A Halesowen wedding company owner who left a trail of distraught brides after pocketing £50,000 has been told she could be facing jail.

Lisa Holt and her husband Ryan operated 'Bake A Cake Catering' but failed to provide cakes, photo booths and a raft of other services despite taking cash from trusting couples across the country.

Dudley Trading Standards received more than 150 complaints about the company and a victims Facebook group was set up which laid bare a litany of broken promises. 

Mark Jackson, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court, Holt, a mother-of-two, started the business legitimately but over a period of time it became fraudulent. He said:

"People got in touch with the company on the internet, they paid money to her, they did not get their services and she kept the cash."

Holt, aged 41 of Albert Road, admitted participating in a fraudulent business and defrauding customers between May 2014 and August 2015. She further admitted fraud by false representation against internet company Wowcher by claiming she was the owner of 16 photo booths and that she employed 10 staff in her business.

Holt who walked into the courtroom on sticks further pleaded guilty to fraud against AXA Insurance, relating to a claim for a £6,000 hog roast machine.

Ryan Holt, her 41-year-old husband of the same address, pleaded guilty to one charge of converting criminal property revolving around the transfer of money between bank accounts. The pair were remanded on bail until February 3 by Judge Barry Berlin for the preparation of pre-sentence reports but he warned them both they could be off to prison. The judge said:

"I do not want you to go with the feeling that you will avoid a custodial sentence, in my judgement this is a very serious matter and an immediate custodial sentence is the likely outcome."

Mr Jackson who will outline the case against them in full when they return to the Crown Court to be sentenced said hundreds of people had lost money from the fraud. But the charges before the court related only to the Dudley area and they were specimen examples of the couple's dishonesty.