Golden girl Jessica announces her engagement via Twitter

The European and world indoor champion posted the news of her engagement on her Twitter page.

Miss Ennis, who won gold at the European Championships in Barcelona, revealed that she got engaged on Christmas Eve to long-term boyfriend, construction worker Andy Hill.

She wrote on the social networking website: "Hey, wanted to tell close friends and family first. But I got engaged on Christmas Eve! Really happy and very excited!"

Last month, the 24-year-old came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, losing out to jockey Tony McCoy.

She is hotly tipped to land gold for Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London – the one medal she does not have after missing the Beijing games through injury.

Miss Ennis is due to launch her season in Glasgow this month before competing in the Euro pean Indoor Championships in Paris in February.

Later this year she will defend her world heptathlon title in South Korea.

Miss Ennis will hope 2011 continues her successful build-up to the London games following a glittering 2010 when she was voted the 'Outstanding Female Athlete' at the Commonwealth Sports Awards, 'British Female Athlete of the Year' by the British Athletics Writers' Association and named the Sports Journalists' Association's 'Sportswoman of the Year'.