Woman sues over love-cheat Romeo

A dating agency is being sued by one of its clients, after it fixed her up with a married man. Divorced Margaret Ruddlesden, 47 wrote "lying bastard" on Alwyn Philips' underpants and thrust his clothes into the hands of his wife when she realised.

Ms Ruddleston had paid pounds 417 to join Close Encounters (of the Best Kind) after moving to Bristol and was soon in the arms of Mr Philips, 47, who worked in a frozen food depot.

But the affair was swiftly curtailed when she realised he was living with his wife, Theresa.

Yesterday, Ms Ruddlesden told the Western Daily Press: "Alwyn's car was parked outside my house when someone crashed into the back of it. The police turned up and Alwyn had to give his details. From that moment on his attitude changed.

"Until then it had been red roses and chocolates and he even asked me to marry him. But after the accident he didn't ring for days. I knew something was wrong."

When she went to his home his wife answered the door. The next day he finally phoned and agreed to meet her to collect some of his clothes. "I was enraged. I stitched labels in the back of his pants, then I wrote 'lying bastard' on the back of them."

The agency has now offered to return the introduction fee.