seven UK cities.
The aim of the report was to "report on progress towards making cycling an attractive and everyday means of travel".
Jane Lorimer, the national director of Sustrans Cymru, said the response had been "overwhelmingly positive".
"Here in Cardiff - and Cardiff is one of seven cities included in the study - 78% of the population think Cardiff would be a better place if more people got around by bike," she told BBC Radio Wales.
"The other cities where this research was undertaken... broadly the results were similar but levels of cycling in Cardiff and levels of investment, the amount of money spent on cycle lanes, are less here."
Councillor Chris Weaver, assistant cabinet member for active travel and wellbeing, said: "Over the last ten years Cardiff's population has grown quicker than any UK city outside of London and this rate of expansion looks set to continue.
"The contents of this report and consultation we are currently running on our Active Travel Route maps will provide us with valuable information and feedback as we develop a comprehensive active travel network that will ensure the city has a sustainable transport network that is fit for the future of a forward looking European capital."


Pegasus' hopes of reaching the Irish Hockey League play-offs were dented after they lost 4-0 to leaders UCD.

First-period goals from Abbie Russell and Sorcha Clarke set UCD on their way to victory at Queen's.
Deidre Duke's fine reverse stick finish made it 3-0 before Katie Mullan added the fourth.
Hermes-Monkstown are a point behind UCD after beating third-placed Cork Harlequins 4-3 while Ulster Elks lost 1-0 to Railway Union to remain bottom.
Monkstown have a game in hand on UCD with the two sides still to play each other as well.
The league's top scorer Anna O'Flanagan helped herself to two more goals with Nikki Evans and Ellen Curran also finding the net for Monkstown.
Railway Union moved above Pegasus and into fifth place after Niamh Carey scored the only goal of the game at Jordanstown as the Dublin side beat Ulster Elks 1-0.
The Elks remain rooted to the bottom of the table and a point behind Pembroke Wanderers, who lost 3-0 to Loreto.
The team that finishes last will be relegated to their provincial league next season while the side that finishes ninth must face a promotion/relegation play-off.
The result also sees Loreto strengthen their grip on fourth place and the final place in the play-offs.
In Friday night's game a Chloe Brown goal from a penalty corner in the final minute was enough to give Ards a 1-0 win over Belfast Harlequins that keeps alive their outside chances of making the top four.
There was just the one rearranged game in the men's IHL as Monkstown beat Railway Union 3-2, which leaves a five-point gap between Railway and Instonians at the bottom of the table, but the Belfast side have two games in hand.


Queens Park Rangers have signed midfielder Sean Goss from Manchester United for a fee of £500,000, on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Goss, 21, did not make a senior appearance at United but was named on the bench for a Premier League game against Watford in November 2015.
The Germany-born player joined United from Exeter City in the summer of 2012.
"I feel I am ready to play first-team football," Goss told BBC Sport. "I am buzzing it is all done."
He added: "It was a tough decision because I still had time on my contract but I felt the time was right to get out there and show everyone what I can do. Manchester United wanted to loan me out.
"Hopefully I can settle down in London quickly and start to play."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


Revellers at an Australian dance music festival were filmed charging into a powerful dust whirlwind on Saturday.

The whirlwind, which Australians refer to as a "willy willy", made a surprise appearance at the Earthcore festival in Pyalong, north of Melbourne.
Olivier Bonenfant, who shot the footage, told the BBC that partygoers immediately started running towards the column of dust and debris.
He uploaded the footage to YouTube, dubbing the incident a "doofnado".
"Doof" is an Australian term for a dance party held in the bush.
"It looked pretty fun … if I wasn't filming I would have run into the Doofnado too," the 32-year-old Canadian said.


Northern Ireland's political leaders are selling their nuclear bunker which was built in Ballymena, County Antrim, during the Cold War.

2 February 2016 Last updated at 13:24 GMT
In 2008, BBC News NI reporter Mervyn Jess took a tour of the underground shelter that was kitted out to house more than 200 people in the event of a nuclear attack.


Burnley have signed Belgium midfielder Steven Defour from Anderlecht for a club-record £8m.

The 28-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the newly promoted Clarets.
Defour has been capped 46 times for Belgium and appeared at the 2014 World Cup, but he missed out on a place in the Euro 2016 squad.
"I hope I can bring my experience to the team and the club to stay in the Premier League," Defour said. "It's a new challenge for me, but I like that."
Defour won the Portuguese league twice with Porto and also won the Belgian league title twice during his time at Standard Liege.
He has been a summer-long target for the Clarets and added: "It has been a long few weeks, but I am very happy to be here.
"When I knew that Burnley was interested, I took some time to look into the club and I saw some interesting stuff.
"I also called a friend of mine who plays at Brentford and he told me Burnley was the best team in the Championship and that it would be a really good choice for me."
Clarets boss Sean Dyche said: "Steven was a target of ours and it's been a hard deal to do, but we got there in the end."
Everton had a £9m bid for Defour rejected by Liege in 2011 and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wrote to him wishing him a speedy recovery after he broke his foot five years ago, when he was a reported transfer target for the Red Devils.


A college merger programme has been called "a failure" by lecturers.

A new survey has indicated they believe mergers of Scotland's colleges to create 20 so-called "regional supercolleges" have "largely failed to deliver".
The survey was commissioned by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teachers' and lecturers' union.
The Scottish government has said it is committed to building on the success achieved so far in the college sector.
The EIS study found almost 90% of college lecturers taking part did not believe the mergers had improved learning and teaching quality.
The survey, of nearly 1,000 lecturers, found:
The online survey, carried out by the EIS Further Education Lecturers' Association, had a response rate of around 20% - about one in seven of all further education teaching staff.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said the survey "demonstrates that the many benefits that were promised as part of the mergers programme have not been delivered".
He said the "imagined benefits" of the mergers had "yet to become reality".
Mr Flanagan added: "While former members of senior management have enjoyed huge pay-offs and millions of pounds have been squirreled away into secretive Arms' Length Foundations, education provision has continued to be cut and staff continue to suffer a divisive postcode lottery on their terms and conditions."
Responding to the survey, a Scottish government spokesman said that there had been "huge progress".
He added: "Audit Scotland's 2015 report acknowledged that planning for mergers was generally good, that colleges managed the risks associated with staffing changes and that the changes to date have had minimal negative impact on students.
"Progress so far is largely due to the commitment and professionalism of the workforce across Scotland. Our priority is therefore to build on this, ensuring that colleges have robust plans for supporting and developing their staff."


There will be more exciting Dundee United tweets than the one they unleashed on 1 July.

"New signing Andrew Robertson will wear the number 26 next season," it read.
But the very fact those words have been typed by that club underlines the jump the 19-year-old full-back has made.
This time last year Robertson should have been unassumingly preparing for a second year as part of Third Division side Queen's Park's under-19 team.
However, a slightly higher calling with the first-team was on the cards.
The former pupil of East Renfrewshire's St Ninian's High School was one of a clutch of youngsters called to do pre-season with the Spiders' first-team and he went on to make an impressive debut in an August League Cup victory over Airdrie.
"From then Andy remained virtually an ever-present in the team," explained Queen's Park manager Gardner Speirs.
"Throughout the season there was continual improvement with him. He was always decent on the ball, always looking to go forward and take part in the attacks. But his defending improved considerably towards the end of the season.
"For him to come in, while still able to play at under 19, and to play a whole season in the first team was excellent."
And Robertson wasn't the only one catching the eye.
"I wouldn't say they were similar, no. I would say they're equally intelligent about the game. They have a good understanding of the game, which will allow them to play at a higher level. Aidan tended to be the type that would dip his shoulder and get himself a yard and either play an incisive pass or have a shot or put a cross in. Whereas Lawrence, he was a wee bit more physically better built and could ride tackles better. He could also hold off defenders and create openings. So, similar in effectiveness I would say but not particularly similar in style."
Gardner Speirs
Queen's Park manager
His three-tier leap up from Third Division to Scottish Premier League was matched by two other even younger Queen's Park comrades.
Forward Aidan Connolly, son of former Dundee Utd player Paddy Connolly, will also do his thing at Tannadice in the 2013-14 campaign, while 14-goal striker Lawrence Shankland has gone further up the A90 to Aberdeen.
Those two will still be 17 years-old when the new league season begins on 3 August.
"Lawrence came on in that game against Airdrie and scored a cracking equaliser," recalled Speirs.
"Then against Partick Thistle at Hampden he scored another cracker. He scored a number of goals for us, particularly early on in the season.
"He finished top goalscorer which was excellent for a lad we'd taken straight from the under-17s - he hadn't gone to the under 19s - we took him straight into the senior squad.
"He's got great ability, good confidence and temperament.
"Aidan came in slightly later and initially made an impact coming on from the bench until eventually he earned starting places.
"Again, to begin with [he] was magnificent, scored a number of goals - one or two important goals for us.
"All three of them are going into something completely new in terms of the physical and mental demands it'll make on them.
"They're also going to be in competition with good players, top players for this country, and they need to convince their manager that they're worthy of a start in the team or a place in the squad even.
"I think all three of them have the ability, certainly the talent, to play at a higher level."
For Shankland and Connolly that is most likely to be with their respective clubs' under-20 teams initially.
But if the latter did break into the Dundee United first-team quicker than expected, the Tangerines could be lining up with a starting XI featuring Connolly, Robertson and new number six Paul Paton - himself an alumni of the Queen's Park youth set-up, arriving at Tannadice via Partick Thistle.
"Aye that would something," smiled Speirs.
"It would be nice to draw them in the cup!"


"I'm afraid there will be backlash," 24-year-old Justin told Newsbeat from the northern Paris suburb of Saint Ouen.

It's part of a region in Paris with a large Muslim population.
A number of mosques have already been attacked in France, and there's been an explosion at a kebab shop next to a mosque in Paris.
The attacks happened after 12 people were killed at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday.
It had previously published cartoons which mocked the Prophet Mohammad.
On Saturday four hostages were killed during an attack on a Jewish grocery store.
Justin said: "Some of my Muslim friends have received a few negative comments. I hope it stops."
"It's not a good situation, it's not good for our image," 16-year-old Ali told Newsbeat.
He condemns the terror attacks but doesn't believe journalists have an unlimited right to offend people.
"It wasn't good to make these cartoons about the prophet, but it was also not good to kill people. Both were wrong," he said.
France has the biggest Muslim community in Europe. Islam is the second religion here, after Catholicism.
"The Muslim community don't feel guilty about the attacks. Terrorism doesn't refer to our religion - we condemn these acts totally," 23-year-old Chehine told Newsbeat.
"The problem is 12 people are dead. All the media talk about it. But in Iraq, in Syria, and in Palestine, every day thousands of people are dead, and no one talks about it. That's the real problem."
His friend Ahmed, also 23, fears there will be tension between the Muslim community and other communities in Paris due to the attacks.
"I think there will be some difficulties in relations with other religions because they think Muslims are to blame, but they're not. The attackers were extremists."
France is secular. Muslim girls are banned from wearing a veil in public schools here, while Jewish boys can't wear a skullcap (yarmulke).
In the Jewish quarter in central Paris, armed police stand guard outside local Synagogues.
"We don't feel safe," 23-year-old Ana, an employee at a clothes store on Rue des Rosiers, told Newsbeat.
"I'm quite worried because we are in a Jewish area. I'd like to see more police on the streets. Some crazy guy with a gun could come here."
France has the biggest Jewish community in Europe and many here are nervous more attacks could take place.
"I'm pessimistic. (The Jewish community) are afraid." 28-year-old Yohann told Newsbeat. "I think a lot of Jewish people will go back or go to Israel now. It was already happening. I think there is a divide between communities."
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the terror attacks by telling French Jews that Israel is their home.
French President Francois Hollande has called for unity. On Saturday about 700,000 people took part in marches across France in memory of the victims of the terror attacks.
"Society has changed. There are still disagreements between communities, but less than before," 19-year-old Riad, who's a Muslim, told Newsbeat. He believes the murders have shown that communities aren't as divided as sometimes portrayed.
"People think that terrorists are Muslim, but it's only a very small minority of Muslims, some extremists, radicals. It's not the religion that made the terrorist."
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


A man has been taken to hospital after a serious crash on an Aberdeenshire road.

The one-vehicle accident happened on the Woggle Road between Westhill and Blackburn at about 15:35.
The road was closed as a result, with diversions in place via the B979.
The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by ambulance.


Energy customers changed suppliers last year at the highest rate in six years, as they increasingly shopped around for the best deal.

Bill payers switched providers 7.7 million times, saving potentially more than Â£200 a year, according to Ofgem.
However, looming price rises by some of the UK's biggest suppliers would test how competitive the market was, the regulator said.
Firms were not doing enough for about two thirds of customers, Ofgem added.
In the coming weeks, standard gas and electricity tariffs will go up at Npower, Scottish Power, Co-operative Energy and First Utility, while EDF will raise electricity prices.
Ofgem chief executive Dermot Nolan said the increase in customer switching should act as a "warning" to such suppliers.
"If they fail to keep prices under control or do not provide a good service, they risk being punished as customers vote with their feet," Mr Nolan said.
"While today's figures show good progress, the market is not as competitive as we would like."
About two thirds of energy customers remain on standard tariffs or pre-payment deals, which often offer far worse value, the regulator said.
Despite intense competition, multiple government and consumer group initiatives and soaring fuel bills, not enough people switch suppliers with any regularity.
Last year saw 7.7 million switches - but that's not 7.7 million households, since some people change gas or electricity providers separately.
It is progress, though. As ever the easier and quicker it is to switch the more of it will occur.
Small and medium-sized firms have put great store on the full roll-out of smart meters, which they hope will allow customers to switch in 23 hours, rather than the 21 days it still takes.
Half of households have never switched suppliers, proving that you can lead a horse to water....
Claire Osborne, energy expert at price comparison site uSwitch, said many customers could guard against bill hikes by swapping providers.
By shopping around and switching to a fixed deal, they could "protect against any more unwelcome price rises", she added.
It now takes three weeks to switch suppliers, down from five weeks three years ago, according to Ofgem.
Customer complaints about switching dropped 36% last year, suggesting companies are also managing the process better, the Energy Ombudsman said.
Lawrence Slade, chief executive of the trade association Energy UK, said the high rate of swapping showed "competition was working for more and more households".
"The industry is committed to ensuring the market works for everyone and is taking action to engage with loyal customers," he said.
Last week, British Gas, which is freezing gas and electricity prices until August, said it was facing strong competition from more than 50 suppliers.
Some energy providers have blamed rising wholesale costs for the increases.


A special operation team set up by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will manage the arrival of 11 Syrian refugee families on 15 December.

The Department for Social Development has confirmed that a total of 51 refugees will arrive in Belfast from Lebanon, under the Vulnerable Persons Relocations Scheme.
Eleven of them are children under the age of five, including a baby.
The PSNI team will also investigate any crimes against the Muslim community.
The Syrian families will be housed in the private rental sector until alternative arrangements are made.
This is the first time Northern Ireland has participated in a refugee resettlement program.
Muslims and Christians are among those due to arrive in mid-December.
The first group will be settled in the Belfast area.
The second group of refugees will arrive in the first quarter of 2016 and will be settled in the north west.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced the expansion of the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme on 7 September.
The scheme will resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees across the UK over the next five years.
Refugees from countries neighbouring Syria will be resettled under the scheme, mostly Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.
It does not extend to those who seek asylum in Europe or countries like Libya.


Scotland's first national plan to better protect peatlands has been published.

Campaigners argue they need to be preserved because they support biodversity and also store carbon.
Scottish Natural Heritage's National Peatland Plan highlights actions to protect, manage and restore peatlands.
The Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland is Europe's largest area of blanket bog peatlands, extending to 1,544 sq miles (4,000 sq km).
Peat is found across large parts of Scotland, storing an estimated 3,000 megatonnes of carbon as well as providing a habitat for a range of wild animals and plants.
Dr Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, welcomed the release of the plan.
She said: "Scotland is a peat-rich nation, and our peatlands are now recognised globally for their outstanding biodiversity and carbon storage.
"I am delighted to see the publication of a plan which sets out what we are doing, and where we are heading, in our programme to conserve and restore peatlands and so support the multiple benefits they deliver.
"I thank the many organisations and individuals who have contributed to the plan which sets a firm foundation for action."
Ms McLeod added: "I am also greatly heartened by the significant roles played by land managers and non-government organisations in improving the state of our peatlands."
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has described peatlands as a "Cinderella habitat" which has been "overlooked and undervalued".
Jonathan Hughes, of IUCN UK, said: "Scotland's National Peatland Plan is a vital to tackling the globally important issue of peatland conservation.
"We urgently need to convert peatlands from a liability to an asset. Healthy peatlands can lock up carbon, support wildlife, regulate water flow and improve water quality - but only if we make an investment to restore them.
"We must all play our part but clear leadership from the Scottish government with the right policies and funding in place is essential if people are to be empowered to look after Scotland's peatlands and appreciate their true benefits to society."


Eurozone leaders have reached a "unanimous" agreement after marathon talks over a third bailout for Greece, EU President Donald Tusk has said.

He said that a bailout programme was "all ready to go" for Greece, "with serious reforms and financial support".
"There will not be a 'Grexit'," said European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, referring to the fear that Greece would have to leave the euro.
Greece is expected to pass reforms demanded by the eurozone by Wednesday.
Parliaments in several eurozone states also have to approve any new bailout.
Eurozone leaders had been meeting in Brussels for about 17 hours, with talks continuing through the night.


A model with six-inch long facial hair has become the youngest woman in the world to have a full beard, according to the Guinness World Records.

Body positivity campaigner Harnaam Kaur, 24, from Slough, Berkshire, said it was "humbling" to be included.
She described her beard as part of her quest to overcome years of bullying to cope with her appearance.
Other record breakers added to the list include the longest pet cat and a high-jumping llama.
Ms Kaur has polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal condition that can result in the growth of excess facial hair.
In March 2016 she became the first female with a beard to walk the runway at London Fashion Week.
The record for longest domestic cat currently alive goes to a 3ft 10.59in (1.183m) moggy from Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
Ludo, a Maine Coon, was no bigger than other kittens in his litter when he was taken home by his owner Kelsey Gill in 2014.
Ms Gill now has to use a dog carrier for the supersized cat and a dog harness to accommodate his length.
Also making the list is Caspa, a nine-year-old high-jumping llama who can leap a bar 3ft 8.5in (1.13m) high.
The animal, which lives on a farm in Porthmadog, North Wales, has been described by his owner as a "total diva" and the envy of all the other llamas on the farm.
The record for the fastest speed achieved on a monowheel motorcycle has been set by a team at Elvington Airfield, North Yorkshire.
Kevin Scott, from Lincoln, achieved 98.464 km/h (61.18 mph) on a bike built by UK Monowheel Team.


South Africa's elite "Hawks" police unit has been hit by a mystery break-in at its headquarters in the capital, Pretoria.

A spokesman said thieves made off with hard drives and other computer equipment early on Wednesday.
Hawks sources believe the crime was an inside job rather than a burglary, local media reported.
"No dockets [case files] were stolen," Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi told Reuters.
The unit's human resources, finance and supply chain departments had been targeted, he said.
The Hawks - otherwise known as the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation - investigate serious organised and commercial crimes, and high-level corruption.
Mr Mulaudzi said a forensics team was examining the site, and that it was too soon to say who the thieves were.
South Africa's Eyewitness News observed on Twitter that the break-in comes amid a tussle for control of the unit between its ex-head Berning Ntlameza and Police Minister Fikile Mbalula.
The IT theft is not the first to hit South Africa's establishment this year.
In March, 15 computers containing information on South Africa's judges and court officials were stolen from the administrative offices of the Chief Justice.