Christian B&B owners who refused to let gay couple share a room are forced to sell-up

Hazelmary and Peter Bull, 73, say they have no option but to sell their home after failing to attract enough custom while grappling with massive legal fees. 

The couple are now selling the nine-bed Chymorvah Hotel at Marazion, Cornwall, for £750,000.

The Chymorvah, which allows only married couples to share a bed, has been unable to advertise and is no longer listed by Visit England since the Equalities Act was brought in in 2007.

In 2008 the couple had to pay £3,600 to civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy after they were refused a room at the hotel on religious grounds.

Mrs Bull, 69, said: "We were optimistic in the spring. Why wouldn't we be with the summer ahead of us? 

"We have had a better summer than we thought but nowhere near good enough to pay our way.

"We were not even half-full. We must have been the only place in west Cornwall that had rooms left."

Since their stance against gay marriage hit the headlines, the couple say they have been hit with a string of vandalism, including having a dead rabbit nailed to their fence.

The pair have received several death threats, and the hotel website was hacked. 

Mrs Bull says the lack of visitors has left them on the brink of bankruptcy.

"It was a gradual process; we just noticed more and more that we couldn't make the mortgage repayments.

"Last winter was terrible. We were actually shivering and were hungry.

"We are coming towards next winter and dreading it.

"In 2013, two people who worked all their lives have ended up cold and hungry. It's not right." 

She added: "This is like a death in the family. I never thought it would end like this.

"We are not facing the future with any real enthusiasm." 

Earlier in the year the couple won the right to take their appeal to the Supreme Court next month after the case was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.