A German job centre has apologised for an 'oversight' after ordering a young woman to work in a brothel.

According to a report in the local Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, Christine Hirmer, 19, received a letter from the German Labour Office in Augsburg suggesting she apply for a position at an establishment called the 'Colosseum.'

She was told they had lined up a position for her as a waitress.

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Ms Hirmer was, however, horrified by the suggestion she should work in what turned out to be a brothel bar: "I was looking for a decent housekeeping job - not working at a brothel bar," the young woman told the newspaper. "I was totally shocked when I read the letter. My mother even started screaming out loud when she read the letter."

Prostitution is legal in Germany.

The only precondition for her employment in the venue was appropriate appearance," the letter said, and she would serve drinks for 42 hours each week, mostly at night and on weekends.

According to Spiegel Online a web search for the Colosseum revealed the club is a a brothel, and a "nudist club" where one can "sex & relax (sic) on over 2,500 square meters" and encounter "girls with mega service and more."

The head of the Augsburg labour office, Roland Fuerst, was quoted by the newspaper saying that the agency had made a mistake even though it knew the Colosseum is a brothel.

He said that the agency should have first called the woman to check to see if she might be interested in the brothel job rather than simply sending her a letter.