A married mum-of-one has been convicted of duping well-wishers into providing her with cash and holidays by falsely claiming she was dying of cancer.

Karen Hanson, 39, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to five charges of obtaining a total of £3,550 and two family holidays by deception.

Hanson, of Peregrine Way, Clayton, Bradford, was granted bail by Judge Roger Scott yesterday for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

But today her actions were condemned as being "cruel beyond belief" by a pub licensee who helped raise thousands of pounds for her to go on a dream family holiday to Florida.

Juanita Kearns, licensee of the Upper George in Wibsey, which held a massive fundraising event on Easter Monday last year, said she was still shocked by Hanson's deceit.

"I keep thinking of my customers who had done so much for a woman they hardly knew," she said.

"This pub has a great record for raising money for cancer research and usually makes about £1,500.

"But because this woman had such a sad story everybody went that extra bit further. It is cruel beyond belief.

"People who don't have much themselves were giving. There are a lot of angry and upset people round here."

Mrs Kearns said she had continued to believe Hanson's story until one day someone arrived at the pub and told her they had news about Hanson.

"I put my hands to my mouth and said: 'Oh my God, is she dead?'," said Mrs Kearns.

"They said 'you're not going to believe this' and told me she had been arrested. I couldn't believe it."