Even for Walter Mitty or Billy Liar characters, Joshua Walmsley told more whoppers than most during a relentless charm offensive towards besotted single mothers.
To woo and seduce the women, he concocted a string of tall tales including false boasts he helped the late Princess of Wales inspect the minefields of Angola during her famous visit to the civil war ravaged region in 1997.
He also said he was a former Royal Marine Commando, served in the SAS, was a deep sea diver, spoke six languages, had up to six university degrees. He even claimed to have a Michelin star for his gourmet cooking and said he was due to become the next Dean of Blackburn Cathedral in Lancs.
A string of lonely hearts women were taken in by Walmsley's patter and had affairs with him and gave him money. But unbeknown to them Walmsley was a jobless ex-con who was on the Sex Offender Register. He was found out after one of the women discovered a blog created by previous victims of Walmsley who told how he used his tall tales to charm them into bed.
It emerged he had used a false CV to get an interview and work trial as a chef in the kitchen of a luxury hotel and spa but he was unmasked as a fraud when it was discovered he couldn't even bake a tray of brownies.
Walmsley - who went under a string of 30 aliases to avoid being tracked on internet search engines - later became the subject a worldwide social media alert by his old lovers. Details of his antic emerged as he appeared at Preston Crown Court and admitted fraud offences involving two women.
The judge Mr Recorder Nick Clarke QC adjourned sentencing but said of Walmsley: ''He almost needs to wear a placard to warn who he is and what his background is - but I don't think I can do that.''
Cavendish Press' coverage of Walmsley's activities appeared in the Daily Express and various newspaper websites. If you have a story please contact us on 0161 237 1066 or email [email protected].