The owner of a guesthouse has sparked outrage in Italy after refusing to host a gay couple saying "we don't accept gays and animals".

A gay couple from Naples said they were shocked to be told that they were not welcome at Ciufo guest house near Vibo Valentia, in the southern region of Calabria, because the owners "believe in traditional families".

"It was like getting a silo of ice cold water," Gennaro Casalino told Arcigay, Italy's largest gay organisation.

"In my mind I could see the infamous images of Nazi signs outside of shops saying 'forbidden entry to dogs and Jews'."But It has been 70 years since then and this cannot be ignored."

Filippo Mondella, the owner of the guest house, told Radio Capital that he wrote the message whilst driving and he did not intend to offend anyone when he told the couple: "This is important and I don't want to appear like a troglodyte, but we don't accept gays and dogs."