DUP MP Gavin Robinson posed for a photograph with campaigners for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland, but says his party is not for changing.

The photograph (below), taken outside the DUP offices in Robinson’s constituency, was tweeted by the Love Equality NI group on Valentine’s Day.

The campaigners delivered 2,000 Valentine’s Day cards to the main offices of the NI Assembly election candidates across Northern Ireland, asking them to come #Out4Love and support marriage equality ahead of the Assembly election next month.

Mr Robinson tweeted back “thanks for visiting guys @Love_EqualityNI – don’t forget the chocolates next time lol”.

He received praise for the move, with one social networker writing “wow”, and another “fair play”.

However, Mr Robinson told the Belfast Telegraph that the photograph was not a signal that his party was minded to change its policy on same-sex marriage.

A DUP spokesman confirmed the party had no plans to change its policy.

“The DUP receive many petitions and correspondence from a range of different groups, charities and organisations,” he said.

“The organisation Love Equality arranged to hand their petition to the main parties, which was received by Gavin Robinson MP on behalf of the DUP. Our position on this issue remains the same and is well known.”

In 2015 Northern Ireland’s assembly voted narrowly in favour of gay marriage equality but the DUP vetoed any change in the law. The motion fell after the DUP used a petition of concern to argue that the law change that would allow same-sex couples to marry in Northern Ireland did not command sufficient cross-community support.