A HIGH-flying couple took to the skies of America to tie the knot in a helicopter flight over Las Vegas.

Vicki Masefield and John Evans met five years ago at a village fete in Astley Burf, Stourport.

Vicki, 52, who ran Conifers Nursery in Stourport, only agreed to marry John, 60, if the ceremony took place in a helicopter.

She said: "We aimed to travel by bus from New York to San Francisco and saw that helicopter flights were in the travel brochure as well.

"When John asked me to marry him, I said that it was on condition that the wedding took place in a helicopter.

"We stopped at Las Vegas for the ceremony and it was fantastic because all the lights and lasers were switched on.

"The minister who performed the ceremony said he had only officiated at seven like it before. After that, we flew on a small plane to San Francisco for the honeymoon."

The service was performed by minister Noble James Hamilton of Sunrise Church, Nevada.

Vicki is the daughter of the late Clarence Masefield and Dora Masefield who lives at Berkeley Crescent, Stourport.

John, the son of the late Harry and Edith Evans, is well known in the Wyre Forest area as the 'owl man'.

He gave talks to schools and groups on natural history.

The couple, who are both retired, now live in Bromyard, Herefordshire.