The ill-fated marriage of Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills was ended yesterday by the same judge who awarded the former model £24.3m as a divorce settlement.

Mr Justice Bennett pronounced a decree nisi at the High Court on the grounds that the pair had been separated for two years.

There was a brief private hearing before he granted Miss Mills her decree when Sir Paul's legal team of Nicholas Mostyn QC and solicitor Fiona Shackleton addressed the judge.

Neither Sir Paul nor Miss Mills, who was not represented at the private hearing, were in court.

The brief hearing was in contrast to the furore surrounding the couple's bitter fight over a divorce settlement.

Their battle ended on March 17 with Miss Mills receiving £24.3m from Sir Paul, whose fortune was put by the judge at £450m.

The following day the judge released full details of his ruling, despite a last-ditch attempt by Miss Mills to stop its publication.

The former Beatle's wife was criticised in the judgment for giving "inconsistent and inaccurate" evidence.

In contrast, the judge praised Sir Paul for giving balanced evidence at the hearing.