A counterfeiter who staged "sham divorce proceedings" after police raided his Lincolnshire coin factory has been ordered to pay back over £70,000 by a judge.

Patrick Campbell, 54, was caught red-handed when police raided his seven-bedroomed house and found him churning out fake one-pound coins.

Some 11,000 bogus coins made in his "secure" workshop were later discovered at his luxury Skegness seafront home, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Police also discovered evidence of him buying enough brass sheets to provide him with the capacity to make more than 110,000 pounds' worth.

But within days of being questioned by detectives, Campbell claimed to be splitting from his wife, Susan, 52, and sold the house to her.

Lincolnshire Police carried out a year long investigation into the split after Campbell was jailed for seven years in April 2008.

They discovered Mrs Campbell had fraudulently obtained a mortgage on the property and the proceeds were used to settle an outstanding joint mortgage held by them both. Then more than £96,000 was transferred to Mr Campbell before being withdrawn in cash.

She received a two year prison sentence for her part in transferring the criminal property.

Following the investigation a judge at Lincoln Crown Court last month ordered Patrick Campbell to pay back £70,078.26 in available assets.

The court heard at the time of the counterfeiting, Campbell and his wife lived in a 15 roomed house with leather sofas and flat-screen TVs.

Robert Underwood, prosecuting, said: "Despite this lavish lifestyle, they did not appear to have any legitimate income.

"Campbell was a significant part of a counterfeiting operation. It is clear they enjoyed a lavish lifestyle from the proceeds of this activity."