Suspected UK terrorists face having their passports confiscated under new rules announced by the home secretary.

Theresa May said the move would prevent Britons travelling abroad to fight or attend terrorist training camps.
The Home Office says that passport facilities are "contrary to the public interest" for those whose activities are considered "undesirable".
Previously passports could only be withdrawn when a person's activities were "demonstrably undesirable".
The new rules give the government greater scope under the Royal Prerogative to restrict the travel of people intending to engage in terror training or extremist conflict.
According to the Home Office statement, passports will be removed from people "whose past, present or proposed activities, actual or suspected, are believed by the home secretary to be so undesirable that the grant or continued enjoyment of passport facilities is contrary to the public interest".
The statement said that "there is no entitlement to a passport and no statutory right to have access to a passport".
Under the Royal Prerogative the home secretary has the power to make decisions on the "issuance, withdrawal and refusal" of British passports.
The decision to confiscate a passport must be "necessary and proportionate" and the passport holder must be told the reason behind it, the Home Office said.
The new powers will be used "sparingly" after "careful consideration of a person's past, present or proposed activities".
The powers will target people travelling to carry out terror attacks but also those going abroad for "fighting, extremist activity or terrorist training" which may allow them to return to  with the skills to plan an attack on UK soil.
As well as terror suspects the new rules will also apply to people suspected of serious and organised crime.
Until now there had been far greater restrictions on the home secretary's powers to confiscate passports on public interest grounds.
The rules stated that it could be done only "in very rare cases" where a person's past or proposed activities were "demonstrably undesirable".
The last time it happened was in 2005, when four returning Guantanamo Bay suspects had their passports taken away.
Before that, passports had been confiscated on public interest grounds only 16 times between 1947 and 1976.
Home Office officials say they expect the powers to be used more widely than previously but could give no estimate of the number of likely cases.
Currently, passports may also be taken away from those who are subject to a court order or who are bailed by police.


One of eight new planets spied in distant solar systems has usurped the title of "most Earth-like alien world", astronomers have said.

All eight were picked out by Nasa's Kepler space telescope, taking its tally of such "exoplanets" past 1,000.
Three of the new crop sit within the "habitable zone" of their host stars - and one in particular is rocky, like Earth, as well as only slightly warmer.
The find was revealed at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
The three potentially habitable planets join Kepler's "hall of fame", which now boasts eight fascinating planetary prospects.
And researchers say the most Earth-like of the new arrivals, known as Kepler 438b, is probably even more similar to our home than Kepler 186f - which previously looked to be our most likely twin.
At 12% larger than Earth, the new claimant is bigger than 186f but it is closer to our temperature, probably receiving just 40% more heat from its sun than we do from ours.
So if we could stand on the surface of 438b it may well be warmer than here, according to Dr Doug Caldwell from the Seti (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Institute in California.
"And it's around a cooler [red dwarf] star... so your sky would look redder than ours does to us," Dr Caldwell said.
That first-person encounter, however, is unlikely - both because the planet is 475 light-years away and because we still have essentially no idea what it's made of.
Images from the Kepler telescope, which trails behind the Earth and peers far into the distance as we orbit our own sun, are used to identify far-off planets by observing "transits".
This refers to the dimming of a star's light when a planet passes in front of it.
How does the Kepler telescope work?
How rare is our blue planet?
A large team of researchers then uses additional data from Earth-bound telescopes to further explore these unfamiliar solar systems.
They try to calculate how big the planets are, and how closely they orbit their host stars.
Not everything that causes such a dimming eventually turns out to be a planet, however.
At the same time as the eight confirmed new exoplanets were announced by a 26-strong team spanning Nasa and multiple US institutions, the Kepler mission's own scientists released another tranche of more than 500 "candidate" planets.
"With further observation, some of these candidates may turn out not to be planets," said Kepler science officer, Fergal Mullally.
"Or as we understand their properties better, they may move around in, or even outside, the habitable zone."
Even once scientists have anointed a candidate as a confirmed exoplanet, the question of whether or not it is "Earth-like" is a fraught one, with fuzzy boundaries.
The size of the habitable, or "Goldilocks" zone, where a planet is far enough from its sun to hold water but not so distant that it freezes, depends on how confident scientists want to be with their guess-work.
According to Dr Cardwell, just three of the eight new exoplanets can be confidently placed in that zone - and only two of those are probably rocky like the Earth.
More detailed description is very difficult.
"From the Kepler measurements and the other measurements we made, we don't know if these planets have oceans with fish and continents with trees," Dr Caldwell told BBC News.
"All we know is their size and the energy they're receiving from their star.
"So we can say: Well, they're of a size that they're likely to be rocky, and the energy they're getting is comparable to what the Earth is getting.
"As we fill in these gaps in our solar system that we don't have, we learn more about what it means to be Earth-like, in some sense."
Speaking at a related event at the conference, Prof Debra Fischer from Yale University said she remembered a time before the first exoplanet was discovered, more than two decades ago.
"I remember astronomers before that point being very worried," she said.
"We really had to step back and say: Maybe the Star Trek picture is wrong. That filled me with despair."
Prof Fischer said that sensitive telescopes like Kepler had ushered in an era of "amazing and impressive work".
"We're talking about a planet - and we can only see its star with a powerful telescope.
"And we can draw graphs and sketch its composition and have serious scientific discussions. This is incredible."
Follow Jonathan on Twitter.


Double Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox has been left out of the British Para-cycling performance squad.

The 26-year-old, who won gold medals in both cycling and athletics in Rio last year, is instead focusing on training for the World Para-Athletics Championships in London this summer.
Cox had her UK Sport funding suspended in January while she took part in Channel 4 programme The Jump.
GB's 26-strong squad includes Rio gold medallists Sarah Storey and Jody Cundy.
Storey, 39, became Britain's most successful female Paralympian when she won her 14th gold medal at the Rio Games.
Cundy, 38, and like Storey a former swimmer, has won seven Paralympic golds - four in cycling.
They are joined in the 'podium squad' by fellow Paralympic medallists Megan Giglia, Karen Darke, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Louis Rolfe, Crystal Lane and David Stone.
With no track events scheduled for 2017 or 2018, British Cycling is happy to allow Cox extended time away from the programme.
It said in a statement: "Kadeena decided to take a break from cycling at the start of 2017 to pursue other opportunities afforded to her by her incredible achievements at the Paralympics, a decision we fully respect.
"Her focus is currently on her training programme for the 2017 IPC Athletic World Championships in London and she has the full support of the Great Britain cycling team."
Tuesday's squad announcement comes a fortnight after British Cycling announced changes to the Para-cycling pathway in the build-up to Tokyo 2020.
Riders on the Paralympic world-class programme are now split into two groups - podium and podium potential - while a foundation programme has also been established.
Great Britain 2017 squad in full:
Podium: James Ball, Steve Bate, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Jody Cundy, Karen Darke, Adam Duggleby, Lora Fachie, Neil Fachie, Megan Giglia, Jon Gildea, Corrine Hall, Crystal Lane, Craig Maclean, Pete Mitchell, Louis Rolfe, Matt Rotherham, Helen Scott, David Stone, Dame Sarah Storey, Sophie Thornhill.
Podium Potential: Will Bjergfelt, Craig McCann, Mel Nicholls, Simon Price, Liz Saul, David Smith.


Video-streaming giant Netflix has acquired the distribution rights for a documentary about Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong.

The film chronicles his political life focusing on his role in the 2014 protests which made him an icon at 16.
Hong Kong's so-called Umbrella Movement demanded universal suffrage for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Currently, the leader of the city is elected by a 1,200 member committee, seen as pro-Beijing.
In unprecedented scenes, the 2014 protests saw the streets of central Hong Kong filled and blocked by angry crowds demanding a fully democratic selection process.
At the time Joshua Wong, one of the student leaders, was held up as the unofficial "poster boy" of the movement and even made it to the cover of Time Magazine.
The documentary will be available to Netflix's 93 million subscribers worldwide, but not in China where the service is not available.
The deal was announced days after the premiere of "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower" at the Sundance Film Festival on 20 January.
Directed by Joe Piscatella, the documentary follows Mr Wong, now 20-years-old, from 2012 to 2016.
After winning no concessions from the Chinese government, Mr Wong's latest political move has been the establishment of his political party "Demosisto".
In a press release, Netflix describes the documentary as "a remarkable portrait of courage, resilience and youthful idealism".
"In an era where we are witnessing heightened civic participation and freedom of expression, we are pleased to offer a global platform for audiences to engage on these issues," says Netflix VP of Original Documentaries Lisa Nishimura.
Andrew Duncan, one of the documentary's producers, says: "Their global platform will allow us to share Joshua's message about the importance of due process of law and freedom of speech with a worldwide audience."
According to Hollywood Reporter, the rights were sold "in the low-seven-figure range".
In a letter to shareholders dated October 17, 2016, Netflix said: "We now plan to license content to existing online service providers in China rather than operate our own service in China in the near term."
"The regulatory environment for foreign digital content services in China has become challenging."
Netflix said it hoped to launch the service in China eventually, but did not say when.


It was about eight years ago when the nightmare started at the north Belfast home of Liz and Adrian Atkinson.

They had lived there for 18 years but it was only recently that they noticed a rapid growth on a bank behind their property.
It turned out to be Japanese knotweed, an invasive species brought to these shores by 19th century botanists.
It had evolved to survive on the slopes of volcanoes in Japan.
But, over here, it's getting out of control.
It's fast-growing and difficult to kill. It can punch through concrete, doing damage to house foundations and drainage.
The species is so destructive that banks are refusing mortgages for those who have it on or near their property.
The plant is now encroaching into the Atkinson's garden.
Adrian has a disability which may mean that the couple could need to move out of their two-storey house.
But now they fear they won't be able to sell it.
"It's a huge worry, it really is devastating," said Liz. "We've been told that it's going to affect the value of our house.
"If we need to move to a bungalow or something more suitable, we won't get this house sold."
She says it has "taken over" their life and despite letters to numerous bodies, none of them "wants to know".
The plant is resistant to ordinary methods of weed control - cutting it, digging it up or treating it with normal weedkiller only spreads it further and faster.
Even cutting the grass is a potential problem.
The root, which can grow to a depth of three metres, is considered controlled waste which must be disposed of at a licensed landfill.
Moving soil contaminated with the root without approval is an offence.
Specialist companies will treat it with heavy duty weedkiller but it's a repeat process that can take up to seven years, and cost several thousand pounds.
Chris Kenton, the environmental spokesperson for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, says Japanese knotweed can jeopardise mortgage applications.
"A number of lenders have identified Japanese knotweed as a 'decline' so if a valuer identifies it on the property or even on a neighbouring property, that will cause that mortgage to be declined."
He said he personally recommended refusal on three properties in the past 18 months because of the plant and he knows of another client whose re-mortgage application was refused because of it.


Plans to scrap the right to buy council homes in Wales will end "one of the greatest aspirational policies", Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has told the party's spring conference.

He accused Labour ministers, "hand-in-hand with nationalists", of "pulling up the ladder on hard working people".
A bill to abolish the Thatcher-era policy was published on Monday.
Later at the event, Prime Minister Theresa May set out her desire to create a "more united" Britain.
If follows Nicola Sturgeon's demand for a second independence referendum for Scotland.
Mr Davies told fellow party members on Friday that the right-to-buy policy had "allowed generations of people to get on in life and buy their own home".
"You only have to look at Wales if you want to see the devastating impact of policies wanted by the likes of Jeremy Corbyn can have on hardworking people," he said.
"A Labour Party, hand in hand with the nationalists, pulling up the ladder on people who just want to get on in life and support their family."
The Welsh Conservative leader used the conference to send a message to nationalists who want "to tear the union apart".
He said Brexit was a "significant opportunity to create a fairer Wales and a better Britain".
"The United Kingdom that we cherish is not a thing of the past," he said.
"It remains - as ever - the world's greatest family of nations
"Nicola Sturgeon, take note: This great union is here to stay."
He also attacked Labour's handling of public services in Wales.
But his speech made no mention of last year's assembly election result, when the Tories lost three seats, coming third behind Labour and Plaid Cymru.
Criticising the deal between Plaid and Labour in the assembly which allowed Carwyn Jones to be re-nominated as first minister, Mr Davies said it was time for "Labour's crutches to be taken away".
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood had chosen "power without responsibility", he said.
Mr Davies began his speech with a nod to his last appearance at a Tory conference when he confused Brexit with breakfast: "the meal which made me go viral for all the wrong reasons".
Continuing the attacks on Plaid and the SNP, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns accused nationalist politicians of "constructing barriers where they simply don't exist".
"But the case for the union is not only emotional; it's logical, sensible, and practical," he said.
"Put simply, we achieve more together. This isn't political rhetoric, it's common sense."


Hospitals in the US city of Orlando say they will not charge for treatment provided to survivors of the Pulse nightclub massacre in which 49 people were killed by a gunman in June.

They say they will write off about $5.5m (Â£4.2m) in medical care expenses.
After the attack by Omar Mateen on 12 June, 53 people needed immediate medical attention.
The so-called Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack, but the extent of its involvement is not clear.
Mateen, 29, was shot dead by police after what was the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
Of the 53 people injured, 44 were treated at the Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), managed by Orlando Health. None will be charged for their medical expenses, the company said.
Likewise, the families of nine Pulse nightclub patients who died shortly after arriving at ORMC will also not be charged.
"The Pulse shooting was a horrendous tragedy for the victims, their families and our entire community," Orlando Health President and CEO David Strong was quoted by the Orlando Sentinel as saying.
"During this very trying time, many organisations, individuals and charities have reached out to Orlando Health to show their support. This is simply our way of paying that kindness forward."
Orlando Health officials say that some bills will be sent to health insurers for patients who had cover, but whatever injuries that are uncovered by those policies will be absorbed by the hospital chain.
However, officials at Florida Hospital, where other injured club-goers were treated, say that they will not even bill the victims' insurance companies for the treatment.
One uninsured victim who was hit by a bullet in the attack told the Orlando Sentinel that it was a huge relief not to have to worry about a potential $20,000 (Â£15,000) bill.


The US is seeking to clarify whether an air strike in Libya killed the Islamist militant who ordered a deadly attack on an Algerian gas plant in 2013.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, a statement from Libya's government said.
The US says Belmokhtar was targeted and the strike was successful, but it is analysing the operation's results and would give details "as appropriate".
Belmokhtar's death has been reported many times in the past.
US defence officials stopped short of confirming Belmokhtar's death.
"The actual impact of that raid is still being assessed," US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said.
Pentagon spokesman Col Steve Warren said the Department of Defense was carrying out its own assessment after the raid.
Mohammed Hegazi, a Libyan military spokesman, told AP that tests would be conducted to confirm whether Belmokhtar was among the victims.
Born in Algeria, Belmokhtar was a former senior figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), but left to form his own militia.
He gained notoriety with the attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in 2013.
About 800 people were taken hostage and 40 killed, most of them foreigners, including six Britons and three Americans.
The US has filed terror charges against him and officials said they believed he remained a threat to Western interests.
"Belmokhtar has a long history of leading terrorist activities as a member of AQIM, is the operational leader of the al-Qaeda-associated al-Murabitoun organisation in north-west Africa, and maintains his personal allegiance to al-Qaeda," said Col Warren.
Dead,  or maybe still alive, either way the fact that the US is still hunting Mokhtar Belmokhtar illustrates the breadth and tenacity of the US counter-terrorism effort.
While the focus is now very much on combating Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the US struggle against al-Qaeda franchises continues both in the Middle East (Libya in this case) and to a growing extent in sub-Saharan Africa too.
Belmokhtar masterminded the attack on the Amenas gas plant in Algeria in 2013 in which 40 people were killed, including three Americans.
He was targeted not in a drone strike but in an attack launched by two F-15 aircraft.
Libya looks set to be an area of renewed concern for the Americans, the instability prompted by the removal of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 providing a rich vein of ungoverned space in which various Islamist militants, including Islamic State, are establishing a significant presence.
How do you verify a militant's death?
Libyan's internationally recognised Tobruk-based government said the strike came after consultation with the US. Their statement said it resulted in the death of the "terrorist Belmokhtar".
Libya has been in chaos since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with its parliament forced to operate in the eastern port.
A rival parliament, the Islamist-dominated General National Congress, is nearly 1,000km (620 miles) to the west in Tripoli.
Rival militias have been battling to fill the power vacuum, with IS militants fighting other Islamists in the east.


Thailand's official anti-corruption commission says it is investigating Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in connection with the government's controversial rice subsidy scheme.

The policy guarantees Thai rice farmers a much higher price than on the global market, but critics say it is too expensive and vulnerable to corruption.
The commission has already charged one minister, and is investigating others.
The news comes as Ms Yingluck already faces intense pressure to resign.
Anti-government protesters have been marching through the capital, saying they will shut it down until their demands are met.
They accuse her government of being under the control of her brother, ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
They say they want an unelected "People's Council" instead, to reform the electoral system.
The rice purchase scheme was launched in 2011, with the aim of boosting farmers' incomes and helping alleviate rural poverty.
But it has resulted in the accumulation of huge stockpiles of rice, which the government cannot sell.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) says it is looking into Ms Yingluck's role in the scheme, and investigating her for possible negligence of duty.
"Those who oversaw the scheme knew there were losses but did not put a stop to it," NACC spokesman Vicha Mahakhun told a news conference.
As prime minister, Ms Yingluck is nominally the head of the National Rice Committee.
Farmers have traditionally been some of Ms Yingluck's most ardent supporters. Her Pheu Thai Party was helped to power in 2011 by offering to buy rice at above the market price.
But the rice policy is thought to be costing Thailand around $10bn ( Â£6bn) a year - and the government has been unable to pay farmers for their most recent harvest, because a bond issue last year failed to raise sufficient funds.
That could cost the government support from one of its most important constituencies, according to the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.
Farmers are already talking about marching on Bangkok in protest, he says.
In addition, if the NACC finds Prime Minister Yingluck guilty, she could be banned from politics, along with other ministers.
This would cast another shadow over the election she has called for next month, our correspondent says.
The election is already proving contentious. The main opposition Democrat Party is boycotting the polls, which it fears will once again return the Shinawatra family to power.
Anti-government protesters have also rejected the elections, demanding electoral reforms.
Ms Yingluck is currently moving around Bangkok to avoid the protesters blockading her office - although police said on Thursday that the crowds on the streets were gradually dwindling in number.
The rallies are the latest twist in a nearly eight-year long saga, which started when Ms Yingluck's brother Thaksin was ousted in a military coup.


Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a committee to advise him on how best to tackle corruption and reform the legal system.

The seven-member Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption is mostly made up of academics.
Mr Buhari was elected in May, largely on a promise to tackle corruption.
He has said he believes government officials have stolen about $150bn (Â£96bn) from the public purse over the past decade.
"The committee's brief is to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria's criminal justice system," said presidential spokesman Femi Adesina.
However, Mr Adesina was unable to say when the committee would report back to the president with its recommendations.
The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says corruption is a massive drain on Nigeria's public finances and President Buhari's anti-corruption stance was a key factor in his election victory.
The difficult part will be ending a crooked culture deeply engrained in many government departments, our correspondent adds.
In a meeting with US President Barack Obama last month, President Buhari appealed for help in finding and returning government money he said had been stolen and was being held in foreign bank accounts.
Speaking on Monday, Mr Buhari criticised the way large loans had been diverted from the government projects for which they were intended.


Alastair Cook's masterful century guided Essex to an eight-wicket victory over Somerset at Taunton.

Having survived a tight lbw appeal early on, the former England captain went on to reach three figures off 202 balls with 16 fours.
The Essex opener shared a 134-run second-wicket stand with Tom Westley but fell for 110 as he pulled a short ball from Dean Elgar to James Hildreth.
But, Westley's unbeaten 86 ensured the visitors chased down 255 in 84.1 overs.
In his first competitive match since stepping down as skipper of the national side, Cook rarely looked troubled while at the crease.
Resuming overnight unbeaten on four, Cook signalled his intent by hitting two boundaries from the first over of the day before Craig Overton was convinced the England batsman had been trapped lbw only for umpire Graham Lloyd to remain unmoved.
Despite 30 wickets falling in the first two days, the hosts' bowlers struggled and Nick Browne shared an 82-run opening partnership with the England opener before being caught behind off Jamie Overton for 35.
Cook batted on unfazed, as new Somerset captain Tom Abell ran out of options, and left the visitors requiring just 39 runs to win when he was dismissed.
A rejuvenated Westley, who made just 10 in the first innings, saw Essex home as he drove seamer Lewis Gregory to the boundary.


Championship side Norwich City have appointed Hamilton Academical player-manager Alex Neil as their new boss.

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The 33-year-old Scot has signed a one-year rolling contract and replaces Neil Adams, who resigned on Monday.
Neil leaves Hamilton third in the Scottish Premiership, four points behind leaders Aberdeen, after leading them to promotion last season.
"I'm absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to manage a club of the stature of Norwich," said Neil.
First-team coaches Mike Phelan and Gary Holt will remain in their roles, while Neil's assistant at Hamilton, Frank McAvoy, will join the coaching staff before the end of the month.
Neil will be in the stands for Saturday's trip to Championship leaders Bournemouth, with Phelan taking charge of the side.
Norwich are currently seventh in the table and only three points off a play-off place.
Neil, who took over at New Douglas Park in May 2013, has played eight times this season for Accies, but does not expect to continue as a player-manager at City.
He said he may feature for the Under-21 side occasionally to offer his experience to the club's youngsters.
The former Barnsley midfielder, who becomes the second youngest manager in the Football League behind Mansfield's Adam Murray, led Accies to second place in the Scottish Championship last season.
They went on to beat Hibernian 4-3 on penalties after their two-legged play-off finished 2-2 on aggregate to win promotion to Scotland's top flight for the first time in three years.
"I was a bit surprised to get the call from Norwich," he said. "My first task is to improve on where we are. If we can do that hopefully we can move up the league.
"I was always going to have trepidation. But I've been given the opportunity to take on a big job and I'm excited by the challenge.
"As a manager I am honest, upfront and let the lads know what I expect of them."
Neil, who also played for Airdrieonians and Mansfield, becomes the 10th Scot to manage the Canaries.
He will work alongside the Canaries' football executive board, which also includes chief executive David McNally, technical director Ricky Martin and head of recruitment Barry Simmonds.
But McNally said Neil will have the final say on transfer activity at the club.
"Alex will decide players coming in and ones leaving," he said.
"The other people are there to support him. No way is anyone going to join the club without authorisation from the manager."


Atletico Madrid scored four away goals to take charge of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen.

Saul Niguez gave the visitors the lead with a stunning strike, picking the ball up on the right before cutting inside and curling a left-footed shot into the top corner.
Antoine Griezmann doubled their advantage from Kevin Gameiro's pass after woeful defending by Leverkusen skipper Omer Toprak.
Wendell struck his own crossbar in clearing Felipe Luis' cross and home goalkeeper Bernd Leno twice saved well from Griezmann as Leverkusen were fortunate to go in at the break just two goals behind.
Karim Bellarabi pulled one back for Leverkusen early in the second half by finishing off a slick team move, but Gameiro's penalty restored Atletico's two-goal advantage before Stefan Savic's own goal reduced arrears once again.
Substitute Fernando Torres further strengthened Atletico's grip on the tie when he nodded in a late fourth.
The return leg takes place at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday, 15 March.
Diego Simeone's Atletico have real Champions League pedigree, finishing as runners-up both last season and in 2014, and reaching the quarter-finals in between.
The La Liga side dominated the first half at the BayArena and would have been out of sight but for Leno's crucial saves from Griezmann.
On both occasions Leverkusen were totally exposed at the back, but the France international's low strikes were kept out by the legs of the German.
Despite the misses, Griezmann did manage to get on the scoresheet, as did former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Torres, who came off the bench to notch his 41st goal in European competitions.
Leverkusen finished third in the Bundesliga last season but are struggling this term, 20 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
They did, however, emerge through the Champions League group stages unbeaten.
Manager Roger Schmidt fielded 17-year-old midfielder Kai Havertz for his first Champions League start, making him the first player born after the 1999 final to start in the competition.
Despite three assists in his last five games, Havertz struggled to make an impression but 20-year-old team-mate Julian Brandt did show his promise with some impressive runs.
Slovenia international Kevin Kampl came close to netting for the hosts in the opening period, but his curled effort was kept out well by Miguel Angel Moya.
Bellarabi's first-time finish early in the second half from Benjamin Henrich's cutback gave the 2002 runners-up hope, while their second goal arrived when Moya spilled a cross onto team-mate Savic's leg and into his own net.
On another night two goals and 62% possession could have seen Leverkusen emerge with the win, but some self-destructive defending ultimately cost them dear.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone: "We could even have won by a higher margin but their goalkeeper pulled off two outstanding saves to deny Griezmann. It is important to have belief when you play away from home, and I thought we had that in abundance.
"We thought before the game that, if we attacked down our left side, we would cause their right-footed defenders problems.
"That is exactly what we did. Leverkusen fought their way back into the game in the second half but overall it is a very satisfying evening for us."
Bayer Leverkusen boss Roger Schmidt: "It is easy to see how Atletico have reached two finals in three years. We knew of their counter-attacking abilities before the game but we ended up shipping two goals in the first half.
"We showed passion and readiness to fight. We had a very good 15 minutes towards the end, where the whole stadium got behind us."
Both sides are back in league action at the weekend. Leverkusen host Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday (kick-off 14:30 GMT), while Atletico face a huge trip to Barcelona on Sunday (kick-off 15:15 GMT).
Match ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, Atlético de Madrid 4.
Second Half ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, Atlético de Madrid 4.
Wendell (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Koke (Atlético de Madrid).
Attempt saved. Ángel Correa (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fernando Torres.
Attempt blocked. Leon Bailey (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin Kampl.
Filipe Luis (Atlético de Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Benjamin Henrichs (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Filipe Luis (Atlético de Madrid).
Attempt blocked. Benjamin Henrichs (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Gabi (Atlético de Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Charles Aránguiz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Gabi (Atlético de Madrid).
Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Leon Bailey replaces Julian Brandt.
Fernando Torres (Atlético de Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Chicharito (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Fernando Torres (Atlético de Madrid).
Goal!  Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, Atlético de Madrid 4. Fernando Torres (Atlético de Madrid) header from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sime Vrsaljko with a cross.
Corner,  Atlético de Madrid. Conceded by Wendell.
Wendell (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ángel Correa (Atlético de Madrid).
Attempt missed. Kevin Kampl (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Corner,  Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Gabi.
Attempt blocked. Chicharito (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Julian Brandt.
Attempt blocked. Chicharito (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Chicharito (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Julian Brandt with a cross.
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Ángel Correa replaces Antoine Griezmann.
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Fernando Torres replaces Yannick Carrasco.
Foul by Kevin Kampl (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Thomas Partey (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Kevin Kampl (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin Volland.
Corner,  Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by José Giménez.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Charles Aránguiz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Delay in match Gabi (Atlético de Madrid) because of an injury.
Foul by Charles Aránguiz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Gabi (Atlético de Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Atlético de Madrid. Thomas Partey replaces Kevin Gameiro.
Own Goal by Stefan Savic, Atlético de Madrid.  Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, Atlético de Madrid 3.
Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Joel Pohjanpalo replaces Karim Bellarabi.


A cyclist has been killed in a hit-and-run crash with a vehicle in Surrey.

The man who had been riding a mountain bike was found on the A24 near the Esso petrol station in Beare Green at about 01:25 GMT by a member of the public.
The 31-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, Surrey Police said.
A 47-year-old woman from the Horley area has been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of an accident and drink driving.
Any witnesses are asked to contact Surrey Police.


The number of Post Offices opening on a Sunday will hit 3,000 this weekend, thanks to new facilities at a garden centre in Norfolk.

Within a year the Post Office claims it will also have more branches open on a Sunday than any other retailer, including Tesco.
The latest branch to open seven days a week is in a garden centre at Bergh Apton, south east of Norwich.
Customers will be able to post and collect parcels, as well as buy euros.
But, as with many other franchised offices, there will be no dedicated till - meaning those wanting to use the Post Office will have to queue up alongside those buying plants.
"Sunday is our busiest day, so we're delighted to be able to offer this service to our customers," said Michelle Evans, who runs the Green Pastures Farm Centre.
More than 6,000 Post Offices have closed since 2000, but in 2012 the organisation promised to maintain the current network of 11,500 branches.
Since then an additional 50 High Street branches - main Post Offices - have been converted to franchised operations, in an attempt to stem losses.
As a result the public subsidy for the Post Office has fallen from Â£210m in 2011/12 to Â£130m in 2014/15.
"Through our modernisation programme, our branches are open when and where people want them to be," said Kevin Gilliland, network director at the Post Office.
"We intend to be the largest retail network in the UK open seven days a week."
The government is already planning to allow larger stores to open for longer hours on a Sunday - but smaller shops, like Post Offices, are already excluded from the six-hour opening limit.


French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has stepped down from her job, shortly before plans to strip people convicted of terrorism of their citizenship go before parliament.

Ms Taubira was known to disagree with the controversial proposals.
The citizenship plans were put forward after the 13 November Paris attacks in which 130 people were murdered.
"Sometimes staying on is resisting, sometimes resisting means leaving," she tweeted.
Many of the Islamist militants who carried out attacks in France and have joined the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group have had dual citizenship, and Ms Taubira was among several figures on the left who objected to the government's proposals because they singled out those with dual nationality.
However, the law went before a parliamentary commission shortly after her resignation on Wednesday with no reference to dual nationality.
One of France's few senior black politicians, Christiane Taubira, 63, has been replaced by Jean-Jacques Urvoas who is seen as a supporter of the constitutional change and an ally of Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
Born in French Guiana, she has suffered racist taunts from the far-right during her time as justice minister.
Her left-wing leanings have put her increasingly at odds with official policy, especially after the November attacks when the president announced a much tougher line on terrorism, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield reports.
A communique from the Elysee Palace said that President Francois Hollande had accepted the justice minister's decision to resign.
"They agreed on the need to bring her role to an end at a time when debate on constitutional revision begins in the National Assembly, today," the statement read.
In his communique, President Hollande also praised Ms Taubira's part in pushing through same-sex marriage laws.
President Hollande is going to miss Christiane Taubira because she performed a vital role in his government. Every time he took a move to the right, or was accused of doing so, he could point to his justice minister and say: "Don't worry, Christiane's still with me."
She was his left-wing shield, and he kept her in office to ward off attacks from inside the Socialists over his increasingly pro-business economic policies, and (since November) his tough new line on terror.
Taubira was the darling of the left. Pugnacious and outspoken, she saw through the gay marriage law, and promoted a liberal line on police and sentencing. By the same token, the right despised her and there is now much rejoicing in their ranks.
In the end, President Hollande could no longer pull off the act of political splits which allowed his government to include such mutually hostile forces as Manuel Valls (on the right) and Taubira (on the left).
The times being as they are, it was the left-winger who went.
EU at grave risk, says Valls
Was Salim Benghalem Paris attacks ringleader?
Who were the victims of Paris attacks?
Last month the justice minister made plain her distaste of the plan to strip citizens with dual nationality of their French citizenship, arguing it "would not help the fight against terrorism in any way".
She said the plan was being dropped only for it be announced the following day by the prime minister with her appearing beside him.
Mr Valls said at the time that it was a "strong symbolic act against those who have excluded themselves from the national community".
He presented the proposals before a parliamentary commission at the National Assembly on Wednesday before they were due to go before MPs next week.
No mention was made of dual nationals, apparently in response to criticism that it could lead to two types of nationality and to people being stigmatised.
However, the French government has made clear that no-one should be made stateless as a result of the reform, implying that it could only ever be used against people with dual citizenship.
Mr Valls told the BBC last week that France could not live forever under a state of emergency but as long as the threat remained all means had to be used "until we can defeat Daesh (so-called Islamic State).
The reforms include the right to declare a state of emergency under the constitution, which would make it easier for the French government to adopt strict powers such as police raids and house arrests.
The government aims to extend the three-month state of emergency imposed after the November attacks when it expires on 26 February.


Wiltshire boxer Nick Blackwell, 25, says sparring with world champion James DeGale has boosted his training for Saturday's British middleweight title fight with Lancashire's Jack Arnfield.

Blackwell is the defending champion after beating John Ryder in May.
"Sparring with someone better than you makes you feel good," he told BBC Wiltshire.
"I always make sure my training is going to be harder than the fight, and that's what I've done."
On facing Arnfield, Blackwell added: "He's a tall, orthodox fighter. He's going to be awkward."
Trainer Gary Lockett said: "The win over John Ryder was a surprise to many but not to myself.
"I'm looking for Nick to improve again this weekend. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll have far too much in his locker for Jack Arnfield."


A man aged in his 70s has died in a fire at a flat within a sheltered and retirement housing complex in Stretford, Manchester.

The fire was at Wellington House on Sandy Lane at about 16:00 BST on Saturday.
Six firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the property. A man was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said an investigation was under way.
Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust which runs the property said in a statement resident wellbeing and safety was a priority.
Some residents at the complex have been re-housed temporarily, it added.
Chief executive Paul Dolan said:"We send out our condolences to the families and friends of our tenant who has tragically lost his life in the incident.
"We are working closely with the emergency services to establish exactly what happened and to ensure residents can return to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so."


A rising oil price means 2017 can be approached with "cautious optimism" by Aberdeen's hospitality sector, it has been claimed.

Business advisors Grant Thornton said there were "signs of some glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel".
An increased focus on technology and innovation was also said to be key for bringing about a gradual turnaround.
Diana Penny, head of travel, tourism and leisure at Grant Thornton, said it had been a difficult spell.
She said: "2016 has been one of the most challenging years ever for Aberdeen's travel, tourism and leisure sector, but there are signs of some glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel.
"The year ahead will almost certainly present obstacles to growth.
"The risks range from the impact of a potential triggering of Article 50, to continuing fluctuations in the oil and gas price.
"The reason that we have some cautious optimism is largely down to the resilience of the city and wider region's hospitality businesses.
"In difficult times, they've shown a commitment to collaborate and focus on sustainable growth and increased innovation.
"While there remains many challenges ahead, I'm confident Aberdeen's travel, tourism and leisure industry can remain a vital part of the region's economy."


A leading Hollywood film director has criticised government cuts to education programmes that help young people get into the film and creative industries.

Paul Greengrass is best known for The Bourne Supremacy, the 9/11 film United 93 and the Oscar-nominated pirate drama Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks.
He also made films in Northern Ireland about Bloody Sunday and the Omagh bomb.
He spoke out against a proposed 50% cut to Northern Ireland Screen's funding, which will affect creative education.
NI Screen is a government agency that oversees Northern Ireland's growing film and television industry.
It currently provides funding for three Creative Learning Centres (CLCs) - the Nerve Centre in Londonderry, Nerve Belfast and the AMMA Centre in Armagh.
Mr Greengrass directed Jimmy Nesbitt in the Bloody Sunday drama in 2002 but returned to Derry last year as part of its UK City of Culture celebrations.
"The vibrancy, creativity, commitment, inventiveness, and sheer scale of the cultural activity taking place in Derry - particularly amongst young people - was to me breathtaking and inspiring," Mr Greengrass said in a statement to the Nerve Centre.
He added: "Those of us who have had the privilege to be welcomed to Derry and have seen this wonderful city emerge from dark days to stand as a beacon of hope not just for our country but for Europe and far beyond, can only register the strongest protest at the extent of the proposed cuts to the education and film sector in Northern Ireland."
Northern Ireland's power-sharing government is facing very tough financial choices on public spending after the block grant it receives from Westminister was reduced by 1.6%, a cut of about £160m.
Some Stormont departments have been asked to make savings of up to 11%.
Last month, the Department of Culture, Art and Leisure warned the cuts could be severe enough to force the closure of some bodies, as it attempts to save £10m from its £100m budget.
The proposed 50% budget cuts will not only affect the three centres but also the Belfast Film Festival, the Foyle Film Festival, the Queen's Film Theatre and the Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People.
Mr Greengrass said he was concerned not just about the affect on Derry's creative industry but Northern Ireland as a whole.
"Northern Ireland is now an established fixture in the international movie landscape - a place to come and make films, sustained by boundless local talent and ingenuity," he said.
"But we are only at the beginning of the journey to what can be achieved here in terms of jobs and creative opportunities for the next generation.
"We must protect what has been built. And we must continue to develop it," he added.


It was an Anglo-Indian friendship formed in the heat of battle, and it has lasted for three generations to this day.

Manta Singh, from Jalandhar in India, was serving in the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs during the battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915. It was one of the bloodiest battles of World War One, described by one soldier as "a foretaste of hell".
When his friend, Capt George Henderson, was injured in fierce fighting, Subedar (Lieutenant) Singh found a wheelbarrow to carry him to safety under constant firing.
In doing so the Indian soldier was shot in the leg and died later in hospital in the UK from a gangrene infection.
A few years after the war, Capt Henderson travelled to Punjab to meet Manta Singh's son, Assa Singh, ensuring that he was given a job in the same British Indian army regiment as his father.
Over the years Assa Singh and Capt Henderson's son Robert become the best of friends and served together in north Africa during World War Two.
When that conflict ended Assa Singh moved to Britain - with Robert's help - and now the third generation of their families are friends.
Jaimal Singh, the grandson of Manta Singh, and Ian Henderson, the grandson of George, go to Brighton every year to lay a wreath at a memorial to Indian soldiers who died fighting for Britain.
The story of Manta Singh and his descendants is one of several case studies unearthed by British-Indian journalist Shrabani Basu in her new book For King and Another Country.
She has been able to reveal acts of bravery by Indian troops - previously not in the public domain - through painstaking research at the British Library in central London.
"This war was not of their making," Ms Basu says. "The Indian soldiers travelled thousands of miles to fight someone else's war.
"When they arrived in Europe they couldn't tell why the French were fighting the Germans. They couldn't see the difference between them. They were confused as to why the white people were fighting white people."
The author says it is for good reason these men are often called India's forgotten soldiers.
Gabar Singh Negi VC
He died aged 22 in the battle of Neuve Chapelle - one of the biggest battles that the Indians fought as a united corps. Gabar's wife, a 13-year-old child bride, wore his Victoria Cross on her sari all her life until her death in 1981.
Indra Lal "Laddie" Roy DFC
Believed to be the first - and only - Indian flying ace of WW1, he accounted for nine enemy aircraft in 13 days. Shot down in December 1917, he was mistaken for dead by the French and had to free himself from a hospital morgue before being transferred back to England. He was shot down and killed only four months before the end of the war while flying a daring sortie over the trenches in Carvin in France.
Darwan Singh Negi VC
One of the first surviving Indian soldiers to win a Victoria Cross in WW1, he received his award from King George V in France for his role in the defence of Festubert. Asked by the king what he wanted in reward, he asked for a school in the area where he lived. The British-built Darwan Singh War Memorial School has been expanded and still stands in what is now the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
"The overriding image of WW1 is a Tommy in his helmet - nobody knows that standing alongside him in the cold and muddy trenches in France and Flanders were men in turbans - they were Sikhs, they were Pathans, they were Gurkhas, Dogras, Rajasthanis, they were Garhwalis from the foothills of the Himalayas.
"More than 1.5 million men crossed the seas from India and of these 72,000 died.
"I wanted people to know about these soldiers. I wanted their personal stories. What did they think when they came to a cold, damp alien land, whose language they did not fully understand?"
The papers that Ms Basu went through at the British Library not only tell the stories of countless acts of gallantry by Indian soldiers, they also reveal the forgotten suffering endured by thousands of ordinary Indian soldiers.
Out of the thousands of case studies she examined, she says that of Sukha - a trench cleaner and sweeper from what is now the state of Uttar Pradesh - is one of the most compelling.
The cold in the trenches during the winter of 1915 was too much for him and he died of pneumonia in hospital in the southern English village of Brockenhurst.
"But the Hindus in England would not cremate him because he was from a low caste - an untouchable - who was beneath their status," Ms Basu says.
"Likewise the Muslims wouldn't bury him because he was not a Muslim. Sukha was in no man's land in a foreign country rejected by his own compatriots on caste or religious grounds."
In the end the vicar of local church in Brockenhurst stepped forward to offer Sukha a burial place.
"He said that Sukha died for us, we will bury him," Ms Basu said. "Local parishioners raised money for a headstone and he now lies in a beautiful grave in a beautiful part of the English countryside."
Shrabani Basu's book For King and Another Country, Indian Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-18 (Bloomsbury) is available at bookshops


A 21-year-old Swiss champion snowboarder, Estelle Balet, has been killed in an avalanche.

Police said she was caught in the snow slide while filming above the village of Orsieres in the Swiss Alps.
Balet had been freed from the avalanche by the time the emergency services arrived but could not be revived.
Last year she became the youngest ever champion of the Freeride World Tour, winning the women's snowboarding event, and winning it again earlier this year.
In the Freeride World Tour both skiers and snowboarders compete by riding down steep, un-managed slopes. The sport is therefore considered more dangerous than regular skiing and snowboarding.
Balet is reported to have been wearing safety equipment during the fatal accident on Tuesday, including a transceiver to help locate her in the event of an avalanche.
But "despite immediate efforts to revive her, she died at the scene," police said.
"Estelle Balet was a naturally gifted shining star and demonstrated remarkable talent ... bringing home her second title as World Champion just a few weeks ago in Verbier," the Freeride World Tour said in a statement.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Estelle Balet as we send our deepest sympathy and condolences during this very difficult time."


Nigeria's anti-corruption agency has raided the offices of ex-Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the BBC has learned.

The raid was carried out on Saturday by agents from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of a probe into an arms deal, a source said.
Mr Sambo is the most senior member of the former government to be targeted by the EFCC since President Muhammadu Buhari took office last May.
The former vice-president has not yet commented on the raid.
He was believed to have been out of the country when his office in the capital, Abuja, was targeted.
Mr Sambo is not the first ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan to come under scrutiny from the anti-corruption watchdog.
In December, Nigeria's former national security advisor, Sambo Dasuki, was charged over an alleged $68m (Â£47m) fraud. He denied any wrongdoing.
A wider investigation is currently under way into the disappearance of $2bn of government money, which was meant to be spent on the fight against Boko Haram Islamist militants.
The Islamist militant group has killed thousands in north-eastern Nigeria in its six-year campaign.
Mr Sambo served as vice-president for five years, until the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was defeated in elections last April.
Mr Buhari took office with a pledge to tackle corruption in Africa's most populous state and biggest oil producer.


Police are continuing their investigation into the deaths of a British couple who were found dead with bullet wounds in Xalo near Benidorm.

The bodies of Peter and Jean Tarsey, both 77, were found at their villa on Sunday, the Guardia Civil said.
A Spanish police spokeswoman said friends visited the couple, thought to be originally from west London, because they had not been seen for a few days.
The Foreign Office said it was "ready to provide consular assistance".
A Guardia Civil spokeswoman said: "They [the friends] found the door was open and there were no signs of a break-in.
"The couple, who had been living in Spain for 18 years, were found dead with gunshot wounds on the sofa.
"The Guardia Civil is now awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations and investigations continue."
Mr Tarsey was a former British Olympic diver who competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics for Great Britain and represented England at the Commonwealth Games in 1954 and 1958.
Xalo is in the province of Alicante on Spain's south-eastern coast and is part of the Costa Blanca, a popular tourist destination.


There were more first-time home buyers in 2016 than at any time since the start of the financial crisis, according to research by the Halifax.

The lender estimated there were 335,750 first-time buyers last year, the highest figure since 359,900 in 2007.
However, the average first-time deposit has more than doubled since 2007 to stand at more than £32,000.
The Halifax also found the average price of a first home broke through the £200,000 barrier for the first time.
Halifax housing economist Martin Ellis attributed the increase in first-time buyer numbers to continuing low mortgage rates and high levels of employment, which had "supported the market".
"Government schemes such as Help to Buy have improved affordability, enabling more first-time buyers to buy their own property."
The Halifax First-Time Buyer Review estimated that the number of buyers entering the market rose by 7.3% last year and is now 75% higher than the all-time low of 192,300 first-time purchases made in 2008.
However, it still has some way to go to match the peak of 402,800 in 2006.
The average first-time deposit across the UK a decade ago was £15,168, but this stood at £32,321 last year.
Rising property prices also mean that first-time buyers are increasingly taking out longer mortgages.
Last year, 60% of first-time buyers took out a mortgage of 25 years or longer. More than a quarter (28%) took out a 30 to 35-year term mortgage.
Ten years ago only 36% of people getting on to the first rung of the property ladder borrowed for longer than 25 years.
However, there are big regional variations.
While the average price paid by a first-time buyer across the UK as a whole in 2016 was a record £205,170, in London it was nearly double that at £402,692, which was another all-time high.
In the least expensive region, Northern Ireland, the average cost of a first property was £115,269.
The average deposit paid in Northern Ireland has fallen by a fifth in a decade to £16,695, the lowest in the UK.
Meanwhile the average deposit in London has shot up over that time by 276% to £100,445.


The loss of 1,000 jobs at Middlesbrough Council over the next three years is the "best case scenario", mayor Ray Mallon has said.

Up to 1,500 staff could be axed by 2017 due to a funding gap of almost Â£70m.
Mr Mallon said services would be closed and multimillion-pound projects reviewed in an attempt to stop the town "fraying at the edges".
The government said Middlesbrough received more funding than the national average and it should cut wastage.
Mr Mallon outlined the financial situation to councillors at a meeting on Wednesday and said he hoped action taken would "reduce substantially" the number of potential job cuts, but the loss of about 1,000 posts was "the best case scenario".
He said it was a "real shame" staff would be made redundant but insisted the council was "duty bound" to cut spending.
The council has just over 2,500 full-time staff, excluding those in schools.
More than Â£32m of the required savings are necessary due to changes in government funding and the authority is facing an increased demand on care services, Mr Mallon said.
"By 2018 or 2019, 75% of the council's budget will be spent on helping children and the elderly.
"The temperature has been rising for a long time and it's still rising."
Ahead of the meeting, Labour group leader Charlie Rooney said the town was being "devastated" by government cuts.
Conservative group leader Chris Hobson called on the authority to "start doing things differently".
"We've got to start running this council as a business," she said. "We've got to start bringing money in ourselves and thinking about how we can do that."
Mr Mallon will announce a list of specific budget proposals next month.


More than 20 people have been injured in a small bomb blast at a military hospital in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

The explosion happened at Phramongkutklao Hospital, which is used by serving and retired members of the military and their families.
It took place on the third anniversary of the 2014 coup which brought the military government to power.
Police said it was not clear who was behind the blast, which happened in a waiting room by a pharmacy.
"We found pieces of a circuit and a battery, as well as some wires. We'll investigate further but initially we found the explosive had a range of 2-3 metres," the Bangkok Post quoted Deputy National Police Chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul as saying.
Officials said most people had minor wounds from flying glass.
"Eight people were admitted to hospital to observe their condition... among them is one woman who needed surgery because of shrapnel buried in her jaw," AFP quoted hospital director Saroj Keokajee as saying.
Thai newspaper The Nation said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had ordered an immediate investigation into the attack at the hospital, which also treats civilians.
Three years after the armed forces seized power in Thailand, they rule almost unchallenged; the few who have dared oppose the government openly have been detained and charged.
But there have been occasional small bombs, presumed to be in protest against the military. One went off last week close to the royal palace, where preparations are still under way for the elaborate cremation of the late King Bhumibol, who died last October.
The military has succeeded in maintaining order and stability through a sensitive royal succession; but it has done little to address the political divisions underlying the conflicts which preceded the coup.
Three years ago to the day the military ousted an elected government following months of street protests.
Since then, Thailand's military leaders have clamped down on critics, political opponents and free speech.
An election is due by the end of next year. It will be held under a new military-drafted constitution that critics claim only allows for a partial, guided democracy.
Thailand has faced a power struggle since Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted by the military as prime minister in 2006.
He and his sister (who led the government ousted in 2014) have strong support in rural areas, but they are hated by a military-backed urban elite who accuse them of corruption.


A former councillor has been charged with the murder of his wife in France, Derbyshire Police have said.

Stephanie Turtle, 50, who was born in Derby, moved to south west France last year to set up a guest house business with her husband David, 62.
Mrs Turtle's body was found beneath her husband's car at the couple's property in Prayssac, near Toulouse, on 30 March.
A post-mortem examination found she died from asphyxia after being crushed.
David Turtle, who was a Conservative councillor on Bournemouth Council between 2015-16, initially told investigators he had argued with his wife and her death was an accident.
French police have now charged him with murder and he remains in custody.
Speaking at the opening of the inquest in Derby, Det Con Wayne Neal, of Derbyshire Police, said: "The French police are treating the incident as suspicious.
"David Turtle has been arrested and charged in relation to Stephanie Turtle's death and he is remanded in custody.
"The French police are continuing their investigation."
Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Turtle's sister Catherine Seymour, said: "She was hard-working, clever, fun-loving, kind; a lovely person and all of her family and friends are heartbroken."
The inquest was adjourned until June, pending developments in the criminal case.


Footballer Eniola Aluko has spoken publicly for the first time about the "bullying and discrimination" she says she was subjected to by England head coach Mark Sampson.

Media playback is not supported on this device
In her first broadcast interview since details of the controversy emerged earlier this month, the Chelsea Ladies striker - who has 102 caps and scored 33 goals for her country - told the BBC:
Last year, a three-month independent investigation did not uphold any of Aluko's complaints and cleared Sampson and the FA of any wrongdoing.
"If anybody, God forbid, was going through something difficult in the team right now, would they speak out? Judging on what's happened to me over the last few weeks? I don't think they would.
On Monday, the FA strongly denied Aluko's claims, insisting the timing of her being dropped was purely coincidental and that all evidence given to the review remained confidential and anonymous.
It also pointed out that Aluko, 30, failed to co-operate with the independent investigation, and another witness withdrew from the process.
When asked by the BBC why she refused to participate with the investigation, Aluko said: "I couldn't take it seriously. I knew they hadn't spoken to key people."
Last week, the governing body published a summary of the report's findings, in the form of a letter sent to Aluko, written by the barrister who conducted the review.
"I do not consider Mark Sampson held a longstanding negative bias against you based on negative racial stereotypes," it said. "Nor do I consider he subjected you to a course of bullying or belittling behaviour."
But it added there were a "number of areas where certain matters could have been handled better" and cited poor communication.
Sampson said he would be looking to improve his "general communication style", as suggested by the report.
Sampson, 34, is arguably England's most successful boss, guiding the Lionesses to the semi-finals of both the 2015 World Cup and Euro 2017.
Following Aluko's interview, football's anti-racism campaign group, Kick It Out, called on the FA to undertake a "comprehensive and independent review" of the matter.
Aluko says she made her complaint of "bullying, harassment and discrimination" in May 2016 having been asked to participate in a cultural review of all England teams by the FA's technical director Dan Ashworth.
Two investigations then took place.
Aluko - a qualified lawyer - claimed that during a meeting in 2015, Sampson made a "highly inappropriate remark" with "derogatory, racial and prejudicial connotations" to an unnamed player, asking how many times she had been arrested because she was of mixed race. However, the independent review found no evidence to support that allegation and a video of the meeting did not show the comment being said.
Aluko now claims the player has confirmed in writing that the incident happened, but the FA "chose not to speak to the player herself which I think is astonishing". The FA countered that Aluko has refused to name the player.
In her original complaint, Aluko said the decision to drop her from the squad was "retaliatory action" for the concerns she raised.
However, the review concluded she had not been singled out.
Aluko - who has not been selected for England since making her complaint - reached a settlement with the FA, receiving around £80,000. The FA said this was to avoid the threat of an employment tribunal disrupting the squad's preparations for Euro 2017, rather than an attempt to avoid disclosure, and has insisted that Aluko was free to discuss the facts of the case.
Aluko explained she accepted the money as it equated to what she would have expected to receive had she successfully argued her case at an employment tribunal. She says she had initially lodged a claim and was advised by her lawyer that she had a very good case, but a settlement ensured the confidentiality she had always intended to retain.
She also denied that the payment was to stop her speaking out, explaining: "I did not settle to avoid disruption to the European Championships, I settled on the basis of what I felt I would have achieved at a tribunal."
However, Aluko says she is speaking out now because "there are a lot of half-truths out in the public and it's in the public interest to understand the severity of this case and that this isn't something that I decided to fabricate out of the blue".
She added: "It wasn't a bitter, impassioned revenge at the England manager. This was something I was asked to do. I was asked to be part of this confidential exercise."
Aluko also believes her experience may have deterred other players from raising concerns in the future.
"If anybody, God forbid, was going through something difficult in the team right now, would they speak out? Judging on what's happened to me over the past few weeks, I don't think they would," she said.
"That is the most damaging thing about this because if you think of a young player, for instance, who wants to play for England in the future - let's say a young black player - she's going to look at this and go: 'If anything ever happens to me, what happened to Eni Aluko? I can't say anything.' That to me is the most heart-breaking thing.
"I do not think players are going to feel confident sharing grievances with the FA again. That's dangerous, if players feel like they cannot speak out about certain things."
Aluko told the BBC that, under Sampson's management, "things have happened to me and been said to me with the intention to undermine me as a senior player, with the intention to make me feel small and belittled in front of my team-mates".
She added: "I felt that there were pointed instances where certain things were said about me in a derogatory way which were intended to undermine my position in the team or intended to undermine my character or create a perception in the team that gave people the impression of me that was negative."
Aluko describes a team meeting in which Sampson called her "a pain in the arse" after she had scored a hat-trick.
When asked if that was not merely an example of harmless banter, Aluko said: "I think it's malicious because I don't remember anybody else who scored a hat-trick being called a 'pain in the arse'. This is why I allege it is bullying because I go back to the definition that it is targeted behaviour towards one individual."
When asked to describe the effect this had on her, Aluko said: "I was so anxious all the time. I withdrew."
When asked what should now happen to Sampson, she said: "What I am concerned about is, whoever the manager is, not being able to deal with a culture which I believe is bullying, which has bullied certain individuals - particularly me in my case - racial slurs at players, victimisation as a result of a player, me, reporting discrimination."
Aluko says she is concerned by the timing and reasons behind Sampson's decision to drop her from the England squad, despite her being the top goalscorer in last season's Women's Super League.
"I can only state the facts, and the fact is a week before I was dropped from the England team for the first time in 11 years I had given my account of what I felt was discrimination towards me, what I felt was a bullying culture and what I felt was a pattern of behaviour towards me that other individuals had not been through in the team," she said.
"I've suffered a huge detriment. I am only 30 years old. I was planning on playing for England for another four years. So, whichever way you look at it, being a part of that cultural review has potentially cost me my England career."
She says she was told she was dropped because she "wasn't abiding by 'Lioness standards'" - and the example given to her was that she appeared withdrawn in team meetings.
When asked if it is possible that Sampson simply dropped her in good faith, Aluko replied: "I can't answer that question, I'm not Mark Sampson, but it's possible, yes.
"But, I would say, if that is the case and if you're saying to somebody 'you've shown bad behaviour and I'm dropping you for that reason' - and that's a legitimate reason - I would expect better examples than 'you looked withdrawn in a meeting'.
"If you accuse somebody of bad behaviour, you need to come up with better - and, to this day, I haven't been given any examples."
Aluko has now spoken publicly about her allegation that she was subjected to a "racist comment" by Sampson before a match against Germany in 2014 that left her "intimidated and shocked".
"I found myself next to Mark Sampson and he asked me which family members were coming," she said.
"I said: 'I've got family coming in from Nigeria.' And he said: 'Make sure they don't come over with Ebola.' I laughed because I was in shock. I didn't know what to say.
"Now I've been part of many dressing rooms. I'm used to industrial language, used to a bit of banter, a bit of a joke - but that was about my family.
"That comment could have been said to anybody. I believe it was said to me because I am of African descent and my family is coming over from Nigeria at the time."
When asked if she felt it was a racist comment, Aluko said: "Yes, I believe it was and again I go back to the definition. I believe it was an unfavourable comment made to me that made me feel completely shocked and intimidated that was said to me because I'm of African descent."
Sampson vehemently denies saying this.
Aluko says she did not include the allegation in her formal complaint - nor a text message she says she sent to a team-mate referencing the incident in 2015 - because she could not prove it.  However, she insists the FA was subsequently made aware of the claim.
The FA accepted the allegation was included in general correspondence from players' representative body the Professional Footballers' Association prior to the formal complaint, but it was not raised as a formal allegation. Had it been, the FA said, it would have been investigated with the same level of independent scrutiny as other claims.
Aluko says she believes her sport has been too slow to address the issue of racism.
"The problem with women's football is that for so many years we have tried to really give it good press, and talk positively about it," she said.
"But the problem with that is that there becomes a sugar-coating culture where you don't talk about what is actually going on.
"I think because women's football has strived so long to have a positive perception in the media, they shy away from dealing with some of the things that go on.
"We need to deal with it because I don't want this to happen to anyone else again.
"So out of this that's what I hope would happen - better transparency and a better realisation that this might happen again, and when it happens again it needs be dealt with in a better way that it has been dealt with in my case."


David Haye says he has been setting two-hourly alarms to remind himself to eat as he bulks up for his return against Mark de Mori on Saturday.

The former WBA heavyweight champion fights the little-known Australian three and a half years after his last fight - a victory over Dereck Chisora.
"Instead of dieting down I've been packing the food in, eating every two, two and a half hours," said Haye, 35.
"I'm setting alarms to make sure I eat, that the weight doesn't get too low."
Haye says he has reinvented himself since he fought Chisora at Upton Park in July 2012.
Since that night, owing to a hand injury, a cut eye and a career-threatening shoulder injury, Haye has twice withdrawn from fights with Tyson Fury and another date with Manuel Charr, and in 2013 announced he had been advised to retire.
In advance of his comeback, he has also switched his trainer from Adam Booth to Shane McGuigan, while deciding that his former strategy to be as light as possible was flawed.
"In my old training camps, I used to come in around 15 stone - I'd lose a stone just cutting my food down," said Haye.
"The general consensus back then was, the lighter I am, the closer I am to cruiserweight, the faster I will be. That's all well and good, but when you're cutting weight down so low, and sparring big guys, I get injured.
"I'm not as ripped as I was in my last few fights, but it's not a bodybuilding competition. I'm more ripped than [De Mori] though."
Despite being a relative unknown in Britain, De Mori has lost only once in his 33 career bouts.
The 33-year-old Perth-born boxer's last defeat came in 2004, and 26 of his 29 victories have been via knockout.
In his own words, De Mori has "gone from a self-trained guy in my dad's garage with my wife wiping blood from my face to being properly trained".
He says he will not be relying on Haye breaking down injured, and will instead look for victory via a knockout.
"To put yourself in that position, you can't sit around on the outside dancing around and being defensive, you have to engage," said De Mori.
"It's a risky approach, but it's the only approach a guy with my style can take, and that's what I'm prepared for."


Work to create a new tree-lined processional route to a war memorial in Victoria Park could begin in 2016, Leicester City Council has said.

The Â£1.8m scheme would restore the link between the Arch of Remembrance and the park's historic gates, both designed by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Sir Peter Soulsby, the city's mayor, said the Grade I-listed arch and gates are of "national significance".
The revamp should be ready to mark the centenary of the end of World War One.
Sir Peter said: "Over the 100 years [the arch] has rather lost its connection with the magnificent park and gates... I want to restore that connection.
"The Lutyens memorial arch is a monument of great local, and indeed national, significance.
"Along with the park's wonderful gates, the memorial is among the architectural highlights of the city."
Sir Edwin, who died in 1944, also designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall, the Midland Bank building in Manchester and a number of monuments in New Delhi, India.
Historic England said the arch was an "eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events" on the Leicester community.
During the work, the park's existing sport courts and skate park will be overhauled, and the parking area improved.
The city council will receive Â£502,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to repair and refurbish the ornate gates.


North Korea was due to open its first multi-million dollar ski resort on Thursday, but there are doubts whether it will be ready in time.

The resort will have ski runs, ski lifts, resort chalets and sleigh rides.
But its two hotels are little more than empty shells, while the access road is filled with potholes, the AP news agency reported after a visit to the site in September.
There are also questions about who will use the resort once it is completed.
It is estimated that there are only about 5,500 North Korean skiers in a country with a population of 24 million people - equivalent to about 0.02% of the total.
Correspondents say that the Masik Pass ski resort - located  in the secluded depths of North Korea's east coast - is the country's latest megaproject, the product of 10 months of intensive labour.
It is intended to show that Communist North Korea is as civilized and culturally advanced as any other country, despite its reputation for poverty and isolation.
Billboards around the construction site urge workers to finish the job by Thursday's deadline, the 68th anniversary of the formation of the Korean Workers' Party. But the construction has reportedly been delayed by heavy rains and landslides.
"Full attack. March forward. Let's absolutely finish building Masik Pass ski resort within this year by launching a full aggressive war," one sign reads.
The resort is believed to be a pet project of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who reportedly skied when he attended secondary school in Switzerland under an assumed name.
An AP reporter who recently visited Masik's ski runs says that they consist of long stretches of bright-brown dirt dotted with rocks, weeds and patches of stubborn grass. The pistes  cut their way through the trees to converge at the hotel construction site below.
Foundations were still being dug. Two simple lifts were being installed, but neither was working at the time.
Correspondents say that North Korea is eager to build the resort because it wants to win more medals in the Winter Olympics. Sport is seen as a useful way of mobilising the masses and Pyongyang wants to encourage more tourism.
"It will have a big impact on the economy," North Korean Academy of Social Science economist Ri Ki Song told AP.
"We are now trying to build a lot of tourism sites, and skiing is the kind of sport that developed countries enjoy. It will also be a place for our own people to use.''


West Indies drew their rain-affected tour match against Essex as they began preparations for their Test series against England.

Fast bowler Kemar Roach took 5-43 as Essex declared midway through the final day on 185-9.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite (3) fell cheaply and a first-ball duck for Kyle Hope left the Windies on 15-2.
However, Roston Chase (50 not out) and Shai Hope (46) steadied the innings before both sides shook hands.
The tourists begin their three-Test series against England at Edgbaston on 17 August.


A bomb has exploded near a mosque in a Syrian coastal city, killing and wounding several people.

The blast happened on Thursday afternoon in the al-Qa'tour district of the port city of Latakia.
Syrian state news agency Sana said a motorcycle bomb was responsible.
Syrian state TV channel Ikhbariya said it happened as people were leaving prayers. It was not immediately clear how many casualties there were from the bomb, or who carried it out.
Latakia lies in a coastal region that is home to President Bashar al-Assad's extended clan. Until recently, it had been largely spared the violence that has engulfed much of Syria during the civil war.
But dozens of people were killed in nearby cities last month in bombing and other attacks which were carried out by the so-called Islamic State group (IS).


Streets of a village were decorated with pink and yellow ribbons for the funeral an Ariana Grande "superfan" killed in the Manchester terror attack.

Georgina Callander, 18, was among 22 people who died in the suicide bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May.
Hundreds attended the ceremony at Holy Trinity Church in Tarleton, Lancashire.
Attendees wore "a touch of yellow" at the request of her family, who thanked mourners for their "sympathy and support".
Parents Lesley and Simon, with brothers Daniel and Harry, laid flowers in the village before the funeral.
Shops were closed as a mark of respect as the funeral cortege made its way through.
Bishop John Goddard said the service was a chance to "put aside hatred and look to embrace love and hope".
A private burial service was held after the church ceremony.
Ms Callander was described as "beautiful" by friends who said on social media that she was one of the first people taken to hospital after the attack.
She was said to be a huge fan of 23-year-old Grande and was pictured with her in 2015.
The final song played at the service was the US singer's hit One Last Time, which has become an anthem for fans since the attack.
Grande performed an emotional rendition of the song at the One Manchester benefit concert on 4 June.


Millwall dropped out of the League One play-off places as they were held to a goalless draw by Bury at The Den.

Shakers striker James Vaughan had the best opportunity of the first half but when through on goal, Lions skipper Tony Craig made a magnificent last-ditch recovery tackle.
Bury's resolute defence frustrated the Lions as they failed to find a way past in-form goalkeeper Joe Murphy, with the Shakers stopper making a stunning save to deny Jed Wallace in the 51st minute.
Steve Morison thought he had put the hosts ahead in the 68th minute when he finished off a swift counter attack, but his goal was chalked off for offside.
Millwall cranked up the pressure in the latter stages with Byron Webster and Lee Gregory having good chances in front of goal, but Murphy's heroics between the sticks earned Bury a share of the spoils.
The win lifts the Shakers up to 17th in the table, four points above the relegation zone, and maintains manager Lee Clark's unbeaten run away from home.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Millwall 0, Bury 0.
Second Half ends, Millwall 0, Bury 0.
Joe Murphy (Bury) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Callum Butcher (Millwall).
Kean Bryan (Bury) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Millwall. David Worrall replaces Shaun Cummings.
Callum Butcher (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Hallam Hope (Bury).
Attempt missed. Jake Cooper (Millwall) left footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the left.
Foul by Aiden O'Brien (Millwall).
Paul Caddis (Bury) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Callum Butcher (Millwall).
Hallam Hope (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Lee Gregory (Millwall) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt saved. Hallam Hope (Bury) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Callum Butcher (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by James Vaughan (Bury).
Substitution, Millwall. Callum Butcher replaces Ben Thompson.
Attempt saved. Byron Webster (Millwall) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Millwall. Conceded by Cameron Burgess.
Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall).
Paul Caddis (Bury) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall).
Antony Kay (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Millwall. Aiden O'Brien replaces Shane Ferguson.
Jed Wallace (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Corner,  Bury. Conceded by Tony Craig.
Attempt missed. James Vaughan (Bury) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Ben Thompson (Millwall).
Jacob Mellis (Bury) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Paul Caddis (Bury) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Bury. Hallam Hope replaces Ryan Lowe.
Jed Wallace (Millwall) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Paul Caddis (Bury).
Corner,  Millwall. Conceded by Antony Kay.
Corner,  Millwall. Conceded by Antony Kay.
Attempt missed. Jake Cooper (Millwall) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
Corner,  Millwall. Conceded by Joe Murphy.
Attempt saved. Jed Wallace (Millwall) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.


Liverpool could lose its World Heritage status next year over the city's Â£5.5bn waterfront development, Unesco has warned.

It has been on Unesco's danger list for five years but this is the first time a date for removal has been earmarked.
The United Nations' cultural organisation expressed "deep concern" over the Liverpool Waters scheme.
A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said the city has "made great strides" to protect the site.
Liverpool was granted World Heritage Status in 2004 for a parts of the city, including the iconic Three Graces.
Unesco has expressed concerns about development in the area following the approval of Liverpool Waters in 2012, which would regenerate 60 hectares of dockland with apartments and a cruise liner terminal.
In a report ahead of a Unesco meeting next month, the government has been urged to "reverse course and stop the granting of planning permissions which have a negative impact".
The government submitted a conservation report in January that said "no decisions have been taken which are likely to cause harm".
But Unesco said it does not have "appropriate corrective measures" and has asked for a revised report by 1 February next year.
If an updated report is not suitable, Unesco said it will consider Liverpool's deletion from the list at its meeting in 2018.
Campaign group Save Britain's Heritage said this was a final warning for Liverpool.
Henrietta Billings, its director, said: "International heritage status doesn't just put Liverpool on the world stage, it brings cultural tourism, urban regeneration, and sustainable visitor attractions.
"Losing it because of crass planning decisions would be an international embarrassment as well as a hugely costly mistake."
The city council said it will share a new management plan with Unesco at the meeting in July.
"Liverpool is a city undergoing a Â£13bn renaissance and the right balance needs to be found where regeneration and conservation can complement each other," a council spokesman said.
The German city of Dresden is the only location to have lost its World Heritage status.


Newport Gwent Dragons boss Lyn Jones is relishing facing holders Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup.

Dragons, Wales' sole survivors in European competitions this campaign, will travel to English Premiership side Gloucester in the last eight in April.
Gloucester topped Pool 4 with six wins out of six while Dragons were second in Pool 2.
"It's something to look forward to and by then we'll have half a dozen players back from injury," Jones said.
"Gloucester away is a good challenge and we're happy with that draw. It's going to be a tight game.
Jones' side will face Sale Sharks or Montpellier in the semi-finals if they overcome David Humphreys' side at Kingsholm.
Dragons reached last season's semi-finals, where they were beaten by Edinburgh, who lost to Gloucester in the final.
"We're proud and delighted to get through to the quarter-finals for the second year on the trot," Jones added.
"We're really enjoying the competition and we play a lot of good rugby in it.
"There's no better challenge than going to Kingsholm to prove to ourselves and the rest of Europe that we are a good team and we've got good players.
"But until then we've got a lot of rugby to play."
Dragons return to Pro12 action on Friday when they host second-placed Leinster at Rodney Parade.
Jones expects a reaction from his side, who are 11th in the Pro12, following their 38-5 loss to Sale Sharks in the European Challenge.
"We're keen to make up lost ground," Jones said.
"There's a long way to go yet in this league and we've got a lot of rugby to play and we look forward to it."


Worcester Warriors plan to become the third Premiership team to play on an artificial pitch.

The all-weather surface, made by Italian firm Limonta Sport, will be laid in time for the 2016-17 season.
Saracens were the first to use an artificial surface in 2013, followed the next season by Newcastle Falcons.
But Sixways will be the first in the United Kingdom with an organic infill, rather than the more widely used rubber crumb made from shredded car tyres.
"Our pitch is our most under-utilised asset," said Warriors chief executive Jim O'Toole. "It is currently being used for fewer than 100 hours per season.
"The structure of our existing playing surface means that we have to allocate eight to 10 weeks per summer to refurbish it, thus removing the possibility of summertime playing usage or commercial activity.
"This exciting development not only allows us to play more rugby at all levels on our biggest physical asset, but also allows us to establish new commercial revenue streams such as concerts, festivals and other non-rugby events.
"It is a significant investment on behalf of the ownership and is another step in our journey to make the business profitable in the long term."
Limonta Sport, who meet World Rugby guidelines, have installed more than 650 full-size sport fields over the past six years for professional football and rugby clubs all over the world.
Despite suffering their heaviest defeat of the season at Exeter on Saturday, Worcester are now safe from the threat of relegation.
Dean Ryan's side stand 10th in the Premiership, 16 points clear of bottom club London Irish, who have just three games left.
The four-match winning sequence which lifted them clear of trouble included a 15-14 victory over Newcastle on the artificial surface at Kingston Park.
Their only previous experience of an artificial pitch was a thumping 44-20 defeat by Saracens at Allianz Park in May 2014 - on the day the Warriors' most recent relegation from the the Premiership was confirmed.


The founder of anti-virus software maker McAfee has crossed into Guatemala to seek political asylum.

John McAfee has been on the run in Belize following a police investigation into the murder of his neighbour.
Belize officials said the software pioneer was a "person of interest" in the death of Florida businessman Gregory Faull on 11 November.
The American has protested his innocence in an online blog and says he has been "harassed" by police.
Appearing in public for the first time in weeks on Tuesday, Mr McAfee and his lawyer said he would petition the Guatemalan government to stay there.
The multi-millionaire fugitive reportedly checked into the five star Villa Real hotel in Guatemala City after sneaking out of Belize. The hotel told the BBC that he checked out at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT).
He has hired a high-profile Guatemalan lawyer and told reporters: "Now that I'm here I can speak freely, I can speak openly".
"Belize does not have a good track record of providing safety when they ask to question you. I felt much more secure crossing the border," Mr McAfee added.
The 67-year old had earlier revealed that in order to go unnoticed, he changed his appearance by dying his hair and beard, sticking chewed bubble gum to his upper gums to fatten his face and staining his teeth.
Mr McAfee has blogged and spoken to journalists regularly during his three weeks on the run, saying he was writing to publicise the treatment he had received at the hands of the police in Belize.
Gregory Faull was found dead with a single gunshot to the head on 11 November. His Belize home sits next to Mr McAfee's compound on a tropical island.
The US software creator is known to have had a long-running row with Mr Faull about the guard dogs he used to protect his compound.
He denies any involvement in the businessman's death and says he went into hiding so he could stay close to his Belize home and conduct his own investigation into Mr Faull's death, adding that he had little faith that the island's police would find the murderer.
In an interview with US TV station NBC, Mr McAfee offered a reward of $25,000 (Â£15,700) for the capture of the "person or persons" behind the killing.
Speaking through a representative, the Faull family has said that they feel the death of their loved one has been overshadowed by the media frenzy the software pioneer has whipped up.
McAfee has led an eccentric life since he sold his stake in the anti-virus software company that bears his name in the early 1990s.
He moved to Belize about three years ago seeking lower taxes and has lived in semi-seclusion on a heavily guarded compound until recently.


Swedish carmaker Volvo has said it plans to launch a self-driving experiment in China involving up to 100 cars.

Local drivers will test cars on public roads in "everyday conditions", according to a company press release.
The move was announced at an event in Beijing on 7 April, though details of a start date were not provided.
One analyst said he thought China was at the forefront of the development of autonomous cars.
Volvo is owned by a Chinese firm, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.
According to a report from the Reuters news agency, Volvo is now determining in which city to conduct the trials.
"Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety," said Hakan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo.
"The sooner [autonomous] cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved."
"I think people probably don't realise quite how much China's putting into advanced technology in cars," Prof David Bailey of Aston Business School told the BBC.
"Google has had a far smaller number of cars in tests as far as I can work out, so it is significant."
Prof Bailey added that China was both the biggest producer of, and market for, cars in the world.
The country is certainly no stranger to self-driving car tests - in December a driverless car completed a test on public roads in Beijing.
It had been developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu.
Silicon Valley tech giant Google simultaneously announced that it would expand testing of its self-driving vehicles to Phoenix, Arizona.
This will make it the fourth city to host trials of Google's autonomous cars.
"The Phoenix area has distinct desert conditions, which will help us better understand how our sensors and cars handle extreme temperatures and dust in the air," Jennifer Haroon, head of business operations for the Google Self-Driving Car project, told Reuters.
Google recently suffered a hiccup with one of its self-driving cars in California, after it crashed into a bus.
No-one was injured during the incident on 14 February.


Police have made further arrests over the death of a woman who took drugs at a Newcastle nightclub.

Officers say the 18-year-old suffered an adverse reaction and later died, after taking MDMA at The Warehouse in Byker, early on Sunday.
A 19-year-old man was arrested shortly afterwards and another two men aged 19 and 21 were arrested on Monday.
Both 19-year-olds have been released on bail, while the 21-year-old remains in custody.
All three were arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug.
Police have urged anyone who was at the venue on Saturday night and took drugs to see a doctor.
MDMA forms the active ingredient in ecstasy pills.


Shane Sutton says he will contest British Cycling's finding that he used sexist language towards Jess Varnish and that "the evidence will prevail".

The former technical director was found to have used "inappropriate and discriminatory language" towards cyclist Varnish in last week's ruling.
Varnish, 25, said Sutton told her to "go and have a baby", which he denied.
"I will produce the evidence," said 59-year-old Sutton. "Everything comes out in the dirty washing."
He added: "I am quite sure the evidence this time will prevail and I will win."
Australian Sutton resigned in April, having been suspended pending the investigation.
Former European team sprint champion Varnish said she was "relieved" by the ruling, while British Cycling expressed its "sincere regret".
Its report will inform the ongoing independent UK Sport review into the culture of British Cycling's world-class performance programme.
"I can categorically state I never made those comments I was originally alleged to have made," Sutton added.
"I'm pretty sure people will be sitting back going: 'Well, he's going to appeal' - which is going to happen now. I will take it from there."