A teacher at a Catholic infants’ school who was caught moonlighting as an OnlyFans model has sparked controversy in Italy and prompted the government to intervene.

Elena Maraga, 29, was on Thursday suspended from her job near Treviso, in northern Italy, after it emerged that she was selling risqué photos and videos of herself on the subscription-based platform, which heavily features adult content.

The case emerged after the parent of a child at the school recognised Ms Maraga on OnlyFans and informed other parents through a WhatsApp group chat and Facebook.

The teacher, who studied educational science at university, has worked for five years at the Catholic school. She lives with her parents and is also a competitive bodybuilder.

In interviews, she said that what she does on OnlyFans “does no harm to anyone … people should be allowed to do what they like in their private lives. I am not ashamed of what I do.”

There have been several other cases of young female teachers earning money on OnlyFans in their spare time.