PAUL Bunney’s seize the day philosophy reached new levels as, in the heat of the moment, he popped the question to his stunned partner in the middle of a charity boxing match.

Confident the time was finally right, the father-of-one jumped in the ring in front of hundreds of spectators and proposed to his girlfriend of two years Dani Nash at the Oasis Leisure Centre on Saturday.

The amateur boxer initially had no intention to ask her to marry him that night – that is not until they both arrived at the venue with Dani’s sister and her boyfriend to watch the 14-bout boxing event held in aid of three-year-old Jayden-Vito Mazzotta-Drapper, who has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk.

“I hadn’t planned it at all,” said 34-year-old Paul, from Westlea.

“It was spur of the moment. I thought ‘Yes, go and do it.’ I was planning to propose in the future but not as quickly as that.

“I just jumped in the ring before the final fight and grabbed the mic.

“She couldn’t stop laughing when I asked her and she was in hysterics all the way home. I knew she would say yes. It was surreal – but brilliant.”

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Paul and Dani, 33, above, met 18 years ago while at college in Chippenham.

They lost touch after their studies but reconnected unexpectedly via Facebook two years ago. They met for coffee and instantly felt a connection.

“There was a spark from the start,” added Paul.

“We have been together since the first meeting and we have been through a lot.

“I made some bad decisions but she has stood by me and I never expected her to do that. She helped me get on the right path.”

His speechless girlfriend recovered her ability to talk only to call him an ‘idiot’ for his touching yet embarrassing declaration of love, before accepting whole- heartedly.

“It was so embarrassing but that’s just him, he is spontaneous,“ said the mother-of-one from Corsham, who works as a project manager for Bromford Housing.

“It really was not a standard proposal and that was fantastic.

“We are complete opposites but the moment we met again for coffee two years ago I knew instantly that he was the one. I would have married him that week.

“When they called me into the ring, I was very nervous. I thought he was going to be fighting and I was fuming. But then he proposed.

“I still can’t stop laughing; I’m just so happy. After two years we are still in that annoying love bubble and I can’t imagine my life without him.”

The couple are hoping to get married in the winter of 2015.