THE disruption of a Sunday church service at Teignmouth over opposition to gay marriages, has become an internet sensation.

A video of the protest was posted on YouTube, and in a few days received more than 30,000 hits worldwide.

Teignmouth composer and choirmaster David Haines, who is gay, caused a stir at Our Lady & St Patrick's morning mass, when he began videoing the priest, who, along with all Roman Catholic clergy in the country, was due to read a message by two archbishops criticising government plans to legalise same sex marriages.

In the end, he decided not to read the letter.

There was surprise and some hostility from the 150 or so congregation, and Mr Haines said he was also confronted by a man claiming to be a policeman who threatened to arrest him.<