NEWLYWEDS Gareth Copley and Ruth Jones spent their wedding night on a sofa bed at a relative's house – after finding a hotel's bridal suite booked out to another couple.

The happy bride and groom thought they would be spending their first night of nuptials in the honeymoon suite at The Great National Hotel, in Clayton, last weekend.

But they turned up at the three-star hotel to find another wedding couple already in the bridal suite.

They then walked to Ruth's parents' Clayton home and slept on the Ikea sofa bed instead after turning down the chance to stay at the hotel in another room.

Now Gareth and Ruth say their wedding night was ruined.

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But hotel officials today hit back saying the couple never actually booked the bridal suite and then refused to stay in one of its executive suites.

The couple – who live in Leeds – had booked a total of 15 rooms at the hotel following Saturday's wedding ceremony and reception at Sugnall Hall, near Eccleshall.

Ruth, aged 38, had visited the hotel on the morning of her wedding to check that the bridal suite was available and to confirm when they would be checking in.

Groom Gareth, aged 34, said: "My wife is from Newcastle so we booked the suite because it was near her family home.

"The plan was to check in at midnight after the reception at another venue, so we double-checked on the morning of the wedding to make sure it was all all right.

"But we arrived later that night to find the room was taken by another couple having their wedding in the hotel. We were devastated.

"You cannot get your wedding night back."

Gareth and Ruth are now refusing to pay for any of the 15 rooms.

He added: "It was not the wedding night we had in mind. It was uncomfortable, cramped and we both just felt really angry.

"You only get one wedding night and we can't get it back. I expected to wake up the next morning on cloud nine – instead I woke feeling grotty and desperate for a shower after spending the night in that tiny sofa bed."

The couple had posed for official wedding pictures in fields near Sugnall Hall.

But one of the last pictures of the couple is of them sitting disconsolate on the steps of the Clayton Road hotel with Ruth holding her wedding dress.

Best Man Glenn Minikin, aged 32, who lives in Leeds, said: "The wedding was perfect, but they felt their night was ruined.

"We got to the hotel at about 11.30pm and found out the bridal suite was full.

"The bride and groom were really mad and extremely angry. They felt really let down at the end of what had been a perfect day."

The hotel has apologised for any 'confusion' – but stresses the couple did not book the bridal suite.

Wedding co-ordinator Emma Rhodes said: "We had a bride allocated to the bridal suite prior to Mr and Mrs Copley booking in.

"Our records show they did not specifically request the bridal suite for the night. Mrs Copley came into the reception on the morning of her wedding, which took place elsewhere, to confirm that the bridal suite was ready, however, the receptionist presumed that she was the other bride and confirmed everything was OK.

"When the couple checked into the hotel later on, at midnight, the original bride was already occupying the bridal suite. We apologised for the confusion and offered the couple one of our executive suites, which they refused."

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