THE fiancée of a fitness fan who died just hours after winning a bodybuilding championship has spoken of her devastation at his death.

Marguerita Norval and Dave Brown were driving home to Glasgow from St Albans when, without warning, he collapsed.

Ms Norval tried to revive him on the hard shoulder but her efforts could not bring him back. The 30-year-old said: "Dave was eating and drinking and we were just chatting about his win - he was so happy - and talking about how much we loved each other. Suddenly he fell forward. He said: 'I know...' and then nothing.

"He made a really weird noise and I could tell he was struggling to breathe. At first I thought he was joking around and put my hand out to him. I think at that point it was already too late."

Ms Norval called for an ambulance. While she waited for paramedics to arrive a call handler instructed her to pull Mr Brown from the car and attempt CPR.

Ms Norval, from Milton, said: "He was so heavy, but the adrenaline was rushing through me. I pulled him out and was breathing into his mouth.

"I did everything I could but I couldn't save him."

Mr Brown, 32, who proposed a year ago, was rushed to hospital but, in the early hours of Monday, was pronounced dead.

His fiancée said: "We had talked about going to Las Vegas at the end of the year to get married.

"He was so thrilled to have won the championship - he never expected to win - and he was getting married and he had just opened his first gym as assistant manager of Pure Gym.

"He was taken when he was at his very happiest and I wonder how many people go when they feel they have nothing more to achieve."

Mr Brown is survived by his parents Janette and Kerr and his 30-year-old brother. He co-founded the popular Man Candy Butlers and did fundraising for charity.

The Miami Pro UK ­Championships 2014, on Sunday, was Mr Brown's first bodybuilding competition.