A concerned neighbour raised the alarm after they saw what they believed were two men attacking a half-naked woman.

However, it emerged that the resident was a teacher of “shibari”, a type of BDSM that involves tying a person up with rope in particularly intricate patterns - with aesthetics as important as function.

The police in Neustadt, Germany had intruded on one of the classes. In a statement headlined “Fifty Shades of Neustadt”, the police confirmed that the couple “were well and in a good mood”.

The officers were invited to take part in the “training session” but “politely” declined the offer, Deutsche Welle reports.