A woman from Wiltshire UK "snapped" when she found out her ex-partner was using dating websites and recruited a removal firm to strip his flat bare.

39-year-old Corinna Finney felt it was "the last straw" when she discovered profiles for her former partner Brian Waite on dating website Mature, Free and Single.

The mother-of-two arranged for a man with a van to come and empty Waite's home while he was away for the day, just after they broke up on March 14.

Waite returned to find his flat stripped bare - with his clothing, food, appliances, cutlery, television and even carpets removed. He immediately suspected Finney, who was arrested and later admitted a single charge of theft at Swindon Magistrates’ court.

Magistrates told Finney the offence was so serious it could have resulted in a prison sentence, but handed her a 15-month community order instead.

Ms Finney's lawyer Graham Hotson said unemployed Finney and Waite had been trying to resolve issues in their relationship before her discovery.

"It came as a great shock to her to discover that behind her back he was still using dating type websites, when they were trying to make a go of things," Hotson said.

"For some considerable time, she had been suffering considerable emotional difficulties and the discovery just caused her to snap.

"She wanted to do something that would affect him as she had been affected very badly by the discovery of his alleged infidelity.

"It was the last straw and she acted without properly thinking through the consequence of her actions."