IT LOOKED more like a scene from a romantic film than just an average chilly January day at the shops.

Customers were left bemused when a colourful flash mob choir arrived outside a city centre café and broke into song.

But they were soon left with a warm glow as Mark Rist appeared from the crowd – to pop the question to his girlfriend.

Tori Louise thought she was just going for coffee with a friend following a relaxing spa break in Winchester, only to end up engaged.

But Mark had been secretly planning the surprise proposal for months, even taking up singing lessons so he could be part of the rendition of one of Tori’s favourite songs, John Legend’s All of Me.

Tori, 38, said: “I had no idea! My friend took me outside and I thought ‘Why are we outside? It’s freezing’.

“Then when the choir turned up I knew something was going on.

“I used to sing with the choir who performed but I haven’t had time recently. Then Mark came through the crowd and I thought ‘he is going to sing’ and I was so proud.”

How many girls get a proposal like that? I am very, very lucky.”

Mark, 34, had always been told that he was not a good singer, but had secretly been taking singing lessons so that he could wow Tori.

He said: “I was fine first thing in the morning but when we went down there I was terrified.

“Singing is one of those things that is massively out of my comfort zone but I knew it would mean a lot to Tori.

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“I started taking lessons before Christmas and the woman who was teaching gave me the confidence to do it.”

But there were numerous close calls in trying to keep the secret, with Mark having to pretend he was working late in order to go to lessons. He also sneaked their friends and family into the Slug and Lettuce pub opposite Café Monde, where the proposal happened.

After emerging from the choir carrying a bunch of flowers, Mark went down on one knee in front of the shocked Tori and stunned members of the public who burst into cheers when she said yes.

The choir, lead by soul singer and director of Foundation Music at Winchester University Hannah Williams, kicked off the celebrations with a rendition of Everybody Needs Somebody.

Tori and Mark, from Andover, who have a daughter named Florence, now plan to marry in August.