Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after two children found dead in house

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after two children died in Stafford.

Staffordshire Police said officers were called to a home on Corporation Street at about 7.30am on Sunday by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, the force spokesperson added.

They were later named by police Meraj Ul Zahra, aged two, and Abdul Momin Alfaateh, three.

Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers.

A force spokesperson added a 43-year-old woman, from the Stafford area, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: “We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

“We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

“We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is wider threat to the public at this time.

“A cordon is currently in place at a home on Corporation Street.”

Anyone with any information that could help with the investigation is asked to contact police on 101, or through the live chat facility on the website, quoting incident number 147 of October 12.

To report information anonymously, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111.

Sally Wainwright’s new drama Riot Women is glorious

In the process of killing herself, Beth (Joanna Scanlan) finds she’s interrupted by a series of urgent phone calls. First, her brother, protesting plans to buy an annuity for their mother, and then, mercifully, her friend Jess (Lorraine Ashbourne) asking whether she wants to join a rock band. “Why?” she asks. “For fun,” Jess replies. And so begins Riot Women, the latest chapter of Sally Wainwright’s televisual diorama of life in the Calder Valley.

Joining depressed teacher Beth and lonely publican Jess on their crusade into a territory usually occupied by “men of a certain age” are a series of local misfits. There’s recently retired copper Holly (Tamsin Greig) and her dour sister Yvonne (Amelia Bullmore), as well as Holly’s young protégé Nisha (Taj Atwal). “We sing songs about being middle-aged and menopausal and more or less invisible,” Beth tells a bemused salesman at the music store. “And you thought The Clash were angry!” But the band is missing one thing: a lead vocalist. That’s where Kitty (Rosalie Craig), a volatile addict who’s recently been arrested by Holly, steps in. She has the pipes, but she needs somewhere to kip – so she ends up bunking with Beth. As the music brings them closer, the two women strike up an unlikely, and deeply connected, friendship.

Riot Women forms the third chapter of a loose trilogy, in which Wainwright has turned Hebden Bridge and its wild environs into a distinctive canvas for British drama. There is a shared DNA here: Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley were starkly different in tone, but both took strong female protagonists and showed them reasserting control over a society that, all too often, marginalised them.

And this is the crux of Riot Women. The characters feel forgotten by personal and professional structures that prioritise men and only value women for their youth. “Let’s start a riot,” the theme music roars. “We won’t be quiet!” It makes explicit a manifesto that has always been latent in Wainwright’s work. From Nicola Walker’s resilient widow Gillian in Last Tango to Sarah Lancashire’s redoubtable detective Catherine in Happy Valley, nobody has managed to make middle-aged women more visible than Wainwright.

She’s aided here by a stellar cast, who deliver her signature tripping dialogue with confidence. At the centre of all things is Scanlan’s Beth, a woman who inhabits a duality: she is both extremely resilient and fundamentally fragile. Scanlan has long been a superb supporting presence on British TV, and Riot Women feels like a rare opportunity for her talents to take the lead. Beth is vulnerable and powerful, and Scanlon plays both sides of the character beautifully. It balances with Craig’s more flamboyantly emotional performance. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in the world,” Beth deadpans to Kitty. “I wonder what made me walk into yours?”

There are notes of narrative convenience about their relationship, but that doesn’t dilute the impact. As for the music, it’s best to go in with a high tolerance for cringe. “Poor little manchild forced to suffer because apparently I’m just like my mother,” Kitty warbles. It might not be Patti Smith, but it’s no worse than the latest Taylor Swift album. Riot Women – as they call the band – celebrate the subversive act of being “a rebellious suburban badass bitch”, which comes across as more than a little twee. But while the show might well be marketed as The Full Monty meets School of Rock, while the drama unfolds – and these women’s lives become more rounded – the music becomes more of a backdrop. A thread to connect these seemingly disparate people.

In its setup, Riot Women feels a bit obvious. These women, abandoned by their husbands (“men are just wired wrong,” Jess observes) and children, reclaiming their voices through music. But Wainwright has always known how to take a simple story – an interfamily saga or a cop drama – and tell it so dynamically, so charismatically, that it is elevated. Like its characters, Riot Women takes its time to come into its own – but, when it does, it is full-throated and glorious.

What it’s really like being a female journalist covering the Taliban

When a “former” UN-sanctioned terrorist comes to your city for a hush-hush visit – complete with red carpet treatment and a tour of the Taj Mahal – it makes for one hell of a story. Even more so when he’s part of a regime that oppresses millions of girls and women, preventing them from acquiring an education and having access to even the most basic human rights.

So, on hearing that Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s so-called “foreign minister”, was set to arrive in New Delhi, India, this week, I couldn’t resist the chance to quiz him over his antiquated and abhorrent views.

Little did I know what was in store.

Trying to secure an interview in the weeks leading up to his visit got me nowhere. Good morning texts to Indian authorities asking about details of his arrival were met with monosyllabic “nopes”.

“I really want to cover this visit, even if an interview isn’t possible.”

Two minutes later, “Nope.”

“Nothing at all?” I asked.

“Nothing at all,” was the reply.

“How could an off-the-record chat over coffee harm someone who has handled suicide bombers, ended Nato’s rule in Afghanistan and led the jihad against American invasion?” I thought. I am still stumped.

My only option at that point was to show up where this Taliban leader was set to be hosted in the city, since this was a formal visit. I picked up the most conservative white salwar kameez in my closet and bolted out of the door.

Outside the venue of the high-level visit, a fellow photojournalist and I realised that her being in jeans and an edgy black tunic was not going to help our cause. It was a real possibility that we’d be thrown out of the room for not wearing headscarves and dressing the part, so to speak.

So we scrambled to find cover-ups in the local market. There, we purchased long-sleeved clothes and dupattas to cover our heads, before jumping back in the car and changing into our new outfits – simultaneously haggling with the embassy to let us do our jobs.

Except we were to find out that our attire would not present an issue – not when our mere existence was a problem.

As we waited outside the embassy for the press conference with the Taliban minister, I watched as my male journalist friends waltzed into the venue without any issues.

My female colleagues and I, meanwhile, ran our throats dry, asking the Afghan embassy staff to let us in, waving our press IDs in their face.

At one point, it felt so tiring to shout my requests over the embassy wall, that I had to rise up on my tiptoes and make my face visible. The Delhi police security personnel angrily asked us to back off.

That the Taliban hate the idea of an educated, financially independent Afghan woman – banning them from parks, from speaking in public or even being visible through windows – no longer carries shock value. For years, I have listened to stories from Afghan girls and women who make calls to me in private to share how they avoided a gun to their head for seeking an education, or being raped in prison detention.

But the idea that the Taliban can make India bend to their will is a new low – one I wasn’t ready for. I did not imagine they had the power to exile me on my home soil – to create a mini-Kabul before my very eyes.

The men were allowed to do their jobs, but us women, reduced to our gender, were banned. It hit me: they didn’t want us women there all along. Even if Indian authorities had the list of journalists attending the press conference, they knew women would be banned – and they agreed to it.

After checking with the men who were allowed to be a part of the press conference if there was anything important said on geopolitics terms, wars or jihad behind those closed doors that shouldn’t have fallen on our delicate, tiny, feminine ears, I took off the head scarf and left, embittered by the events of the day.

Even for reporters who are used to chasing, requesting and begging even for quotes, this felt like the lowest of the lows.

I went to bed and thought about how badly I had been played. I felt a wave of anger and disgust in my stomach.

The Taliban managed to dictate what women were allowed and not allowed to do – even beyond Afghanistan’s border. India watched in silence.

Backtracking after pressure from global press, we have since been invited to a separate press conference with Muttaqi today. I couldn’t help but feel it was too little too late – a strategic move to save face.

My question now is: will the US and Europe continue to engage with this misogynistic regime? And how many more women will have their rights infringed upon?

TV host becomes second star to leave Strictly Come Dancing

TV star Ross King has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing, becoming the second contestant to leave the show.

The Scottish presenter and his professional partner, Jowita Przystal, exited the competition after a tense dance-off against Eastenders actor Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon during Sunday night’s (12 October) results show.

Both couples performed their Movie Week routines from Saturday (11 October) once more, with King and Przystal dancing the Paso Doble to the theme tune from Thunderbirds Are Go. Sopal and Caillon danced a foxtrot to “The Way You Look Tonight” from the film Swing Time.

Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke all voted to save Balvinder and Caillon. Head judge Shirley Ballas said that she would have made the same decision.

Speaking about his time on the programme, King said: “I have loved every single minute of it. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported us, all the people who voted – they’ve been amazing.

“I want to thank everyone here in this room, backstage, the judges, the crew – every single person here has made me so, so welcome.”

Speaking about Przystal, he said: “I want to thank a very special lady who has been with me through it all and has been absolutely everything: she’s been a mentor, teacher, carer.

“I could not have wished for a better partner, and I could not have wished to be on a better show. Thank you judges for all your remarks.”

Przystal thanked King for his work and time during rehearsals, adding: “I hope I’m going to be a little part in your life forever.”

King’s elimination does not come as a huge surprise given that he was awarded the lowest score on Saturday’s live show, earning just 19 points. (You can find the week three leaderboard in full here.) Du Beke, however, did praise the presenter as “the most improved” contestant this week.

Ballas acknowledged King’s dedication to the performance, stating: “You gave 1,000 per cent of yourself… this week you can go home and be very proud of what you’ve achieved.”

Sunday’s results show also featured a group routine from the Strictly professionals in tribute to this year’s Minecraft movie as well as a performance of the song “Reflection” from the Disney film Mulan by Chinese pianist Lang Lang. He was accompanied by professional dancers Nancy Xu and Kai Widdrington.

As was announced earlier this week, Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis did not perform on Saturday due to illness. In line with the show’s rules, he and Dianne Buswell will automatically go through to the next stage of the competition.

Writing on Instagram, Dennis said that he was “so sorry” to miss the episode but expected to be back next week with a “rip roaring dance”. Buswell, meanwhile, addressed claims that she was the real reason behind Dennis’s absence.

The remaining 13 couples will return to the Strictly dancefloor next week on Saturday (18 October) at 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Andrew told Epstein ‘we are in this together’ a day after Giuffre photo emerged

Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein “we are in this together”, the day after the infamous photograph of him with Virginia Giuffre emerged, according to reports.

The Duke of York also reportedly told his paedophile friend “we’ll play some more soon” in the email dated 28 February 2011 – three months after the date he told the BBC he had severed contact with the disgraced financier.

The message is reported to also cast doubt on another of the claims Andrew, 65, made in his infamous 2019 interview with Newsnight – that his meeting with Ms Giuffre “didn’t happen”.

The duke has always strongly denied all accusations against him.

The Sun on Sunday reported Andrew contacted Epstein just hours after Ms Giuffre detailed allegations that she was flown out to London in March 2001 aged 17, where she said she and the duke ate, drank, went to Tramp nightclub and later had sex.

A photo of the pair of them at the London townhouse of Epstein’s then-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell – who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting and trafficking underage girls for Epstein – was published on 27 February 2011, showing Andrew with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist.

According to the newspaper, the 28 February email, sent from the duke’s official email address with the automated signature “HRH The Duke of York KG”, read: “I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it.” Andrew also urged the predator to “keep in close touch” and told him: “We’ll play some more soon!!!!”

Ms Giuffre has also accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on Epstein’s private island Little St James as a teenager, which the prince has “unequivocally” denied. In 2022, he agreed to settle her civil claim for an multi-million dollar sum, without admitting liability.

In his 2019 interview with the BBC, Andrew said he had severed all contact with Epstein after they were photographed meeting in Central Park in New York in early December 2010, when he claimed they decided to cut ties.

Speaking of the photograph of him and Ms Giuffre, he said: “Oh it’s definitely me, I mean that’s a picture of me, it’s not a picture of… I don’t believe it’s a picture of me in London because… when I go out in London, I wear a suit and a tie.

“I am not one to, as it were, hug and public displays of affection are not something that I do. So that’s the best explanation I can give you and I’m afraid to say that I don’t believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested.”

Following the interview, the duke stepped back from his royal duties in 2019 over his links with Epstein.

The disgraced financier died by suicide on 10 August 2019 at a federal jail in New York City.

Norwegian nature: Enjoy wild, wonderful adventures on a safari-at-sea

Norway’s rugged coast is chock-full of natural beauty, dotted with steep fjords where the mountains meet the sea and teeming with all kinds of curious wildlife, from orcas, humpbacks, and over 80 species of seabirds to red foxes, reindeer, and otters. Norwegians are famous for their deep love of the outdoors, which even has its own word: friluftsliv. It helps that it is home to more than 150,000 lakes and is known for its dramatic fjord-fringed landscapes and shimmering glaciers. It’s also one of the best places to catch the technicolour magic of the Aurora Borealis.

What’s more, if you explore this breathtaking region on a Hurtigruten cruise, you’ll do so alongside the expert local Expedition Team, who have spent years traversing Norway’s rugged coastline. They are always on hand to provide engaging insights into the nature, wildlife, and culture you’ll encounter on every voyage. They go above and beyond to ensure you experience more than just the tourist hot spots. Each team member has their own area of expertise and hosts regular lectures for those who want to delve deeper into a specific interest. They also encourage you to join them on their hand-picked hikes and activities, which are at an additional cost and subject to availability but offer the chance to explore with those who know the area best.

Drawing on over 130 years of travel experience, Original and Signature Hurtigruten Voyages lead passengers along Norway’s dramatic Arctic coastline, showcasing its remarkable natural beauty in all its glory, with options to stop off in various locations along the way. As you sail between destinations, keep your eyes peeled for the abundance of wildlife that frequents the area. The coastline is a popular haunt for mammals like giant humpbacks, frolicking seals and playful porpoises.

During time spent on land, depending on your route, you might also come face-to-face with reindeer in the north or the elusive lynx, not to mention the flora that decorates the landscape in various seasons. Some routes stop at Mehamn, a traditional fishing town with only 800 inhabitants. From here, you can embark on an excursion to learn about the Sámi, an indigenous people from Europe’s northernmost region, known for reindeer herding, traditional handicrafts, and a deep connection to nature. Get to know the family, hear their stories and joik chanting, and try dried reindeer meat around a fire in a lavvo tent.

There are many different journeys you can take, depending on what you want to get out of your cruise. Trace the historic Coastal Express route on one of their Original Voyages, Hurtigruten’s first and most iconic route, established in 1893 and often hailed as the world’s most beautiful voyage. You’ll cover 2,500 nautical miles and visit 34 ports, starting in Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, where you can hop on a funicular to the summit of Mount Fløyen and soak up the incredible views of the city, the nearby fjords, and the surrounding mountains.

The North Cape Line Winter route is another popular cruise for nature lovers. This Signature Voyage adventure starts and finishes in Norway’s Capital, Oslo. The Signature Voyages take things up a notch, offering unmatched views of Norway’s best bits with more time to explore each stop. They’re also a hit with foodies, thanks to the all-inclusive option featuring award-winning restaurants and seasonal produce from Norway’s bountiful coastline.

Åndalsnes is also a favourite stop on the route, home to soaring mountains overlooking the surrounding town. It’s the ultimate hotspot for hikers, climbers and skiers thanks to its abundant accessible natural beauty. The Troll Wall is a highlight for adrenaline seekers here; this 1,000-metre vertical cliff in the Romsdalen valley boasts some of the most epic views from atop, including 360-degree vistas of Romsdalshorn, Åndalsnes town centre, and the Rauma River.

This route also takes you to The City of Northern Lights, Alta, where you can stand at the northernmost point in Europe, Cape Point in Honningsvåg – the perfect vantage point for those trying to catch this incredible natural phenomenon. Hurtigruten is so confident you’ll see the lights that they even offer a ‘Northern Lights Promise’: a free cruise if you don’t see them during the season (valid on 11-day plus voyages from 20th September to 31st March).

Many of the routes stop at Lofoten, an archipelago with immense peaks and fishing villages sandwiched between slopes. It’s not hard to see why this chain of islands is referred to as one of Norway’s most beautiful locations. Hiking opportunities abound here, and most trails lead to spectacular vistas, or if you prefer to stay on the water, you can hop in a kayak and enjoy a leisurely paddle.

Lofoten isn’t the only archipelago you’ll see on specific routes — keep an eye out for the Vega archipelago, a collection of around 6,500 islands, skerries, and islets. On Gardsøy Island, you’ll find a UNESCO World Heritage Centre with dedicated huts for local eider ducks to build their nests.

Journeying south along Norway’s west coast, many of the routes also take you past some of the country’s most famous fjords, including Hardangerfjord, measuring a whopping 179 kilometres in length, making it the second longest fjord in the country and fifth longest in the world. Get your cameras ready, as you’ll be treated to panoramic mountain vistas from every direction, with snow-capped peaks peeking over the fjord reflected on mirror-like water.

Hurtigruten cruises stop at Torsken on the southbound leg of the Svalbard Line, one of their premium, all-inclusive Signature Voyages that sails from Bergen to the Arctic archipelago and back. The secluded fishing village of Torsken is perfect for outdoors enthusiasts, tucked away in Torskenfjorden on the rugged west coast of Senja Island. It’s home to just a handful of houses, workshops, and small piers sprinkled with fishing boats and is the ideal base for exploring Norway’s second-largest island, Senja.

Senja’s stunning coastline has been rightly nicknamed the ‘Caribbean of the North’ thanks to its white-sand beaches and towering mountain peaks. It’s best to take an excursion and explore by small boat to spot white-tailed eagles, seals, seabirds like cormorants, and maybe even a golden eagle. Whether exploring Senja or simply soaking up sea views from onboard, a Hurtigruten cruise offers a chance to connect with nature, wildlife, and Norway’s stunning landscapes, with countless routes to choose from.

Book your Norwegian adventure for less, with up to 30% off, plus 10% off excursions on selected Coastal Express and North Cape Line voyages. For offers, routes and excursion info, visit Hurtigruten.

Ex-MI6 chief ‘confused’ over collapsed China spy trial

There are growing questions over the collapse of a case against two men accused of spying for Beijing, with the former chief of the Secret Intelligence Service saying he is unsure why the prosecution was dropped.

It comes amid allegations that the prime minister’s team had access to multiple documents that proved China was a national security risk but supposedly chose not to hand them over to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) before the case was brought to a close.

And on the eve of Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to Egypt, where he will attend a Middle East peace summit chaired by Donald Trump, the White House has reportedly warned that the failure to prosecute the two alleged Chinese spies risks undermining the special relationship – and could threaten intelligence sharing between Britain and the US.

Speaking about the collapse of the trial, Sir John Sawers told Times Radio: “I don’t think it’s got anything to do with intelligence. I think these two people accused of spying in parliament were low-grade reporters of opinion in parliament. What they were doing, if the allegations are true, was certainly illegal.

“And frankly, I’m a bit confused and unsure about why the prosecution was dropped. Of course, China poses an intelligence threat, a subversion threat here in the UK, as well as being an economic partner.

“I think the government was slow in putting out a clear line on this. We heard one from Yvette Cooper at the end of last week. But I think the Americans will be equally perplexed as to why the prosecution was dropped when the case looked pretty clear,” the former MI6 chief added.

It comes after two former top civil servants questioned the prime minister’s explanation for the abandonment of the prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher.

The prime minister has maintained the last Conservative administration had not designated China as a threat to national security, so his government could not provide evidence to that effect, which the director of public prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson said was required to meet the threshold for prosecution.

Mark Sedwill, a predecessor to the PM’s current national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, expressed confusion about why the trial fell apart because Beijing was “of course” a threat to the UK, while former cabinet secretary Simon Case said intelligence chiefs had publicly warned of the threat from China for years.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve on Friday dismissed the government’s claims as “weird”, telling The Independent: “I can’t see why the PM was not in a position to ask the Cabinet Office to provide the evidence.”

Mr Cash and Mr Berry were charged by the CPS in April last year with spying under the Official Secrets Act 1911, when they were accused of collecting and communicating information which could be “useful to an enemy”. Both denied the charges.

White House sources told The Times that Mr Trump is increasingly concerned about the reliability of the UK after the charges were dropped, with a senior official saying: “The United States has been warning allies about the Chinese threat to our combined national security since President Trump first came into office in 2017.

“The US government exercises extreme caution in sharing information with foreign governments subject to adversarial coercion and influence. We are especially careful in jurisdictions where our adversaries can act with impunity.”

The collapse of the case has raised questions about Britain’s willingness to confront China as Sir Keir’s government looks to build closer ties with the country.

The Tories have accused the government of “political interference” in the trial, with shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel urging attorney general Richard Hermer, to “come to parliament and account for what has happened”.

The Sunday Times reported last week that in a meeting last month Mr Powell revealed the government’s evidence would be based on the national security strategy, which was published in June and does not refer to Beijing as an “enemy”.

Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said Mr Powell played no role in the collapse of a prosecution against the two alleged spies and has the PM’s full confidence.

Ukrainian refugee UK hosts face ‘horrendous’ Home Office support

Hosts of Ukrainian refugees say they are facing “endless bureaucracy” and “horrendous” support from the Home Office, with thousands stuck in limbo more than three years after Russia’s invasion of the country.

For Juliet Grover, the daughter of a Jewish refugee who escaped the Nazis, the decision to become a host was personal. She signed up to the “Homes for Ukraine” scheme as soon as the war began in February 2022, firmly believing that providing refuge to those in need was important.

Yet immediately she says she was struck by the difficulties facing host families, with little to zero information and advice given by the UK government.

“The first people who came were a woman and her two young children who had applied for visas,” she told The Independent. “She was stuck in a refugee centre in Poland; it took us four months to get the visas sorted, it was horrendous.

“I was on the phone every day going around in circles, I went to see MPs and the government but we were completely stonewalled. We managed to get a visa sorted for her and her daughter, but her son’s visa was not issued, which meant they couldn’t travel over for months.”

In her desperation, she even drove to Sheffield from Wales to try and speak to someone at the Home Office, but was refused entry at the reception.

The mother Ms Grover helped, called Lena, was eventually able to come to the UK with her son and daughter, then aged four and five. Ms Grover spent hours registering them with schools, the GP, the local authorities and with national insurance.

“Thankfully I’m a housewife and I have the time to go through these things, but I didn’t understand any of it. I’d never had to go to the council or sort right to work codes; you’ve got no chance of speaking to a single person if you ask for help.”

Among the many issues facing Ukrainian refugees is the lack of translating services available, which includes information papers to help their situation, which are often only provided in English.

After Russian forces invaded eastern Ukraine more than three-and-a-half years ago, Lena packed a quick rucksack, grabbed her two children and fled from her home city in Dnipro.

Despite her previous employment working in a bank, she is now a cleaner while her husband, who joined her eight months later, works in a Lidl as he cannot work as an engineer in the UK.

“They are strong, good people,” Ms Grover said. “I’ve now been involved with helping 20 of them, and there’s not one who hasn’t got a job within a fortnight.”

Last November, Lena’s elderly parents also travelled to the UK and are now residing with Ms Grover. Despite being a retired doctor and teacher, they do not qualify for retirement here and they now regularly attend the jobcentre in search of menial work.

Ms Grover said: “I’m not allowed inside to sit with them, and they can’t speak a word of English. They don’t know the culture or language, they’re fish out of water and they’re completely lost,” she said. “Just last week, they were informed that their home had been destroyed by a Russian strike.”

They are now among the 300,000 Ukrainians residing on temporary visas in the UK, with former home secretary Yvette Cooper announcing earlier this month that it could be extended by a further 24 months.

However, the process of renewing visas has been painful with only a 28-day window to complete the complicated process, and an eight-week waiting time, which places their jobs and accommodation at risk.

“We spent weeks trying to do it and when the visas were eventually renewed, Lena and her daughter’s came through but again her son’s was missing. How does that happen? It just had gotten lost in the abyss,” Ms Grover explained.

Many Ukrainians struggle to find accommodation in the private rented sector given that they need a deposit, while others struggle to find a UK guarantor and negotiate with landlords due to a language barrier.

Last year, a report by the British Red Cross found that breakdowns in hosting arrangements often occurred due to a lack of sufficient training and ongoing support for hosts, as well as cost-of-living pressures.

Luke Piper, head of immigration at The Work Rights Centre, said: “Frustratingly, the experience of Lena’s family absolutely rings true with what we’re seeing among our clients since the roll-out of the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme requiring Ukrainian people to apply to extend their stay. We are also seeing technical issues that make it difficult for Ukrainians to prove their right to work and their right to stay.

“Whenever the government changes the visa rules or rolls out a new scheme, we receive a spike in calls from confused and panicked individuals trying to figure out what it means for them.

“This ongoing uncertainty is taking a mental toll on many Ukrainian people in the UK and hindering their ability to progress their careers or put down roots. Some families have been in the UK for nearly four years now – this will become six with the visa extension. With no sign of war in Ukraine slowing down, it’s time ministers reconsidered routes to settlement for Ukrainians who have sought to rebuild their lives in Britain.”

A government spokesperson said: “We thank all the hosts and sponsors who have made an invaluable contribution to our Ukraine schemes. A range of guidance is available on the government website to support them, as well as through the voluntary and community sector, and through local authorities.

“Government guidance for Ukrainians who intend to make an application for the extension scheme is available in Ukrainian and Russian.”