It’s a tradition that dates back to the fifth century and will have commitment-a-phobe boyfriends sweating, but today is the day when women rather than men get down on one knee.

Leap Day, February 29, is traditionally the one day when women can propose to their fellas and with them only cropping up every four years, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.

In honour of this budget chain the 99p Store has put together a DIY proposal kit for love-struck women.

Comprising five items, including a bottle of (non-alcoholic) bubbly, wine flutes, confetti and passport holder as well as the ring, the whole kit comes to under a fiver.

Hussein Lalani, 99p Store manager, who has just got engaged himself has rolled out the kit at selected branches including the three in Croydon.

He said: "Who says you can’t buy love - it’s now yours for 99p."

Dating back to fifth century Ireland, the legend has it St Bridget was frustrating with procrastinating men failing to pop the question and petitioned St Patrick to bend the rules.

The Emerald Isle’s patron saint agreed, but still managed to give women the most infrequent of calendar dates.

To make matters worse for flighty males hoping to hold onto bachelorhood, the tradition progressed so were they to refuse the proposal a gift of a gown, money, or rather bizarrely 12 pairs of gloves had to be made as an apology.

Obviously in this modern 21st century world of equality we live in, many women now propose to their beaus on any day of the calendar they want but the tradition of Leap Day remains.