Christian guesthouse owners lose appeal over room policy

A Christian couple ordered to pay damages for turning away a homosexual couple from their guesthouse have lost their appeal.

Peter and Hazelmary Bull were sued over their bedroom policy at the Chymorvah guesthouse in Cornwall, which allows only married couples to rent a double room.

The Bulls were found to have discriminated against Martyn Hall and his civil partner Steven Preddy by refusing to let them take a double room in 2008.

They denied discrimination on the grounds that the policy applied equally to unmarried heterosexual couples.

Judge Andrew Rutherford ruled that the policy breached equality laws and ordered the Bulls to pay £3,600 in damages.

The original ruling against the Bulls was upheld today by judges in the Court of Appeal in London.

The Bulls' appeal was funded by the Christian Institute, whose spokesman Simon Calvert said the couple had been "penalised" for their beliefs about marriage.

“Not everyone will agree with Peter and Hazelmary’s beliefs, but a lot of people will think it is shame that the law doesn’t let them live and work according to their own values under their own roof," he said.

“Something has gone badly wrong with our equality laws when good, decent people like Peter and Hazelmary are penalised but extremist hate preachers are protected.”

Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said it was the "wrong decision".

"A number of judgments have now elevated sexual orientation rights above historic freedom of belief. This was never the intention of Parliament, and has no democratic mandate," she said.

“Bed and breakfast owners have now become another category of people in the UK who will be penalised if they try to serve the public without compromising their religious beliefs.

“We are heading towards a two-tier society where only those who subscribe to this new state morality will be able to operate in the public sphere.

“With full homosexual marriage now on the horizon, protecting conscience will become more important than ever.”