A cheeky rugby league player proposed to his girlfriend by tattooing the proposal on his bum.

Neil Jordan, from Silsden, paid £15 to have the words 'Will You Marry Me?' on his left buttock to pop the question to girlfriend Gemma Varnam.

Gemma, now 24, tells her story in this week's copy of Pick Me Up magazine.

Gemma, who met Neil four years ago, told the magazine: "We'd met on a night out with friends. He was gorgeous with a cute face and fit body. He played rugby for our local Silsden Park Rangers and that kept him in great shape.

"He was a real practical joker and full of confidence.

"More than that, he was a great dad to my son, Joshua, eight, and our daughter Faith, two.

"Everything was perfect except that there was no wedding ring on my finger."

Gemma, 23 at the time, believed it was time Neil made an honest woman of her, and was constantly dropping hints.

Then Neil's cousin Tim, 22, and his girlfriend Stacey got engaged.

Gemma said: "'We'll be the only unmarried couple in town soon,' I joked.

"Neil just laughed. 'I'm not listening,' he said."

But two weeks later, Neil came home from a rugby encounter sporting a few cuts.

Gemma asked what had happened -- and if he was okay.

"'I got in a bit of a scrum,' he said, 'No big deal.'"

Added Gemma: "But that night he started complaining about a pain at the top of his leg and I was worried.

"'Will you have a quick look for me?' he said.

"Neil undid his button and his jeans dropped to the floor.

" 'It's around here,' he said pointing to his left bum cheek.

"I had a look and saw a thin blue line on his bum. It looks like someone's scribbled on his bum, I thought, getting down for a better look.

"But then I read the words out loud. Will you marry me?

"I stared in stunned silence. Surely he'd not had those words on tattooed on his bum.

"'Can you see what is says?' Neil said anxiously.

"'Are you serious?' I cried.

"He turned and nodded.

"'Yes,' I cried, giving him a big hug."

Neil had paid £15 for the tattoo at Lucky Devil tattoo parlour in Silsden.

Gemma added: "It wasn't the romantic proposal I'd hoped for, but it was typical Neil style.

"The most embarrassing thing was telling my mum, Jackie, 44, about how he'd proposed. Luckily she saw the funny side."

The pair plan to marry next summer and take the children on honeymoon with them.