LESLEY-ANN APPLETON'S wedding was cancelled - by order of a court following an alleged assault by her husband-to-be.

Her plans to marry long-term partner Mark Monk were scuppered when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates on the eve of their wedding charged with assaulting her. And the magistrates only released him from custody on condition that he does not contact or approach his bride-to-be or go within 50 metres of their home.

"The wedding is off," said 25-year-old Lesley-Ann. "Instead of enjoying the happiest day of my life I spent it cancelling the register office, cancelling the reception and ringing friends and family to break the news to them.

"I cancelled the hairdresser and the makeover before I went to see a solicitor," said Lesley-Ann. "It was like getting divorced before I was even married. A limousine had been booked and the only good news was that the cake hadn't been iced."

The couple have been together for nine years and have three children, Lucas, 4, Harry, 2, and Ben just three months.

Lesley-Ann said she went to bed crying and woke up crying on the day she should have been celebrating her marriage.

"It was the worst day of my life," said Lesley-Ann. "I kept thinking about what I should have been doing and where I would have been If everything hadn't gone wrong. I understand the flowers were on the tables at the hotel where we should have been having the reception."

The couple spent the Easter weekend in Paris and were due to celebrate their marriage at Blackburn Register Office at the Millstone Hotel, Mellor.

Monk, 32, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Lesley-Ann Appleton. He was remanded on bail until June 3 with conditions that he lives at his mother's address in Castle Donington, Derbyshire, does not contact or approach Lesley-Ann or go within 50 metres of her home.