New York’s Police Department is looking for a couple who lost an engagement ring down a grate in the Big Apple as a man was due to propose to his fiancee.

The NYPD said the man had got down on one knee on Friday night and was so excited when she said yes that he dropped the ring.

According to the NYPD, the couple asked for police help just before midnight after a man dropped the engagement ring, which fell about 2.4 metres.

Emergency Service Unit officers responded but didn’t find the ring straight away so the couple left.

But they managed to find the ring at 10.30am on Saturday.

Officers have since recovered the ring — and cleaned it — but the would-be bride and groom left without passing on their names or any contact information.

The NYPD described the male as being 5’8”-5’9” with short brown hair and a manicured beard and the female as being 5’5” with blonde hair.

The NYPD has also released CCTV and pictures of the couple where they first lost the precious ring in their desperate bid to find them again.

The NYPD tweeted: “WANTED for dropping his fiancee’s ring in @TimesSquareNYC!

“She said Yes — but he was so excited that he dropped the ring in a grate.

“Our @NYPDSpecialops officers rescued it & would like to return it to the happy couple. Help us find them?”

“Help us find the couple [whose] marriage proposal went horribly wrong after their engagement ring fell down the drain in #TimesSquare,” the department’s Midtown North precinct tweeted, as well as photo of the couple.

More than 350,000 people visit Times Square in midtown Manhattan every day.

It is unclear whether the couple were locals or tourists visiting the city.