Nicolas Sarkozy sorry after son throws tomato at policewoman guarding presidential palace

The youngest son of Nicolas Sarkozy threw a tomato and other objects at a policewoman standing outside France's presidential residence. Louis Sarkozy, 15, and two friends launched the attack on the female officer from the courtyard of the Elysee Palace in Paris - also hitting the officer in the cheek with a marble. She filed an official criminal report, but the case was dropped after the hugely embarrassed President apologised to her in person. There are now accusations that aides close to Mr Sarkozy tried to 'hush up' the scandal because he is currently standing for re-election.

Reports of delinquent behaviour by Mr Sarkozy's own son could certainly not have come at a worse time for the conservative head of state, who prides himself on his tough law-and-order policies. It also raised serious questions about the discipline of the presidential children, who are largely kept out of the public eye by Mr Sarkozy and his third wife, Carla Bruni. The tomato was among a volley of marbles and rolled up pieces of paper which went flying over the palace gates on Thursday, hitting the woman as she walked up and down the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore outside. She filed an official report, which led to a high-level enquiry, including a meeting between Paris police chiefs and officers of the Republican Guard, who are directly responsible for the safety of the presidential family.



The director of the Paris prefecture is also said to have become involved, with a Paris police source saying: 'A criminal complaint was considered, but the police woman was finally persuaded to drop it. In the end she made do with an apology from the President, after being told that Louis and his friends frequently played in the courtyard of the Elysee. However, the fact that there is an election campaign in progress clearly played a significant role in the complaint not proceeding. It may well have been hushed up to save Mr Sarkozy embarrassment. These were not childish pranks - Louis is 15-years-old.'

Louis is the son of Mr Sarkozy's second wife, Cecilia Attias, whom he divorced within a few months of becoming president in 2007. Mrs Attias now lives full time in New York, having remarried, but Louis frequently travels to Paris to see his father. Mr Sarkozy has two older sons, Pierre and Jean. Mr Sarkozy had a baby, Giulia, with Carla Bruni, in November, but she refuses to allow the child to be seen in public, and tends to keep her at a town house well away from the Elysee. Carla also has a son, Aurelien, 11, from a previous relationship, and he too is kept well away from the public eye.