Man faked his own death to propose

A Russian man wanted to see if his girlfriend really did love him to death - so he faked his own demise in a bizarre proposal.

Alexey Bykov, 30, from Omsk, hired a movie director, stuntmen, make-up artists, and even a script writer to stage a bogus car crash.

He then arranged to meet girlfriend Irena Kolokov at the crash site so she would be convinced he was dead.

"We'd arranged to meet at a certain place but when I arrived there were mangled cars everywhere, ambulances, smoke, and carnage," said Miss Kolokov.

"Then when I saw Alexy covered in blood lying in the road a paramedic told me he was dead and I just broke down in tears.".

But the supposedly 'dead' Mr Bykov then jumped to his feet and proposed to Irena still covered in fake blood.

"I was so cross I almost killed him again, but for real this time," she said.

Luckily for Mr Bykov, she eventually saw the joke, said yes - and the couple were married last week.

"I wanted her to realize how empty her life would be without me and how life would have no meaning without me.

"I think it worked but I promise it's the last time," he said.