THE victim of a besotted boyfriend from hell she met on an internet dating site has told other women: "Avoid him."

Anthony Bradley is starting a 32-month prison sentence for smashing up her home after she ended their brief relationship.

The twice-divorced 52-year-old caused up to £9,000 damage to the house in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, last December.

He embarked on the wrecking spree when the couple's second date turned to disaster - because of his controlling behaviour.

His 46-year-old victim said: "I met him on the website Plenty Of Silver Fish, which is for over 40s and at first he seemed very nice.

"We chatted a few times before we decided the time was right to go on our first date and he came over to visit me on the train.

"I then drove us to Whitby where we had a nice day and a meal in a fish and chip restaurant.

"But things started getting a bit intense and he suddenly declared that he loved me. I found it very strange that he would say a thing like that on the first time he had ever met me.

"I decided that after that day I didn't want to see him again but he pestered and pestered. Eventually I gave in and agreed to another date but my heart really wasn't in it.

"We met in Newcastle and went for a meal where he decided to order for me and insisted we both ate the same thing. Later we went shopping and I bought a shirt for my son for Christmas which he objected to because it was too expensive.

"That was the last straw, he was weirdly controlling and I told him that was the end of it and that I was leaving.

"I went off into Primark and hid from him until I could get some space between us to make it back to the station and I hopped on the next train back to Northallerton.

"I switched off my phone so he couldn't contact me but when I turned it on again there were at least ten missed calls and texts, which were becoming increasingly aggressive.

"He said he was on his way down to my house and I found that terrifying. BY that time I didn't know what he was capable of and I was genuinely scared.

"Bradley turned up at the house and began banging on the doors and windows. I rang a friend who sent her son over to rescue me and I went straight to the police station."

Police officers attended her home to find Bradley had broken in and ransacked the place, and called his victim.

She said: "I returned home to a scene of total devastation, the house was wrecked. Every room had been smashed up, walls damaged, doors and windows broken, even the poor hamster's cage had been flung around.

"I'd only just bought a new TV and he'd smashed it off the wall. It was just before Christmas and my family and I did our best to clean up the damage he'd caused but it cast a huge cloud over everything.

"I'm glad he's been locked up and I hope other women realise who he is so they can avoid him in the future."

Bradley, of Arnside Road, Carlisle, admitted a charge of burglary with intent to cause criminal damage.