A NORTH-EAST couple due to marry on the 107th floor of the World Trade Centre this week have been forced to scrap their wedding plans.

Paul Burns and Amanda Aithwaite were due to fly to the US on Wednesday, but realised their plans were in tatters after watching the news.

The Teesside couple started planning their wedding about six months ago, but instead of celebrating their happy day they watched the events unfold on TV in their hotel room at Manchester Airport.

Mr Burns, a music coordinator, visited New York three years ago and suggested to bride-to-be, Teesside University student Miss Aithwaite, they got married on the city's tallest building.

They booked the wedding three months ago and planned a week-long holiday in the city after the ceremony.

Now they have been forced to postpone the plans until Christmas, when they hope to go ahead with the ceremony.

Yesterday, Mr Burns said he was very upset by the tragedy.

"We have friends out there so it is very distressing," he said.

"They are okay, but they know people who were involved in the disaster."