Christian couple ban gay man and his partner from buying their dream £650,000 ...

Christian couple ban gay man and his partner from buying their dream £650,000 ...
Christian couple ban gay man and his partner from buying their dream £650,000 ...

A gay couple were stunned to be told they could not buy their dream house in Surrey from a devoutly Christian couple - because of their sexuality.

When they tried to arrange a viewing through internet estate agents Purplebricks, they were refused and sent astonishing references to fire and brimstone Bible passages by the couple.

Luke Whitehouse and his ITV producer partner Lachlan Mantell spotted a £650,000, three-bed, semi-detached cottage as they looked to get on the property ladder.

The vendors, builder Luke Main, 33, and his wife, Cambridge University medical physicist Dr Joanna Brunker, 34, refused to let Luke and his partner even view the house, let alone buy it, because they were gay.

They cited passages from the Bible and said they could not sell the house to 'two men in a partnership.'

Luke Whitehouse and his partner Lachlan Mantell (pictured) were told they couldn't view a property that they had seen because the owners didn't want to sell to a gay couple

Luke Whitehouse and his partner Lachlan Mantell (pictured) were told they couldn't view a property that they had seen because the owners didn't want to sell to a gay couple 

Luke Main (pictured), 33, a builder, is the owner of the property and told the men they were not welcome

Mr Main is married to Cambridge University medical physicist Dr Joanna Brunker (pictured), 34

Luke Main (left), 33, a builder and his wife, Cambridge University medical physicist Dr Joanna Brunker (right), 34, told them they were against selling their home to 'two men in a partnership'

The Christian couple's property (pictured) was advertised with a guide price of £650,000

Now the online property giant has removed the ad from their site, telling the Mains that their message to Luke and his partner was 'completely opposed' to the firm's values.

Fuming Luke, 34, told MailOnline: 'Initially for the first 10 seconds I laughed. I thought it was a joke.

'But then I was upset and angry and I had a cry on the phone to my mum. Homophobia still exists, it is still out there. I did not see it coming. I was blindsided by it.'

Luke and Lachlan, 37 - who have been together for eight years - planned to view the house in Surrey last week.

When they asked for a viewing, the Mains messaged them back saying: 'Would you mind telling us a bit about your position and circumstances when you have a moment please?'.

Lachlan happily replied telling them a little about why they liked the area, adding: 'I'm a 37-year-old TV producer for ITV and Luke is a 33-year-old business owner in education.'

But the Christian couple's response stunned them: It read: 'Dear Lachlan and Luke, thank you for sharing your circumstances with us.

'We're sorry if we seem intrusive, but we just want to make clear that we would be unwilling for two men in a partnership to view or buy our house.

'As it is contrary to the gracious teaching in God's Word, the Holy Bible, e.g Romans 1:24-28 and Jude 7 (King James Version). With regards'

Luke, 34, and his partner Lachlan, 37 - who have been together for eight years - told MailOnline that they were stunned that they had been prevented from viewing the property

Luke, 34, and his partner Lachlan, 37 - who have been together for eight years - told MailOnline that they were stunned that they had been prevented from viewing the property 

The gay couple spotted the ad for the three bedroom semi detached property on Rightmove

Messages sent between Luke and Lachlan to the Christian couple sent through the Purple Bricks website show how they had tried to set up a date and time to visit the property

Messages sent between Luke and Lachlan to the Christian couple sent through the Purple Bricks website show how they had tried to set up a date and time to visit the property  

The Christians asked Luke and Lachlan to explain their circumstances. But when it became clear that they are in a same-sex relationship, the booking was cancelled by the homeowners

The Christians asked Luke and Lachlan to explain their circumstances. But when it became clear that they are in a same-sex relationship, the booking was cancelled by the homeowners 

The first Bible passage cited reads: 'Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

'They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

'Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

'In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

'Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.'

Purple Bricks informed Mr Main and his wife of their decision to no longer list the property

Purple Bricks informed Mr Main and his wife of their decision to no longer list the property

The second reads: 'Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.'

Luke reported it to the online estate agents who were selling it via Rightmove.

They have now decided to cease selling the property saying the comments from the owners are against its 'views and values.'

A Purplebricks spokesperson told them: 'Thanks for sharing this message Lachlan and we're so sorry you've had this experience.

'This stance is completely opposed to our views and values.

'We'll refund this seller's fee as Purplebricks no longer wish to list it.'

Luke and Lachlan - originally from Adelaide, Australia are desperate to get their own place after being kept apart during the pandemic,

He said: 'We were separated during Covid, he was in America while I was here, we were forced apart.

'Buying a house was something that we wanted to do for a long time.

'But this was the only house

read more from dailymail.....

PREV Whether Trump did or didn’t let loose, there’s a whiff of defeat about him mogaznewsen
NEXT Doctors first 'dismissed' this young girl's cancer symptom before her parents ... trends now