NEWLYweds split up on their honeymoon after the husband was unmasked as a gambling addict who had spent a £90,000 re-mortgage on betting.

And Adam Green, 25, of Goldshore Avenue, Crawshawbooth, also spent £40,000 that had been set aside by his wife Charlotte Walsh's parents.

His wife discovered the deception while on honeymoon in Cyprus and the police were called, Burnley Crown Court was told.

In a statement read out to court Ms Walsh said that she had been constantly pursued by debt collectors since her relationship with Green ended.

Green yesterday admitted lying about his income and forging Ms Walsh's signature to gain extensions totalling £87,456 on a £64,000 mortgage the couple had taken out together.

He also fraudulently gained a £5,000 loan with another bank.

Green spent all of the cash gambling on the internet and c asinos, the court was told.

Philip Holden, defending, said: "These offences were clearly committed because of this defendant's addiction to gambling.

"He got his taste for gambling when he had a large win and it seemed to take a grip on him.

"He has sought some assistance for his addiction but he realises he has a long way to go."

Green was sentenced to a year in prison suspended for two years and ordered to complete 1 80 hours of community service.

He was also placed under a 12-month supervision order to ensure he continued to seek help for his gambling addiction .

Green had taken out the first extension for £50,000 with the Northern Rock Building Society in February last year, just eight months after the original loan had been agreed.

He told the building society that in that time his salary had increased from £14,000 to £26,000.

A month later he agreed a further £16,747 increase and in April he was loaned another £20,709. Repayments were not kept up on any of the extensions.

In September Northern Rock contacted him about the debt and he took out a £5,000 loan with Alliance and Leicester, again forging Ms Walsh's signature and this time claiming he earned £44,000 a year, the court was told.

Soon afterwards the couple got married and were on their honeymoon in Cyprus when Ms Walsh's parents contacted her to say that the £40,000 they had saved had disappeared.

The police were called and Green admitted his deception.

Judge Beverley Lund said Green had come very close to being sent straight to prison, but that new sentencing guidelines relating to overcrowding meant financial fraud was not imprisonable.

She said: "Offences like this are very often called victimless crimes in that the victims are often financial institutions but that was not the case here because his actions have seriously injured the lady he married.

"She will have to live with the recriminations of this for many years to come."