Brigitte Bardot fined for racism

The former French film star Brigitte Bardot was convicted today of provoking discrimination and racial hatred by writing that Muslims were destroying France.

The Paris court has fined her £11,500 and ordered her to pay £800 damages to two anti-racist groups.

Bardot's damaging remarks were in a December 2006 letter to Nicolas Sarkozy, then interior minister, and published in a review of the Foundation Brigitte Bardot, which fights for animal welfare.

Bardot said in the letter that France was "tired of being led by the nose by this population that is destroying us, destroying our country by imposing its acts."

She was referring to the Muslim feast of Aid el-Kebir which is celebrated by slaughtering sheep.