CAFE worker Liz Verden got the surprise of her life when her bus driver boyfriend arrived at work with a special proposal.

There were no red roses or grandiose gestures — just the number 500 Metroshuttle in Bolton town centre and a load of old bus tickets.

Pete Warham, aged 36, spent his morning shift collecting enough used tickets to spell out “Liz, will you marry me?”

along the side of his bus at Moor Lane bus station.

When the time was right, he strategically placed the tickets on to the window and pulled up in Black Horse Street, across the road from the station cafe where girlfriend Liz was working.

Miss Verden, aged 37, said: “He rang my boss and told him to make sure I was outside in two minutes — I wondered what he was playing at.

“The bus came up and there was this great big thing across the side. I was overwhelmed with happiness.”

It was a week ago today that Mr Warham, who has been a bus driver for 10 years, proposed during his shift.

Mr Warham has two children from a previous marriage and works for Maytree Travel.

He said: “All the passengers were waiting with bated anticipation to see what she was going to say. She came out and she was gobsmacked.

“I walked across to ask her to marry me officially. She said ‘yes’ and all the passengers gave a big cheer.”

The couple, who live in Freshfield Avenue, Atherton, have been together for about three years. They met on Mr Warham’s bus when he worked for another bus company.

They soon became friends, one thing led to another, and they have been together ever since.

Miss Verden, who has worked at the Moor Lane cafe for 16 years, said: “We had breezed over the subject of marriage, but I never expected anything like this. All the drivers were coming in to say congratulations.

“You can’t beat a bit of romance.”

The couple, who have just bought a house, say they will save up for a wedding, which they hope will be in about three years. But they are planning to celebrate with an engagement party soon.