THE DIARY has to admit that the subject line on the email made it stand out from all the others which wing their way in to The Press offices every hour: "From the most attractive woman of Russia."

After glancing at the accompanying attached picture of Alena we have to say: Who are we to argue? But what on earth was it all about? It started with "My name is Alena. I am from Russia. I am 30 years."

So far, so good. But then it starts to get a bit more complicated, thanks to a serious case of lost in translation'.

Alena says she wishes "to explain where I have taken your e-mail address," saying her girlfriend has "got acquainted with the man by means of one site That the man has told, that there is a man which wants too will get acquainted with the Russian woman and has given my girlfriend your e-mail address".

But she says the man has asked her not to speak his name or say where he lives. "Therefore I shall not tell to you a name of that of the man." Well, fair enough. But now we come to the crunch "I always wanted will get acquainted with foreign the man because I was disappointment to Russian men. Hope we can construct serious attitudes. I search for love."

She says she works as a nurse in a city hospital, loves sports and plays volleyball, likes to walk with girlfriends, and loves animals. "I had a cat, but in one day it has left on street and has not returned."

Despite this blow, Alena remains "very sociable, cheerful" and has a lot of friends and "familiar".

She says she likes to spend time on the lake in the summer, to bathe, sunbathe and simply to have a rest, and her favourite season is spring.

She says - now keep calm boys - that at this time, as it becomes warm, "it is possible to take off superfluous clothes".

Meanwhile, at weekends, she goes with girlfriends to a disco where they speak about problems.

"I wanted to get acquainted here, but on disco only young men, and I want to get acquainted with more skilled man in internet. I hope my letter does not remain without attention and you can answer me."

She leaves an email address and asks us to contact her if she has interested us. Suspecting that this might be a scam, or might end up infecting our computer with a possibly terminal virus, and that the Russian mafia might be behind Alena, we have resisted the temptation.