This is the bizarre moment a boyfriend played dead in a fake motorbike accident in front of his distraught girlfriend – before making a surprise marriage proposal.

The man, later identified as Jeffrey Delrio, staged the scene with help from traffic cops who parked their truck in front of him as he lay lifeless on the ground next to his motorcycle.

A traffic officer then arrived at the scene with his girlfriend Shiela Parayanon and told her to prepare for the worst. Visibly panicked, she ran over to Jeffrey in floods of tears on the road in South Cotabato, the Philippines, on September 30.

But as cops motioned to revive him, Jeffrey, a soldier, sat up and produced a small red box containing an engagement ring from his pocket and asks in Filipino: ''will you marry me?''

The relived woman's tears changed to a smile and laughter as she hugged the female officer. She accepted her boyfriend's proposal.

Onlooker Mark Apura – a friend of the couple who recorded it for them – said the proposal was ''very romantic'' and that the couple were ''both full of love'' after the faked accident.

He added: ''It was unusual. People keep thinking of strange ways to make marriage proposals. Jeffrey looked like he was very badly injured but then came alive when his girlfriend was there. I am happy to help spread the love.''

Despite some people saying the stunt was endearing, others said that they would be ''furious'' if their partner put them through such an ordeal.

Sara Celis said: ''It's such a strange thing to do. If I was the woman I would have dumped him right there.''