POLICE have insisted justice has been done despite a cancer con woman avoiding jail.

Danielle Watson, 24, formerly of Noak Bridge, received a suspended sentence after admitting feigning cervical cancer to get a cut-price wedding and donations for life-saving treatment she never needed yesterday.

Victims said: “There is no justice in this world,” as they left Basildon Crown Court, but the investigating officer has reassured them justice has been done.

Speaking after the sentence, investigating officer DC Rob Lewis said: "Albeit the victims are disappointed with the sentence received by Mrs Watson, justice has today been served.

"We hope that this will deter others from committing rare crimes of this nature, which have such as devastating impact on the victims and sadly have had an adverse effect on the good work of charities.

“We would like to reassure the public that Essex Police will take positive action to bring offenders to justice.”

Watson was warned she could face a year in jail after pleading guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation.

But her jail term was suspended for two years as she showed remorse had a six-week-old child and a 21-month-old child.

The administrative assistant admitted a white lie to her beautician, that she had advanced cancer with only 15 per cent chance of survival, “snowballed” until she was getting a cut price reception at the swanky Ivory Roooms, in Billericay, and a team of volunteers were raising money for pioneering cancer treatment not offered on the NHS.

The mum-of-two, now of Darkhouse Lane, Rowhedge, lied to her then-fiancé Christopher Watson and her family, bringing her wedding forward five months to wed before chemotherapy caused hair loss.

Hairdresser Danielle Livesey styled her hair for free, the Ivory Rooms knocked £100 off her room hire, gave her ten free bottles of champagne and donated £700 from cloakroom takings to her “cause”, and Serena Bridal, in Wickford, handed over a £600 wedding dress.

Wedding planner Leigh Stewart, of Billericay, provided £1,100 of services free and, along with Victoria Oliver and Kimberley Murray, raised about £6,000 in funds for the “intravenous vitamin C treatment”.

Watson promoted fundraising events in the Echo, saying she was “holding out for a miracle”.

Rebecca Blain, for Watson, said: "Her own family all fell under the umbrella of that lie.

"She has told friends and family and she will have to learn to live and come to terms with the fact that she has told them what are the most despicable lies."

Fundraisers became suspicious as Watson’s condition failed to deteriorate, she revealed she was pregnant and then miraculously claimed to be cured.

Mrs Stewart, who had taken Watson into her home and organised a fundraising ball for 82 people, also became alarmed by the fraudster’s demands for the cash, rather than it being paid directly to the hospital, as planned.

DC Lewis said: "We would like to thank the large number of witnesses and victims for their patience and support throughout the investigation.

"Danielle Watson acted in a cold and calculated manner, she befriended and abused the trust of kind and generous people who wanted to help a person they thought was dying. She obtained significant financial gain, gifts and services from the kind hearted.

"At no stage in the investigation did she demonstrate any form of remorse or shoulder responsibility for her conduct.”