WHEN Kate Smith decided she was going to get her hands on some prized designer shoes, she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way.

So it was that Kate spent the night queuing up outside a shop in the wind and rain for more than 12 hours – but for her, the wait was worth every minute.

When Kate heard that Jimmy Choo shoes were being sold at H&M in Regent Street, London, for a fraction of their usual cost, she knew she had to have them.

The 24-year-old, from South Ham, arrived at the shop at 8.30pm last Friday with her fiancé Will Cubberly, ready to spend the entire night waiting for the shop to open at 9am and be the first inside.

But while Kate’s mind was focused on deciding which designer shoes she would spend her money on, her devoted partner Will, 28, had sensibly prepared for what would be a very long night.

As the worst storm of the year hit Britain, the couple were kept fairly warm and dry thanks to Will’s common-sense.

He said: “I would say that anyone there to buy shoes had not thought about staying warm and dry. They all turned up with just their handbags, pressing their faces up against the window and wondering which shoes they would buy.

“As I wasn’t there for the shoes, I thought I don’t want to be hungry or cold so I packed as if I was going on a camping trip.”

Kate said: “We were first in the queue and another four people turned up at 11.30pm. The queue didn’t really start forming until 3am or 4am. There were about 500 people eventually.”

When the doors opened at 9am, Kate had a 10-minute time slot to select her shoes. Making a dash for a pair of strappy silettos in neon blue and black, two clutch bags and shoe boots, she parted with £400 for the items and left with a huge grin on her face.

After spending the night sleeping on the street, the last thing Kate wanted was an army of photographers ready and waiting to take her picture as she left – but that’s exactly what happened as she emerged with her prized purchases.

She said: “I thought this is the craziest thing that has ever happened. We were on the news and in the papers. It’s been quite overwhelming. All I did was buy some shoes. But they are worth it. They are lovely shoes.”

For kind-hearted Will, the whole event was rather less rewarding as he stood at the entrance of the shop waiting for his fiancée to spend, spend, spend.

He said: “I stood inside the shop – I think the staff felt a bit sorry for me. I didn’t think she would go through with it. I thought the weather forecast would put her off. But if you want something and you want it badly enough, then you do whatever you need to do to get it.

“A lot of people have called me a loser, but there is a method to my madness. She certainly owes me. And I couldn’t let her go on her own.”