A WEDDING turned to tragedy when the best man collapsed at the reception - and died only hours later.

The 26-year-old RAF military policeman collapsed as distraught bride Julie Soper and her husband, Michael Morgan, looked on.

The couple were married at St Thomas's Church, at Brompton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, on Sunday.

Hours after the service, best man Flight Lieutenant Ian Wood, who served at RAF Lossiemouth, in Scotland, collapsed without warning during the reception at Solberge Hall, in nearby Newby Wiske.

Medics tried to revive him at the scene before rushing him to the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, where he died later that evening.

The Reverend Michael Snowball, who conducted the wedding service, last night spoke of his shock at the tragedy.

He said: "I spoke with the young couple and their family and they are at a complete loss to understand what has happened.

"They were having such a wonderful day. This is very upsetting and totally unexpected.

"Before the service, I was chatting to him and we were joking and laughing and looking forward to the day.

"He seemed a very fit young man and there was no inkling of any problem."

A relation of the bride, who is a primary school teacher in the Stockton area, said the couple were devastated and had no idea why Flt Lt Wood died.

A spokesman for the bride and groom, who are from Northallerton, said the couple were too upset to talk.

Flight Lieutenant Terry Cowan, from RAF Lossiemouth, was a friend of Flt Lt Wood, who was in charge of policing on the base.

He said: "It's an incredibly sad event.

"The guy was really well liked on the base, and it's been a huge shock to everyone.

"It's not really sunk in, and many people are still expecting him to walk through the door.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to his family."

Flt Lt Cowan said the cause of death was still not known.

He said the base was planning to hold a memorial service for the airman.

"We will talk to the family to see what they would like to see happen," he said.

It is believed an official wedding video taken during the service has been erased following the tragedy, out of respect for Flt Lt Wood, and that the company that filmed it has offered to refund the couple.