A weekly newspaper is offering female readers the chance to make the “ultimate romantic gesture” – by popping the question on its front page.

The Wokingham Paper has announced it is giving over space on its front to allow one woman on its patch the chance of a leap-year proposal.

It will be printed on 26 February, the closest edition to 29 February, marking the leap year tradition which allows for women to get down on one knee and ask their lover to marry them once every four years.

Would-be wives are being encouraged to email or write to the newspaper stating why they should be considered, with the winner drawn at random in the event of more than one entrant.

Wokingham Paper publisher Phil Creighton said: “I’m just an old romantic at heart. Lots of us plan extravagant proposals but often never get round to it.

“We want to help someone in Wokingham make the ultimate romantic gesture. We’d love to see someone use our front page to ask their loved one to marry them.”

Phil, whose former paper the Wokingham Times closed in December 2014 as part of a series of cutbacks, launched the Paper in March.