The key to a well-cut lawn is neat edges – but they’re hard to achieve. Often, a lawn mower is too bulky and if there’s a flowerbed or rockery, you risk damaging your flowers, your lawn mower or both. The best strimmers, whether petrol, electric or cordless, make it easy.

In fact, if your garden needs serious landscaping, turn to a strimmer first. “If the grass is longer than your lawn mower can handle, the strimmer can take that down ready for you to go over it with the mower,” explains James Broadhouse, a professional groundskeeper of 12 years (known online as Jimmy The Mower). For something tougher, like a bramble patch, a powerful strimmer or brushcutter will also help.

Below we’ve reviewed this year’s best strimmers from brands including Stihl, Ryobi and Bosch. You’ll also find answers to popular questions about them. But first, here’s our top five:

The best strimmers: At a glance

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How to choose the best strimmer

According to Broadhouse, the key things to look for in a strimmer are a robust build, comfortable handling and, if it’s cordless, a decent battery life.

“Most homeowners probably shouldn’t be looking at a petrol strimmer,” says Broadhouse. “A can of petrol is only really fresh for a couple of months, after which, if you haven’t used it all, it just goes to waste.” That said, heavy-duty or commercial users, will benefit from the extra power and range petrol models provide.

Broadhouse also recommends choosing a cordless strimmer over a corded one, because of the potential safety risk a trailing power cord poses.

Look for interchangeable heads for different kinds of mowing. Most strimmers will display their noise and vibration output, which can help narrow down your options. They are heavier than they look, so it’s worth visiting your local garden centre to try a few and see what feels manageable.

How we test strimmers

The mum’s secret behind bars romance was rumbled when the convict became ‘overprotective’ of her and began attacking other prisoners

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A prison officer sent naked pictures and videos of sex acts to a serving inmate after the two formed an “intimate relationship” behind bars. Zoe Oldham also received bank transfers from a family member of the criminal in question, Lewis Smith.

But their secret romance was rumbled when he became “overprotective” of her and began attacking other prisoners whom he believed had stepped out of line with the mum. The authorities then discovered a mobile phone hidden within a sock in his cell, with more than 1,000 messages which were uncovered as a result having laid bare the true nature of their relationship.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Tuesday, that Oldham had been a guard at HMP Risley in Warrington for five years by 2023, when she engaged in an “intimate relationship” with Smith over the course of several months. This “included her sending images of her genitals” and money being transferred into the 29-year-old officer’s account.

Simon Christie, prosecuting, described how there was also a “strong inference that there was a sexual relationship”, although no specific acts were ultimately identified. Concerns were first raised over the two in March of that year after Smith “became overprotective over Ms Oldham and carried out assaults on prisoners who he believed had disrespected her”.

This led to a search of the 32-year-old inmate’s cell, which revealed a mobile phone hidden inside a sock. When analysed, the device was found to contain a total of 1,184 messages which had been exchanged between the couple.

Mr Christie added: “Amongst the other images found were full face images of the defendant, images of her in her underwear, images of a female masturbating with a sexual aid and images of female genitals sent to the defendant Smith. He, in return, sent topless pictures of himself. The two of them say on many occasions how much they love each other.”

Oldham, of Marlborough Road in Accrington, Lancashire, was also said to have given Smith her bank details, leading to funds of “at least” £350 being transferred into her account via his sister. She has no previous convictions.

Damian Nolan, defending, told the court: “I am probably going to concede that the gravamen in this case is the public interest in ensuring that the prison system operates in a carefully ordered way. If it does not, the ramifications can be significant.

“But this offence can be committed in a number of different ways. We would submit that, ordinarily, the courts will be particularly concerned if items were being taken in, either weapons, phones, drugs or other associated paraphernalia. Thankfully, this is not one of those cases. But what she has done is allow her office to be corrupted by, essentially, a combination of Smith’s actions and her actions.

“This is not someone who has been reckless throughout while she was a prison officer. It is asserted that, on a previous occasion, she had, in fact, reported inappropriate contact from a serving prisoner. She was commended for doing that and indicated that she would not go back on the wing until that had been dealt with.

“This all arose at a particularly vulnerable time for her personally. She is the mother of a young child. She was at a vulnerable time in her relationship with the father of her child. I am informed that, for some time, they have been back together as a couple and live together as a family. She had to move out of her own accommodation because she lost her job.

“This has been the most salutary of lessons for her. She lost this employment. She tried other employment, but that fell away when this was reported. This has, in effect, haunted her since she was first arrested.

“The first date placed on this indictment is now almost three years ago. She got subsequent employment, but social media did its best so that she had to resign from that company. She hopes that, because she did that, she can reobtain that employment. She is, at the moment, on state benefits, but she is very much keen to work and put this aberration on her otherwise exemplary character behind her.

“No one knows more than her just what a grave error of judgement she made with Smith. She has been haunted by that and will remain so. The court can mark the offence by saying, in effect, that this was worthy of a prison sentence but suspended, so that she can continue to rehabilitate.

“Obviously, there is a very stark choice. While she has had to make certain arrangements, the ideal would be that she is not separated from her young daughter. It is clear that she has learned a lesson. She will not work in the public sphere in that way again.

“The court can be satisfied that she will return to a law abiding life. She is a good mother, as all the references attest to. She wants to set good standards for her daughters. She has slipped, but that does not stop her from being a good mother.

“The ultimate sacrifice, namely going to prison immediately, in my submission, can be avoided in this case. The height of it is an intimate relationship, embarrassing to her. All of her family and everyone that she knows know what she did. Three years have passed since the commission of the offence. She has demonstrated humility about that.”

Oldham admitted one count of misconduct in a public office during an earlier hearing. Appearing in the dock wearing a brown fur coat and sporting long brown hair, she was jailed for eight months.

Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: “You were, in March 2023, working as a prison officer at HMP Risley. You had been there for about five years by then. You were not a very junior officer. You had some experience.

“What was discovered upon seizing a phone found in the cell of Lewis Smith, hidden in a sock, was that you and he, he being a serving prisoner, spent some months conducting an intimate relationship. That is not to say that there was physical sexual activity between you, but the nature of your messaging was intimate and romantic. That went on for some months. This was not just a one off. You knew full well that it was wrong.

“It is a slightly double edged sword. You chose not to report the initial contact because you were not satisfied with the way that the prison service had dealt with contact from a previous prisoner. You had been trained what the right thing to do was.

“You must have known how undermining it is of prison discipline if officers have relationships like this with prisoners. You are not only letting down the public, who place trust in those that are employed as prison officers, but you also badly let down your colleagues. It makes their lives more difficult and risky when prisoners are able to manipulate officers.

“You did not take anything into the prison for him. If you had, your position would have been much, much worse. But you made yourself very, very vulnerable. You accepted money from him. Two separate sums of money were transferred to your account by his sister, you having provided a serving prisoner with your bank account details.

“If you had stopped for a moment to think, you would have realised just how foolish that was, just how vulnerable that made you and just how vulnerable that made the security and safety of the prison. With relationships like this, there might be a risk that you will be leant upon, even blackmailed. You knew full well, throughout the months that this went on, that this was wrong.

“The authorities make clear that punishment and deterrents are always very important elements in such cases. Really, the cases where suspension is justified are exceptional.

“You are of previous good character. This began at least three years ago and ended two-and-a-half years ago now. In that time, you lost your job as a prison officer. You sought other employment, which you lost after publicity about what you have done. But you have stayed out of trouble. You have tried to work and continued to look after your daughter.

“It is an important factor, of course, that you have a now five-year-old daughter that you are the primary carer for, albeit you are now living at your father’s house with him and her father. You do not present a high risk of reoffending

“Immediate custody will result in a significant harmful impact on others. You have a dependant child, albeit she can stay where she is and has her father and grandfather with her. But I have to weigh against that the seriousness of the offending.

“I have taken the view that appropriate punishment can only be met by immediate custody. Prison officers have to realise that they cannot form these inappropriate relationships. It carried on for months. You won’t be away for very long, but the punishment is going away at all. The message is that immediate imprisonment follows, almost always, in cases of this nature.”

Smith, of Abbey Hey Lane in Gorton, Manchester, was handed a further eight months imprisonment by the same court in December last year. He pleaded guilty possession of a mobile phone in a prison and possession of a class C drug in a prison, the latter count relating to anabolic steroids which he was found with while serving at HMP Wymott in Lancashire.

At least six people have died in a bus blaze in Switzerland, which was allegedly started by a man inside the vehicle, according to police and local media reports.

Police said the blaze took place in Kerzers, a town in the western canton of Fribourg, at around 6.25pm on Tuesday. The victims have not yet been identified.

Five people have been injured, including an emergency responder, and three of them have been taken to hospital in critical condition, Fribourg police said in a statement.

Man ‘set himself alight’ in possible ‘wilful act’

It is unclear whether any other people have been hurt in the blaze, as officials said it is not known how many people were inside the bus when the fire, which “totally engulfed” the vehicle, started.

A man inside the bus “poured out petrol and set himself alight”, a witness claims in a video shared with Swiss newspaper Blick. This account was corroborated by other witnesses, according to the report.

The fire could have been a “wilful act”, the spokeswoman of Fribourg’s police said at a news conference, adding the force had “information that a person is the cause of the fire”.

She said that while police have received information that someone had poured petrol over themselves, she could not confirm this.

Another spokesperson said the fire could have been “deliberately” started, and added police would not reveal whether the alleged perpetrator is among the injured or dead.

Police have not ruled out a terror act and said an investigation is under way.

Officers are set to remain at the scene, where the burnt-out bus is shielded from view by barriers. Residents have been asked to avoid the area.

President ‘saddened’ by another deadly blaze

Schweizerische Post, the company operating the bus, said in a statement to Swiss paper Der Bund: “Our thoughts are with the injured and the families of the deceased.”

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a post on X: “It distresses and saddens me that yet more people in Switzerland have lost their lives in a serious fire.

“The background is being clarified. To the relatives of the deceased from Kerzers, I extend my condolences. And I think of the injured & the emergency services.”

The bus fire comes just months after a bar blaze in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana killed 41 people and injured 115 more in the early hours of 1 January.

Most of those who died were teenagers, and many were foreigners, including several from France and Italy.

Pressure washers have endless uses, from cleaning your car or bike to the patio, the gutters, a well used barbecue, dusty garden chairs and even your windows. Some even use them to clean carpets and chimneys, which seems foolhardy, but the trick is to use the best pressure washer for the job since the likes of Kärcher and Clarke differ from Bosch and Worx.

Using high pressure is essential to lift any sort of deeply ingrained dirt, but lower-pressure washers are more economic if you’re just cleaning mucky boots. Either way, these handy devices use less water than trying to clean stubborn dirt with a hose because they require far less water to make an impact.

Pressure washers can cost anything from £50 to £650, but you can find in-depth reviews of all the biggest brands in the business below, and some advice from a professional gardener on how to use them. First, here’s a quick look at our top five:

The best pressure washers: At a glance

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How to choose the best pressure washer

The key thing to look at is the cleaning pressure. Anything over 150 bar is high, capable of blast-cleaning concrete, while anything under 50 bar is low and best left for plastic garden furniture. Consider the quality of the materials too, metal pumps are better than plastic ones, for example.

Also take into account any additional features and accessories it comes with – such as nozzles, spray washers or a remote control – since these can be expensive to buy separately. Hose length, noise level, weight and value for money are also important. They generally draw between 1,400 and 2,800 Watts, which at today’s prices will cost between 37p and 74p an hour to run

As with other power tools (see our guides to the best lawn mowers, best hedge trimmers, best leaf blowers and best strimmers) pressure washers vary greatly in weight, power and usability.

How we test pressure washers

The Pentagon said the United States has sunk 16 mine-laying ships soon after President Donald Trump threatened Iran over reports of mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.

U.S. Central Command later wrote on X the military destroyed a total of 16 mine-laying ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s announcement came minutes after the president warned against Iran placing mines in the waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier Tuesday.

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CBS News had reported Iran may be getting ready to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, citing U.S. officials.

People familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting on the matter told CNN Iran had already laid a few dozen mines in the key waterway in recent days.

Trump said the U.S. was using “the same Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.”

The president was seemingly referring to the controversial boat strikes the U.S. has carried out in the Caribbean and Pacific, which have killed more than 150 people.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the U.S. “will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage.”

“At the direction of President Trump, @CENTCOM has been eliminating inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz—wiping them out with ruthless precision,” Hegseth wrote on X. “To the weakened Iranian regime: you have officially been put on notice!”

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Iran has threatened to attack any ship that tries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is bordered in the north by the Middle Eastern country.

Ebrahim Jabari, a senior official with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said last week, “The strait is closed. If anyone tries to ​pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set ​those ships ablaze,” according to Reuters, which cited Iranian state media.

Tankers that travel through the Strait of Hormuz transport oil and gas from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, the Associated Press reported. Most of the oil carried through the waterway is sold to Asia.

Oil prices surged Monday to nearly $120 a barrel, the highest since 2022. Oil prices later recovered, dropping back below $90 after Trump told CBS News the Iran war is “very complete, pretty much.”

Iran has “no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones,” Trump said.

But uncertainty about how long the U.S. will continue its military campaign against Iran remains during the second week of the conflict.

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A new Quinnipiac University poll found 18 percent of American voters think it will take weeks for the Iran war to end, 32 percent think it will take months and 26 percent think the conflict will last longer than a year.

At least 1,230 people in Iran have been killed in the conflict, according to the Associated Press. The joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has taken over as Iran’s supreme leader. At least seven American service members are dead over the conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has decried Trump’s argument for starting the Iran war.

“The claim that Iran was planning on attacking the U.S. or U.S. Forces, whether preventively or preemptively, is a sheer and utter lie,” Araghchi wrote on X Tuesday. “The sole purpose of that lie is to justify Operation Epic Mistake, a misadventure engineered by Israel and paid for by ordinary Americans.”

Trump has insisted Israel did not force America’s hand to launch military strikes against Iran, in an effort the U.S. has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

“I might of forced their hand,” the president told reporters.

The track climbed the UK charts and became Swift’s sixth number one single earlier this year after the singer released an accompanying star-studded music video which featured actor Cillian Murphy, singer Lewis Capaldi, TV presenter Graham Norton, About Time star Domhnall Gleeson and actresses Greta Lee and Jodie Turner-Smith.

Self-driving cars are very much a reality and no longer a vision from science fiction. In the UK, automated vehicles (AVs) such as self-driving shuttles are already being tested on public roads.

Self-driving taxi services are expected to launch in 2026, and the Automated Vehicles Act is scheduled for implementation in 2027. This act establishes the legal groundwork for driverless cars to operate on Britain’s roads.

As these vehicles move from research labs to our streets, one question becomes critical: how will they communicate safely with the people around them? Researchers and designers have proposed installing equipment on the vehicles called external human–machine interfaces. These are designed to help driverless vehicles signal their behaviour to pedestrians and other road users (cyclists, wheelchair users and human drivers).

The driverless vehicles would employ pulsing lights around the vehicle, text displays showing the car’s intentions, and auditory cues that announce forthcoming actions, such as “I’m stopping” or a truck-like reversing sound.

However, much of this research still overlooks people with disabilities, including pedestrians with hearing loss. When accessibility isn’t built in from the start, the resulting designs often fail. So how can this be improved?

There are many examples of where current driverless vehicles fall short. Text-only displays may appear universal, but they can be less accessible for people whose primary language is sign language. They are also inacessible to blind people. Auditory cues, such as hums or droning sounds, could help the blind, but are difficult or impossible to detect for many people with hearing loss – even those with hearing aids.

Speech-based cues, meant to help people with low vision, can unintentionally introduce new risks. Hearing loss can distort speech, so a message like “I’m stopped” may be heard only as “stop” – completely altering its meaning.

One size fits all

Driverless vehicles are not inherently unsafe for deaf and hard of hearing people – the challenge lies in a design process that assumes a universal, one-size-fits-all approach. Historically, communication interfaces in regular vehicles have been built with an assumed “typical” hearing pedestrian in mind.

When accessibility becomes an afterthought, communication becomes unreliable, and the systems meant to increase safety may end up excluding the people who need them most. Technology alone cannot solve this problem.

Only thoughtful, inclusive design can. Our research shows that combining visual (pulsing lights and a text display) and audio (speech) cues can significantly increase trust and support safer decisions for pedestrians in general. But much more development is needed to ensure these communication interfaces are equitable for all people with special needs.

This gap between technological promise and lived experience reflects a broader pattern. Even though the Automated Vehicles Act aims to improve accessibility, most research in this area in this area still neglects people with special needs, including those with hearing loss.

If we want driverless vehicles to create more accessible streets – and not merely introduce new barriers – then people with special needs must be included in research, design and policy from the beginning.

Drawing on a series of user studies, we offer several practical recommendations to guide industry, researchers and policymakers toward a safer, more inclusive driverless car ecosystem.

Manufacturers should include diverse populations in the design and evaluation of their vehicles. We found that pedestrians with hearing loss may experience external human–machine interfaces differently from hearing people. Designers cannot fully anticipate the potential risks unless they inclusively involve user testing groups.

People need to understand not just that a vehicle exists, but what it intends to do. Displaying the vehicle’s “state”, such as “stopped”, and transitions, such as “slowing down”, helps pedestrians accurately judge the situation and feel more assured.

Combining audio and visual cues increases trust, acceptance and perceived safety. No single mode of communication is effective for everyone, but together, they offer back-ups and clarity.

Relying on just one type of visual cue is risky – lights, text or icons can fail in certain conditions. Providing combined visual information helps ensure that if one fails, another still supports pedestrian understanding.

Urban soundscapes can interfere with with audio cues, especially for pedestrians with hearing loss. Studying external human–machine interfaces in realistic environments is essential for ensuring they work when it matters.

Vehicle manufacturers must work with hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers to help ensure that audio cues are distinguishable, rather than confusing.

In many cases, barriers to inclusion arise not from technology itself, but from a lack of awareness or consultation. When people with special needs are excluded from design decisions, systems are built on assumptions rather than lived experience.

When they are actively involved, however, we are a step towards an inclusive and equitable future. Driverless vehicles have the potential to make our roads safer for everyone. But that future depends on purposeful, inclusive design choices today.

If developers, policymakers and researchers commit to engaging with deaf and hard of hearing people, along with others, we can help create streets that are safer, more accessible and more equitable for all.

You could be left out of pocket if you do not act

The taxman has issued a stark warning that as many as one million Britons could be missing out on unclaimed tax refunds worth an average of £453 each.

It has also emerged that hundreds of thousands risk losing out simply because they have failed to check their accounts. In a brief post on X this week, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) revealed that approximately one million taxpayers have yet to claim money they are owed from overpaid tax – often because they never checked whether they were entitled to a refund.

The government body warned that ordinary workers and pensioners could be left thousands of pounds out of pocket if they fail to act promptly. According to the official alert, the typical sum owed to these taxpayers stands at around £453 per person, with many overpayments resulting from straightforward errors such as being placed on the wrong tax code, changing jobs, or retiring without updating HMRC’s records.

HMRC has stressed that this money will not be paid out automatically – claimants must check their personal tax account on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app and submit a claim themselves.

Officials have also cautioned that fraudsters are exploiting the situation by sending bogus texts, emails or making calls falsely claiming that taxpayers are owed refunds, in an attempt to steal personal and banking details. More than 135,000 HMRC-related scam reports have been logged recently, including around 29,000 involving fake tax refund claims, and the number of fraudulent approaches continues to climb.

Lucy Pike, HMRC’s Chief Security Officer, said: “Millions of people file a tax return each year and scammers mimic HMRC to try and catch unsuspecting victims out. I’m urging people to stay vigilant and if any emails, text messages or phone calls appear suspicious – don’t be lured into clicking on links or sharing your personal information – report it directly to HMRC.”

Experts say thousands are missing out on money simply by ignoring letters or failing to set up online tax accounts – and with scammers operating, the risk of handing over cash to fraudsters is significant. Genuine tax refunds will be communicated through HMRC’s secure system or by post – the department will never request bank or personal details via an unsolicited email or text.

Advisers are urging taxpayers to log into their accounts today – before it’s too late and the unclaimed refunds are lost.

Holidaymakers travelling overseas this Easter are being urged to do one thing before jetting off

Brits planning holidays this spring are being urged to check their passports immediately to avoid potential travel disruption. The warning comes as millions of families across the country prepare for travel during the busy Easter period.

The alert was issued by HM Passport Office in a social media post on Tuesday. Officials stated: “Planning spring or Easter travel? Check your passport now.”

They also directed travellers to the official government website to begin the process if they require a new passport, adding: “If you need to renew, go to: “https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport.”

The UK Government advises holidaymakers to regularly ensure their passport is valid before making international travel plans. Officials warn against making any bookings until a valid passport is physically in hand.

This is due to the fact that a new passport will not have the same number as the old one, which could cause problems if travel arrangements are made prior to receiving the document.

Those still holding a burgundy passport with “European Union” on the cover can continue to use it until its expiry date. The design change following Brexit does not affect the validity of the passport.

Travellers can apply for, renew, replace or update their passport online via the official government service. Applying online is also £12.50 cheaper than applying by post.

According to the HM Passport Office, applicants will need a debit or credit card to complete the process online. It’s also recommended for travellers to check the current processing times before submitting their application.

For those urgently needing a passport, expedited services are available. These include the Online Premium service and the one-week Fast Track option.

Holiday hopefuls needing help with an online application can visit a Post Office branch. Staff there can take a digital photo and assist in filling out the application via the digital Check and Send service, although this does come with an extra fee.

Paper passport application forms can also be picked up from Post Office branches. However, the government notes that applying by post usually takes longer than applying online.

Officials advise that checking your passport now could save travellers stress closer to departure. With the Easter break approaching, making sure documents are valid could avoid last-minute travel headaches.

Amid the sound of bombs and distant gunfire, we heard church bells ripple through Beirut’s suburbs. Then we saw a large group of people congregate, all dressed in black. 

They had to come to a Maronite place of worship, Sacred Heart church, to commemorate the death of man called Sami Ghafari.

The 66-year-old had been killed in a drone strike in a village in south Lebanon.

Iran war latest: US strikes 16 ‘mine-laying boats’

The congregation was also commemorating the death of the village itself.

The community, Alma al Shaab, is home to some 200 Christian families who have all been forced to flee their homes.

The last group of evacuees, numbering 83, had been guided out of the area by UN peacekeepers that morning – the majority proceeding straight to the church.

We spoke to resident Elias Konsol as he got out his car. He said the past nine days had been “terrifying”.

“Every day that we sleep, we don’t know in the morning if we will be alive,” he said.

“Was there a moment,” I asked, “when you thought, ‘right, we need to leave?’”

“Yesterday, at midnight,” he replied. “We thought that they were coming inside.”

“Who, the Israelis?”

“Yes, [the Israelis] are coming to Alma,” said Elias. “What will we do?”

A cloud of sorrow hung over the church and we watched members of the congregation struggle to control their emotions. Many seemed completely exhausted.

On 1 March, the residents of Alma al Shaab rang the bells of the village church when they learnt the Israeli military had issued an evacuation order requiring them to leave.

But many refused to leave their homes.

When the Israelis started to bombard the village, residents brought their blankets and bedding and packed themselves into the hall beneath the church.

One villager, Joe Sayyah, told us they had tried to adapt.

“Every day at five or six, we went under the church to the hall. This is the time when the shelling and strikes would happen all around the village, even during the day,” he said.

“We could only check on our homes and come back. We couldn’t do anything else.”

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Iran war briefing: Day 11 with Sean Bell

‘We are not 83 martyrs to be’

It seems the death of Sami Ghafari was the final straw. He was killed, say residents, by an Israeli missile as he was watering vegetables in his garden

The mayor of Alma al Shaab is called Shady Saayah and he looked distraught. He has lost a friend, as well as his village.

“What is going through your mind?” I asked.

“Loss, the loss of our land, the loss of our dignity, Lebanon starts from Alma [al Shaab].”

Read more:
Why it took so long to deploy UK warship
What is crossing Strait of Hormuz?

The mayor said the remaining villagers had decided to flee when the local commander of the UN peacekeeping detachment (UNIFIL) said they could not protect them.

“He said you have the right to stay, but if you do we are not responsible. It is very dangerous. We asked the priest to contact the Vatican, [and they said] it is up to you, so everyone left us.

“So we decided we are not 83 martyrs to be.”

He then took off his jacket and showed me a tattoo of a cross and the patron saint of Lebanon on his left forearm.

“We believe in saints, not weapons,” he said. “All we want is peace.”

This gathering at the Sacred Heart church is one story of many – from little more than one week of war. But this conflict has created a humanitarian disaster that has turned a nation upside down.