Ref. 26262-23A PINEHURST couple who say snoring nearly cost them their marriage are enjoying silent nights together for the first time in 17 years.

Mother-of-five Sandra Moulding of Limes Avenue slept apart from husband Shaun for ten years and came close to filing for divorce because his snoring was so severe.

Eventually, shattered and emotionally drained, she took Shaun to the doctor who in turn referred him to a specialist sleep clinic in Oxford.

Only then did consultants discover Shaun was not only one of the worst snorers they had come across, but he was suffering from a potentially life threatening condition called sleep apnoea, which meant Shaun stopped breathing in his sleep.

Now the couple are celebrating being reunited in the bedroom and have planned a saucy weekend together to make up for lost time.

Sandra, 36, a cleaner, said: "It got to the point where I wanted to put a pillow over his face and smother him because I had suffered for so long. It was just like a pneumatic drill people always laugh when I talked about snoring, but I can assure you it's no fun at all.

"At times I felt like a single mum and Shaun was my lodger, not my husband."

Fed-up Sandra tried everything from industrial-strength earplugs to making Shaun wear nasal patches, nasal spray and herbal remedies. But nothing worked until specialists suggested he try a mask that pumps oxygen into his mouth to keep his airways open and now he sleeps like a log.

Apnoea sufferers also regularly fall asleep during the daytime as their sleep patterns are disturbed..

Family life was far from normal for the Mouldings who could not travel far for fear of Shaun falling asleep at the wheel. Sandra recalls times when he used to fall asleep at family functions, on day trips and once even at the wheel of the car.

Now he has just started work ironically as a delivery driver.

Shaun, 39, said: "All my family snore and I thought it was just a part of life, but I never knew how bad it was because I was always asleep. The new mask is brilliant and now means we can both enjoy a good night's sleep.

"I would fall asleep anywhere and Sandra was absolutely shattered because she had to look after the children."

Specialists discovered that Shaun used to stop breathing, on average, 40 times each night. It was believed his weight was the problem until it was discovered he suffered from sleep apnoea.

Last night the Moulding's featured on Sleeping Together on BBC Two, which highlighted the worst snorers in Britain. During the documentary Sandra was shown in floods of tears after becoming exhausted through sleep deprivation.

Sandra added: "I was on the brink of filing for divorce that's how bad it was. Now it's much better, even though it's like sleeping with Hannibal Lecter."