Doncaster woman delighted as husband to be says "I do" to Leap Year proposal

Leap Year couple Niki and Andrew Cumming. (Photo: Niki Cumming).

Niki Cumming will walk down the aisle with Andrew, her partner of 12 years, next summer after she used yesterday's Leap Year to pop the question to him.

Tradition dictates that on February 29, women can ask men to marry them - and Niki, 44, decided to take the plunge on the spur of the moment after being encouraged by one of her three children.

She said: "One of my children said that I should ask daddy to marry him because 'we should be married.'

"So I decided to go for it and to my surprise, he said yes straightaway."

The couple were driving into Doncaster town centre from their home in Askern when Niki, who works for South Yorkshire Credit Union, decided to pop the question to Andrew, 51.

"It wasn't planned at all," she said. "We were just chatting in the car and I bit the bullet and went for it. I turned to him and asked him and he said yes."

It was second time lucky for Niki who had originally asked Andrew eight years ago on another Leap Year date. "He said no that time," she said. "And he has never asked me in all the time we have been together. So I decided to go for it. I was surprised when he agreed, to be honest."

Niki, who has already changed her name by deed poll to take Andrew's surname has already booked the church for her big day - the couple will marry in Woodlands on June 24 next year.

She said: "I dropped the vicar a message and told him the date and that was that, we were booked in."

The couple met in 2004 when Andrew was working as a pub cleaner in Crowborough in East Sussex.

She said: "I was a customer and we got chatting and it went from there." They moved to Doncaster to be closer to family in 2005 and now have three children - Bailee, ten, Lexie, nine and Makyta, eight.

Added Niki: "The children were really excited for us and running around saying "our mummy and daddy are getting married!"

"And all our friends and family are excited too. My mum and dad were a bit shocked but everyone is happy for us."

The couple are planning to celebrate with a family meal this weekend.