Richard and Zerbanoo Gifford, who live in Newnham, were honoured to be invited by Pope Leo XIV to attend a special audience with him and the leading members of the Chagos Refugee Group.

Mr Gifford has been their lawyer for over 30 years in their fight against the British government over their right to return to their homes.

The Chagossians were forcibly removed in the late 1960s after the British government agreed that the United States to build an airbase on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands in the Indian Ocean.

The islands have been in the news of late after a controversial decision by the government to return sovereignty to Mauritius of what is officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Mr Gifford has worked tirelessly for the Chagossian community and his legal work finally ensured that the international community acknowledged their rights to finally return to their homeland.

Pope Leo welcomed them to his private room in the Vatican and, in French, spoke of the injustice the Chagossians have suffered.

He thanked those who had helped the Chagossians in their rightful struggle to return home to the Chagos Archipelago.

Richard Gifford spoke to the Pope about the legal struggle that he had worked on for over 30 years and received Pope Leo’s blessings for his courageous and tireless endeavour to see social justice finally triumph.

Zerbanoo presented the Pope with a much-treasured copy of the ‘Zoroastrian Avesta’ (Holy book) and the ‘Z to A of Zoroastrianism’, written by her for the Vatican library.

She also presented a manual created at the ASHA Centre, which she founded in the Forest of Dean, for the European Union's ‘Designing Learning for Peace’.

Mrs Gifford said the Pope was visibly interested in her book on ‘Thomas Clarkson and the campaign against the slave trade’.

Pope Leo is known for his deep concern for the plight of those in poverty and slavery.

Zerbanoo spoke to the Pope about the work of the ASHA centre with young people throughout the world.

In November, ASHA will be hosting an interfaith programme for young leaders of all faiths, and there will be a keynote speech on the final day from Britain's Interfaith minister and the Church of England's first female Bishop, Rachel Treweek of Gloucester.

ASHA is to become the "Representation Office" in the UK of the Chagos Refugees Group of Mauritius.

Mrs Gifford’s visit to the Vatican also enabled her to walk through the four holy doors of Rome's four major basilicas, which are ritually opened only during Jubilee Years.

She said: These sacred portals are located in St. Peter's Basilica, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore). Passing through these doors symbolises a spiritual journey from sin to grace, representing renewal, forgiveness, and the embrace of God's love.