diff --git a/lib/excellib.class.php b/lib/excellib.class.php
index 5140b943e92..35ccb954ea7 100644
--- a/lib/excellib.class.php
+++ b/lib/excellib.class.php
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class MoodleExcelWorkbook {
      */
     function &add_worksheet($name = '') {
     /// Create the Moodle Worksheet. Returns one pointer to it
-        $ws =& new MoodleExcelWorksheet ($name, $this->pear_excel_workbook, $this->latin_output);
+        $ws = new MoodleExcelWorksheet ($name, $this->pear_excel_workbook, $this->latin_output);
         return $ws;
     }
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class MoodleExcelWorkbook {
      */
     function &add_format($properties = array()) {
     /// Create the Moodle Format. Returns one pointer to it
-        $ft =& new MoodleExcelFormat ($this->pear_excel_workbook, $properties);
+        $ft = new MoodleExcelFormat ($this->pear_excel_workbook, $properties);
         return $ft;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/listlib.php b/lib/listlib.php
index 7facc7b87a8..306da848e16 100644
--- a/lib/listlib.php
+++ b/lib/listlib.php
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ class moodle_list {
                     $newattributes = '';
 
                 }
-                $this->items[$itemiter] =& new $this->listitemclassname($record, $this, $newattributes, $inpage);
+                $this->items[$itemiter] = new $this->listitemclassname($record, $this, $newattributes, $inpage);
                 if ($inpage) {
                     $this->items[$itemiter]->create_children($records, $this->childparent, $record->id);
                 } else {
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ class list_item {
         $this->set_parent($parent);
         $this->attributes = $attributes;
         $parentlistclass = get_class($parent);
-        $this->children =& new $parentlistclass($parent->type, $parent->attributes, $parent->editable, $parent->pageurl, 0);
+        $this->children = new $parentlistclass($parent->type, $parent->attributes, $parent->editable, $parent->pageurl, 0);
         $this->children->set_parent($this);
         $this->display = $display;
     }
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ class list_item {
         if (count($thischildren)) {
             foreach ($thischildren as $child) {
                 $thisclass = get_class($this);
-                $newlistitem =& new $thisclass($records[$child], $this->children, $this->attributes);
+                $newlistitem = new $thisclass($records[$child], $this->children, $this->attributes);
                 $this->children->add_item($newlistitem);
                 $newlistitem->create_children($records, $children, $records[$child]->id);
             }
diff --git a/lib/odslib.class.php b/lib/odslib.class.php
index 99d33c3af50..36ace07ff24 100644
--- a/lib/odslib.class.php
+++ b/lib/odslib.class.php
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class MoodleODSWorkbook {
      */
     function &add_worksheet($name = '') {
     /// Create the Moodle Worksheet. Returns one pointer to it
-        $ws =& new MoodleODSWorksheet($name);
+        $ws = new MoodleODSWorksheet($name);
         $this->worksheets[] =& $ws;
         return $ws;
     }