Dubai, April 4 (DPA) A Dubai court Sunday rejected a British couple's appeal against their jail sentence for kissing in a restaurant in the city-state, the couple's lawyer said.

Their arrest late last year followed a complaint from a UAE national. Many Emiratis say they fear their conservative culture is under threat from the thousands of foreigners who have flocked to the city-state, lured by the promise of highly paid jobs.

The court sentenced the two, Ayman Najafi, 24, and Charlotte Adams, 25, to a month in prison, followed by deportation, for "public indecency," lawyer Khalaf al-Hosni told DPA.

They were also fined 1,000 dirhams ($272) each for drunkenness, al-Hosni said.

The two may appeal again within 30 days.

A Dubai court last month sentenced an Indian couple to three months in jail for sending each other racy text messages.

Two years ago, two British citizens were sentenced to three months in jail after being convicted of engaging in sexual behaviour on a beach in Dubai. That sentence was later suspended.