British tourist's wife-to-be dies in his arms moments after he proposed on stage in Cyprus

A heartbroken British tourist spoke last night of how his bride-to-be died in his arms less than an hour after he had proposed to her on  holiday in Cyprus.

Nerys Crabtree, 52, fell and hit her head as she and John Cameron, 56, walked back to their room after a romantic dinner and music show  in their hotel near Paphos.

He had gone on stage when the band played one of her favourite songs and proposed. She had joined him on stage and accepted.

Just a short time later John was cradling her as she was rushed to hospital - but Ms Crabtree was pronounced dead on arrival.

“I’d just asked her to marry me,” said grief-stricken Mr Cameron.

Doctors found an injury on the back of her head but were unable immediately to confirm the cause of death. A post-mortem investigation is to be carried today.

A police investigator said it was possible Nerys, from St Asaph, North  Wales, had died from a blow to the back of her head after falling or had suffered a brain haemorrhage.

The couple arrived together in Cyprus early on Monday. They were staying at the Paphian Sun Holiday Village hotel in Kissonerga.

Mr Cameron, a freelance coach-driver from Consett, County Durham, said he had not planned to propose before the holiday.

But on Monday afternoon they were browsing in Paphos market, “ looking at engagement rings and joking with each other”.

That evening they had dinner at their hotel and were watching a show organised by their tour company.

Fighting back tears, Mr Cameron said: “They were playing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the “Lion King” at the show, which she loved. She looked at me and joked ‘you’ve missed your chance to propose.”

He promptly left his seat, went back stage and asked the entertainers to play the song again.

“They did, and I went up on stage and asked her to marry me in front of everyone,” he said.

She came and joined me on the stage and said ‘yes’”. It was 11 pm Monday night.

Delirious with happiness, they watched the rest of the show, which finished 45 minutes later. Then, as they walked back to their hotel room Nerys tripped and hit her head.

Nerys, the general manager of a Pringle's knitwear shop in St Asaph in North Wales, had two adult children from a previous marriage, a daughter aged 21 and a son aged 23. Cameron has a son.

Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, the legendary goddess of love, beauty, has  become an increasingly popular destination for Britons to wed.

The tragedy echoed that which befell Joanna Cook, from Enfield, 13 years ago. 

She collapsed and died of a brain haemorrhage in the arms of her new husband  just 30 minutes after realising her romantic ambition to marry in Cyprus on her  24th birthday.

Joanna was still wearing her wedding dress at the time. Her  family had not been aware that she had been suffering from a congenital brain  disorder.Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, the legendary goddess of love, beauty, has  become an increasingly popular destination for Britons to wed.