Filthy liar! German TV reporter is fired after being caught smearing herself in mud before filming report saying she helped the clear-up efforts in flood-devastated town 

• Susanna Ohlen, 39, was caught smearing herself with mud in Bad Munstereifel
• She reportedly pretended to lend a hand with the clean up effort before filming
• Central Europe was hit by severe flooding which left 196 dead earlier this month

A German TV reporter was fired after she was caught smearing herself in mud before filming a report in a flood devastated town this week. 

Susanna Ohlen, 39, muddied herself to pretend she had lent a hand with the clean up effort in Bad Munstereifel following heavy flooding that claimed at least 128 lives in Germany.  

RTL.de had published an article titled 'Cleaning up after the flood: RTL presenter lends a hand in  Bad Munstereifel', which featured Ohlen.   

She was caught out after an onlooker posted the incriminating video online on Thursday. 

The channel said: 'Our reporter's approach clearly contradicts journalistic principles and our own standards. We therefore gave her a leave of absence on Monday after we heard about it.' 

Footage appears to show Ohlen in a blue shirt, hat, and boots, bend down, pick up some mud, and smear it on her clothes while surrounded by flood damaged houses and debris. 

She then bends down a second time, this time wiping the mud on her face. 

The onlooker can be heard laughing in the background as she then turns back to face her camera crew.  

Ohlen had worked at RTL since 2008 and presented Good Evening RTL, Good Morning Germany, and Point 12, among others. 

It comes after Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and France were hit by days heavy rainfall and fooding last week. 

The floods have now claimed at least 196 lives across worst-hit Germany and Belgium and are expected to leave billions of euros worth of damages.  

In the Ahrweiler area of western Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state, the number of recorded deaths has surpassed 110 and police fear that figure may still rise. 

In neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, 46 people were confirmed dead, including four firefighters, while Belgium has confirmed 31 casualties. 

Desperate relatives released images of missing loved ones over the weekend as floodwaters receded and the hope of finding survivors faded.   

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Belgian King Phillippe and Queen Mathilde have all visited the disaster zone.