QUIZ show cheats Charles and Diana Ingram were accused by a judge of deliberately frittering away their money instead of paying defence costs.

The couple, convicted of lying their way to the top prize in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, returned to court on Wednesday to beg for financial mercy.

The ex-Army major, 41, of High Street, Easterton, used coughs from an accomplice to steer him to the correct answers.

The Ingrams are asking Judge Geoffrey Rivlin to reduce their combined costs of £65,000.

At a previous hearing the court heard how the Ingrams had spent £17,000 on a new car and loan repayment. Southwark Crown Court heard they also spent £5,000 on spread betting.

Judge Rivlin, who was due to rule on the application yesterday, said: "The true picture which has been presented to me is that of a consistent and a deliberate deprivation of funds so that the Ingrams would pay off whoever they wished to, buy whatever they wanted to buy, bet on whatever they wished to bet on, and leave the court nothing by way of costs."