by Hayley Robinson

Marriage comes with its trials and tribulations, as one little boy found when firefighters ended up cutting a makeshift wedding ring from his finger.

Brad Terry, five, was rehearsing his proposal to his girlfriend on the playing field at Wainscott Primary School.

But his romantic gesture on Tuesday was cut short when a metal nut he was using as a ring became stuck on his right hand index finger.

Brad said: “I was going to marry my girlfriend because she’s a girl and I like her, but she said no so I put it on my finger anyway. I have a red mark on my finger.”

Mum Sam said: “He must have been role playing because the girl isn’t at the school any more.”

Efforts by school staff to slip the nut off with butter and washing up liquid proved unsuccessful and eventually firefighters were called.

A school first-aider packed the youngster’s hand in ice while they waited for crews to arrive.

Firefighters from Strood tried to get the nut off with a ring cutter.

Marc Rosier, white watch manager for Strood fire station, said: “As the nut was hardened steel we had to use a hacksaw.

“We got the majority of the way through and used the ring cutter to cut the last bit but it didn’t work, so we had to repeat the process 180 degrees around his finger.

“We couldn’t swivel the nut because it had threads on the inside and would have cut into his finger so we had to manoeuvre him around.”

One hour and two hacksaw blades later the ring was off.

Miss Terry added: “He was very brave right until the end when they put the cutter under the bolt and it was obviously a bit tight and then there were a few tears.”