CLUMSY cupid Paul Carr is £600 out of pocket after he popped the question to his sweetheart - then dropped the ring into a river.

Paul, 19, thought it would be romantic to ask girlfriend Carly De Silva to marry him on the Millennium Bridge across the River Tyne in Newcastle.

He was delighted when Carly, 23, said yes.

But they were both left in tears for all the wrong reasons when the £600 diamond ring slipped from Paul's hand - and fell 30ft into the water below.

The couple, from South Shields, who met 18 months ago, watched in horror as the solitaire bounced on to the bridge, fell through a metal grating and disappeared without trace.

Engineering student Carly sobbed: "We couldn't believe it. The bridge is a favourite place of ours and I didn't know Paul was going to produce the ring.

"He got down on one knee and pulled out the ring from his pocket. He opened the box and we both leaned forward and sort of clashed arms.

"We heard the ring splash into the water. We both sat on the bridge and cried. People passing must have thought we had been arguing."

Geography student Paul is hoping his mother's home insurance will cover the cost of the ring to be replaced.