A man in Austria, fed up with what he says are punitive tax payments, has offered free sex to customers at his Salzburg brothel.

"First and foremost it is a protest against the tax authorities," said Hermann Mueller, owner of the Pascha brothel in the city.

"I am very interested to see how they will tax me – if there is no income, what taxes will they take?" Mueller asked.

"We are not paying taxes any more. Effective immediately: Free Entrance! Free Drinks! Free Sex!" the Pascha establishment posted on its website.

The Oesterreich newspaper last week showed a picture of men queued up outside to take advantage of the unusual offer.

It quoted Mueller as saying he would compensate from his own pocket the up to €10,000 (£7,168) a month that prostitutes working at the club will forego.

Mueller, who also operates brothels in four other cities in Germany and Austria, has complained in past media interviews about what he says has been punitive taxation and regulation of his businesses.

He said he had paid nearly €5m in taxes in Salzburg alone over the past decade. Salzburg's tax office was not willing to comment on the case, citing data protection reasons.

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