In the English Channel, less than two hours by fishing boat from Dover, some of the most potent weapons in Russia’s war on Ukraine are hiding in plain sight.

On a misty February morning midway between Britain and France, we watch tankers carrying Russian oil worth around $100m (£74.1m) cruise past in defiance of Western sanctions, embargoes, and price caps.

Dozens of these vessels pass through the Channel every month, part of a “shadow fleet” of up to 800 vessels that have kept the oil revenues that fund the war on Ukraine flowing.

This week, the UK government announced fresh sanctions against the Russian oil trade but the evidence of a day on the water is that the shadow fleet operates with apparent impunity, right under the nose of Kyiv’s allies.

Russian tankers a ‘routine sight’

Our skipper, Matt Coker, usually takes sea fishing parties out on the Portia, but we were after a bigger catch; three vessels in the shadow fleet carrying oil from Russia’s Baltic ports.

He says they are a routine sight in the world’s busiest shipping lane: “When you see these Russian ships and these oil tankers, you know, it’s a regular occurrence. To be honest, no one really takes any notice.”

We had tracked the tankers – the Rigel, the Hyperion and the Kousai – from the Gulf of Finland, where they had been loaded with oil at Russian Baltic ports, to intercept them as they passed the narrowest point of the Dover Straits.

Up close in a rising swell, the scale of the vessels is unavoidable, and each one tells a story about both the impact and the limits of Western action.

The Rigel, a Suezmax-class tanker, is more than 270 metres long and fills the near horizon as it emerges from the mist. With a capacity of one million barrels, its cargo of oil, loaded a week earlier at Primorsk, is worth around $55m (£40.7m).

It is sailing under a Cameroon flag, owned and managed by a company in the Seychelles, and sanctioned by the EU, UK and Canada, among others.

That prevents it from using port facilities in any of the sanctioning countries, but not from heading to its next known stop, Port Said at the head of the Suez Canal. We cannot know where its oil will be unloaded, but since the invasion of Ukraine, the bulk of Russian oil has been sold to China and India, at a significant discount.

Next to appear is the Hyperion, sanctioned by the UK, EU and US, and sailing under a Russian flag with its name marked on the bow in Cyrillic.

The flag switching tactic

As recently as December, it was sailing under a Sierra Leone flag when, after making a delivery to Venezuela, it switched flags and evaded the US naval blockade in the Caribbean.

Switching flags is a routine tactic in the shadow fleet, opaque ownership is common, and insurance cover is often unclear, a serious concern given many of the vessels are ageing and poorly maintained.

The US has taken direct military action against tankers in the shadow fleet linked to Venezuela, with at least seven seized since last year, the most recently in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.

French paramilitaries also seized a vessel in the Mediterranean last month, but despite the almost daily passage of shadow tankers through the Channel, direct British interventions so far have focused on insurance.

As we watch the passage of our third sanctioned tanker, the Kousai, we overhear a message from the coastguard to its captain on the open VHF radio channel, demanding proof of insurance.

The captain is asked to email documentation to a government email address within 24 hours. We do not hear the Kousai’s response, and in a matter of minutes, it too has passed.

A reaction to sanctions

Sanctions against Russia’s oil industry have had an impact, reducing the value of Russian oil if not the volumes that it moves.

The growth of the shadow fleet itself is a market response to tightening sanctions. With the majority of western-controlled tankers and associated marine services beyond Russia’s reach, it turned to an ad-hoc, opaque collection of older vessels to move oil, often covertly.

“Over 60% of Russian crude is being exported on the shadow fleet,” says Pamela Munger, head of European market analysis for energy analysts Vortexa.

“You have more vessels that need to be in the chain. Let’s say a sanctioned vessel loads Russian crude and let’s say it’s on its way to China.

“It could make up to five, six, seven ship-to-ship transfers along the way in order to disguise the origin of the crude and move it on to… Non-sanctioned vessels, which it will eventually discharge into its end buyer.”

Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air shows that the number of vessels in the shadow fleet grew following sanctions but the volume of oil being moved remained constant, even as hundreds of vessels were sanctioned directly.

Impact on the oil market

Prices have fallen, however, with Russian oil now competing with Iranian and Venezuelan crude in the “distressed” sanctioned oil market, cutting Kremlin revenues as a result.

“Russia has had to discount those crude oil cargoes in a very big way,” says David Fyfe, chief economist at commodity price specialists Argus Media.

“In 2021, Urals, the primary export grade of Russian crude, was pricing two to three dollars below North Sea Brent. As we speak in February, Urals is loading in the Baltic ports at $27 below North Sea Brent.”

That price gap has cut Russia’s oil revenues by around 25% year-on-year and by up to 50% in January alone, an economic impact the Kremlin cannot ignore.

“I think they’ll take a fairly sizeable hit, particularly in revenues this year, and I’d expect, at the very least, something like a half-a-million barrel per day hit on volumes,” says Mr Fyfe.

Are we heading for a military confrontation?

The squeeze could tighten further, with pressure for a more robust response from European nations, including the UK.

Under maritime law, all vessels have the right of innocent passage as long as they are sailing under a legitimate flag, and many countries have continued to do business with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.

The UK government is understood to have examined the legal grounds for detaining Russian tankers, including under the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act.

“I think there must come a point at which Britain and its allies, the Dutch, and the Danes and the Norwegians and the seagoing nations of Northern Europe, they will get much tougher with these Russian ships, even if they’re escorted,” says Professor Michael Clarke, Sky News security and defence analyst.

“When that happens, I think we’re heading probably sometime this year for some sort of militarised confrontation at sea.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said it has requested insurance documents from more than 600 vessels, and that “deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority”.

The owners of the Rigel, the Hyperion and the Kousai have been contacted for comment.

“My weakness.” Pep Guardiola knows full well he has a soft spot for Bernardo Silva but Manchester City must be careful not to lose some steel this summer.

The mood music suggests Bernardo will depart the Etihad when his contract runs out in a matter of months. He has spoken about one day returning to first club Benfica and said earlier in the season that he knows what he wants to do next, which suggests a departure is likely.

Bernardo has spent nine years in Manchester and played more games for Guardiola than any other player. The Blues boss broke with tradition last summer in appointing his own captain rather than letting the players decide. Silva was named skipper.

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The Portugal international can often polarise fans but last season, when City were struggling, he was a constant. A foot soldier prepared to go to war in difficult conditions.

This term his experience has been vital and he’s produced some exceptional performances. Without him, City probably lose at Anfield and maybe the title challenge splutters out.

“I sleep better before when I decide to play Bernardo in the team,” said Guardiola last month. “I go to bed and sleep better. I have to take care of my health and absolutely, he’s another type. He’s a competitor. He has fire in his eyes still. He never finds excuses. Never. And that’s why he is a special, special player, how he competes in every single game.”

Bernardo’s mentality, will to win, ability to rattle opponents and openness to speak his mind mark him out. As City rebuild, he is a constant. The Blues have a host of talented young players in the early and mid 20s who are already leaders, they have the core of a top team for many years to come and in Nico O’Reilly they perhaps already have a ready-made Bernardo replacement.

But even if Bernardo wasn’t part of the first-choice XI week in, week out, City will lose a lot if and when the 31-year-old goes. He may not be the force of old, but he sets standards and his leadership qualities and experiences are almost unrivalled. He’s proved this season that he has plenty to offer and while City could replace his on-pitch abilities, what he gives behind the scenes is a tangible that is much more difficult to replicate.

“I would love for Man City, for myself as well, [that] Bernardo is going to stay forever,” said Guardiola. “But so we spoke a lot with Bernie and Bernie has to decide the best for him and his family. And whatever happens this season, next season, in 10 years, he will remain one of the greatest players that this club has had in its long history.”

Whatever happens between now and May, having Bernardo as part of the squad next season would be a best-case outcome as the City of the future emerges. He may not be part of it, but he can shape it.

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We’re talking at the plush hotel Racing Bulls have picked as their base for the two pre-season tests in Bahrain, which followed a ‘shakedown’ in Spain. It’s not long past 8am, and his next appointment is an engineering meeting, before going out on track later in the day.

Asked if he feels ready for the big time in F1, he says: “Yeah, I think so. Obviously, it’s a big step from F2, especially this year. There’s regulation changes and everything is very different.

“But I’ve been working really hard with the team on the sim (simulator) at the factory, obviously also trying to utilise these three tests that we have.

“That’s a big benefit for me this year. Normally, there’s only one, whereas this year there’s three. So that really helps me to get up to speed. I’m really trying to utilise these tests, and I’m looking forward to getting on track in Melbourne.”

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane, who has worked with a multitude of top drivers, including Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, has been full of praise so far.

“He’s done a fantastic job,” Permane says. “People often ask me, ‘What do you look for? What do you need in a young driver?’ And of course, the first thing you need is for them to be quick. We’re very comfortable with that, we know he’s got the speed.

“But also on top of that, he’s bringing lots of inquisitiveness, he’s asking many questions, his debriefs are great, he’s doing everything we ask of him at the moment.”

F1 is a brutal business, with little sentiment. Drivers either achieve or they’re out. And nowhere is more ruthless than Red Bull.

You might expect Lindblad to be feeling a little pressure mixed in with the obvious excitement. But he says not.

“I wouldn’t really say pressure,” he says. “If I’m being honest, this is what I’ve worked towards my whole life.

“So I’m excited to be here, and all I’m really thinking about at the moment is trying to work with the team, trying to understand the cars to get the best performance I can, trying to extract the most out of the package from the beginning.”

Backflips, sparring and breakdance: China’s humanoid robots are already intimidating.

The Asian country showcased the rapid technological advances they are making in human-like bots at the annual Spring Festival Gala earlier this month.

The kung fu-kicking skills on display have sparked fears that humanoids could be the future of global military conflicts – and that the West is falling behind.

Metro has spoken to leading war experts about the role humanoid robots could play in future battlefields or whether they’ll remain a dystopian fantasy.

‘A humanoid robot could replace the man with the gun’

Robots are already playing a vital role in modern warfare.

In Ukraine, remote-controlled vehicles equipped with machine guns have already carried out assaults on Russian forces.

Drones reign the skies and dominate the battle in large parts of the country.

‘This is because robots can do things that are too risky for humans to do,’ says Dr James Pritchett.

The War Studies Lecturer at Hull University told Metro: ‘In the West, we have become very casualty averse. We don’t like to take risk.

‘Robots are a great alternative to that. You can send a machine to do a person’s job.’

What is different about humanoid robots, compared to the technology already being used, is simple: they have two legs.

This gives them ‘certain advantages’ over other bots.

Dr Pritchett explained: ‘There are advantages to having legs. You can go upstairs relatively easily. You can navigate certain kinds of rough terrain.

‘Humanoids make sense in a complex urban environment.’

Take the looming conflict over Taiwan, which China has threatened to capture for decades.

The war expert speculates that humanoid robots would have an advantage fighting in the dense cities, such as Taipei, that make up the East Asian island.

Machines are also good at speed.

‘If you are charging across a fire-swept trench system, then a robot might be what you want,’ Dr Pritchett adds.

He continued: ‘If you’re going to control a situation, take territory, keep it and control it, you need to put a man on the scene with a gun.

‘Now, a humanoid robot – if it’s smart enough and if the technology is there – could replace the man on the scene with a gun.’

That is a big if.

‘Giving a robot fingers is very, very weird’

There are questions about whether human-like bots will make sense in a modern warzone or be advanced enough to do the job.

‘Robots aren’t good at creative adaptivity. AI doesn’t seem to be as good at that as we are,’ said Dr Pritchett, who reckons humanoid military robots are at least several decades away.

‘If you put a robot, even a humanoid one, in a complicated counterinsurgency situation like Afghanistan, it might not be as good as a human being.’

The Hull University lecturer also warns that cheaper ‘AI-controlled tanks’ and simple robots might make a more sensible military investment than ‘expensive’ humanoid ones.

Peter Spayne, former weapons engineer in the Royal Navy, agreed that visions of humanoid armies were ‘fictional at the moment’.

The expert on lethal autonomous weapons explained that China’s choreographed displays of their humanoid machines were in ‘very confined and mapped environments’.

He told Metro: ‘Could I ask it to walk down the street with loads of unknown inputs coming in, such as other people, pedestrian traffic, cars and animals?

‘It’d probably trip over quite quickly or walk into a wall and get stuck.’

Although Mr Spayne said that advanced ‘dystopian killer robots’ might be 20 to 30 years away, he doubted they would look like humans.

He said: ‘Tanks replaced horses, but tanks didn’t look like horses with four legs.

‘So we will absolutely see armies of drones that look like quadcopters, that look like vehicles, that look like aircraft.

‘But we won’t see something that stands six feet tall, on two legs, and walks like a human.

‘To try and give it fingers and dexterity to operate a weapon system designed for a human is very, very weird.’

He continued: ‘Good engineering says that’s not how you’d do it.’

While the weapons engineer doesn’t envisage humanoid robots on the frontline, that doesn’t mean they won’t play an important part in the future global conflicts.

Mr Spayne said: ‘I think they could be a tool in the box for search and rescue, disaster relief, and going into destroyed buildings.

‘The places where something on wheels would probably come unstuck rather quickly, and it’s too dangerous for a person.

‘But you’re not going to have a robotic firefighter making all human firefighters unemployed. They will be used in specialist situations.’

The race for humanoid robots

What these experts agree on is that China has proven they are ‘ahead of the game on’ humanoid technology.

China accounted for around 90pc of all humanoid robots sold last year and is home to more than 451,000 companies involved in intelligent robotics.

Two of the leading humanoid companies sold a combined 10,000 robots last year, whereas Elon Musk’s Tesla has built just 150 humanoids.

Dr Prtichett said: ‘The West has approached AI a little differently. We are focusing on disembodied AI, like ChatGPT. It could be that we are missing out.

‘If there is a military role for humanoid robots, then we’re probably behind the curve on it.’

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has also been developing its own robotic systems.

Early last year, they conducted a trial using robot dogs to defuse explosives.

In May, they then conducted the largest-ever UK defence AI trial across land, sea and air.

And a month later the forces tested an underwater robot that can prevent threats from sabotaging undersea cables and pipelines

An MoD spokesperson said: ‘This government has reversed a four-year decline in Armed Forces recruitment, with more personnel now joining than leaving for the first time since 2020.

‘We are driving transformation in our Armed Forces and making the UK the leading edge of innovation in NATO by equipping our forces with the full range of conventional and technological capabilities.

‘AI is already embedded in our military systems including drones, uncrewed surface vessels and autonomous mine-hunting robots and through UK Defence Innovation we’re driving the development of data and AI-powered capabilities.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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The picturesque village offers fans the chance to walk in Emily Brontë’s footsteps, visiting the Brontë Parsonage Museum, historic waterfall, and church where the sisters are buried

Wuthering Heights is the name currently on everyone’s lips and as fans continue to immerse themselves in the world Emily Brontë created, they’re eager to incorporate Yorkshire into their travel plans this year.

With that comes a surge in interest in Emily Brontë’s original novel and the woman behind it herself, which will inevitably lead people to this picturesque Yorkshire village.

Visiting Haworth, tucked away in the depths of West Yorkshire, offers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the famous literary Brontë sisters.

While the village remains a place that many locals call home and is steeped in history, with its cobbled streets and flourishing independent businesses, it’s the literary heritage that continues to draw people back to it.

Naturally, after the educational exploration, everyone still needs a cosy café or traditional pub to return to, and it’s certainly not short of those.

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Brontë Museum

From 1820 onwards, the celebrated Brontë sisters lived in a house at the top of the main cobbled street in the village, opposite the church in which their father was a pastor.

Emily both lived and died in the home, and now, that very building has been transformed into the Brontë Parsonage Museum, in their honour.

It houses the world’s largest Brontë collection, featuring items you won’t find anywhere else. Alongside its collection on display, the venue hosts numerous exhibits, visits, events and more, offering people a glimpse into the world of the Brontës.

Inside, tourists can view a wealth of history from these literary giants, from writing desks and letters to their personal belongings such as clothes and furniture from the original home.

Literary fans will particularly enjoy seeing Emily’s handwriting along with her sisters as it was these words and pens which helped to shape some of the greatest English novels of our time.

A visitor left a review on TripAdvisor in January of this year, saying: “I found it rather emotional looking at some of the items on display and will definitely be returning soon because the ticket lasts a year, and I’m pretty sure the museum is currently working on something new at the moment, but it’s all a bit hush-hush for now.”

Another shared: “This is the second time I have been to this museum, many years apart, and it was a joy to visit again. It is so well preserved, and effort has been made to source as much original furniture and fittings that were in the home originally.”

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Brontë Waterfall

For those wishing to explore further afield and spend time in nature, they can undertake the popular Bronte Way, a walk which leads you past a number of significant sites. The waterfall is one of those locations, which is a 45-60 minute walk from the village.

It stands alone as a small yet stunning cascade of water on Sladen Beck, near Haworth, and is believed to have been famously visited by the literary sisters.

They would travel to the area in search of inspiration, and visitors continued to make their way there in search of the same beauty their favourite authors were so fond of.

After walking to the waterfall, one person said: “Lovely place, stunning scenery, nice walks, so quiet and peaceful. Great place to relax. Would definitely recommend.”

Brontë Church

With their father serving as the pastor of the local church, it’s no surprise there is a strong connection with the Brontë sisters and St Michael and All Angels’ Church in Haworth.

Living across the road meant they spent considerable time there and it served as their place of worship throughout the 1800s, so much so that following their tragic and premature deaths, they were laid to rest in the chapel.

Their father, Patrick Brontë, managed to outlive both his wife and all six of his children, choosing to bury them in his home church. Their bodies remain in a vault beneath the church, which now features a memorial and the beautiful ‘Brontë Window’.

To this day, Patrick is believed to be the church’s longest-serving minister, having served for an impressive 41 years.

Tragically, however, due to many of his children dying young, none went on to have children of their own, meaning there are likely no surviving descendants of that family line.

Belfast boxer Anthony Cacace challenges WBA super-featherweight champion Jazza Dickens at Dublin’s 3Arena on March 14

Anthony Cacace believes there are striking parallels between himself and James ‘Jazza’ Dickens as he pursues a second world title.

The Belfast fighter (24-1) will meet the Liverpool boxer at Dublin’s 3Arena on 14th March, with the WBA world super-featherweight championship on the line—nearly two years since he defeated Joe Cordina to claim the IBF belt in Saudi Arabia.

Since that breakthrough moment, Cacace’s career has transformed dramatically. Victories over English fighters Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood have followed, and at 37, he harbours ambitions of cementing his legacy as one of Ireland’s finest boxers.

Much like ‘The Apache’, Dickens has found his greatest success in the latter stages of his career.

The 34-year-old southpaw (36-5) produced the performance of his life when he upset Russian 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev in an interim world title clash in Istanbul last July, reports the Irish Mirror.

Following American Lamont Roach’s decision to move up a weight division in December, Dickens was promoted to full WBA champion.

Cacace reflected on their shared journeys: “There’s some similarities. Jazza’s another story of keep plugging away, and look what you can get,”.

“Jazza’s been battling away, he fought for a world title against Guillermo Rigondeaux all those years back, he’s had a couple of opportunities in between, but look, when he became successful, he was 34 years of age.

“It shows you life in this game humbles you, it gets you into positions, and when you’re in that position you realise that you can’t let it slip.”

The headline fight on a packed Queensberry card will mark only the second time Cacace has fought professionally in Dublin.

His first bout in the city took place over 13 years ago at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, which was only his fifth professional fight.

On that occasion, he defeated Mickey Coveney in the first round to secure the Boxing Union of Ireland Irish Super Featherweight title. Next month, he’ll be stepping into the 3Arena for the first time.

“I’ve never been in the 3Arena. I’ve heard about it and stuff,” Cacace revealed.

“I’ve heard the atmosphere is great. The way they have the set up in it is supposedly very, very good. I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited.”

Cacace was scheduled to face American Raymond Ford last August in Saudi Arabia, but had to pull out due to a back injury.

However, everything has gone smoothly since then, and he’s anticipating a tough fight with Dickens, who spent several years living and training in Ireland with Pete Taylor.

“I feel like I’m fighting another Irish dude to be honest with you,” Cacace added. “I see him, he’s putting up tweets now ‘up the flats’. He’s like an Irishman.

“He’s a southpaw, he’s small, he has a bit of the dog in him, he’s aggressive enough, so it could really be a cracker, or not too good and a clear win for me.”

In recent years, Cacace has transitioned from delivering takeaways to fighting on some of the world’s biggest stages, including Wembley Stadium, Belfast’s SSE Arena and Riyadh.

“It’s just things that are hard to comprehend,” he said, reflecting on how his life has transformed.

“I am sitting here in this position, before I didn’t know where I was getting the next penny from, I didn’t know what I was going to do, the future, there was no future.

“It’s just been a magical, magical time.”

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Parking companies also say there will be a new backlog as they take more people to court

Proposed changes to parking regulations risk urban areas becoming “gridlocked” and the court system being “overwhelmed”, an industry body has claimed. The British Parking Association (BPA), which represents parking operators, warned about the “unintended and avoidable consequences” of the Government’s planned code of practice for the sector in Britain.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) consultation document on the proposals stated it is considering banning the addition of debt recovery fees to parking tickets. These fees – currently capped at £70 – are charged when parking operators use debt recovery agencies to attempt to collect money for unpaid tickets.

The consultation also sought views on the cap on parking tickets, which is currently £100 with a 40% discount if paid within 14 days. The BPA claimed banning debt recovery fees would result in car park operators taking more cases to court as that would be their “only option left” to pursue drivers for tickets that have not been paid.

It also expressed concern that an “insufficient” maximum limit on parking tickets would create a “parking free for all” as it would reduce the deterrent for drivers ignoring parking rules. BPA chief policy and engagement officer Alison Tooze said: “We fully support and welcome the Government’s code of practice.

“However, it is our responsibility to warn against unintended and avoidable problems. The Government code framework has good intentions. However, we face an operational reality where we could see ‘Carmageddon’ in towns and cities and the already struggling court system being completely overwhelmed.

“We absolutely do not want this to happen. The code is being developed with the goal of protecting decent drivers, vulnerable road users and communities, yet there is a real danger that it could have the opposite effect and bring unintentional chaos.

“We have seen high-profile examples of this across the country including in Bournemouth and Aberystwyth where they were completely gridlocked by unfair motorist behaviour. Nobody wants to see this on a bigger scale and these examples illustrate what does happen in reality when drivers are not concerned about the consequences of breaking the rules.”

But the RAC warned that the threat of debt recovery fees can make drivers pay “unfair” parking tickets they would otherwise challenge. The organisation’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “We don’t support the use of debt recovery companies by the private parking industry and we hope to see it tackled in the Government code of practice when it comes into force.

“A £100 parking charge notice is bad enough but if this isn’t paid in 28 days it automatically gets increased by £70 when a debt recovery letter lands on the doormat. This seems disproportionate and could scare people into paying rather than appealing any unfair fines.”

Press Association analysis of Government data shows private parking companies issued a record 15.9 million parking tickets in the year to the end of September 2025. The industry has been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

A Bill to enable the introduction of a code of practice for the industry received royal assent in March 2019. This code, planned to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023, included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to £50, creating a fairer appeals system and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.

But it was withdrawn by the Conservative government in June 2022 after a legal challenge by parking companies. A new consultation on the code by the current Labour Government closed in September last year.

A MHCLG spokesperson said: “Motorists must be protected when using private car parks and we are determined to drive up standards in the industry. No final decision has been made on the debt recovery fee cap and we will set out further details on the private parking code of practice as soon as possible.”

Anthony Trueman’s (Nicholas Bailey) funeral brought on a slew of shocks in EastEnders, namely the return (and arrest) of Anthony’s daughter and killer, Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness).

Another twist saw the return of Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson), months after his relationship with Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) was decimated by the reveal that he’d turned to stealing as a means to keep Kim in the life she’d become accustomed to, and pocketed cash stolen from Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker).

Wounded by a comment from Kim that her former husband, Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood), was a superior provider, Howie buried his guilt after reclaiming the money stolen from Patrick by Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier), keeping his mouth shut and keeping the dosh for himself.

He later picked up a second job in parcel delivery alongside his work as a postman, but upon discovering just how valuable some of the items he was transporting were, he was unable to resist helping himself to fund his family.

When Anthony discovered that the ring Howie’d used to propose to Kim was stolen from Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine), Howie did some digging of his own. Discovering that Anthony’s wife had filed a restraining order against him, they formed an incredibly uneasy truce, both agreeing to keep the others secret.

But this is Soapland, right? And secrets are legally prohibited from remaining so for too long, and when a concerned Howie confided in Kim about Anthony’s recent dark behaviour, the engagement party quickly exploded as everyone’s tea was spilled.

Kim wasted little time in ending the engagement, banishing Howie from the house and the family while declaring their relationship officially dead.

So while things were understandably tense when he returned to offer his support to the Trueman clan last week, Kim finds herself leaning on Howie for support next week, as Patrick’s reliance on an AI recreation of his deceased son increases and her attempts to get through to him fail.

Upon seeing a struggling Kim in the Vic, Howie decides to intervene and talks to Patrick himself.

Patrick, however, has some advice of his own and tells Howie to plough all of his efforts into winning Kim back.

Patrick rallies his family together to go for a midday drink, and Kim’s jaw hits the floor when Howie emerges and begins serenading her, flanked by two drag queens to complete the performance.

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Will the power of song (and drag) convince Kim to give things another go with Howie? Or will his performance close the curtain on their relationship for good?

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“I hate how I feel when I lose control a little bit.”