Bride's father hits back at 'Miss Fancy Pants' mother-in-law

The father of a bride-to-be criticised in an email by her future mother-in-law today hit back, branding the woman "Miss Fancy Pants".

Carolyn Bourne, 60, sparked outrage when the stern email she sent to her stepson Freddie's fiancée, Heidi Withers, was forwarded on to thousands of others.

The email, revealed in the Evening Standard yesterday, criticised 29-year-old PA Miss Withers for her "lack of grace" and called her "an ideal candidate for the Ladette to Lady television series".

The email was forwarded by Miss Withers and has appeared on websites and message boards around the world. Speaking from his home in Ledbury, Herefordshire, her father Alan Withers, 64, said: "I think she has her head stuck so far up her own a**e she doesn't know whether to speak or fart."

He admitted his own meeting with his future son-in-law's parents had also experienced difficulties.

He said: "Edward was a jovial chap but Carolyn was quite snotty. She had a look about her which made us think she thought she was better than us.

"Ever since that meeting we call her 'Miss Fancy Pants'."

Mr Withers added: "I don't care if she apologises. You can't take back what has been said once it's said. Of course at the wedding we will shake hands and toast Heidi and Freddie."

He revealed that Mrs Bourne, a specialist flower breeder in Dawlish, Devon, sent the email to his daughter three times in one day six weeks ago.

Mr Withers said: "It was sent twice to her personal email and once to her work email. The email was very clearly intended to be sent.

"A couple of weeks later Heidi and Freddie agreed to jointly respond."

In the email, Mrs Bourne took issue with the couple's decision to hold their reception in a castle, branding it "celebrity style behaviour" and criticised Miss Withers's parents for failing to save sufficiently for their daughter's wedding.

Mr Withers and his wife Sylvia, 60, who both ran an agency supplying nurses to care homes, were made redundant in January. Mr Withers is still unemployed.

Mrs Bourne refused to comment today.