Shopaholic ex-wife puts major in dock

A former army major whose ex-wife ran up £100,000 on credit cards debts posed as a driving instructor in a bid to pay her debts, a court heard. Major Steve Crane, 50, faced selling his home to clear a large part of the balances accumulated by his former wife on 10 cards.

He began charging ?17 an hour to teach clients to drive in his Nissan Micra, but midway through a lesson-the unqualified major was pulled over by police.

A veteran of the first Gulf war, Major Crane, who spent 20 years in the Royal Signals Regiment, pleaded guilty at Blandford magistrates court, Dorset, to false representation. He was ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid community work.