Christmas Eve is Santa’s busiest day of the year but as he prepared to close the doors of his grotto for the last time in Bury St Edmunds he was able to oversee one very special gift being presented.

Alex Cave, from Haverhill, chose a visit to Santa to propose to his partner Charlene Monk.

The couple were taking eight-week-old baby daughter Gracie for her first visit to the grotto but unbeknown to Charlene, Alex had let the elves in on his plans.

So when Charlene said “yes” the elves were able to produce a bottle of champagne to toast the happy couple.

Alex said: “I wanted to do something memorable and I’d told Charlene that we needed to go into Bury because I had to collect a Christmas present that couldn’t be delivered. I hadn’t even told her we were going to go and see Santa. I’m thrilled that she accepted my proposal and I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present.

“I’d enlisted the help of Santa and his elves through the staff at the Arc Shopping centre and Our Bury St Edmunds and they really pulled out all the stops to ensure it was a very special occasion. I’m not sure that baby Gracie understood the significance of it all but I am sure she’ll appreciate the story when she is a little older.”

Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds Mark Cordell said: “This was the first year we had invited Santa to bring his grotto to the town centre and it was a wonderful moment for the final day. I’m very pleased for Alex and Charlene and wish them a long and happy future together.”