Brothel offers free sex and drinks in anti-tax protest

The boss of a brothel is offering free sex and free drinks at his establishment, in a protest against supposedly unfair levels of tax.

Punters have been queuing round the block to make the most of the offer, at Pascha bordello in Salzburg, Austria, after the appearance of a notice on its website which said: "Effective immediately: Free Entrance! Free Drinks! Free Sex!"

Local media reported that news of the deal "spread like wildfire", with the brothel's owner, Hermann 'Pascha' Müller, telling reporters that he had had to “turn away hundreds of disappointed customers” since the "summer special" was introduced.

Mr Muller, who is paying for drinks and his workers' normal hourly rate out of his own pocket, estimates that he has paid €5 million in taxes over the past decade.

The brothel owner, known as Salzburg’s “red light district king”, told the Kronen Zeitung that officials were over-zealous in checking up on him - visiting every 14 days without fail - while doing nothing about unlicensed, illegal forms of prostitution.

“The problem is, the tax office wants more and more, and they are not cracking down on illegal street and apartment prostitution ... They allow me no room for manoeuver,” Mr Müller was quoted by the Local website as saying.

Mr Müller, from Germany, runs several licensed brothels in Germany and Austria, where prostitution is legal and regulated.

Profits from the other establishments will be used to cover the losses from the stunt.