http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2230085/Greek-waiters-outburst-gay-couple-In-country-chop-legs-people-like-you.html
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A gay couple have told of their shock after they were subjected to a bigoted tirade from a waiter for sending back food in a Greek restaurant.
Markus Busuttil, 28, and his husband Steven, 24, were sharing a romantic meal at a Birmingham restaurant to celebrate a wedding anniversary.
But they were left stunned when a staff member at city centre restaurant Athens starting abusing them when they tried to send back a dish.
The couple recorded the alleged outburst, in which the abuser refers to gay people having their legs cut off - and brands them 'F****** queers'.
Scroll down to hear the secret recording
Markus Busuttil, 28, and his husband Steven, 24, were left stunned when a staff member at city centre restaurant Athens starting abusing them when they tried to send back a dish
West Midlands Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the restaurant told the Birmingham Mail he did lose his temper and called the couple 'queers', but claimed he was provoked after they made 'inappropriate advances' to his waiter - which they deny.
Markus and Steven, who live in the city centre, had visited the restaurant on Halloween to mark their first month of marriage.
But they claim a furious row started when they tried to return food, which they claim they recorded on their phone.
In one exchange, an alleged staff member is heard to say: 'F****** queers. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
'We don’t like people like you in Greece. We cut off your legs. You are an embarrassment to the world.
'Your mum is a s***. I will f****** kill you. After the police, I will deal with you.'
In another section of the conversation, the alleged member of staff is recorded speaking to police on his own phone. He tells officers that he fears for his own safety and adds: 'They are very aggressive for gays.'
AUDIO: Listen to the secret recording made by gay couple in Greek restaurant
Markus, a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, chose the Paradise Circus Queensway restaurant after spotting an online offer.
The student, who has been studying engineering since 2009, said the argument started when the couple returned their 'dried up' and 'salty' main courses.
Markus, who met web developer Steven five years ago while studying in Wales, said: 'I have never been subjected to abuse like that before in my life.
'We have never experienced anything like this before in Birmingham, or anywhere else. It was bizarre and surreal.
'After about 15 minutes of this terror he started to claim that we had attacked him. I thought he was a liar, so I called police and I also started to record the conversation on my phone, and I am glad that I did.
'We love how open and friendly and multicultural this city is and that is why we think this kind of behaviour should be exposed.'
Markus said problems started when the main courses arrived 20 minutes after they had starters of Greek Salad along with Tzatziki and meatballs.
He added: 'We ate half of the salad and meatballs and when the main course of lamb and chicken arrived we told the waiter we were not happy with the food.
'I do not usually complain, but it was just not very good.
West Midlands Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident at Athens restaurant in the heart of Birmingham as a possible hate crime
'The first waiter was quite professional and apologetic and insisted that we had something else. We said we did not want anything else, but would pay for what we had already consumed.
'But when the second person came out we were subjected to the most awful abuse. He started to ask us if we were Greek and told us we knew nothing about food.
'That is when we decided to get up to try and leave, but we were blocked in the doorway.
'I want to see the man brought to justice and confronted about what he said. If this is the way he deals with any kind of complaints then I fear for the safety of other people.
'We are still in a state of disbelief that this happened and I am thankful that I recorded what was said.'
When the Birmingham Mail contacted Athens restaurant an employee, who refused to give his name, admitted being involved in the row and said: 'We know about the complaint and have made our own complaint to police concerning inappropriate advances that were made to a waiter. I did scream at them because I felt intimidated.
'I lost my temper, I did call them queers, but they were teasing me and laughing about the whole situation.
'I told them that in Greece they would cut their legs, but I did not say I would do it.
'We have served homosexual couples in the past without a problem and had a gay couple here on Saturday night. We have been in business here for 24 years and have never had anything like this before. If you eat something you should pay for it.
'They tried to run off and I did stop them from leaving and I also called security to block the door, but they were not held hostage.'
He added: 'I did not expect them to be so strong. They pushed me quite hard and were very mean people.
'We told them straight. It was not about money and in the end they only paid £7 for the two bottles of beer and refused to give us their names.
'But we are planning to pursue the matter with police.'
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: 'We can confirm that we are investigating reports of a hate crime at the Athens restaurant on October 31. Statements have been taken and enquiries are ongoing.'
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