10:19am UK, Monday July 19, 2004

A lovestruck German trying to impress his woman with a romantic display of candles ended up burning down his home.

The passionate man laid out hundreds of candles in the shape of a heart reading: "You set my heart on fire."

180 candles

Don't play with fire

He had hoped to wow his girlfriend with the effort.

But the heat from the candles was so intense it melted the candle wax on to the floor where it ignited.

The unfortunate 18-year-old told police: "My girlfriend didn't even see the message.

"All I have left of it is a photograph and she was not in the mood to look at that when she realised what had happened."

Firefighters needed an hour to bring the blaze under control, which gutted the lad's £33,000 home.