Dubai  - A Dubai court sentenced a British couple on Thursday to three months in jail for having sex on a public beach in the Gulf emirate.

Michelle Palmer, 37, a resident in Dubai and her visiting partner Vince Acors, 34, were also fined 1,000 dirham (202 euros) for drinking alcohol in public.

Their lawyer, Hassan Mattar, said that he would appeal against the court's verdict.

The couple was arrested in July for publicly having sex on Dubai's Jumeirah beach while in a drunken state.

Palmer, who was fired from her work, denied she was having sex, but witnesses said that the couple was engaged in sexual activity.

The incident has triggered a heated debate in local papers, about the effect of tourism and ex-patriates on the country's customs and traditions.

Some 200 nationalities live in the United Arab Emirates, including 120,000 British nationals. (dpa)