The question of how to propose to your beloved is a difficult one.

https://twitter.com/DC_F1/status/648532017852887040

But for Damien Cross, who met his girlfriend on social media, the answer was simple.

Mr Cross, of West Lynn, met Sally Badkin on Twitter over a shared passion for Formula 1 and cycling.

Two years later, and with a little help from family and friends, the 33-year-old popped the question with a series of photographs on the social media site - and she said yes.

Mr Cross said: 'I wanted to do something different to make it a bit special. We met through Twitter so I thought it would make sense.'

https://twitter.com/SallyBadders/status/648535012736901120

Each family member or friend took a picture holding letters to spell 'will you marry him?'.

The final picture showed Mr Cross, a digital marketing manager, on one knee with an engagement ring in hand and his colleagues surrounding him.

He sent the last instalment as he arrived home from work.

'She was in a complete state when I got in the door,' he said.

In response, Miss Badkin, who was celebrating her 36th birthday, tweeted a selfie holding a sign saying yes.

'This was a nice way of making it special. It was quite strange because it was all scheduled in it wasn't that bad. The only thing that could have gone wrong was that she could have said no.'

The first tweet Mr Cross, who has 9,376 followers, sent out was a link to the first message Miss sent him which read 'Thanks for the follow and good luck with #Lapofanglia', which is a cycling event.

'The first tweet that went out was to make sure she was looking at her phone,' he added.

A string of messages set up by family and friends, which Mr Cross had organised to be sent from his account in staggered 15 minute intervals, then followed.

All was almost lost when - in the middle of his proposal - reality hit in the form of a Sainsbury's delivery van.

Miss Badkin said she was fighting back tears as she met the delivery man at her front door.

'I was completely overwhelmed by it all, I was really surprised and couldn't believe it was happening. I never expected it at all.

'I know he is a bit of a romantic but I never thought it would happen in that way at all,' she said.

Mr Cross, who had been planning his idea for a month, added when he got home he had to finish putting the shopping away.

'People at work have said I have set a bit of a precedent,' he added.