Lawyers have pledged to come after a Cumbrian fraudster's pension, after a court discovered he was able to repay just £1.

Craig Studholme wiped out his ex-wife's financial interest in their home.

He was given a suspended jail term earlier this year for his cruel crime, and branded "selfish, mean and dishonest" by a judge.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how 53-year-old Studholme had forged his disabled wife's signature, so he could secretly remortgage their home in Wigton and get his hands on £25,000.

With Mrs Studholme bedridden following serious illness, her husband assumed control of their finances.

The couple, unbeknown to her, then accrued five-figure mortgage arrears.

Studholme later admitted two fraud charges - each representing an occasion when he forged his wife's signature on mortgage application forms.

He used the money he got to repay loans Mrs Studholme knew nothing about.

She was "visibly shocked" when later learning of the deception, stating: "In the wake of this case I lost everything."

In a bid to claw back the illegally-obtained cash from Studholme, police painstakingly trawled through his finances.

Studholme returned to the city crown court for a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing on Friday, when it was concluded his benefit from the criminal conduct amounted to £40,045.81.

However, the court was told that his realisable assets amounted, currently, to "nil".

As a result, Recorder Philip Curran made a confiscation order for a nominal sum of just £1.

But, the court heard attempts to seize money from Studholme will continue.

Recorder Curran was told that the prosecution intends to use a piece of POCA legislation to re-examine the defendant's available assets in August, 2019 when a pension becomes available to him.

The judge ordered Studholme, of South End, Wigton, to hand over £1 - but warned him his case would be reviewed at court in two years, with a view to reclaiming some of the illegally-gained cash.

"We will come back," prosecutor Andrew Ford had earlier insisted.