I deserve something, says Dibnah wife left out of £1m will

Sheila Dibnah was last week devastated to learn Fred had left everything to his five children from two previous marriages after changing his previous will a fortnight before he died aged 66 in November 2004.

Probate records reveal he left £1,119,825, reduced after liabilities to £1,042,845.

Sheila, who was 20 years younger than Fred, has launched a claim for "reasonable provision".

She said: "My solicitors say it is better to do that than to contest the will itself. It is the right of every spouse to be left something."

In similar cases the widow has often won half the estate.

Sheila said: "The Fred who changed his will 14 days before he died is not the Fred I married.

"His daughters were not included in the previous will. I am confident I will get my reward for nursing him through those terrible times."

There were rumours that undue pressure was put on Fred to change his will. However, Sheila's claim is not on that basis.

One of Fred's friends, Alfred Molyneux, said: "I believe Sheila has been hard done by."

But another friend, Bill Richards, said: "Fred's children have done nothing wrong."