The technician had been sent to Loiret in north west France and ended up sleeping with a “complete stranger”.

He had a heart attack and died during the act but his employer, a construction specialist, argued the liaison was not part of his work and that it should not be held liable for his death, BFMTV reports.

It had told an inferior court that the death was attributable not to the performance of his work “but to the sexual act he had with a complete stranger”.

But the Court of Appeal in Paris has now ruled against the company, saying the man died of a workplace accident – accident du travail.

Judges said that “an employee performing a business trip is entitled to the protection provided by Article L 411-1 of the Social Security Code throughout the duration of the trip he performs for his employer”, adding that it does not matter whether the accident occurs during a professional or everyday act.

The case will likely be appealed to the Cour de Cassation, France’s highest judicial court.