A man who said he had never married the mother of his three children, then changed his mind a week before a divorce court trial was due to start, has been handed lawyers' bills totalling around £300,000.

Shazia Parveen, who is in her early 40s, filed for divorce two years ago.

She told how she had married Azhar Hussain, 48, at a ceremony in Pakistan in 1995 and said they had separated a decade ago.

Mr Hussain, who described himself as unemployed, denied her claim and said there could be no divorce because they had never married.

He changed his mind a week ago - after the pair had run up around £300,000 in lawyers' bills between them.

Lawyers outlined developments to a judge at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Monday.

Mr Justice Francis, who had been due to start overseeing a trial, said Mr Hussain should pick up all the lawyers' bills.

The judge, who indicated that the pair had links to Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, and relatives in Pakistan, said Mr Hussain's estranged wife was entitled to a divorce and entitled to make a claim for a share of marital assets.

A barrister representing Mr Hussain told the judge that his client had made a "pragmatic" decision.

Howard Shaw QC said Mr Hussain had realised that the trial would be staged in public and that the three children could be affected.

Michael Glaser QC, who represented Ms Parveen, said Mr Hussain's behaviour had been "outside the norm".

He said his client should not have to pay any legal bills which had been run up.

An expert in religious law had said in a report that Ms Parveen might have been in danger if a judge had ruled that there was no marriage and she had returned to Pakistan.

The judge had been told that being an unmarried mother in Pakistan could be a "grievance offence" and result in stoning.

By Brian Farmer