British couple whose simulated sex photo led to wedding ban at Rhodes monastery could face legal action

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A couple who took a photo simulating a sex act at a Greek monastery could face legal action from other brides and grooms amid fears of a ban on all foreign marriages on the island of Rhodes.

Matthew and Carly Lunn's photo, which appeared to show them performing a sex act at St Paul's Chapel, went viral and led Bishop Kyrillos of Rhodes to ban foreigners from getting married at the picturesque monastery.

Now Daniel Gaynor, 32, and his partner Mandy Jackson, 30, from Rotherham, are considering legal action against the couple.

"Me and my fiancée are affected by these two low lives," he told MailOnline. "We have been planning our wedding for two-and-a-half years."

He added: "I will be going to see a solicitor to see if any action can be taken against them. They are scum."

Community leader Giorgos Eleftheriou told The Times: “I have hundreds of soon-to-be brides from Britain and all over the world calling me today in tears because of this decision. It’s a huge damper on our society here. We are one of the most famous wedding destinations in the world and we are booked solid through to 2021.”

He added: “We are Greek and we cherish our traditions and the sanctity of our religious sites. We cannot allow this disgusting behaviour to prevail.”

Gemma Hunter, 37, of Bradford, fears her special day with fiance Matthew Hewitt, 38, which has been booked at St Paul's Chapel in Rhodes for August 2018, may have been scuppered by the "obscene" actions of another couple.

Miss Hunter, who is waiting for more information from her wedding planner, told the Press Association: "Now it is all a bit of a shock.

"You imagine how it is all going to be and then to find out that it could all fall apart. We are in limbo."

Estimating that her wedding party have spent around £20,000, she said: "We do not know really what is going on. We have not been told that it has been officially cancelled."

She described the controversial image as "disrespectful", adding "why would you think to do that in a religious setting?"

It has been reported that the mayor of Rhodes is due to make a final decision on the ban in the next couple of weeks.