Cypriots are in a lather over claims of wild sex orgies by tourists on Cyprus's high seas, giving the Romans a run for their money.

Photographs documenting the sexual escapades of groups of young tourists to the island's popular resort of Ayia Napa were printed in the Norwegian press, following similar claims involving British and Scandinavian holidaymakers in 2006.

Once a sleepy fishing village, Ayia Napa is popular with families for its pristine beaches but since 2000 has gained a reputation as a clubber's paradise, attracting hoardes of young partygoers.

The photographs were reportedly taken on board local ferries which offer night cruises off the coast of Cyprus.

"The photographs we see do not respect us at all. They show a bad image which is not the true image of Ayia Napa," said Ayia Napa mayor Antonis Tsokkos.

Giorgos Economou, a local police spokesman, told Reuters that similar stories about such cruises surfaced every year in the foreign press.

"The boats are checked every day by the port police and no evidence has been found as yet to suggest such activities are going on."

"But we wouldn't be able stop them when they're in the middle of the open seas doing their business," Economou said.