The tradespeople are set to earn £1,400 a week but the recruitment specialist organising the exodus is still struggling to fill vacancies.

The firm is looking for another 400 workers at the moment as the first planeload of 52 British workers touched down in Russia this weekend.

Director of UK recruitment Jonathon Rodgers said: “You would think in the current climate it would be easy to find quality construction staff but despite a number of advertising campaigns we are still short on our first batch.

“Some construction workers are worried about security added to the fact that they will spend long periods away from their families.

“Our first batch was supposed to be 80 but we managed just 52. The security issue is not a problem – I feel safer there than walking down Camden high street on a Saturday night”

”We are looking now for 150 to leave around the middle to the end of May and 250 around the end of August.”