An interception can last less than a second. A defender reads a pass, steps into its path and reaches the ball before its intended recipient. Yet that brief movement requires the brain to judge speed, distance and direction while the body accelerates, changes course and maintains balance.

Interceptions show how closely thought and movement are connected, and how mental and physical fatigue can disrupt that connection. As players tire, they must still decide whether to move and continually adjust their speed. A fraction too late, and both the player and their defence can be left exposed.

At the start of the 2026 World Cup semi-final week, France defender Dayot Upamecano led the tournament with 12 interceptions. His tally shows how often an elite defender must make these rapid judgments during a major tournament.

Interceptions also featured prominently in Cape Verde’s first World Cup campaign. The tournament debutants recorded 15 in their Group H opener as they held Euro 2024 winners Spain to a 0-0 draw. They averaged roughly 13 interceptions per match across four games, advancing from their group before losing 3-2 after extra time to defending champions Argentina in the round of 32.

Those figures do not prove that interceptions caused Cape Verde’s success. A high total can also show that a team spent long periods defending. But cutting out passes helped them disrupt opponents who had more of the ball and create chances to counterattack before those opponents could reorganise.

Player fatigue

To understand how fatigue can affect this work, it helps to examine what an interception demands from the brain and body.

A player must predict where the ball will travel and whether they can reach it first. Research on anticipation in sport suggests that skilled athletes combine their knowledge of the situation with visual information from an opponent’s movement. A defender may use the passer’s posture and approach to the ball to anticipate the direction of the pass.

Once the ball is played, its speed becomes critical. In an experimental study of well-trained amateur footballers, players were less likely to attempt an interception as passes became faster, and their chances of success also fell.

Distance influences the decision too. A study of senior male futsal players found that the defender’s initial distance from the ball helped determine whether an interception was possible. Yet players kept changing their speed in relation to the ball’s path until the action ended. An interception is therefore an unfolding process rather than a single decision.

Experience improves these judgments without making them infallible. A football-specific study comparing expert and less-expert athletes found that participants initially overestimated their ability to complete an interception task. Their estimates became more accurate with practice, suggesting that players can recalibrate their judgments when given direct information about what their bodies can do.

That calibration may become harder as fatigue develops. Mental fatigue is the tiredness and reduced alertness that can follow sustained concentration. In a study of 20 professional male footballers, completing a demanding 30-minute mental task impaired passing decisions during a subsequent training match.

Another study of well-trained male players found that mental fatigue reduced the speed and accuracy of football-specific decisions.

These studies examined passing and general football decisions rather than interceptions, so they cannot show that mental fatigue directly causes missed interceptions. But interceptions draw on many of the same processes: selecting visual information, judging speed and distance, predicting what will happen and choosing an action under time pressure.

Physical fatigue adds another difficulty because a pass that was reachable earlier in a match may no longer be reachable at the same speed. Research involving 24 trained male players found that acute physical fatigue reduced how far and how intensely they moved. It also changed some aspects of their positioning and team play.

A related study found that players with stronger decision-making skills maintained their positioning and effectiveness under acute physical fatigue, partly by moving at a slower pace. Those with weaker decision-making skills maintained more of their physical output but became less effective in their positioning and defensive play.

This suggests that better decision-makers may adapt their movement as their physical capacity changes. A tired defender must estimate where the ball is going while responding to what their body can still do without abandoning a useful position.

Deception and disguise

Opponents can make that judgment harder by manipulating the information available. Research on deception in competitive sport describes how athletes disguise their intentions. A passer might shape towards one teammate before sending the ball elsewhere. By the time the true direction becomes clear, the defender may already have shifted their weight towards the wrong passing lane.

Waiting can provide better information, but it gives the ball more time to travel. Moving early increases the chance of arriving first, but also makes the defender more vulnerable to disguise.

The findings have implications for training, workload management and recovery. Research on designing realistic practice argues that training should preserve the important information and actions found in competition. Interception drills should therefore include moving opponents, varied pass speeds, realistic starting distances and deception.

Coaches must also consider the condition in which players make these decisions. Fatigue can reduce their physical capacity and, in some circumstances, affect the decision itself. Monitoring how far and how intensely players run may therefore overlook changes in their ability to make rapid judgments.

The aim is not simply to produce more interceptions. Effective defenders learn which opportunities are reachable and continue adjusting as the pass unfolds. They must also adapt their decisions as fatigue changes what their bodies can achieve. By the time Upamecano reaches the ball, the visible action is only the final part of a demanding calculation made under pressure.

Kenya’s High Court has dismissed a bid by a Rastafarian group seeking to legalise the use of cannabis for religious purposes.

The Rastafarian community had argued that the ban on smoking cannabis infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief guaranteed under the constitution.

In a landmark judgement, Justice Bahati Mwamuye said the community had failed to prove drug laws violated their constitutional rights, but acknowledged the need for a broader national debate on cannabis.

There has been a continued push to legalise cannabis in Kenya, with advocates arguing that its regulated cultivation and trade could create jobs, boost tax revenue and support industrial and medicinal uses.

Under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence.

A person convicted of possessing cannabis solely for personal use is liable to up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $800 (£600).

Cultivating cannabis carries a penalty of a fine of $1,900 or three times the market value of the plants, whichever is greater, and/or up to 20 years in jail.

More severe penalties apply to trafficking and other drug-related offences.

In their petition, the Rastafari Society of Kenya had argued that cannabis was a sacred sacrament in their faith and sought permission for followers to grow, possess and use it privately during worship without fear of arrest.

It maintained it was not asking for the wholesale legalisation of cannabis, but a limited exemption for religious purposes in private homes and designated places of worship.

In their submission, the Rastafarians argued that smoking cannabis was part of their religious doctrine which must be respected and upheld.

But the state opposed their plea, arguing that creating a religious exemption would undermine the enforcement of Kenya’s anti-drug laws and could create loopholes for illegal cannabis trafficking.

Justice Mwamuye also found that the evidence presented on the centrality of cannabis to the Rastafari faith was inconsistent and insufficient to establish that its use was an essential element of the religion.

He upheld the constitutionality of the drug laws prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis, dealing a major blow to the Rastafarians’ six-year legal battle.

The judge noted that any exemption permitting the use of cannabis for religious purposes would require a sound constitutional and legal foundation.

“We ought to have frank conversations on cannabis and which directions we should take,” Justice Mwamuye said.

“This is not a question for the Rastafarian community only. It is a national question that cuts across the entire spectrum of our society,” he added.

The judgment comes seven years after another High Court ruling recognised Rastafarianism as a protected religion in Kenya, finding that a school’s decision to expel a student over her dreadlocks violated her constitutional rights.

Harper Beckham looked every inch her mother’s daughter as she watched Spain‘s World Cup semi-final win over France on Tuesday night.

Victoria Beckham‘s youngest, who turned 15 last week, nailed her mother’s iconic Posh Spice pout as she watched Spain win 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium in Texas.

Harper wore a Spain football jacket while standing next to her brothers, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21, and Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30.

Over his career, her dad David has played in both Spain and France, with stints at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but the Beckham family’s loyalty lay with Spain on Tuesday night. 

Wearing her Spain jacket from her brother Romeo’s retro-inspired sportswear brand Intra, Harper failed to raise a smile, thereby looking the spitting image of her mum.  

Earlier this week, David defended his wife Victoria, insisting she was ‘celebrating on the inside’ after her subdued reaction to England’s nail-biting World Cup quarter-final clash went viral.

Harper wore a Spain football jacket, as she showed off her best Posh Spice pout 

The Beckham family were among the stars watching the Three Lions match against Norway in Miami on Saturday night.

Whilst former England captain David and his kids went suitably wild when Jude Bellingham scored an epic goal in the first-half stoppage time, a pouting Victoria, 52, remained seated.

Photos of a cheering David leaping up from his seat whilst his wife, who famously rarely smiles, stayed seated have turned the Spice Girl into an instant meme, prompting David to jokingly defend his wife.

The football legend commented on stand-up comedian Jenny Johnson’s summary of the match, after she wrote: ‘There’s nothing like cheering your heart out for England from home, then they cut to Victoria and we see that classic Posh Spice smile! It’s so infectious!’

‘I used to think I got animated while watching sports, but Victoria blows my enthusiasm out of the water! Each time I see her I shout, “SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!!!!” because her energy is electric!!!’

Commenting with a string of crying laughing emojis, David wrote: ‘She was celebrating inside I promise her reactions were slightly slower than mine.’

Victoria did warm up to the infectious energy inside Miami Stadium as she was later seen getting into the spirit by clapping along as England won the match 2-1.

The fashion designer and singer has famously said that she wasn’t a fan of football when she met David at a Manchester United match in 1997.

Victoria Beckham’s daughter, who turned 15 last week, nailed her mother’s iconic Posh Spice pout as the family watched Spain win 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium in Texas

The teenager pouted and posed with her brother Romeo whilst sporting one of his designs from his retro sportswear brand

Harper wore a Spain football jacket, while standing next to her brothers, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21 and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30

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Wearing her Spain jacket from her brother Romeo’s retro-inspired sportswear brand Intra, Harper failed to raise a smile, thereby looking the spitting image of her mum

She took her seat beside Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie in the family’s VIP box 

Harper chatted to her big brothers as the game unfolded 

Her dad David has played in both Spain and France over his career but the Beckham family’s loyalty lay with Spain on Tuesday

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Harper looked a lot more cheerful as she greeted actor Timothee Chalamet and his dad Marc in the VIP seats in Dallas 

Ever the doting wife, Victoria ensured she attended every game she could, but confessed she didn’t enjoy the sport because she didn’t feel ‘wanted’ when she was pitch side.

However, in recent years Victoria has had a change of heart after David retired and set up his own club Inter Miami.

Victoria told the Financial Times in 2024: ‘I never enjoyed watching football. I never felt necessarily wanted [at the matches]. I’m not saying this as in, poor me, but it was never the fun that it is now.

‘Now, when we’re in Miami, I feel wanted. I’m friends with the families of the players.’

Victoria has now joined David at two World Cup games and will no doubt be in the crowd at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday to watch the semi final showdown between England and Argentina for the remaining spot in the final.

By REBECCA DAVISON, DEPUTY HEAD OF SHOWBIZ

Published: 09:52 BST, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 10:14 BST, 15 July 2026

Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno has spoken about when lead singer Tom Meighan left the band following his assault conviction, admitting they’ve never spoken since. 

Tom left the band in July 2020, the day before he pleaded guilty to assaulting his now wife Vikki Ager at their home, the April before.

Serge, 45, was urged by his bandmates to ‘step up’ into the role of lead singer but he says that time was ‘dark, horrendous, you can’t even imagine how tough it was.’

He admits that the band could have ended once and for all.

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Serge and Tom, also 45, were once the best of friends and he told The Telegraph when asked if he misses him: ‘I miss the old Tom.’ 

He confirmed that they are no longer in touch and that the last time they spoke was ‘when it happened.’ 

Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno has detailed the ‘dark and horrendous time’ lead singer Tom Meighan left the band following his assault conviction and says they’ve never spoken again 

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Serge said: ‘We were left with no choice but to ask Tom to leave the band. There is absolutely no way we can condone his assault conviction.

Tom pleaded guilty to assault and the band released two statements. One came the day before the case reached Leicester magistrates’ court. 

They stated Tom was stepping down by ‘mutual consent’ due to unspecified ‘personal issues.’

Tom was told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete five days of rehabilitation. 

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After the case, the band released another to say they had made a joint decision to stop working with Tom as soon as they found out about the charges.  

Serge and Tom, also 45, (pictured) were once the best of friends and Serge said: ‘I miss the old Tom’. They have not spoken since his assault conviction against his now wife Vikki

Tom and Vikki married at Harbourgh Registry Office, Leicester, a year after his conviction, saying: ‘Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vikki over the past year’

Tom continues to have a career as a solo artist and he previously said of the band’s split to The Times: ‘We were together a long, long time, we were a family, we grew up together. That’s what’s so… hurtful.’ 

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In his latest interview, Serge was asked if he would have handled things differently and while he seems pained by what happened, he doesn’t appear to say so. 

‘The thing is with this,’ he said. ‘It’s too deep to go into the little ins and outs… It’s happened. It’s done.’  

Tom issued a public apology after his conviction back in 2020, in which he said: ‘I am very sorry and deeply regret my recent behaviour.

‘In no way am I trying to condone my actions or make excuses. I am completely to blame and accept all responsibility.’

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He went on to marry Vikki – one year after the wine-fuelled assault.

In a statement, the couple said: ‘We are pleased to share the news that on Tuesday the 13th July 2021, Tom Meighan and Vikki Ager were married at Market Harborough Registry Office, Leicester.

‘It was an intimate affair, in accordance with the latest Covid-19 guidelines, with the couple becoming husband and wife surrounded by their children, family and a few close friends. 

‘Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vikki over the past year.

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‘They are very much in love and looking forward to sharing the rest of their lives together.’

Kasabian will headline Boardmasters Festival on August 9 and Leeds Festival on August 27, Act III is released on September 4, via Sony.  

Donald Trump’s retreat over claiming Strait of Hormuz tolls of 20% for all shipping passing through is the latest climb-down by the US President. Every time he makes a threatening outburst it erodes his chance of making a favourable deal with Iran, even though the war has fractured the regime. Its military is vastly depleted, its defences are degraded but the less hardline within the upper structure of Tehran’s rule are losing the argument to end the war.

Washington is now torn between continuing to step up pressure in the hope that Tehran’s defiance will collapse or take over Kharg Island and impose a permanent presence. The former would require another climb-down eventually, possibly giving up control of the Strait of Hormuz and the latter would embed the US in a military operation for years. It is near-impossible, without a major military operation to secure the Strait of Hormuz, with boots on the ground, to imagine Iran not retaining some control over the waterway.

It is a diplomatic and military mess further confused by the President’s rolling bulletins of lies and obfuscation that make it impossible to see a way out. He has hinted again at a major military campaign stepping up, hitting more civilian infrastructure and even launching a boots on the ground operation. Again, he has been vague, possibly using dissident Kurds to launch a campaign within Iran, which will be messy, unpredictable and inevitably will require US Special Forces.

He said: “Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’ll knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate. Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.” Whether Kurdish forces will have the appetite for this, having been treated so shabbily by the US in Syria and Iraq, is uncertain.

It was different factions of Kurdish forces who deposed Islamic State, backed by the US who then all but abandoned them, leaving them to cope with swollen jails packed with ISIS terrorists. Iran has hit out aggressively at the UK’s finally designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a banned terrorist organisation and we can expect threats to follow. They could be sabotage, violence towards Iranian dissidents within the UK or perhaps even terrorist threats towards UK interests abroad.

Although currently a bit of a sideshow to the worsening US war with Iran this could become very serious if the conflict in the Middle East settles into the shadows. America’s dumb escalation in the Middle East has put the UK in the sights of the IRGC and they cannot be bombed out of existence as we have already seen. The shadowy force, which exerts immense control over the running of Iran, has tentacles of contacts all over the globe, through Europe and all the way to South America.

Our intelligence agencies and counter-terror police are already stretched with the Islamist terror and far-right threat plus state-sponsored or planned disinformation campaigns, sabotage and murder campaigns by enemy states such as Russia. And Britain’s rightful reticence towards becoming involved in Trump’s war- plus that of the rest of NATO- is alienating our strongest ally, which in turn has been weakened by it. The effect of Trump’s war on Iran has been to put countries such as the UK under threat at a time when our military and intelligence structures are already wrestling with Russia.

Seven Brits have been confirmed to have died in the deadly wildfire that swept through Andalusia in southern Spain, with one victim feared to be a woman who bought her home on ‘A Place In The Sun‘.

Twelve of the 13 victims of the blaze were foreign nationals, the authorities said on Tuesday after completing post-mortem examinations.

In a statement, officials said seven were from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, and one each from France and the United States. The last victim was a Spanish citizen.

Annette Kilgore, who appeared on the Channel 4 reality show, is feared to be among the Brits who died after she became separated from her husband amid the inferno.

The 69-year-old lived in the village of Bédar with her husband Malcolm Timbrell, 70, after the couple moved there from Cornwall following their appearance on the hit series in 2023. 

Bédar, a municipality of the Almería province in the south, was ravaged by flames last Thursday in one of Spain’s deadliest fires in recent years.

Timbrell recounted how he had become separated from his wife and seven of their friends and neighbours as the flames raced towards their idyllic home. 

‘We have had an amazing life together and now it’s stopped,’ the heartbroken husband told the BBC. 

The couple have been together for 17 years.

Harrowing photographs show how British wildfire victims ran out of road while fleeing down dirt tracks to escape a deadly blaze in Spain 

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Firefighters of the Infoca (Andalusia Wildfire Service) work to extinguish fire in the area of a wildfire that killed at least 13 near Bedar, in Los Gallardos district, in Almeria Province, July 10

‘If we had done the sensible thing and gone the other way and let our cats die, we both would be alive. But when you’ve got animals, you don’t think like that,’ he added.

‘We are just waiting now for DNA clarification. And after that, I will probably just fall apart,’ he said.

The couple had decided to flee the scene by car, but Timbrell went back to their home to save their two beloved cats, Charlie and Misty.

When he attempted to catch up to his wife and their friends, he realised they had ditched the cars and were trying to escape the flames on foot.

‘My wife and our other seven friends and neighbours – against me screaming at them not to – decided the only safe way was to walk out in front of the firewall.

‘I’ve subsequently heard that the firewall was moving at 20 kilometres an hour [12mph] plus. They had no chance.’

He and one of the cats hid in one of the vehicles as the blaze raged on.

‘Of the six cars, four of them instantly combusted and as each one started to go, I moved back one car,’ he said.

‘For some reason of fate, the last two cars, although very, very badly singed and paint bubbled and burnt, survived. And I survived inside the last one with a cat.’ 

‘You’d never imagine it could happen,’ he said. ‘And when it does, and you’re the only survivor, then you’re left in a situation of: “What can I do?”‘

‘A Place in the Sun’ presenter Leah Charles-King helped the couple buy their dream home in Spain three years ago, with Kilgore telling the host at the beginning of their episode that she wanted to ease into the Spanish way of life after retiring from many years working in mental health.

‘We’ve started kayaking, which is great fun. I haven’t fallen in. I now know that I don’t panic when I fall in, so that’s a good thing,’ she said back in 2023.

Describing why they picked Almeria, Kilgore said: ‘It’s not as commercialised, it’s a smaller area of villages, so it just seemed the perfect place.’

She continued: ‘So, to sit and have a glass of wine in our own property that we’ve thought about for so long and just have that lovely feeling: “This is ours, we’ve done it.”‘

‘It will extend our adventure,’ Timbrell added.

While the stone cottage was on the market for £215,746 at the time of filming, the couple ended up purchasing it for £200,000.

After confirming the sale, Timbrell said: ‘I couldn’t be happier at the moment.’

His wife added: ‘We’ve just bought that Spanish beautiful stone cottage up on the top of a mountain. And that isn’t what we came for? It’s what we’ve bought, because it’s what we fell in love with.’

‘We have had an amazing life together and now it’s stopped,’ heartbroken Malcolm Timbrell told the BBC 

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Firefighters working on the wildfire, which has ravaged homes and claimed several lives

The wild fire is one of Spain’s deadliest, with extreme heat causing them to become more frequent in recent years 

Fran Gillam, who lived in Bédar, was among the 13 people killed, her daughter confirmed

Fran’s husband, Pete, was also killed in the deadly blaze that swept through southern Spain

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‘The 13 people who died are eight women and five men, all adults,’ the public body responsible for identifying the victims added.

The picturesque southeastern province of Almeria is home to many foreign residents near the Mediterranean coast.

Pete and Fran Gillam, who also lived in Bédar, were among the 13 people killed in the blaze, the couple’s daughter confirmed in a social media post.

The couple disappeared on Thursday, after Fran texted her daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton to confirm they were evacuating. 

That text, sent at about 7pm Thursday, was the last time Danielle would hear from her parents before communication was cut off, with frantic messages and calls to them failing to connect.

In a heartbreaking update shared on social media, Ms Gillam-Kirton confirmed the devastating news: ‘We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire. 

‘Thank you for all your love, support and prayers over the past few days. They have meant more to us than we can ever express.’

Flames fanned by high winds ripped through forests and scrubland made tinderbox dry by extreme high temperatures, turning picturesque rural settlements into ghost towns.

Emergency services initially recovered 12 bodies that were so badly burned that DNA samples were needed to identify them.

The fire, one of Spain’s deadliest in recent years and caused by an electrical cable falling on a road, devastated some 7,000 hectares (more than 17,000 acres) of land.

The fire has since been brought under control and residents have been able to return to their homes since Sunday.

Spain has in recent years experienced increasingly long and frequent heatwaves, with temperatures exceeding 40C, creating perfect conditions for wildfires.

In 2025, more than 393,000 hectares were destroyed by fire, according to the European Forest Fire Information System – the most in Spain’s recent history.

Demand for accommodation in Atlanta has surged ahead of the England v Argentina World Cup match tonight.

After England beat Norway 2-1 during extra time on Saturday, the team will now meet Argentina’s squad in the southern US city for the semi-final.

Booking.com said that between 9 and 11 July, searches by UK travellers for Atlanta rose by 1,902 per cent for stays taking place between 14 and 16 July.

Searches do not necessarily indicate booking patterns, but they give a good outline of how eager English travellers are to look into booking a place to stay in Atlanta ahead of the match.

Argentina fans have also caused a surge in travel. Bhanu Chopra, founder of RateGain Travel Technologies and creator of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Market Pulse Index, told CNBC that flight bookings from Argentina to Atlanta more than doubled since the tournament kicked off, rising nearly 108 per cent.

This semi-final will be the first time the teams have faced each other since 2005 and the first competitive match between the sides since the 2002 World Cup, meaning Lionel Messi has never faced the Three Lions until now.

Historical tensions are also at play between the two countries, with the Falklands War still considered a politically sensitive topic.

Atlanta Police are aware of the tensions between the countries and have confirmed that security will be increased ahead of the match at Atlanta Stadium.

Demand for accommodation in other host cities has also surged amid football fans following their teams around the World Cup stages.

In Miami, ahead of England v Norway’s quarter final, Booking.com said that searches by UK travellers were up 403 per cent.

Comparison site Expedia.co.uk reported similar figures, saying that lodging searches between 5 and 8 July have increased by 300 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Read more: Demand surges for Miami hotels ahead of England v Norway World Cup match

The scheme, submitted by E.ON Drive Infrastructure UK and Apsley Galliard Conn, will see a canopy-covered hub installed at Portrack Retail Park in Stockton.

It will feature 12 ultra-rapid charging bays, a substation, fencing and a kiosk.

The number of parking spaces on the site will reduce from 51 to 32, though the green areas will not be affected.

A second phase of the development could add a further four drive-through bays, bringing the total to 16.

A planning statement submitted on behalf of the applicants said: “The site is well positioned to provide convenient EV charging for both local residents and through traffic.”

The hub sits just off the A19/A1046 junction, making it easily accessible for both local drivers and those passing through the area.

The statement added: “While the proposals will increase the number of vehicles which access the site, a substantial proportion of those may simply be extensions or diversions of existing trips.”

The existing site entrance will be used, with no changes planned for the surrounding road network.

Apsley said the hub would “strengthen local provision and support the continued shift towards low-emission transport,” with the scheme aligning with the Tees Valley Strategic Transport Plan and wider regional goals to reduce carbon emissions.

Stockton Council approved the application subject to conditions.

A British man jailed in Iran after being accused of spying has had two years added to his decade-long sentence, according to family members.

Craig Foreman was arrested with his wife, Lindsay, in January last year while passing through Iran on a motorcycle journey from Europe to Australia. Both adamantly deny espionage.

In February they were each sentenced to 10 years in jail, but relatives of Craig Foreman said he had been told his punishment is being extended for talking to the media from his cell in Tehran’s Evin prison.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said the department was “urgently following up with the Iranian authorities about the reported increased sentence”.

“We understand he was told he was being taken to see his lawyer but was instead brought before a judge and informed of the additional sentence,” said Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman’s son and a spokesperson for the family.

Bennett, of Folkestone, Kent, added that, despite requests, his step-father “was allowed no lawyer, no translator and no opportunity to defend himself”.

“We didn’t think we could be any more shocked at their appalling treatment, but in this case we are absolutely flabbergasted,” he added.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, from East Sussex, have both been on hunger strike since May, when prison authorities prevented them from calling their families.

The family, who are growing increasingly concerned for their health, are now appealing to the Iranian authorities to show mercy, and set them free.