Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton ordered to divide assets after running up £800,000 in legal bills

Judge branded legal costs 'manifestly excessive'

(Getty)

Rock star Liam Gallagher and ex-wife Nicole Appleton ran up more than £800,000 in legal bills while arguing over how to divide assets worth about £11 million after their divorce, a judge has said.

Judge Martin O'Dwyer has ruled assets should be split in half and said Gallagher and Appleton should each get about £5.5 million.

He said the level of spending on legal costs had been "manifestly excessive".

Detail has emerged in a ruling on the case delivered by the judge on 18 December.

Gallagher and Appleton had argued over money at a private family court hearing earlier this year.

Limits were placed on what the public could be told about that hearing, but Judge O'Dwyer has now ruled much of his judgment in the case can be reported.