Richard Ratcliffe is camped outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a bid to force its chief Liz Truss to show more urgency. For part of yesterday he was joined by his daughter Gabriella, seven, who showed a heart stone she had painted for her mum, 42. Richard, 46, hit out at the Government's "policy of waiting" and told Sky News that the Government seemed reluctant to pressurise Tehran with measures such as court action or imposing sanctions.

       He said: "I do feel that the Government strategy is broken. It's not going anywhere."

       Richard, whose first hunger strike two years ago secured Gabriella's release, said: "It does feel like a policy of waiting and we can't wait forever."

       Nazanin, who has dual British- Iranian nationality, was held by the Iranians in 2016 after far-fetched alle- gations that she plotted to overthrow the Government.

       More than 3.6 million people have signed a change.org petition calling for her to be released. Richard wrote: "Two years ago I went on hunger strike in front of the Iranian Embassy much to their considerable anger. But it got Gabriella home.