A gay couple have been brutally attacked by a group of eight people while driving in the Cypriot village of Arakapas, near the city of Limassol.

According to the Cypriot newspaper Simerini, the couple, consisting of an English man and a German man, were travelling in a car when it was forcibly stopped by the gang.

They quickly managed to drag them out of their car, beating them violently in different parts of their bodies, before fleeing the scene, leaving the two men bleeding on the street.

The victims, who have been living in Cyprus for the past 10 years, were treated at a nearby hospital before being released on the same day.

The couple have reported the incident to the police. According to friends of the two men, it’s claimed a homophobic neighbour of the victims could have organised the assault.

Another possible reason for the attack according to local police is the fact that the couple have recently opened a gay sauna in the village of Akrounta in Limassol.