A high-end brothel employing only married women for clients wanting to sleep with another man's wife has been raided by Russian police.

Most of the women's husbands had no idea their wives had been working as prostitutes- charging as much as £250 an hour for their services- until the exclusive bordello was shut down. 

The desperate housewives were lured into working in the red light business by other home-makers at the brothel with the promise of earning a little extra spending money, according to police. Potential prostitutes were instructed to bring a marriage certificate before they were allowed to work at the specialist brothel which was set across a seven-room apartment.

Prices for services were more than six times higher than a typical outfit with women charging as much as £250 an hour compared to the normal rate of around £40.

Officers are now hunting the brothel's madam, known only as 'Mamma' who managed to escape during the raid.

Police spokeswoman Margarita Maslova said: 'A seven room apartment had been turned into an exclusive brothel where prostitutes were allowed to work only if they brought a marriage certificate confirming they were somebody else's wife.  'We arrested 11 people although the woman that was running the business, who they were instructed to call 'mamma', managed to escape and is being hunted.'

The women caught will now face just a £20 fine from police but may have a little more explaining to do when they get home to their husbands.