Father Nikalaus Maier was preaching to a packed church near the Bavarian city of Ingolstadt when noises from the belltower interrupted his sermon, NewsCore news agency reports.

The priest called police after the lovers came down from the tower and fled the building.

Police spokesperson Hans-Peter Kammerer told the German news agency DAPD the 26-year-old man could face criminal charges for disturbing a religious activity.

The crime can carry a penalty of up to three years in jail.

A church official told NewsCore the incident was “scandalous”.

“My wife sat in the back near the vestry and called me to tell me about the grunts and groans that disturbed the sermon,” the official said.

Source: ninemsn.com.au