A stalker who caused 4,500 Royal Albert Hall concert-goers to flee from hoax bomb threats made to harass his former girlfriend has been jailed for four and a half years.

Marvin Taylor's actions, aimed at pub waitress Lisa Turner who had walked out on him months earlier, resulted in the costly cancellation of a Kenny Rogers country and western evening.

Southwark Crown Court heard how Taylor had made a series of death threats after his relationship with Miss Turner ended in violence.

The pair had met in a Southend wine bar and became engaged shortly afterwards, with Miss Turner moving into Taylor's home in Southport, Merseyside.

But, when Taylor became abusive, eventually assaulting Miss Turner, she walked out.

Taylor, a divorced father-of-two, responded with an onslaught of harassment aimed at her, her family and friends. He also spoke of having "taken out a contract" to kill her.

Finally, learning she had gone to the concert, the 46-year-old oil rig electrician decided to ruin her enjoyment and that of thousands of others.

Minutes before the performance was due to begin he phoned the Royal Albert Hall warning a bomb would explode in two hours. Later he rang Scotland Yard, this time claiming the device would detonate in 15 minutes.

An immediate evacuation order was given, leaving show organisers with cancellation charges of up to £78,000.

Sentencing, Judge Geoffrey Rivlin, QC told Taylor a "prolonged assault" on Miss Turner, his harassment of her and the two bomb hoax calls - all of which he had admitted - were the mark of an "obsessive".

"Even standing alone these are serious public order offences, but they should not be seen in that light. In truth they amount to an extremely serious escalation of your offending against women, showing the quite extraordinary and extreme lengths you are prepared to go to to upset and terrorise women you have chosen to harass," he said.

Just two months before these offences he had breached a restraining order to stop him plaguing another ex-lover. Taylor's criminal record also includes four convictions for making threats to kill.