A WOMAN who read of her boyfriend's marriage proposal in the BMD columns of the Craven Herald has said yes!

Avid page two scrutineers will have seen a boxed notice in the personal announcements section. It was a marriage proposal with a difference as the intended groom had already arranged the wedding date, venue and reception before he popped the question.

The announcement read: "Hazel, will you marry me at St Thomas' Church, Sutton, on January 10 2004 and join me afterwards at Headleys? Tony."

"I did say yes," said Hazel Ferguson when she was tracked down by the Herald."

She said she suspected something was on the cards, but didn't expect to see a proposal in print.

She explained that her partner, Tony Ingham, a milkman in Sutton, brought the paper to the house and told her there was something interesting on page two.

"I've put an announcement in this week's paper in answer," she added.

Hazel, a headteacher at Laycock Primary School, near Keighley, said she and Tony had been together around 18 months, but had known one another for 20 years. She added she was delighted with his proposal, but realised she had her work cut out to arrange a wedding so soon - the date is near Tony's birthday - with things like Christmas in between.

"At least no one can forget the date," she quipped.