A fugitive dubbed "The Cat" and the most wanted woman in Britain has offered to give herself up after five years on the run.

Fiona Mont's boyfriend Graham Hesketh told The Argus she was sick of "looking over her shoulder" and wanted to create a stable future for her children.

But he denied reports the couple were living in a Sussex caravan park and said they would never move back to Brighton and Hove because it was "too expensive".

Mont went on the run in 1999 after being accused of a £300,000 computer fraud.

She faked her own death by leaving her car on the cliffs of Beachy Head in Eastbourne, with the ignition running.

Hesketh flew them both out of the country in a light aircraft and they spent time in Holland, Belgium, the French Riviera, Germany, Spain, Gibraltar and Portugal.

Mont - who has a daughter Samantha, three, and a one-year-old son Benjamin - was arrested in Malaga in January 2002 when detectives tracked her to a camp site following a tip-off.

But after spending a month in a Spanish jail, Mont was released on bail and absconded.

Since then the 34-year-old, who was featured on Crimewatch and Britain's Most Wanted, has continued to evade the authorities.

Apart from an alleged sighting in Hove last December, Mont has managed to stay off the radar and the warrant for her arrest has expired.

Sussex Police today welcomed reports the former public schoolgirl, whose mother is former East Sussex County Council leader Joan Mott, had returned to Sussex.

Hesketh, 42, admitted the couple had returned to the UK on several occasions and said all his girlfriend wanted was a normal life.

Hesketh, who calls himself "The Baron", said: "Fiona has contacted the police within the last 12 months. She wants a stable future to raise her children.

"This thing keeps rearing its head and she wants to finish it. It's time to finish."

Even if the couple were able to put the fraud charges behind them, they have ruled out a permanent return to the city.

He said: "It's too expensive in Brighton and prices of flats are incredibly difficult to afford.

"We would stay abroad because we have found pastures new that are much nicer."

Hesketh said his girlfriend maintained her innocence and she had nothing to apologise for.

Mont, who was expelled from top Brighton girls' school St Mary's Hall for smoking, is wanted for questioning in connection with an alleged fraud in which firms were ripped off by a company which ordered equipment and never paid the bills.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "The file on this case remains open. We would be very interested in information about Fiona Mont's current whereabouts."