Dior suspends chief designer Galliano pending assault probe

(AFP PHOTO/Francois Guillot)

Fashion house Dior said Friday it had suspended chief designer John Galliano pending the outcome of a police enquiry into allegations he assaulted a couple and used anti-Semitic insults in a Paris bar.

"The House of Dior declares with the greatest firmness its policy of zero tolerance with regard to any anti-Semitic or racist statement or attitude," Dior boss Sidney Toledano said in a statement.

"Pending the outcome of the enquiry, Christian Dior has suspended John Galliano from all duties."

Police briefly detained Galliano on Thursday evening in Paris' fashionable Marais district after he allegedly verbally accosted a couple in a bar. Galliano's lawyer has strongly denied accusations of anti-Semitism.