An EllenorLions Hospice patient, who waited over a decade to marry her sweetheart, has had her dream come true.

Anne Carey, 62, proposed to her partner 73-year-old Brian Gray during the leap year in 2000, but the pair never managed to make it down the aisle.

After Anne was recently diagnosed with cancer, Brian decided to give the love of his life the wedding she had longed for.

Brian, from New Barn, said: "I was visiting her at the hospice last week. I got the 12-year-old ring out and said to her ‘Would you like to get married’ and she smiled and said ‘yes’.

"Anne was only diagnosed with cancer six weeks ago and she has been through so much. She has always looked after me and now it’s my time to look after her."

Staff at the EllenorLions Hospice in Northfleet rallied around Brian and Anne and helped them to organise the wedding in just a few days.

On Wednesday last week, the couple of 27 years tied the knot at the hospice chapel in front of friends and family.

The beautiful ceremony was followed by a reception in the conservatory, with a fitting wedding breakfast laid on by the hospice catering team and fizz supplied by the ward nurses.

Brian added: "I’m just happy for Anne. She deserved to have her special day. My only regret is that we didn’t get married earlier but she is worth the wait.

"We can’t thank the hospice enough. They really are a different breed of people. The care they have given Anne is second-to-none and there’s nothing they wouldn’t do for her."

The EllenorLions Hospice is the Messenger's charity of the year.