Little did Lynda Hensley know when she answered a lonely hearts advert in The Argus that it would lead to wedding bells.

But eight years to the day after her first date with Martin Waner, the couple were married.

After the ceremony at Portslade United Reform Church on Saturday, they enjoyed a reception at the King Alfred Leisure Centre, Hove - the place they first met.

Spurred on by his daughters, Martin had placed the advert in The Argus in February 1994. The father-of-three asked to meet a "sincere and honest lady with or without children".

Lynda, who is now 42, had been alone since the break-up of her marriage and was bringing up three children of her own.

She said: "I had been on my own for about three or four years and had got into a bit of a rut.

"My sister told me to stop moping about so she threw me The Argus and I ringed six of the adverts and wrote six letters. Three wrote back, one of whom was Martin.

"We wrote to each other and met for the first time outside the King Alfred on March 30."

Lynda, who now lives with 50-year-old Martin in Hamilton Close, Portslade, said their first meeting did not run entirely smoothly.

She recalled; "He asked me if I knew of anywhere to go for a quiet drink. I suggested the Southern Cross pub but when we got there it was a karaoke night and we couldn't hear ourselves talk."

They continued seeing each other but decided to live apart until 18 months ago.

Lynda said Martin was encouraged to place the advert by his daughters Keilly and Felicity, who are now 22 and 19 respectively. He also has a son Gregory, aged 17.

Lynda has three sons - Liam, 21, Toby, 16, and Ryan, 13. Between them, Lynda and Martin have four grandsons, with another due in May.

The couple are honeymooning in Scotland and Paris.