Police have sacked a control room operator for forging her estranged husband's signature in a £120,000 fraud

Anna Colcombe faked the signature of husband Geoffrey Jones to get a mortgage pay-out after their marriage turned sour - and she was left alone in their dream Victorian cottage.

Mrs Colcombe - a force control room operator with Gwent Police - spent the money "within days" without telling estranged husband Mr Jones of the mortgage in his name.

A court heard Colcombe, 53, and Mr Jones had been renovating her parent's former country cottage and already borrowed a £76,000 mortgage on the property.

But the couple, who were together for 15 years, split up before finishing the work on Llanfair Cottage in the market town of Builth Wells, Powys.

Prosecutor Ieuan Morris said she secretly re-mortgaged the house to "release the equity in the home to pay off her loans" by forging her husband's name.

Mr Morris said the new £120,000 mortgage gave her an extra £47,000 after paying off the existing mortgage.

Mr Morris told the court that the former couple had been in a relationship since 2001 and took out a joint mortgage on Llanfair Cottage with Cheltenham and Gloucester for £76,000.

He said that the couple "married in 2004" but in 2006, despite efforts to save their marriage "it was not meant to be."

She moved out and Mr Jones believed the house was being rented out.

But Mr Jones later found out that the mortgage "had been moved to Santander without his knowledge."

Mr Morris said: "Within a few days after the mortgage payment large cheques were paid out of her account and virtually all the the money had been spent."

He added that this was all done "without the consent of Geoffrey Jones."

Mr Jones made a victim personal statement read out by Mr Morris that said it had had "a big impact on him" and the "worry about the liability had had a profound effect on him."

Ben Gordon, defending Colcombe, Colcombe had "built up large debts" when renovating the property.

He said Colcombe was "much loved" and thought of in "high regard" by her friends and family and as she lived in a small community "word had spread fast" about this offence.

He said that Colcombe worked for Gwent Police but had been suspended since being arrested for this offence and would now lose her job following the conviction.

Merthyr Tydffil Crown Court heard it would "damage her chances of future employment".

Mr Gordon added that his client had an "excellent attitude towards work" and had found this to be a "harrowing experience."

Judge Richard Twomlow said that this incident had had a "significant effect" on Mr Jones and was "sad and distressing."

He told Colcombe she must "suffer the consequences" of her actions.

Judge Twomlow told her that if she had not pleaded guilty she would be going "straight to prison" - and suspended the 16 month prison sentence.

She must also complete 200 hours unpaid work - and Judge Twomlow added she had only avoided custody "by a hairs breadth."

She has since filed for bankruptcy.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "As a result of today's disciplinary hearing, Anna Colcombe's employment with Gwent Police has been terminated with immediate effect for gross misconduct."