The evening after hosting the Queen and the Turkish president for a glittering reception involving 350 guests, hundreds of sailors from the 22,000-tonne aircraft carrier held a private party at a pub in Istanbul's Taksim Square.

But the evening ended in disgrace when some of the 300 party-goers allegedly had to be escorted back to their ship by the Turkish police, to the disgust of shocked locals.

Pictures of the revellers – some of the men in drag and some women in devils' and maids' outfits – groping each other and simulating sex acts at the crowded bar have appeared in Turkish newspapers, where one disgusted headline read: 'The Queen has gone, and so has all the dignity.'

Witnesses told newspapers the sailors had shamed Britain in the largely Muslim country.

Witness Murat Sabancu was reported as saying: 'Their behaviour was disgusting, an absolute disgrace to Britain – Turkish sailors would never behave like that.'

Former naval officer Mike Critchley, and now publisher of Warship World magazine, said: 'It's not helpful. It will not be viewed in a great light by the captain of the ship.

'There will be a lot of embarrassment about it but Royal Navy sailors are the same as any other 18 to 30-year-olds in the UK, and when you put them together in a group they hit the headlines.'

Captain Steve Chick said no complaints had been received, but that after seeing the pictures he had spoken to the sailors involved.

'I am aware of photographs which appear to show that a very small minority of my sailors behaved inappropriately, and I have reminded them of the high standards expected of those in the Royal Navy, whatever country they may be in,' he said.

HMS Illustrious is due to return to the UK later this week after being on exercises in the Indian Ocean since February.

According to the Turkish reports, navy officers insisted they did not cause any trouble, that police were not called, and no-one was facing disciplinary action as a result.