Steve Wilson went to the cinema this week with his girlfriend - and left with his fiancee.

Rachel Palfreman asked Picture House manager Roger Bartle to pop the question to Steve in front of the rest of the audience.

She took advantage of the leap year tradition that a woman can ask her beau to marry him on February 29. Rachel prepared a scroll for Roger to read during the ice cream break before a screening of hit movie American Beauty.

The audience broke into applause and a shocked Steve barely had time to "yes" before the lights dimmed for the movie.

Ironically the film, which stars Kevin Spacey and Annette Ben-ing, is a dark tale of marital discord.

Steve, 39, is no stranger to the limelight as bass guitarist with Keighley rock band The Big Bang. He has lived with fitness equipment salesgirl Rachel, 28, for the past four years in Cross Hills.

Rachel had been contemplating popping the question to Steve for several weeks and finally made her decision at the weekend.

She asked Roger whether he could flash a message up on screen, and when that proved too complicated he agreed to make a public announcement. Rachel's plans nearly came unstuck when Steve, who works at Skipton Ford, was late home. Steve agreed to still go to the cinema because he knew how much she wanted to see the film: and when his brother turned up unexpectedly, they took him along too.

"Steve had no choice but to say yes," says Rachel. "We'll discuss a wedding date a bit further on - but I think it will be sooner rather than later."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.