SOME people use flowers, chocolates or champagne to create a romantic mood before popping the big question.

But one man decided to use spray paint — in metre-high letters asking if his girlfriend would marry him.

When Stuart Barrie, 37, originally from Tiverton, decided to pop the question to Lucy Rutherford, 33, his girlfriend of four years, he wanted to do it in a way she wouldn't expect.

"I wanted to do something different," he said.

"Something bigger than most proposals, something unexpected, but in a good way.

"I even had a couple of yeses from people that I don't even know!"

The graffiti artist, whose work includes a mural of Tiverton's police officers near the Lowman Green station, began work on his painted proposition on the youth centre wall at 10am.

He finished it at 5pm — just half an hour before his family and an unsuspecting Lucy were due to arrive.

Stuart said: "Lucy was out with a friend and I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure she hadn't decided to drive down this way.

"I really didn't want her to see it before it was finished or I would have had to tell her to come back in two hours and act surprised."

Even Stuart's family had no idea until the day. "Every time I tried to tell them Lucy would appear," he said.

However, mum Brenda, from Tiverton, guessed what was going on.

"There was an air of mystery around him" she said.

"I asked him if I would need a new hat, like Cilla Black does every time she goes to a wedding. He said that I might do. That's when I knew — call it women's intuition."

Lucy was completely unaware when she was led, eyes closed, through the youth centre car park.

"It was a complete shock — I didn't have a clue," she said.

Stuart said: "I think it took her a minute to read it, and then re-read it. After a lot of shaking, she said 'Yes'. I'm very happy. It was worth all the effort."

To finish off the mural, Stuart handed his new bride-to-be a can of paint and had her spray her answer underneath the question.

"It's very romantic and lovely," said Lucy.

"He said one day that I would be surprised when it happened and I am. I think I've got mouth-ache from smiling so much!"