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Did you know French police can check your home when you are away?
Here is how to sign up for the service, as well as a special check for elderly people. Plus, advice on how to avoid ‘fake police’ scams
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MAP: Which areas of Paris have had the biggest property price drops?
Drops of around 10% (up to €1,100 less per m2 in real terms) have been seen in several arrondissements. Only one has not seen a significant drop
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Eight scams doing the rounds this summer in France
Summer travel means one thing: More scammers, especially on the roads and at transport hubs. Here are tips to avoid falling victim
Court rules on radar 'finger' case
Prosecutors had called for driver who made gesture to face prison term
It is not possible to offend a machine, a court has ruled after prosecutors recommended a motorist who gave two speed cameras ‘the finger’ face a prison term of up to four months.
As reported in March, prosecutors in Roanne, Loire, had recommended the jail term for ‘insulting behaviour to a public servant’ as camera centre staff in Rennes must by law view the photos to determine if speeding charges could be laid.
The 46-year-old driver, from Regny, Loire, had admitted speeding and giving a ‘doigt d’honneur’ to two automatic speed cameras at Saint-Forgeux-Lespinasse, Loire, and then Bessay-sur-Allier, Allier in May 2015.
Handing down its ruling this month, the court agreed with the defendant's lawyer, who had argued that "contempt of a machine does not exist in law".
But the defendant did not get away scot-free. He was fined €800, of which €600 was suspended, for trying to obscure his number plate, and also sentenced to several months in prison for a drink-driving offence committed in 2017.
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