A woman is not entitled to a further £2.6m from her husband after already being awarded one of the biggest divorce settlements in legal history, the Court of Appeal has been told.

Shan Lambert, 50, received £7.5m last year after she was married for 23 years to the founder of the Adscene newspaper chain.

She claims she was equally responsible for building up the business, which was eventually sold for £20m.

But Martin Pointer QC, representing her former husband Harry, 58, told the appeal judges she had "pitched her case very high indeed".

'Passive' at meetings

He said her appointment as director of Adscene subsidiaries was nominal and when she became a director of the main board in 1981, she agreed in evidence that she was "passive" at meetings.

At the High Court last year, Mrs Lambert was awarded Ringleton Manor, their home near Sandwich, Kent, which she shared with her husband and their two children.

It is worth £1.4m and she was also given the accompanying Ringleton Lodge, valued at £250,000.

She was also allowed to keep assets worth £2.8m and was given a lump sum of £3,152,732.

Of her claim for equal shares, Mr Pointer said where the financial contribution of the breadwinner is "truly exceptional", it should be brought into the reckoning when the marriage assets are divided up.

He said she was leaving the marriage with assets of £7.5m which if she invests will give her an annual income in excess of £250,000.