A 32-year-old Moroccan woman was this morning acquitted of working in a brothel in November 2006.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli, also cleared Rajaa Mokaddem, of Casablanca, from offending public morals.

The court heard that Ms Mokaddem had been at Midnight Cowboy, a bar in St Julian's where girls of different nationalities were pole and lap dancing.

The magistrate noted in her judgement that the only evidence heard was that the accused had been at the bar talking to two men, wearing a low cut shirt and a transparent skirt with her G-string showing.

No evidence was brought to show that the woman had, directly or indirectly, had been earning money out of prostitution.

A witness had said there were seven women and a few men inside the bar, none of whom were indecently dressed.

The accused had told the police she had gone to the place to see whether she could work there. But no one saw her act indecently or in a way which affected public morals. The way she was dressed and the fact that she was conversing with men was also not considered offensive to moral and public decency.