A British couple on holiday in Crete have been accused of walking out of at least three tavernas without paying.

The couple whose identity is not known are reported to have happily tucked into food and drinks before complaining loudly about their meals and refusing to pay.

They are said to have stormed off without settling their bills in at least three restaurants on separate nights around the village of Koutouloufari in the north of the idyllic Greek island.

The couple are believed to have last struck at the Ariadni Apartments restaurant which is acclaimed for its fine pizzas, seafood and traditional Greek food.

An outraged member of staff posted their picture on Facebook, along with message stating: ‘Keep an eye on this couple. After finishing their meal, they refuse to pay the bill.

‘We are third restaurant so far where they have tried this tactic. It’s good restaurant owners in the village communicate with each other so we know what to expect.’

The post on the Facebook group Koutouloufari For Ever attracted more than 200 comments including many from outraged British holidaymakers and ex-pats accusing the couple of heaping shame on the UK.

One woman rushed to defend the restaurant, posting: ‘Such beautiful people and place!! Shame on you.’

Another furiously posted: ‘How disgusting. How could anyone do such a thing to the lovely people around the area.

‘It’s people like that who give us English a bad name. I see it has been shared on the posts that I am a member of. I hope they rot in hell for what they have done.

‘They are probably on their way back home by now. So sorry to all those lovely people who have been affected x’.

A third Brit added: ‘Why can’t the taverna owners join forces and bring a few hefty brothers/cousins/mates in to the village as an “encouragement” for these lowlifes to pay up, if the cops won’t do anything?’.

One holidaymaker from Newcastle suggested that the couple may be from Liverpool in a comment saying: ‘There (sic) Scousers. I was actually there tonight when it happened. By the way, not bad mouthing Scousers. Good people etc, but ya always get a bad egg.’

But another holidaymaker added to confusion over the identity of the couple, saying: ‘I was sitting opposite them. Sounded like Cockneys to me, or was it Mancs?’

Former Ministry of Defence worker Mark Flynn, 59, who has lived in Crete for 16 years accused the couple of ‘taking advantage of the kindness of Greek people’.

He added: ‘It looks like they have been going into restaurants to eat. It is the custom here for places after a meal to provide a free dessert and a glass of the local raki firewater.

‘They then apparently started complaining in each place about the service and meal they had been given even though they had eaten and drunk everything.

‘As far as restaurants are concerned, it is often just easier for them to let people like that walk away, and forget about it, because most diners are very honest.

‘But in this case, it seems that this couple have gone too far and have tried the same stunt repeatedly in at least three places.

‘It is extremely unusual for local restaurants to post something like this because they don’t like to cause a scene, and it is a sign that they must have been very upset.’

Mr. Flynn who is from Plymouth, Devon, added: ‘It is the first time I have heard of Brits doing this in all my time here.

‘When it has previously happened, it has been Russians or Israelis. Everyone is really angry about it because the behaviour of one couple is giving all British people a bad name.

‘It is not a very nice thing to do at all. The Greeks are wonderful people and do not deserve to be abused like this.’

A woman posted on Facebook that she believed the couple had returned back to the UK on Tuesday last week.

After seeing the picture of the couple, she said that she had seen the man around the former Roman port town of Hersonissos which is near Koutouloufari and renowned for its peaceful beaches and ancient ruins.

The woman posted: ‘We were in Hersonissos until the 29th August. I’m certain I saw him at least once in Hersonissos during the week we were there, and on the last day (29th), I ‘m sure my partner spoke to him while we waited outside down town restaurant (bus stop 22) for our transfer.

‘He was very drunk and eating and drinking in the restaurant, and mentioned his transfer was later in the day.’

The Ariadni Palace Apartments have not yet responded to a request for comment.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are often deemed the future of transport, with titans like Ford and Tesla racing to make them. 

But a new study reveals that ‘more macho’ men may not see this the same way, in the bizarre belief that EVs will harm their image.

Dr Michael Parent, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), claims that men who prioritise acting ‘like a real man’ are more likely to frown upon electric-powered cars. 

High-performance gasoline vehicles are instead preferred as a marker of masculinity, he says, raising an alarming and unexpected uncertainty for efforts against climate change. 

‘It wouldn’t be a main driver of climate change, but it is one more, preventable, thing that adds to the pile of issues related to climate,’ Dr Parent told MailOnline. 

‘Although the issue could be addressed through advertising, it would probably be better for education to address healthy gender role norms to reduce precarious masculinity in general.

‘That is related to a broad set of negative behaviours including sexism, homophobia, aggression, and others.’

As part of his research, Dr Parent examined the concept of ‘masculine contingency’ among 400 men living in the US.

Masculine contingency refers to the degree to which a person bases their self-worth on cultural standards of masculinity including toughness, status and anti-femininity. 

These perceptions can be real or imagined, with all participants asked to agree or disagree with a series of statements including ‘I can’t respect myself if I don’t live up to what it means to be a “real man”.’

Answers were then compared with car purchasing habits and attitudes, examining whether gas/diesel, hybrid or electric was preferred.

Almost 40 per cent of men ranked EVs as the worst option, with many of these participants also holding the most traditional ‘masculine’ views.

‘Consumer good purchase decisions are made, to a degree, with consideration toward how those purchases reflect personal identities,’ Dr Parent wrote. 

‘The prior literature has suggested that, overall, EVs may be appealing to men in terms of their fast acceleration and appeal as a technological innovation. 

‘However, among men, endorsement of masculinity contingency was linked to lowered preference for EVs.’ 

These startling results come as countless car giants are racing to develop new game-changing EVs amid heightened environmental concern against typical fuel engines.

New movements, like London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), also encourage drivers to go electric, with a £12.50 daily charge for vehicles that don’t meet emission standards.

Psychologist Louise Goddard-Crawley claims the results even have roots in human evolution and long-established ideas of dominance.

‘From an evolutionary perspective, throughout human evolution, traits associated with masculinity, such as physical strength and dominance, were advantageous for survival and reproduction,’ she told MailOnline. 

‘Traditional vehicles, with their loud engines and powerful performance, could symbolise these traits, making them more appealing to some individuals who value traditional masculinity. 

‘Electric cars, being quieter and perhaps perceived as less powerful, may be seen as deviating from these evolutionary ideals, leading to resistance among those who strongly identify with traditional gender norms.’

Despite his findings, Dr Parent acknowledges that his study is limited, suggesting there is no data to show a direct causal link between masculinity and attitudes towards EVs.

Car preferences were also based on hypotheticals and not real purchase decisions, adding to the ambiguity of results. 

‘It is likely that many men are susceptible to masculinity threats without being consciously aware of it and as such experimental research in the precarious masculinity paradigm on the topic of consumer research would be valuable,’ he wrote. 

‘In sum, this study demonstrates a link between masculinity contingency and EV-related attitudes and purchase intentions, contributing to work on masculinities and consumer choices.’

The Whatsapp trick to boost the image quality in your messages

• There are three image quality settings available for Whatsapp users to pick from 

By George Iddenden

Updated: 09:50 EDT, 29 July 2023

Some like it…NOT! Ukraine sparks outrage in India by posting image of Hindu goddess looking like Marilyn Monroe

• The cloud resembles a photograph of Monroe and her iconic billowing dress
• The defense ministry apologised for the post which sparked fury in India

By Christian Oliver

Published: 11:23 EDT, 2 May 2023 | Updated: 11:54 EDT, 2 May 2023