Defender Joe McNerney hit a second-half equaliser as Crawley maintained their unbeaten record in League Two with a battling home draw against Barnet.

Undefeated Barnet took an early lead through former Crawley striker John Akinde, who also went close on four other occasions in the first half.
Akinde, who bagged 24 goals in 48 appearances last season, took only three minutes to make his mark.
Sam Togwell set up Akinde with a headed pass and he outpaced defender Alex Davey before smashing the ball home.
Akinde then had a goalbound shot parried by goalkeeper Yusuf Mersin, before heading inches wide from a corner by Ryan Watson.
Crawley awoke from their slumbers when midfielder Josh Payne had a 25-yard shot pushed around the post by keeper Josh Vickers.
Akinde, who scored twice against his former club in Barnet's 3-0 win at Crawley in the final game of last season, went close again when he rolled the ball inches wide from a tight angle.
Keeper Mersin parried another goal attempt from Akinde just before the break after a strong run from Alex Nicholls.
Barnet keeper Vickers saved well from Davey and captain Jimmy Smith before defender McNerney levelled midway through the second half from point-blank range, after a shot from James Collins came back off the crossbar.
McNerney was later well placed at the other end to block a goalbound shot from substitute Mauro Vilhete.
Report supplied by Press Association.
Match ends, Crawley Town 1, Barnet 1.
Second Half ends, Crawley Town 1, Barnet 1.
Foul by John Akinde (Barnet).
Joe McNerney (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Barnet. Conceded by Lewis Young.
Corner,  Barnet. Conceded by Alex Davey.
Attempt blocked. Michael Nelson (Barnet) right footed shot from very close range is blocked.
Corner,  Barnet. Conceded by Alex Davey.
Attempt missed. Michael Nelson (Barnet) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Corner,  Barnet. Conceded by Jimmy Smith.
Foul by Joe McNerney (Crawley Town).
Shaun Batt (Barnet) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Mauro Vilhete (Barnet) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Foul by Mauro Vilhete (Barnet).
Joe McNerney (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by Curtis Weston.
Attempt missed. Jason Banton (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Attempt blocked. James Collins (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Bira Dembélé (Barnet) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution, Barnet. Sam Muggleton replaces Alex Nicholls.
Substitution, Barnet. Shaun Batt replaces Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro.
Substitution, Crawley Town. Matt Harrold replaces Enzio Boldewijn.
Alex Nicholls (Barnet) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jimmy Smith (Crawley Town).
Corner,  Barnet. Conceded by James Collins.
Attempt blocked. Mauro Vilhete (Barnet) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Barnet. Conceded by Joe McNerney.
Elliot Johnson (Barnet) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Lewis Young (Crawley Town).
Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (Barnet) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Alex Davey (Crawley Town).
Attempt saved. Mauro Vilhete (Barnet) header from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (Barnet) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Goal!  Crawley Town 1, Barnet 1. Joe McNerney (Crawley Town) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by Josh Vickers.
Attempt saved. Jimmy Smith (Crawley Town) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the top right corner.
Foul by Harry Taylor (Barnet).
Josh Yorwerth (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Crawley Town. Conceded by Josh Vickers.
Attempt saved. Joe McNerney (Crawley Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.


Whoever controls the Mosul Dam, the largest in Iraq, controls most of the country's water and power resource.

When Saddam Hussein built the dam three decades ago, it was meant to serve as a symbol of his leadership and Iraq's strength.
The dam is the latest key strategic battleground in northern Iraq between militants from Islamic State (IS), who took it on 7 August, and Kurdish and Iraqi forces supported by American airpower.
Located on the River Tigris about 50km (30 miles) upstream from the city of Mosul, the dam controls the water and power supply to a large surrounding area in northern Iraq.
Its generators can produce 1010 megawatts of electricity, according to the website of the Iraqi State Commission for Dams and Reservoirs.
The structure also holds back over 12 billion cubic metres of water that are crucial for irrigation in the farming areas of Iraq's western Nineveh province.
However, since its completion in the 1980s, the dam has required regular maintenance involving injections of cement on areas of leakage.
The US government has invested more than $30m (Â£17.9m) on monitoring and repairs, working together with Iraqi teams.
In 2007, the then commanding general of US forces in Iraq, David Petraeus, and the then US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, warned Iraq's PM Nouri Maliki that the structure was highly dangerous because it was built on unstable soil foundation.
"A catastrophic failure of Mosul dam would result in flooding along the Tigris river all the way to Baghdad," they said in a letter.
"Assuming a worst-case scenario, an instantaneous failure of Mosul dam filled to its maximum operating level could result in a flood wave 20 metres (65.5ft) deep at the city of Mosul," it said.
Writing to Congress, President Obama cited the potentially massive loss of civilian life and the possible threat to the US embassy in Baghdad.
Those dangers, he wrote, were sufficient reasons for deploying air power to support Kurdish forces trying to recapture the dam.
Relief in Washington and Baghdad will only come when IS militants, who have sought control of water resources before, have been stopped from using the dam as an instrument of war.
The deployment of air power by the US in support of Kurdish forces has shown how seriously the White House takes the potential threat posed by IS control of the dam.
The Fallujah dam, in the Nuamiyah area of the city, in Iraq's western Anbar province, fell under IS control in February.
However, the group has so far failed in its attempts to capture the Haditha dam, Iraq's second largest, from the army.
The 8km-long Haditha dam and its hydro-electrical facility, located to the north-west of Baghdad, supply 30% of Iraq's electricity. Securing it was one of the first objectives of US special forces invading Iraq in 2003.
With the Mosul dam in its hands, the concern is that Islamic State could "flood farmland and disrupt drinking water supplies, like it did with a smaller dam near Fallujah this spring," wrote Keith Johnson in an article for Foreign Policy last month.
In May, a flood displaced an estimated 40,000 people between Fallujah and Abu Ghraib.
Earlier this month, IS militants reportedly closed eight of the Fallujah dam's 10 lock gates that control the river flow, flooding land up the Euphrates river and reducing water levels in Iraq's southern provinces, through which the river passes.
Many families were forced from their homes and troops were prevented from deploying, Iraqi security officials said.
Reports say the militants have now re-opened five of the dam's gates to relieve some pressure, fearing their strategy might backfire if their stronghold of Fallujah flooded.
In the days after they took over the Mosul dam, militants were reportedly blackmailing frightened workers to either keep the facility going or lose their pay.
Analysts fear the Islamic State could now use the dam as leverage against the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, by holding on to the territory around it in return for continued water and power supply.
The group already controls other key national assets - several oil and gas fields in western Iraq and Syria.
"These extremists are not just mad," says Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Institution's Doha Centre in Qatar.
"There's a method in their madness. They've managed to amass cash and natural resources, both oil and water, the two most important things. And of course, they're going to use those as a way of continuing to grow and strengthen."


Reported crime in London has fallen by 6.2% in the last financial year, according to figures released by the Metropolitan Police.

It said 46,000 fewer crimes were reported, with burglary at its lowest level in 40 years.
The figures show that rape and domestic violence have increased, but, the force said, victims now feel more confident in reporting incidents.
The force has been set a target by the mayor of reducing crime by 20%.
The figures show that:
The force has also changed its tactics towards gang-related crimes, with more emphasis on enforcement and preventative measures.
The force said that during the last financial year, more than 1,400 gang members have been arrested and those involved in gang-related crime were jailed for over 1,270 years.
A further 1,331 gang members are subject to judicial restrictions such as gang injunctions, ASBOs, electronically tagged or managed under License or Youth Referral Orders.
Trident officers have seized more than Â£940,000 in cash and about 330 firearms.
There has also been a 40% increase in officers visiting victims of crime with 203,562 appointments held.
The decrease in reported crimes has been attributed to an increase in "Big Wing operations" - whereby staff across the Met join in on a day of action to target specific areas of crime.
In November, a Met Police whistleblower said police forces were routinely manipulating crime statistics in order to meet targets; however, the force said how it recorded crimes had been audited with a compliance rate of 95%.
But Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe later said there was "some truth" to the allegations, and that an investigation into the claims would report back later this year.


Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said the military would intensify its operations against the country's second-biggest rebel group, the ELN or National Liberation Army.

He said he had given the order after an attack on Monday on a military brigade blamed on the ELN.
He said the country would not be held to ransom by the rebels.
Preliminary talks with the ELN started two years ago during negotiations with the larger Farc rebel group.
The government is hoping to reach a final accord with Farc in the coming months.
President Santos said he had ordered the military "to intensify operations against the ELN and all the forms of delinquency that stem from its presence".
The attack has raised tension as Colombia tried to include the ELN in peace negotiations alongside the Farc.
"The ELN is dead wrong if it thinks that with attacks like this it can smooth the path to peace," the president said.
"If they think it will strengthen their position at the negotiating table, they are totally mistaken."
President Santos launched efforts to convene formal peace talks with the ELN in 2014 without calling for a ceasefire between the group and military forces.
He is demanding that the ELN release two captives as a condition for any peace deal.
Farc negotiators in Havana, where talks have been taking place, say they believe the ELN was ready to start negotiations.
"The ELN cannot stay outside the peace process," said the Farc's chief negotiator, Ivan Marquez.


Leicestershire duo Dan Redfern and Andrea Agathangelou have not been offered new contracts.

Redfern joined the Foxes in 2014 after leaving Derbyshire by mutual consent.
The 25-year-old batsman scored 692 first-class runs at 25.62 and a further 124 runs in white-ball cricket, and also took 15 wickets with his off-spin.
Agathangelou, 25, joined in May and scored 42 not out against Essex to help the team win their first Championship match in almost three years.
Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan said: "We'd like to thank Dan and Andrea for their contributions and we wish them all the very best for the future."


High prices and surging demand have sparked a spate of avocado thefts in New Zealand.

Hundreds have been stolen in bulk from orchards, with thieves using rakes to drag fruit straight from the tree before selling them on.
The fruits themselves are immature this time of year so consumers buying them will have a "very bad eating experience", an industry body said.
In New Zealand avocado sell for between NZ$4-6 (US$2.8-$4.2; Â£2-Â£3) each.
The CEO of New Zealand Avocado, Jen Scoular, described the thefts as small-scale and opportunistic.
"In New Zealand we don't import avocados, and we've had a moderate supply of avocados in the last season and a big increase in demand," she told the BBC's Newshour programme.
"People want them, people know they need them in recipes, so the thieves are thinking maybe we'll be able to get a good price for these avocados."
The thefts have been happening at night, and local police said although they were happening over a wide area they had just one suspect in mind.
"Anything that is going to make them money, they are going to hook on to," Sergeant Aaron Fraser told Stuff.co.nz.


Set against a backdrop of the rise of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government in Westminster and a terrible decline of Scotland's manufacturing industry, it is the turn of the national team to enter the story of Scotland's Game.

The mood in Scotland back in 1986 was, according to the historian Professor Tom Devine, one of "humiliation, bitterness, worry, deep anxiety, insecurity and, perhaps, above all, anger."
In Scotland's football world there was the great sadness of Jock Stein's sudden death on the touchline at Ninian Park in Wales in September 1985. Even now the footage sends a shiver up the spine. Graeme Souness running up the tunnel in panic. Grown men in tears. "Jock had been in a stressful way all day, he looked drawn, he looked grey," says Gordon Strachan, one of Stein's most important players.
Stein stands over episode three like the giant he was. "The guru," as Andy Roxburgh calls him.
What follows is a journey in disappointment, a trip through the near-misses and assorted horror shows at major championships from 1986 to 2016. It's been 18 years since the wheels stopped turning and Scotland started to fade into irrelevance in international football.
There's the angry commentary of Archie Macpherson as the boot boys of Uruguay kicked Scotland out of the 1986 World Cup. "The scum of world football," as Ernie Walker, the behemoth of the SFA, called the South Americans in the aftermath.
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There's the plaintive cries when Juan Cayasso - the Costan Rican who achieved immortality in this country - drives a dagger into Scottish hearts in 1990, a despair that very quickly turned to fury, most of it directed at Roxburgh.
There's the black humour of some of the headlines. "Worst In The World!" "Why Are We So Bad?" "Frankly, We Stink!" And then, more to worry about. The changing face of the world in Russia and Yugoslavia - new nations, new competition.
The Craig Brown era came. The Euros were held in England in 1996 and he was told by the SFA that Scotland had better be there. Not that Brown needed any telling. "(Had Scotland not qualified) I would have been so ashamed and embarrassed," says Brown. "I definitely would have emigrated. It was in England, so you had to qualify."
Scotland hit the wall after the World Cup in 1998. At Hampden, they counted the managers in and they counted them back out again. Brown replaced by Berti Vogts replaced by Walter Smith replaced by Alex McLeish. On it went, the only constant being failure to make it to a major championship.
Well, perhaps, not the only constant, Drama, of a kind, was never far away. Drama and suspicion and rancour. McLeish remains deeply dubious about refereeing motives in a must-win game against Italy at Hampden in November 2007.
Drama, again, in the George Burley era. Terry Butcher was his assistant. "There was a lot of cliques (in the squad)," he recalls. "There was the Rangers group, there was the Celtic group. It was a lot of hard work because you had, with Rangers especially, so many big egos and so many powerful figures."
Steven Pressley, still a Celtic player at the time, was also part of Burley's coaching ticket. "There was players in there from Rangers and other clubs that maybe felt that having a Celtic player on the coaching staff wasn't right," he says.
Pressley is critical of Burley but really trains his guns on Barry Ferguson over the so-called Boozegate episode in 2009, the drinking session between qualifying matches for World Cup 2010 and the infamous V-signs to the media that saw the end of Ferguson's international career.
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"Barry let himself down - the team down - there's no doubt about that," says Pressley. "I think it could've been handled better from within.  Barry's actions were not the actions of a Scotland captain and a top professional."
The managerial door revolved again. Out went Burley and in came Craig Levein - and nothing changed. Levein never recovered from playing a 4-6-0 formation against the Czech Republic in Prague. "It became a stick to hit me with," he says. "When it comes right down to it, I gave them the stick."
And so a new manager came. From Uefa there was good news about an expanded Euro 2016. Twenty four teams would qualify. According to the vernacular of the time, it was almost harder not to qualify than to qualify.
Strachan was the man entrusted with the job of making Scotland relevant again. That dream crashed and burned in Georgia when Scotland suffered a loss that cost them a place in the play-offs.
The wait goes on and the grim landmarks on Scotland's unending road back to a major championship pile ever higher. Strachan's team began the qualifiers for World Cup 2018 with a 5-1 win over Malta backed by a PR campaign that says, 'This Time'.
'This Time' for what? More of the same or a new beginning? The nation prays for the latter. It's been too long. Way, way too long.
The third episode of Scotland's Game airs on BBC One Scotland on Thursday at 21:00 BST.


A second-half equaliser from Yeovil Town striker Tom Eaves saw the Glovers earn a point at Luton.

The forward rose highest to meet a deep cross from Kevin Dawson, sending his header beyond keeper Christian Walton in the 78th minute.
Earlier, visiting stopper Artur Krysiak made a stunning save to deny Glen Rea the opening goal on 18 minutes, wonderfully sticking a hand out to turn his header over the bar.
Luton had the lead on 26 minutes with a wonderful long range shot by Stephen O'Donnell, the defender hammering in from 25 yards.
Yeovil's Otis Khan fired straight at goalkeeper Christian Walton, while the hosts went close to a second, with Jack Marriott denied by Krysiak, Danny Hylton failing to turn in O'Donnell's cross and then Marriott's angled attempt flews wide.
However, with 13 minutes to go, the visitors had the equaliser their play deserved through Eaves' towering header.
Luton almost won it in the closing stages, O'Donnell trying his luck again, but this time swerved narrowly over.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Luton Town 1, Yeovil Town 1.
Second Half ends, Luton Town 1, Yeovil Town 1.
Attempt missed. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Dan Potts (Luton Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dan Potts (Luton Town).
Attempt missed. Jonathan Smith (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Substitution, Luton Town. Isaac Vassell replaces Jack Marriott.
Substitution, Yeovil Town. Omar Sowunmi replaces Tom Eaves.
Attempt saved. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dan Potts (Luton Town).
Attempt missed. Jake Gray (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left from a direct free kick.
Foul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town).
Danny Hylton (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal!  Luton Town 1, Yeovil Town 1. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Kevin Dawson.
Jack Marriott (Luton Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Kevin Dawson (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jake Gray (Luton Town).
Foul by Bevis Mugabi (Yeovil Town).
Jack Marriott (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jonathan Smith (Luton Town).
Matt Butcher (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Danny Hylton (Luton Town).
Attempt saved. Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt missed. Jack Marriott (Luton Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Corner,  Yeovil Town. Conceded by Stephen O'Donnell.
Corner,  Yeovil Town. Conceded by Christian Walton.
Attempt saved. Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Matt Butcher (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Glen Rea (Luton Town).
Corner,  Luton Town. Conceded by Artur Krysiak.
Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stephen O'Donnell (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town).
Substitution, Luton Town. Jonathan Smith replaces Cameron McGeehan.
Corner,  Yeovil Town. Conceded by Stephen O'Donnell.
Attempt blocked. Otis Khan (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked.


The accommodation website Airbnb has delisted a number of its UK hosts in recent weeks but given no explanation to property owners.

Many of the hosts that the BBC has spoken to have had no negative reviews and the owners are unable to appeal.
It is not clear how many of Airbnb's 52,000 UK-based hosts have been delisted, but it could be in the hundreds.
Airbnb said: "We routinely carry out initiatives for quality purposes."
Its answer was insufficient for William, who owns a townhouse built in 1730 in Soho, in London's West End.
He has been renting out a flat at the top of the house through Airbnb since 2013 - until he was told two weeks ago that the property would be delisted.
"We found it a bit insulting," William said. "We really try to arrange the flat to give people a good experience. We provide fresh flowers and breakfast for guests. We take a lot of trouble and we've had uniformly positive reviews over three years."
He received an email from Airbnb on 27 January that said:
"Unfortunately, our systems have shown that the listing mentioned below is not delivering the kind of local hospitality experience guests are looking for.
In line with our Terms of Service, '2-bed Flat in Historic Soho House and 1-bed flat in 1730s Soho house' will be removed from our platform on 9 February 2016.
Please understand that this determination was not made due to a single attribute, but an overall combination of various criteria."
For others, the removal was just as sudden but will have a far greater impact.
Guneep Luther had 14 of his 17 properties on Airbnb delisted with just two weeks' notice.
His rental income of up to Â£45,000 a year was mostly dependent on the California-based company, which is registered for tax in Ireland.
"Initially I had nothing but praise for Airbnb. The website is incredibly easy to use, customer service were very friendly and replied to any questions instantly," Mr Luther said.
"Now, I feel as if Airbnb has completely ruined my business. They have not only left me in the dark, I have many bills to pay for all properties and I employ two cleaners and I am very concerned about their future.
Airbnb are not being transparent in what ever is going on inside the company and I feel this is not fair on hosts or guests as many guests are worried about their bookings."
And some Airbnb forums have been dotted with hosts who have also been suddenly delisted without any clear reasons being given.
But Airbnb says the entire customer experience is central to the success of its offering. Positive reviews lead to more guests trying out the service.  Negative reviews damage the host, the company and the informal "sharing economy" that the travel app Uber has also made famous.
When contacted by the BBC, the company said: "Our mission is to allow Airbnb guests to connect with hosts who provide local and authentic experiences that make cities better places to live, work and visit. We routinely carry out initiatives for quality purposes and adherence to this mission...
"As said previously, this is not unusual or unique. It's routine activity that happens around the world. "
Airbnb was established in 2008 in San Francisco when its founders offered air mattresses as an alternative to hotels and guesthouses to conference attendees in Silicon Valley.
Now it is worth an estimated $25bn and may be about to float on the stock exchange.  If it does list, investors may wish to see the technology giant be stricter on all sources of revenue in future.
"It has unfortunate consequences for people who've been de-listed and there is an opportunity cost of re-advertising a property," according to Paul Maher from Positive Marketing.
"But we have to remember that although it's called the 'sharing economy', it is a business after all.  And for any reason if the business decides to delist you, that's their prerogative."
Airbnb provides a platform for anyone with spare space, houses, chalets and even castles to rent out for a day at a time. The company does not inspect each property but offers a free photography service to hosts.
Guests and hosts both pay separate commissions to Airbnb, on top of the rental fee, and all the money is retained by the company until the guest arrives at the property.
Mr Maher believed that these delistings may be Airbnb trying to get ahead of the game before new regulatory restrictions come into force, including taxes similar to those payable by hotels and guesthouses.
"Slowly the sharing economy is having some of the problems that traditional business faced.  It may be that they are getting very vigorous about revenue streams. And if that involves de-listing some people, that's the consequence," he said.


Former Sainsbury's boss Justin King is to lead an independent review into travel company Thomas Cook after two children died on one of its holidays.

Christi and Bobby Shepherd died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a hotel in Corfu 2006.
Mr King will investigate Thomas Cook's "customer health, safety, welfare, relations and crisis management practices".
The company came under fierce criticism over its response to the deaths.
A criminal trial held in Greece in 2010 cleared Thomas Cook of any responsibility and awarded the firm damages against the hotel's owner.
But in May this year, an inquest jury ruled that the children had been unlawfully killed and said the tour operator had "breached its duty of care".
Thomas Cook was criticised after it accepted compensation of Â£3m for lost earnings and legal expenses relating to the tragedy.
It also told the media it had apologised to Christi and Bobby's parents before the parents had received the message from the company.
It later apologised to the family and gave Â£1.5m to the children's charity Unicef.
Thomas Cook also revealed last month that its former chief executive, Harriet Green, was awarded a bonus worth Â£5.7m, of which she would donate a third to charities chosen by the children's parents.
Justin King spent 10 years as the head of Sainsbury before leaving the company last year.
He will report his findings to Thomas Cook in September.


A County Armagh farmer has been in court accused of assaulting his neighbour, his neighbour's sister and another man.

The court in Newry was told that Michael Bellew, from Drumond Road in Cullyhanna, was videoed during the incident by one of his alleged victims.
A detective said police are searching for two other men seen on the video.
Mr Bellew was charged with causing grievous bodily harm, assault, criminal damage and having a weapon.
Bail was refused and he is to appear again later this month.


England's Joe Marler says he is not a racist, despite calling Wales prop Samson Lee "Gypsy boy".

Prop Marler, 25, faces a World Rugby disciplinary hearing on Tuesday for making the comment during England's Six Nations win over Wales in March.
On the eve of the hearing, he issued a statement saying he would accept any punishment given.
"I'm not a racist. What I said to Samson was out of order and wrong and I am sorry it was said," he added.
"Whatever happens to me I will accept. I'm sorry to anyone who was offended, saying it was 'in the heat of the moment' isn't an excuse but one comment, one mistake, does not make me a racist."
Global governing body World Rugby said Marler's remark "amounts to misconduct and/or a breach" of its code of conduct despite Six Nations organisers already ruling he would not be punished for the comment.
The Harlequins player apologised to Scarlets forward Lee, who is from the Traveller community, at half-time of England's 25-21 win.
England coach Eddie Jones reprimanded Marler, while both Lee and Wales coach Warren Gatland dismissed the comment as banter, although Gatland later apologised for his remark.
The Welsh Rugby Union issued a statement saying it was disappointed with the Six Nations decision not to punish Marler.
Marler was free to play in England's final game, starting on the bench in a Grand Slam-clinching 31-21 victory over France in Paris.


Defender Igor Rossi has left Hearts to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Faisaly Harmah.

The Brazilian-born 27-year-old has been a first team regular since moving to Tynecastle from Portuguese side Maritimo in August 2015.
Rossi was due to be out of contract at the end of the season.
A club statement described the move as "an amazing opportunity for him and his family", adding that they "would not stand in his way".
Rossi is the second defender to leave Hearts this month, following Alim Ozturk's switch to Turkish club Boluspor, while full-back Callum Paterson is out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage and Faycal Rherras will be at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco.
Veteran Northern Ireland international Aaron Hughes has been recruited, along with Lennard Sowah.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


An oil painting thought to have been created by French Impressionist Claude Monet has been proven to be genuine through scientific testing.

A Haystack in the Evening Sun had not previously been authenticated because the work is largely unknown and the artist's signature is covered by paint.
However researchers at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland uncovered the signature using a hyperspectral camera.
It also revealed the date of the work's creation - 1891.
The special camera used by researchers studied the painting's elemental composition by measuring X-ray fluorescence.
That allowed them to "see" below the surface, and analyse the materials used to create the work.
"The camera is principally operating as a scanner, which scans one line at a time," researcher Ilkka Polonen said.
"When the camera is moved using the scanner, an image of the whole picture can be obtained."
An analysis of the pigments and canvas fibres also confirmed the painting was by the Impressionist.
The artwork is currently owned by Finland's Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation, which acquired it in the 1950s through a London art broker.
The institution said the authentication means the artwork is the first Monet painting to be held in a Finnish public collection.


A former school head teacher has been charged with a number of sexual offences against adults.

Graham Hardy, 64, of Blackfriars Place, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, has been charged with six historical sexual assaults and one count of rape.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between 2009 and 2016, West Midlands Police said.
Mr Hardy, who is the former head of Calthorpe Academy, Birmingham, will appear before magistrates on 17 March.
More from Birmingham and the Black Country


After prolonged debate during the referendum, Whitehall has been busy since polling day trying to work out the implications of Brexit - including how the NHS could be affected.

A period of uncertainty over political leadership after the announcement that David Cameron would quit has not made the mandarins' lives any easier. One familiar and important issue has bubbled up to the surface again - NHS finances.
The fraught task of finalising the Department of Health's accounts for the last financial year is close to completion. Sources indicate it's touch and go as to whether the department kept to its spending limit agreed by parliament for the health service in England.
An overspend would be a serious breach of Whitehall protocol and lead to senior officials being hauled over the coals by the National Audit Office.
Ministers and the leadership of the NHS in England are determined to demonstrate they have got a grip on the finances. To that end, a major initiative is planned involving commitments by all trusts in England to stick to agreed spending limits.
The regulator, NHS Improvement, under pressure from the government, is straining every sinew to bring down the Â£2.4bn total deficit racked up by trusts in the last financial year. Putting finance directors' feet to the fire and extracting pledges to stay on budget has been the priority in recent weeks.
The NHS financial announcement is likely next week and could well come on the same day as the publication of the Department of Health accounts. The government line will be that running up unplanned deficits and risking breaches of limits set by parliament will be no longer acceptable.
At a conference organised by the Reform think tank, the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt talked of the need to "restore financial discipline".
He said that trusts should not assume there was a choice between maintaining patient care standards and controlling their finances and that the two were not incompatible. Mr Hunt argued that the hospital trusts with the best ratings by the Care Quality Commission tended to be those with the lowest deficits.
But announcing commitments to prudent spending is one thing, delivering them is another.  Once winter and the second half of the financial year arrives, the pressures will mount.
It's hard to see what sanctions can be applied to trust managements who feel they have to go over their agreed budgets to meet relentlessly increasing demand for patient care.
At some hospital trusts, the inevitable consequence of sticking to agreed spending totals will be longer waiting lists.
Looking longer term, the referendum has raised more questions about the sustainability of NHS finances.
The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, has called for politicians from either side of the referendum campaign to ensure that pledges for a better funded NHS made during the campaign are delivered. But it will be harder to hold out the begging bowl to the Treasury.
The Health Foundation think tank has pointed out that the public finances will be under even greater pressure with economists revising down short-term economic growth forecasts in the wake of the Brexit vote.
Anita Charlesworth of the Foundation made the point that when the economy sneezes the NHS catches cold and that the service's finances were already "in a truly dire state".
Ministers argue that the government has already made a significant commitment to funding above the rate of inflation for the NHS at a time when other parts of Whitehall are being severely squeezed.
They say that making better use of resources, through greater efficiency, is well within the capability of most trusts. But as the NHS celebrates its 68th birthday, the question marks over financial sustainability are perhaps as big as they ever have been.
How things will look when the service celebrates its landmark 70th anniversary is anyone's guess.


New security guidance is being sent to every church in the UK following the murder of French priest Father Jacques Hamel by suspected Islamist militants.

The organisation National Churchwatch is advising that all church buildings should have CCTV.
A single public entrance that can be slammed shut against attackers and personal attack alarms for key personnel are also advised.
Churches in smaller villages are at greater risk of attack, it warned.
The advice states: "If someone produces a weapon during a service (and this will usually be a knife or blunt instrument) then you will need to get people out of the church. Do not let them just sit there and watch what is going on.
"They are at risk. It only takes seconds for someone to stab a large number of people as we have seen in various attacks around the country.
"Think about how you would get the congregation out. This is especially important in larger churches where the children may be separated from their parents in a Sunday School."
National Churchwatch's director, Nick Tolson, said eight clergy had been murdered - all in knife attacks - since 1996.
He said the risk of an attack had risen since the murder in July of Father Hamel, who had his throat cut when two men stormed his church in a suburb of Rouen, northern France, during Mass.
"My experience tells me it won't be a large church or cathedral," he said.
"It'll be a small church where there's not much around and the police are a long way away."
The Church of England said it had not heard of any reported instructions to clergy to wear regular clothes.
"We do not know of any instruction or advice for clergy not to wear dog collars," said a spokesman.
Christian leaders have said clergy should never resort to disguise.
The leader of Coptic Orthodox Christians in the UK, Bishop Anba Angaelos, said: "While potentially making us targets our visible presence is needed as reconciling, peaceful resilience for the world."
The Anglican archdeacon of London, the Venerable Luke Miller, said: "Clerical dress in public is a sign of our mission of the Prince of Peace. We must not be terrorised out of it."


Four dead puppies have been found dumped in a field in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish SPCA believe the animals may have been the victims of the puppy farming industry.
An undercover officer with the animal charity said they believed the pups were aged between six and 12 weeks and they were possibly a Spaniel breed.
They were discovered by in a field next to a layby on the A77 between Cairnryan and Ballantrae on 18 November.
Warning: there is a photo of the dead puppies further down this story. Some people may find it disturbing.
The Scottish SPCA officer said: "The A77 is the main link between Scotland and Northern Ireland, which is where the majority of puppy farm suppliers are based.
"The central belt of Scotland is also where the majority of potential customers are."
Earlier this year a BBC Scotland investigation exposed the illegal trade.
The officer added: "We suspect they were part of a shipment from Northern Ireland and tragically died during the ferry journey before being callously dumped.
"We are currently awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.
"Anyone with information is being urged to contact our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999."
The Scottish SPCA has urged people to be vigilant if they buy a puppy this Christmas.
The officer said: "Trading puppies from puppy farms is an abhorrent practice and those involved have no regard for the welfare of the animals involved.
"We are very concerned that many people will be unwittingly supporting the puppy farming industry this Christmas by buying from unscrupulous breeders and sellers.
"The pups are often bred and kept in poor conditions, resulting in disease and infection.
"While the puppy may appear fine when purchased, problems usually begin to show shortly afterwards, by which point money has already exchanged hands and the seller is long gone."
The charity issued the following advice on buying a new dog:


The future of a cow saved by a crowd-funding campaign has been secured after a sponsor agreed to fund its keep.

Jean Jeanie, an eight-year-old Dexter cow, was "adopted" by Derbyshire woman Trisha Boyko who "fell in love" with her after walking past her field.
But struggling to meet costs, Ms Boyko raised ??3,500 online and called her "the people's cow".
Now Cornish accountant Martin Sands, who saw the news story, has agreed to pay ??65 a month for ongoing keep.
Mr Sands said it was "not a normal thing" for him to sponsor a cow as he did not have a particular interest in animals.
But he said Jean Jeanie was "a really beautiful cow" and he was overwhelmed by her story.
"Some of her sponsors had promised income for 12 months and then dropped out, so I promised to fund her for 12 months - probably longer."
The cow was spotted alone in a field by Ms Boyko who, after hearing she might be destined for market, purchased the animal.
The 52-year-old made a Facebook page for Jean, short for the cow's registered name of Mooridge Jeanie, which attracted donations.
"She lit my days up and I'd like to think I cheered her up. She's got a lovely character, she's really gentle, she's lovely.
"She is the people's cow," she added.
Ms Boyko said on her Facebook page that Jeanie and her Cornish sponsor got along well: "I am pleased to say he was most impressed to meet the beautiful Jean and she was on her best behaviour."
She added the cow was "so much better than this time last year - what a difference a year makes".


Russia has banned three athletes for four years each as a result of retested samples taken at the 2008 Olympics.

Anastasiya Kapachinskaya, Inga Abitova and Denis Alekseyev tested positive for banned substance Turinabol.
Kapachinskaya claimed silver in the women's 4x400m relay, while Alekseyev took bronze in the men's 4x400m.
Their medals had already been reallocated by the International Olympic Committee, with Great Britain set to receive bronze in both events.
The GB women's quartet - Christine Ohuruogu, Kelly Sotherton, Marilyn Okoro and Nicola Sanders - finished fifth but have moved to third as a result of both third-placed Russia and fourth-placed Belarus being disqualified due to subsequent failed tests.
The men's four - Andrew Steele, Robert Tobin, Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney - moved from fourth to third when the IOC stripped third-placed Russia of their medal in September.
The Russian Athletic Federation has now handed out its own discipline to the three athletes, who each admitted their guilt to world governing body the IAAF.
In addition, Kapachinskaya tested positive for stanozolol and her retested sample from the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu also came back positive.
Abitova, who came sixth in the women's 10,000m in Beijing, was the only one of the trio whose offence did not see medals reallocated.
British Athletics is now in possession of medals that can be presented to the men's 4x400m team.
A ceremony could be held at the World Athletics Championships in London in August or at the Anniversary Games in the same city a month earlier.
But, as the World Championships is an IAAF event, the IOC would have to give permission for any presentation to take place as Olympic medals fall under their jurisdiction.
British Athletics does not have possession of medals for the women's 4x400m team yet as legal proceedings are ongoing regarding athletes in their race.
Sotherton is also due to receive a heptathlon bronze from the 2008 Games after being upgraded, while Goldie Sayers was also moved up to third place in the women's javelin.
Both are also waiting on legal proceedings to conclude before their medals can be handed out.
The IOC is retesting hundreds of stored samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics using improved testing techniques.
Russia was accused in a World Anti-Doping Agency report last year of state-sponsored doping. Its athletics team was barred from last summer's Rio Olympics and remains banned.


Relegated Wolves are to follow the example of neighbours West Bromwich Albion by appointing a head coach, in the wake of Dean Saunders' sacking.

"The board has decided it wishes to appoint a head coach as opposed to a traditional first-team manager," said chief executive Jez Moxey.
Albion have had great success since appointing Roberto Di Matteo as their first head coach in June 2009.
And Wolves hope that switching to a similar structure will also pay off.
Albion's decision similarly came in the wake of relegation, in their case from the Premier League.
Working alongside sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth (now the FA's director of elite development), Di Matteo won promotion back to the Premier League in his first season in charge and, although he was then sacked in February 2011, Roy Hodgson kept the Baggies up and then led them 10th last season before moving on to become England boss.
Steve Clarke has maintained that momentum to guarantee another top-10 Premier League finish.
Now, after removing four managers in 15 months, while becoming the first-ever side in English football to twice descend from the top flight to the third tier in successive years, Wolves are looking for a similar blueprint to bring stability back to Molineux.
It remains to be seen whether the new man will be responsible for sorting out the club's retained list, notably the future of the 13 out-of-contract players at the club, including injured top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Stephen Hunt, Christophe Berra and Danny Batth.
But, without putting any timescale on the selection process, Moxey and owner Steve Morgan are handing the initial responsibility to Kevin Thelwell, promoted from academy manager to head of football development and recruitment in December.
"Kevin Thelwell will be responsible for leading the recruitment process," said Moxey.
"He will carry out the required preparatory work and make recommendations on candidates for the board to consider for interview.
"It is, of course, vital that the recruitment process is successful.
"This is an opportunity for us to build a stable foundation on which we hope to create a successful future based on smart recruitment, youth development and attractive football.
"The head coach will be responsible for bringing on-field success to the first team and will work with, and lead, our other football professionals to implement a new football strategy and philosophy for the club as a whole."
Most bookmakers currently have Kenny Jackett, who left FA Cup semi-finalists Millwall on Tuesday, and former Molineux midfielder Darren Ferguson, whose Peterborough United side accompanied Wolves down to League One, as the two leading contenders.
But Wolves could have another option a lot closer to home in ambitious Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis.
Davis led the Alex to promotion to League One via the play-offs in May 2012, after just seven months in charge, leading to him being interviewed for the Burnley job back in October.
His Crewe team then went on achieve mid-table security in his first full season in charge, even having a brief flirtation with a play-off place, as well as enjoying a return trip to Wembley to lift the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
And, perhaps most importantly, the Sandwell-born former Birmingham City and Burnley defender is also a Wolves fan, well versed in the history and traditions of the club.


Twitter users often complain the site is addictive and time-consuming.

But according to Saudi Arabia's top Muslim cleric, Twitter is "the source of all evil and devastation".
Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, made the comments on his Fatwa television show earlier this week.
"If it were used correctly, it could be of real benefit, but unfortunately it's exploited for trivial matters," he said about the social networking site.
"People are rushing to it thinking, 'It's a source of credible information' but it's a source of lies and falsehood."
As the highest religious authority in the country Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh holds a senior government position, advising on the law and social affairs.
He was also voted the 12th most influential Muslim in the world in a recent poll.
He said users were using Twitter to "promote lies, backbite and gossip and to slander Islam".
According to Gulf News, he said: "These are not the high morals that Muslims should have and I call upon all people to contemplate seriously what they write before they post their tweets."
However, citizens of Saudi Arabia, who are some of the heaviest users of Twitter, did not appreciate his remarks.
"This is why I will repent, and close my account to distance myself from this great evil," one Twitter user wrote with apparent sarcasm.
"Respected sheikh, how can you judge something without using it?" another post asked.
One of the reasons Saudis say they like using Twitter is because it allows them to discuss what they really feel.
The hashtag #WhydidTwittersucceedinSaudiArabia began trending in January, with users sharing their reasons they liked the site.
One user tweeted: "People need an outlet to express themselves, to start to disclose what's hidden and drop the masks, without fear or commands, or censorship from anyone."
Another posted: "The reason is that none of the newspapers are concerned with your worries nor do any officials care about you."
Saudi Arabia adopts a strict version of Sunni Islam, which is the largest branch of the religion. The other main group are the Shia.
The split into two happened more than 1,000 years ago when a dispute began over who should lead the Muslim community.
Strict Sunnis believe in segregation of the sexes and this influences all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Mercedes apologised to Lewis Hamilton for what they admitted was the strategic error that cost him victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.

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Hamilton was leading when he was called in for fresh tyres during a late safety car period, dropping him to third.
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: "The answer is we got the maths wrong.
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"That one goes on the team and I apologise. He's a great leader and a great driver. I am sure he will understand sometimes we make errors."
The mistake handed victory to Hamilton's team-mate Nico Rosberg and also cost Hamilton a position to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
It cut the world champion's advantage in the championship over Rosberg to 10 points.
Hamilton was visibly distraught afterwards, but refused to blame the team for the error.
After crossing the finish line, Hamilton slowed to a stop at the Portier corner - which faces out to the Mediterranean Sea - seemingly to gather his thoughts.
He then completed the lap and drew up to the podium, where he knocked over his 'third place' parking board with the front of his Mercedes.
Wolff said the error was made because of concerns that the tyres on the Mercedes were losing temperature and that they might be vulnerable in the event Vettel stopped under the safety car for fresh tyres.
The decision was made more difficult, he said, because the GPS tracking system that shows the positions of all the cars on track was not available in Monaco.
"We thought we had a gap which we didn't have when the safety car came out and Lewis was behind the safety car and the calculation was simply wrong.
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"We expected to have a couple of seconds more."
Wolff refused to say who had made the final decision to pit Hamilton, who exited the pits almost side by side with Vettel, but had to cede position because the Ferrari got to the designated marker line fractionally ahead.
"It was the team's decision," Wolff said. "We are all in this together, we make decisions together and it is not one person to blame and we win and lose together and that is clear.
"From a common sense overview, disregarding the data I agree it looks like a risk. But we have to follow the data; that is how the sport works. But the simple answer is the numbers were wrong."
Full race results


Who is the first player to score a double hundred in a one-day international?

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More often than not, the answer given would be India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 200 in 2010. Since then, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Martin Guptill and Chris Gayle have all posted a double ton.
However, not many are aware that the first player to hit a double century in one-day cricket is actually a female player. Former Australia batter Belinda Clarke scored 229 not out in a World Cup match in India, way back in 1997.
This shows the lack of awareness about the women's game even in a cricket crazy country like India.
India's women cricketers have had their share of struggles ever since females started playing cricket at a professional level in the 1970s.
A cursory look at India's current women's team reveals how most of them come from humble backgrounds and have faced social pressures, but have made it big in the national team.
India captain Mithali Raj, a veteran of 164 one-day matches, brings a certain calmness and confidence to her team.
Mithali is only the second batter to score 5,000 runs in women's one-day internationals after England's Charlotte Edwards.
She told BBC Hindi: "When we travel with big sports kits, most people ask us if we are hockey players. They still can't fathom that we might be cricket players.
"My grandparents had huge issues with me playing cricket. It is a rough game where you slog it out in the sun. They used to wonder who will marry me if I get tanned. My aunts were also a problem.
"But my parents were very supportive. They absorbed all negativity so that I could concentrate on cricket."
The younger players coming from small villages and towns have similar stories of will triumphing over lack of facilities and discrimination.
"Initially I used to play cricket in the local mohallas or streets," said bowler Ekta Bisht, who belongs to a sleepy hilly town of Almora. "I also started playing in the boys team for my university.
"When I used to get a wicket, the rest of the boys would tease him that a girl got you. Sometimes, boys used to pass comments, but my coach always told me to ignore them."
With a sheepish smile and a glint of pride in her eyes, she added: "He used to say that one day when you join the Indian team, they will automatically shut up."
Things were even worse in earlier decades.
Diana Edulji, a former India captain and one of the poster girls of Indian cricket in the 1970s and 80s, said: "When we played, men often used to pass snide remarks that we are more suited for the kitchen rather than being on the ground. Often we used to play without a match fee.
"Once we had to travel to New Zealand for the World Cup and the women players were asked to pay £100, which was a huge amount in those days.
"Thankfully, the chief minister of my state came to our rescue and paid for us. Many times we used to travel unreserved in trains and sleep on the floor in dormitories.
"While men's cricket underwent huge changes in the 80s and 90s, we were just languishing."
In 2005, the International Cricket Council passed a directive to all its members to merge with their women's cricket boards. After much reluctance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India finally took over women's cricket in India.
Since then, women's cricket has seen a couple of changes, with players getting central contracts and better facilities.
But pundits say that a lot remains to be done.
"If you compare the match fees, women get paid a pittance as compared to men in India," said cricket journalist Sunandan Lele.
"Women's cricket needs promotion at the school level. Women players come from small towns and villages just like India men's captain MS Dhoni. There is a lot of raw talent."
India's women reached the World Cup semi-final in 2009 and the last-four stage at the 2010 World T20 and are hopeful of replicating that on home soil this time around.
The women's final will be played on the magical venue of Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on the same day as men's final.
If Mithali lifts the trophy on 3 April, many believe it could be a tipping point for women's cricket in India, just as the unlikely 1983 World Cup triumph was a catalyst for the men's game.
"I may sound over-optimistic but I think the next 10 years belong to the Indian women cricket team," said India coach Sunita Sharma.
She has one complaint. though.
"Why can't these youngsters get off their mobile phones and social media and have some fun together after practice?"


European aircraft maker Airbus is planning to ramp up production of its A320 following a profitable third quarter earnings.

Airbus increased revenue by 6% in the third quarter to €14bn (£10bn; $15.4bn) compared with €13.3bn the year before.
The company benefited from the strong dollar and growing sales across all its products.
Airbus plans to increase production of its A320 to 60 a month in 2019, from 42 now, capitalising on growing sales.
Shares in Airbus rose 4.6% in early trading following the news.
The company's order intake increased 42% in the first nine months of 2015 compared with a year earlier. Airbus did €100bn in sales of commercial aircraft and  €4bn of helicopters sales.
The firm also announced a €1bn share buy back to be completed by mid-2016.
Airbus said the increased production of A320s would help off set some of the issues it has had delivering other aircraft.
In a statement, chief executive Tom Enders said "We are strongly focused on programme execution given our key operational challenges with the A350 and A400M ram-ups."
Airbus has struggled to keep up with demand for its A350. Both the A350, and the  A400M military aircraft, have carbon fibre structures that improve fuel efficiency.


Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion have been charged with misconduct by the Football Association.

The charge follows Saturday's Championship game at the John Smith's Stadium, which Burton won 1-0 thanks to Jackson Irvine's stoppage-time winner.
The FA allege that, on approximately 88 minutes, both clubs "failed to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion".
Both the Terriers and the Brewers have until 18:00 BST on 7 April to respond.


Monks at Pluscarden Abbey in Moray are warning their peaceful way of life will be threatened by a possible route for a new dual carriageway.

Preliminary options for a new stretch of the A96 road between Forres and Fochabers run close to their retreat near Elgin.
Transport Scotland said it was at an early stage of assessing the route possibilities.
However the monks claim running close to the abbey would be a "catastrophe".
Brother Michael de Klerk told BBC Scotland of the possible route: "We couldn't quite believe it, it seemed extraordinary.
"If we are actually living by it, we would find it hard to absorb it, the noise would be day and night.
"The valley is quiet - you can hear a cow lowing. You would just hear a constant whirr of traffic."
Father Giles, who has been at the abbey for more than 40 years, said: "The are a lot of monasteries on the continent where they got railways running through and it has just destroyed the place.
"People come here for peace. Why destroy the peace here, it's just daft."
Transport Scotland said it would be two years before the final A96 corridor option in question was decided, and it would be engaging with local communities.
The aim is to improve journey times and road safety between Aberdeen and Inverness by 2030.


Scientists at Cardiff University believe adding protein to human sperm could help improve male fertility.

The process can kick-start its ability to fertilise an egg and dramatically increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, the School of Medicine said.
Scientists hope to produce the protein and use it to stimulate egg activation in a completely natural way.
It could offer hope to couples undergoing IVF treatment by improving their chances of conceiving.
Professors Tony Lai and Karl Swann found that sperm transfers a vital protein, known as PLC-zeta (PLCz), to the egg during fertilisation.
This protein starts a process called egg activation, which sets off the processes necessary for an embryo to develop.
During their research, the team discovered eggs that do not fertilise because of male infertility can be treated with the active protein.
The added PLCz kick-starts the fertilisation process and significantly improves the chance of a successful pregnancy.
"We know that some men are infertile because their sperm fail to activate eggs. Even though their sperm fuses with the egg, nothing happens," said Mr Lai.
"These sperm may lack a proper functioning version of PLCz, which is essential to trigger the next stage in becoming pregnant."
Mr Swann added: "In the future, we could produce the human PLCz protein and use it to stimulate egg activation in a completely natural way.
"For those couples going through IVF treatment, it could ultimately improve their chances of having a baby and treat male infertility."


Two men have been arrested on suspicion of supplying software for use by computer hackers.

The suspects, both aged 21, were arrested at 19.30 BST on Thursday at separate addresses in Southport.
Computer equipment was seized and electronic devices were forensically examined at the properties in Moreland Drive and Old Park Lane.
The men will be questioned at separate police stations on suspicion of committing cyber-crime offences.
The investigation was led by the North West regional organised crime unit Titan supported by the National Crime Agency (NCA), Europol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The suspects were kept inside the properties while Titan officers examined various electronic devices using a mobile cyber forensic lab provided by Europol.


Millions of people have been casting their ballots across the UK as voting enters its final hours.

Polls close at 22:00 BST with results from the first constituencies expected before midnight and the final result due on Friday afternoon.
After six weeks of campaigning and debate, people have been casting their vote at around 50,000 polling stations.
There are also more than 9,000 council seats being contested across 279 English local authorities.
Mayors will also be elected in Bedford, Copeland, Leicester, Mansfield, Middlesbrough and Torbay.
During Thursday morning political leaders visited their local polling stations.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Labour leader Ed Miliband, Greens leader Natalie Bennett, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Conservative leader David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood all cast their votes.
In Northern Ireland DUP leader Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness in Northern Ireland have voted, as have SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell, Alliance Party leader David Ford and Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt.
A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 50 million people registered to vote.
The weather has been dry and mild across much of the UK, with isolated showers in some parts of the north of England.
The local votes taking place mean that nearly every voter in England - excluding London where there are no local elections - will have been given at least two ballot papers when they enter polling stations.
Some votes had been cast before Thursday through postal voting, which accounted for 15% of the total electorate at the 2010 general election, when the overall turnout was 65%.
For the first time, people have been able to register to vote online.
Most polling stations are in schools, community centres and parish halls, but pubs, a launderette and a school bus are also being used.
Polls close at 22:00 BST, but officials say anyone in a polling station queue at this time should be able to cast their vote.
The BBC's main election programme, fronted by David Dimbleby, starts at 21:55 BST, with live coverage from 220 counts.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will have their own overnight programmes but will join Huw Edwards from 07:00 BST on 8 May.
On the radio, a joint overnight broadcast by BBC Radio 4 and 5 live will be hosted by Jim Naughtie and Carolyn Quinn.
Full coverage of the results as they come in will be on the BBC politics online live page and front page scorecard, with all the big breaking stories from around the country and analysis by correspondents.
Share your polling day pictures and stories here.  You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk to share your experiences.
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The former head of Anglo-Irish Bank Sean Fitzpatrick has been declared bankrupt by the High Court in Dublin.

His lawyers said that he was "bowing to the inevitable" after failing to reach agreement with creditors, including his former employer.
Mr Fitzpatrick owes 110m euros after a series of investments in Anglo-Irish shares, which became worthless following its nationalisation.
It is understoood his assets are worth 70m euros less than his liabilities.
Under the Irish system, somebody who cannot fully repay remains bankrupt for 12 years compared to as little as one year in the UK.
Such an individual must hand over assets to a court-appointed official who can sell them to reimburse creditors.
The official can also apply to the courts to appropriate some of the pension or income of a bankrupt person.
Mr Fitzpatrick built Anglo-Irish to become what appeared to be one of the biggest success stories of the Irish Republic's boom years.
However its business model, which involved lending huge sums to a small number of property investors, was exposed as fatally flawed by a collapse in property prices, caused by the credit crunch.
The bank was nationalised in 2009 and has so far cost the Irish taxpayer 22bn euros.
Mr Fitzpatrick was forced to step down from the chairman's role a month before nationalisation.
He left in disgrace after admitting hiding from the bank's shareholders 87m euros of personal borrowings he had taken from Anglo between 2000 and 2007.
He hid the loans from public view by moving borrowings to another bank before the end of the financial year.
Mr Fitzpatrick has been cast as one of the villains of Ireland's economic crisis.
In October 2008, at a time when the Irish government had committed itself to a huge guarantee for the Irish banking system, Mr Fitzpatrick gave a radio interview in which he refused to apologise for his bank's role in the crisis.
He later called for the government to consider tackling the "the sacred cows" of universal child benefit and state pensions.
Mr Fitzpatrick was also a critic of what he believed was excessive regulation of Irish banks.
A recent official report into the roots of the Irish banking crisis found that part of the problem was that regulation was so lax.
It described the approach taken by the Central Bank and the regulator to the banks as "timid", "excessively deferential" and "accommodating".


Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray says he has no problem with Corry Evans playing for Northern Ireland despite the midfielder being injured for the past two months.

Evans is expected to be named on Friday in Michael O'Neill's squad for the World Cup qualifier with Norway in Belfast on 26 March.
The 26-year-old has been sidelined since 2 January because of a chronic groin problem.
Evans has started his country's last two World Cup qualifiers.
New Rovers manager Mowbray made it clear there would be no club-versus-country row if Evans were to face the Norwegians.
"I don't really get involved in the international set-ups. What I do know is footballers like to play for their countries, they want to play for their countries," he said.
"If he gets called up, there will no problem. If anything it will be a benefit if he gets some game time and some intense training to build him up.
"He has trained with us for almost a week now. I would have to say he looks a very talented footballer, my type of footballer. He picks really lovely passes, he's got quick feet and a really good appreciation of the football.
"He needs to get fit. If he gets called up, there will no problem."
Former Celtic boss Mowbray was appointed Blackburn manager on 22 February, succeeding Owen Coyle.


The end of children's heart surgery in Leicester could be the "death of paediatric services" in the East Midlands, the unit's former head said.

NHS England is to stop the service at Glenfield Hospital because it says it does not meet the required standards.
Giles Peek, now a professor of paediatric heart surgery in New York, said Glenfield supported every hospital in the region.
Campaigners, who thought the unit's future was safe, vowed to fight on.
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NHS England's decision came as a shock to health bosses in Leicester after it was announced last year that the service would move to a new children's hospital in the city.
Glenfield Hospital was told it does not meet the standards set in last year's New Congenital Heart Disease Review and is "extremely unlikely to be able to do so" in future.
Mr Peek, who has campaigned in the past to save the Glenfield unit, said: "I think this is going to be almost a death knell now for paediatric services in the whole of the East Midlands.
"The services at Glenfield support specialist paediatric services at the [Leicester] Royal Infirmary and in all hospitals in the East Midlands."
Mr Peek also questioned the impact on other services provided by Glenfield Hospital, particularly Ecmo - an advanced heart and lung machine.
Leicester is the largest Ecmo centre in Europe and carries out about half of all procedures on children in the UK, Mr Peek said, so the NHS England announcement is likely to have national consequences.
John Adler, chief executive at University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) - the trust that runs Glenfield - said ending children's heart surgery was also likely to affect its intensive care unit.
"There is a national shortage of beds for children in intensive care," he said. "We have a paediatric intensive care associated with the heart surgery and that is very likely to be destabilised by the announcement of these changes.
"We are quite clear that things will be made worse."
Dr Jonathan Fielden, a director of NHS England, said while it would mean some patients travelling further than they previously needed to, the care provided would be safer in the long-term.
"As a responsible commissioner - before any safety or quality issues arise - we need to act with providers and make sure we plan care for patients in the right place," he said.
"We do not believe that [Leicester] has the numbers currently or likely into the future to sustain the high quality that we need."
Ashleigh Woods, whose six-year-old son Jack has had open-heart surgery four times at Glenfield, said: "We nearly lost him two years ago and he will need a heart transplant eventually.
"This has come as a massive shock. Where do we go? Birmingham is such a long way to go, it's risking your child's life."
The report also details plans to stop some complicated procedures in Nottingham such as repairing holes in the heart or widening arteries.
Andrew Staniforth, head of service for cardiology at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said the changes were not an "indication of unsafe practice".
"While today's decision is disappointing, we will continue to work with NHS England to ensure services are sustainable and meet the needs of the people we serve."


A British soldier killed on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, has been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Private Gareth Bellingham, 22, from Stoke on Trent, of 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, was shot while on patrol with Afghan troops in the Nahr-e Saraj district on Saturday.
He was described as an "extremely hardworking and committed Warrior who was wholly respected".
The number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan stands at 374.
Private Bellingham's parents Leslie and Suzanne said he died doing the job he loved.
"We are all proud of the job he did. He will be sadly missed by family, friends and all those who knew him. Rest in peace," they said in a statement.
Lieutenant Colonel Giles Woodhouse, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, said Private Bellingham's death was a "tragic loss to the Battalion".
"Pte Bellingham was one of those soldiers that you had to have in your section; fearless, utterly professional, a prankster and a loyal friend who never let you down; quite simply he was a force for good.
"Observing Private Bellingham before deploying on a patrol with his Afghan Army partners with whom he had developed a genuine affinity, I can understand why they fought so hard to save him when he was mortally wounded.
"That his death has affected our partners as deeply as it has all the soldiers from the Battalion is testament to the high esteem in which he was held," he said.
The soldier had been been deployed from his base on Saturday with C Company Tactical Headquarters and Number 3 Tolay (Afghan National Army) in the Upper Gereshk Valley.
The troops were conducting a patrol to assess the situation on the ground and meet the local population who had recently returned to compounds in the area.
Colonel Jens Riis-Vestergaard, Commanding Officer Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North) said Pte Bellingham's "conduct, professionalism, confidence and good nature helped reassure and protect a population in harms way".
"Typical of his unit, fighting to keep others safe, he was an excellent soldier who will be desperately missed by all in Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North)," he said.
Lance Corporal Rob Davis, Section Commander, C Company, 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Staffords) said: "Bell, as we sometimes called him, was the morale within our Section.
"He was never afraid to tell anyone 'how it was' and was the life and soul of the party.
"He was always whinging, but in a way that always cracked us up. He was a top bloke and a good soldier."
On Saturday, two other soldiers, who died in separate incidents on Thursday, were named as Corporal Lloyd Newell and Craftsman Andrew Found.


Cornish Pirates want the Rugby Football Union to review the amount of funding they give to Championship clubs.

A new deal this summer will see sides in English rugby's fully-professional second tier receive around £500,000 of central funding from the RFU.
"We gratefully accept the increased funding form the RFU," Pirates chairman Ian Connell told BBC Sport.
"But we believe that funding is still short to meet the ambitions and objectives that we've jointly set."
The league is seen a key part of the development of future top-flight and international players and coaches, with seven of England's squad that beat France to secure the Grand Slam having spent time at clubs in the Championship.
Connell's opinion is backed up by his outgoing director of rugby Ian Davies.
The Welshman has been forced to leave the club this summer due to cost-cutting measures, having helped coach Pirates to a British and Irish Cup victory in 2010 and back-to-back Championship play-off final appearances in 2011 and 2012.
"The RFU have got to realistically look at it because it could kill the game," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.
"You can't have clubs struggling every year, and there's a couple of Championship clubs who we believe are struggling financially and are on a knife-edge, and that's not professional sport.
"They're quite happy to laud the fact that a high percentage of the England team that played in the Six Nations had come through the Championship - well fund it."
But Connell does accept that clubs must also try and increase their revenues.
While league leaders Bristol have had an average attendance over 6,500, that is 4,000 more than the next best club, Yorkshire Carnegie. Eight of the clubs in the 12-team league average less than 2,000 supporters to every match.
"If they are to continue to be professional outfits and to be a pathway for aspiring players to go into he Premiership and Team England then Championship clubs have to be properly financed," he said.
"If you want to have a vibrant, professional second tier, I think clubs need to generate revenues of about £2m a year from all sources - sponsorship, membership and central funding."


Prince Harry was made honorary head of a Nepalese village when he joined a remote community to spend the night with a Gurkha family.

Villagers from Leurani crowned Harry with a pheta - a white turban-like head-dress.
The prince went to the village to experience life with people in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Earlier he imitated the movements of a tiger when he visited a national park, setting off an automatic camera.
BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said Bardia National Park is home to between 50 and 100 tigers, together with elephants and rhino.
"Sadly that's a combination of wildlife which is a magnet to the unscrupulous greed of the poachers," he said.
"Harry and his brother William are keenly interested in the efforts to curb the trade in illegal animal parts - tiger skins, elephant tusks and rhino horns fetch big prices from dealers and customers in South East Asia.
"Harry was briefed on the efforts the park is making to combat the poachers and he met some of the Nepalese army units who patrol the park."
The prince had hoped to see big cats during his visit, on day three of a five-day trip to Nepal, but camera traps designed to capture the animals' nocturnal movements remained blank.
Instead, he was asked to walk like a tiger to see how the camera traps work.
Harry hunched over and shuffled past the cameras, which are placed next to tiger droppings, causing a flash to go off.
He was then shown by his guide from Nepal's National Trust for Nature Conservation the laptop to which footage from the cameras is sent.
The prince reacted to a picture of a tiger walking past the spot where he was standing, saying: "That was here? Amazing."
Harry, who is on his first official visit to Nepal, has already met survivors of the earthquakes in April and May last year, which killed nearly 9,000 people.
He has also discussed climate change with Nepal's president and visited sites hit by the quakes.


Livingston beat Brechin City 3-0 to replace the Glebe Park side at the top of Scottish League One.

The match was referee Bobby Madden's first since undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer.
Brechin's loss meant Alloa could have moved second, but they were only able to draw at home to Albion Rovers.
Airdrieonians went fourth by beating East Fife, Peterhead overcame Stranraer and bottom side Stenhousemuir defeated Queen's Park.
After a goalless first half at Glebe Park, Livi took control with strikes in quick succession by Liam Buchanan and Jackson Longridge, while Shaun Byrne added a late third.
In Clackmannanshire, there were no goals between Alloa and Rovers, who dropped to fifth.
Airdrie needed only one goal against the Fifers, Andy Ryan's early header, but both sides ended with 10 men.
East Fife's Jonathan Page received two bookings, while visiting substitute Sean McIntosh was dismissed late on for a challenge on Kevin Smith.
Stranraer also lost a man to two yellow cards, Willie Gibson sent off before Rory McAllister and Scott Brown fired in goals for Peterhead.
The gap at the bottom is down to one point after Stenny won 3-0 at Hampden.
Mark Gilhaney's shot put them ahead in the first half before Queen's Park's Gregor Fotheringham was sent off after fouling Ally Roy in the box.
Colin McMenamin converted the resulting penalty before Roy struck the visitors' third.


Hybrid buses that automatically switch from diesel to electric power in areas with poorer air quality are to be trialled in Bristol.

The city has been given a £1m grant from the government to buy a number of hybrid buses, to coincide with its year as European Green Capital.
Bristol City Council will launch a competition to select a bus operator to begin the trial in the summer.
The exact areas of the city the buses will operate in has yet to be decided.
The new diesel-electric hybrid buses will use "geo-fence" technology - which uses GPS or radio frequencies to define and recognise geographical boundaries - to automatically switch to zero emissions when entering particular areas of the city.
The "trigger zones" will be set in places with poorer air quality and the council will use the data collected to evaluate the benefits for the city environment.
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said the ground-breaking trial would "make a real difference in improving people's lives in Bristol".
"The DfT's £1m funding will provide greener buses to help tackle poor air quality across the city," she said.
Bristol Mayor George Ferguson said it was "perfect timing" for the city to test such advanced technology.
"We need to exploit these new technologies to help us reach a future where we can all enjoy cleaner air, and a healthier future," he said.
"Air quality improvements improve health and bring a higher standard of living which will contribute further to Bristol's reputation as the most liveable city in the UK."


As Australia woke to news that another prime minister had lost his job mid-way through a parliamentary term, views were divided within political circles about what Malcolm Turnbull's ascension to the top post would mean for the country.

Mr Turnbull on Monday ousted Tony Abbott 54 votes to 44 in a late-night party room ballot, promising a new economic vision for Australia.
On Tuesday, interests groups - everyone from gay marriage supporters to climate change advocates - were lining up to push their case to Malcolm Turnbull.
Here's how some players reacted to the news:
Western Australian Liberal Premier Colin Barnett: "To topple an elected and serving prime minister in his first year in office is nothing to be proud of."
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie: "Australia now, after two years of the coalition being in government, is now open for business. Certainly, as long as the policies change along with the leader then there's a good chance we'll get Australia back on its feet."
Independent senator John Madigan: "The new prime minister may have the support of the party room but he doesn't have a mandate. Now it's time to put it to the people."
Opposition Labor Leader Bill Shorten: "Australia doesn't need another Liberal leader - we need a change of government, and Labor's up for the fight. Australians know that with Malcolm, it will always be about Malcolm."
Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt: "A new PM. A chance for a new direction on climate change? Or has [Turnbull] made promises to deniers to get the gig?"
News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch: "Sad to see such a decent man as Abbott toppled. Now Turnbull needs a November election before Labor sacks Shorten."
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Officer, Kate Carnell: "Mr Turnbull has a track record in business ... We hope to see Mr Turnbull continue with efforts to repair government finances, fix the problems of federation, undertake critical tax reform and advance the cause of free trade."
Australian Marriage Equality director Rodney Croome: "This is the first time in Australia's history that both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have supported marriage equality, giving us an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the reform."
Leichhardt MP and Liberal Warren Entsch, who introduced a gay marriage private member's bill to parliament earlier this year told AAP he didn't think Mr Turnbull would overturn a party room decision to have a national vote on marriage equality rather than a free vote in parliament.
Chair of the national committee of the Australian Republican Movement, Peter FitzSimons: "The Republican Movement now looks to Malcolm Turnbull to complete our nation's journey towards independence."


Animal campaigners have appealed for information after 11 hamsters were found abandoned in a shoebox in a layby near Dunblane.

Three adult hamsters and eight babies were found in the Nike shoebox off the A9 near the Perthshire town at about 08:30 on Friday.
Four of the babies had died, but the others were rescued and are in the care of the Scottish SPCA.
Animal rescue officer Lauren Graham said dumping them was "very cruel".
She said: "The hamsters were abandoned in a Nike shoebox which had sawdust, bedding and food inside.
"Sadly half of the litter had died but we are hopeful the survivors will make it.
"Abandoning these hamsters in a layby was very cruel. There was no guarantee they would be found and it would have been really distressing for them."
Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, and anyone found guilty of doing so could be banned from keeping animals.


A teenage girl has appeared in a Mexican court in a custody case filed by a US woman, weeks after another girl was wrongly sent to America.

Alondra Diaz was in the court in the western Michoacan state to confirm her identity and consider DNA tests.
This comes after a video emerged showing another girl, Alondra Luna Nunez, being taken against her will by police to the US.
DNA tests later revealed the mistake and the girl was returned home.
Alondra Diaz appeared in the court in Los Reyes on Tuesday.
Mexican officials are now expected to conduct DNA test to confirm whether the girl is indeed the daughter of Dorotea Garcia - a Houston resident who filed the case.
The case dates back to 2007, when Mexico received Ms Garcia's request to help return her daughter who was allegedly taken by her father to Mexico.
Last month's video of Alondra Luna Nunez resisting police after she was seized in her school on court orders spread widely on social media, prompting protests.
She was reportedly mistakenly identified by a scar on her nose.
"The other girl had a scar, but on the eyebrow, and I have one on my nose," Alondra Luna Nunez told the Associated Press.
"I mean, all this was stirred up over that."


Hospital bosses have admitted causing the death of a patient who was sent home and told her deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was a ligament injury.

Joan Hawes, 77, went to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in July thinking her leg pain might be a blood clot.
Medics sent her home with painkillers after diagnosing a ligament injury. The next morning she was found dead.
Coroner Simon Milburn ruled Mrs Hawes died of natural causes as deep vein thrombosis had not been detected.
Mrs Hawes was assessed by a triage nurse when she arrived at the hospital and blood tests were ordered, Huntingdon Coroners' Court heard.
However, during a later examination, she was told the pain in her knee was caused by a ligament injury and the tests were cancelled.
She was discharged with painkillers and advised not to climb stairs.
The coroner heard Mrs Hawes had spent the night downstairs. In the morning she was found unresponsive by her 84-year-old husband Terrence, who called 999.
A paramedic who went to their home confirmed she had died.
Read more on this and other Cambridgeshire stories
Solicitor Amanda Cavanagh said the family received a letter on Tuesday from the trust which accepted "liability and causation in the death of Mrs Hawes".
"The family are understandably deeply distressed at what has happened to Mrs Hawes, an otherwise fit and healthy woman," she said.
"They were looking to the inquest for answers, and in some respects this admission by Addenbrooke's will go some way to provide them."
In a statement after the inquest, a spokesperson for Cambridge University Hospitals said a formal apology had been offered to the family.
"An investigation was carried out to make sure lessons could be learned from what happened to Joan and a detailed action plan has been put in place to improve the way deep vein thrombosis is recognised and treated," the statement said.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that usually develops within a deep leg vein that runs through the muscles of the calf and the thigh.
It is a serious condition and can lead to complications such as a pulmonary embolism.
Symptoms include pain and swelling in one leg, a heavy ache and warm, red skin on the back of the leg below the knee.
If left untreated, about one in 10 people with DVT will develop a pulmonary embolism, which can be life-threatening as it prevents blood reaching the lungs.
Both DVT and pulmonary embolism require urgent investigation and treatment.
Each year, DVT affects about one person in every 1,000 in the UK.
It is most common in the over-40s, as well as with people who have prolonged inactivity, are pregnancy or obese.


Myanmar's President Thein Sein, a former general, may go down in history as the man who led "irreversible change".

He made the pledge to the UN General Assembly in New York in 2012, saying Myanmar (also known as Burma)  was on a path from which it would not backtrack. His visit to the United States was the first by a Burmese leader in 46 years.
Thein Sein, 67, took office in March 2011, after the country's first election in 20 years in November 2010. Since then, he has led a process of reform in Myanmar, ruled for decades by a military junta of which he was a key member.
Under his administration the government has freed hundreds of prisoners, including political detainees, embarked on peace deals with ethnic minority groups and relaxed media censorship.
He has been welcomed cautiously onto the world stage, despite warnings from critics that many key tests remain for Myanmar's reform process.
This warning was echoed in November 2014 by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who said that the pace of reform had stalled.
Born in a small village in the delta of the Irrawaddy river, in an area now known as Ngapudaw township, Thein Sein was from a humble background.  His parents were farmers, he said.
He graduated with an arts degree from Burma's military academy in 1968 and rose steadily through the ranks in his 40-year career.
He reached the leadership circle in the 1990s when he became a member of the State Peace and Development Council, as the junta called itself at the time.
He was made first secretary of the council after the downfall of former intelligence chief General Khin Nyunt in 2004. Thein Sein also chaired the National Convention, which drafted the country's new constitution.
When the previous prime minister, Soe Win, fell ill, Thein Sein was made acting prime minister in May 2007.
Confirmed in the post in October that year, he became the public face of the regime, representing it at Asean and UN meetings. He served as prime minister for four years.
In April 2010, like many other top junta officials, he swapped military uniform for civilian garb to form a political party.
It was Thein Sein who applied to register the United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which dominated the elections in November 2010 and has sweeping control of the parliament.
Analysts said at the time that his appointment was orchestrated by junta leader Than Shwe, who needed an acceptable face to front the country's transition.
"He won't rock the boat," said Aung Zaw, editor of the Thailand-based Irrawaddy magazine, speaking when he took office.
"He is not a fire-breathing dragon, so he doesn't pose any threat to Than Shwe, who will continue to exercise absolute power."
But once he took office, Thein Sein's government began a process of change that surprised his critics.
He met freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who subsequently chose to bring her NLD party back into the political process, having boycotted the November polls.
The NLD contested by-elections which were deemed by observers to be largely free and fair.
Over the years since her release Thein Sein appears to have developed a good working relationship with Ms Suu Kyi.   Media reports made much of the fact that he met her, congratulated her on receiving the US Congressional Medal of Honor and referred to her as a Nobel laureate publicly.
Known to be quiet by nature, Thein Sein has engaged more with international media.  He began a steady push for the West to lift sanctions, something he said was a necessity for democracy to thrive and the lives of Myanmar's people to improve.
"There is a quiet determination to him, he is quiet and soft-spoken but will not flinch from a question posed to him," Vijay Nambiar, the UN's top adviser on Myanmar, told Bloomberg.
Asked in a BBC interview whether he was afraid he would be swept away by the winds of change like Mikhail Gorbachev after the fall of the Soviet Union, Thein Sein answered: "I would like to say that Gorbachev and I are not alike, I tell you that.
''We are not making reforms because I want to. We are merely responding to the people's desire for reform. Therefore my future depends on the people and their wishes."
But he was clear that the military would always have a key role in politics. He also made no apology for its past actions, such as imprisoning dissidents and activists.
"They were acting on their beliefs and we were acting on our beliefs," he said. "Everyone was working for the country in their own way."


Sam Oldham believes he has improved as a gymnast before his return to the Great Britain team after a two-year competitive absence.

Oldham, 24, won team bronze at the 2012 London Olympics but missed out on selection for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
He is part of an all-changed GB men's line-up for this week's European Championships in Romania.
"It was incredibly tough missing out on Rio but that probably made me hungrier," Oldham told BBC Sport.
"My priority in this competition is the high bar and, going by my training, I feel my routine is better than it ever has been."
Oldham, who has won three European high bar silver medals, will first compete in Wednesday's qualifying.
He is joined in Cluj by Courtney Tulloch, James Hall and Frank Baines, as well as two first-time inclusions, Joe Fraser and Dom Cunningham.
Fraser, a first-year senior at 18 years old, and Hall, will aim for all-around honours, while the others target individual apparatus.
At 21, the new English champion Hall will make his competitive debut, having been reserve at the Rio Olympics as well as the 2015 World Championships.
"I've been working to actually compete for the last few years and it's great to finally get there," Hall said.
"I want to be noticed and get myself established. This will hopefully give the national coaches a chance to see how I can compete on the big stage."
In the women's competition, Ellie Downie, the 2015 European all-around bronze medallist, will again aim to add to her already impressive medal collection.
The 17-year-old is one of three members of the GB women's squad from Rio 2016 competing in Romania, along with her elder sister Becky and Claudia Fragapane.
Alice Kinsella completes the quartet after Georgia-Mae Fenton's late withdrawal.
"I'm getting used to it now and I'm looking forward to it," the younger Downie sister said.
"I'm hoping to make the all-around final and maybe the vault final too.
"A lot of Olympians decide to take a step back [the year after the Games] but me and Claudia are pretty young and after about a month's break I wanted to get back on that stage.
"Becky also saw it as a year of opportunity to get back out there and get more medals."
Find out how to get into gymnastics with our special guide.
Fragapane, the 2015 European floor silver medallist, also returns to international competition after her stint on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.
"It feels really good to be back. I've been training hard and I'm now ready to go," said 19-year-old Fragapane, who will compete on beam and floor.
"I got silver on the floor at the British Championships [in March] but I've made some upgrades since then and I'm hoping they come good in Romania."
Women's qualifying takes place on Thursday, with both sets of all-around finals coming on Friday, while the weekend is devoted to individual apparatus medals.


If you need a lie-in at weekends to make up for lack of sleep in the week, you may be at risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, a study suggests.

The sleeping habits of 522 people found those losing sleep on weekdays were more likely to develop the conditions.
The findings, shown at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, suggested increasing sleep could help patients.
Experts said the findings were interesting and called for the idea to be tested in large trials.
Studies have already shown that shift work can rapidly put healthy people into a pre-diabetic state.
The action of throwing the body clock out of sync is thought to disrupt the natural rhythm of hormones in the body, leading to a host of health problems.
But the pressures of work and social lives mean many people cut their sleep during the week and catch up at the weekend. Researchers are investigating whether there is a health impact.
The study, by a team at the University of Bristol in the UK and Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, assessed "sleep debt" - a measure of the difference in the nightly hours asleep on weekdays and at the weekend.
"We found that as little as 30 minutes a day sleep debt can have significant effects on obesity and insulin resistance," said Prof Shahrad Taheri from Weill Cornell.
He added: "Sleep loss is widespread in modern society, but only in the last decade have we realised its metabolic consequences.
"Our findings suggest that avoiding sleep debt could have positive benefits for waistlines and metabolism and that incorporating sleep into lifestyle interventions for weight loss and diabetes might improve their success."
The study was funded by the UK's Department of Health, where 10% of healthcare budgets are already spent on treating diabetes.
The disease can lead to blindness, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as damaging nerves and blood vessels - dramatically increasing the risk of a foot needing to be amputated.
What the researchers do not know is the impact of improving people's sleep so they get more on a weeknight and do not need a weekend lie-in.
Dr Denise Robertson, a senior lecturer from the University of Surrey, commented: "This work is interesting and consistent with prospective data found in healthy individuals without type 2 diabetes.
"However, before this association between sleep length, obesity and metabolic status can be used in terms of public health we need the next tier of evidence.
"To date there have been no randomised controlled trials where sleep debt is addressed and a metabolic benefit is observed. However, the potential for such interventions to impact on health is great."