THE Craven Herald played Cupid for Skipton's Karen Harvey and Neale Goldsbrough who are getting married next month.

The couple met through the paper's Two's Company feature last October and claimed it was love at first sight.

Karen, a divorcee, said she had placed the advert because she had found it difficult to meet new people with young daughters Sophie, eight, and Lydia, four, to look after.

Neale, of Bradford, said he had been flicking through the paper when he spotted Karen's advert describing herself as 5ft 4ins tall, blonde, blue eyes with a good sense of humour.

The couple began their whirlwind romance thanks to the wonders of the mobile phone and text messaging.

Neale said: "We communicated by text at first - just small talk about each other - then I spoke on the phone later the same day.

"We got on really well and we arranged to meet in Skipton."

Thirty-nine-year-old Neale claims it was love at first sight when he first saw Karen outside Skipton bus station.

Karen said: "I thought he was too good for me. He was very attractive and good looking."

But within two hours of that first date, Neale, who also has two girls - Amy 15 and Faye, 12 - had told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"She was stunning. I thought this is it," he said.

Karen, who lives on Littlebrook, said she was stunned by Neale's reaction. " He said he would marry me straight away, but I didn't want to rush into anything."

But on New Year's Eve Neale proposed and was delighted when Karen accepted. Eight months later the couple are to wed at Skipton register office.