Parents' fury as Sarkozy son favouritism

London's leading French private school was accused of cronyism today after French president Nicolas Sarkozy's son was granted a place despite it being hugely over-subscribed.

Louis Sarkozy, 10, won a place at the Lycée Francais Charles de Gaulle at very short notice and despite fierce competition, according to today's Independent.

His mother Cecilia is said to be moving to London with her only son following the break up of their marriage. The Sarkozys were divorced in October.

The Lycée, which is owned by the French government, charges around £1,900 a term but places are in short supply.

It is claimed that London's sizeable French community has been angered by the apparent use of the family name and position to ensure Louis was given entry to the school, based close to the Natural History Museum and next door to the French consulate general.

The Lycée is considered one of the best private schools in London with one in eight students placed there coming from British families who want their children to benefit from a bilingual education.

Madonna sends her daughter Lourdes there while ex-pupils include broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth and the actresses Joely and Natasha Richardson.

The school was at the centre of a nepotism row earlier this year when a popular teacher was replaced by the deputy head teacher's wife. More than 400 pupils staged a protest outside the school gates.

Demand for places at the school, which takes 3,300 boys and girls of primary and secondary school age, is intense. The French government signed a deal with Hammersmith and Fulham council two months ago on behalf of children from London's burgeoning French-speaking community as increasing numbers are unable to secure a place.

A school in Fulham, the Hurlingham and Chelsea comprehensive, is to be converted into a bilingual school, where British children would be educated free while children of French ex-patriates will pay fees.

The Lycée, whose main site is in south Kensington, also has primary school sites in Ealing and Clapham.

Meanwhile Mr Sarkozy has been linked with supermodel turned singer Carla Bruni. He visited Disneyland Paris with Miss Bruni this weekend, according to the respected weekly L'Express. Three magazines will run images of the pair in this week's editions, L'Express said.

The president's office would not comment on the status of the two.

But the daily Le Figaro, seen as close to the conservative president, is running a front-page image of the Italian-French Bruni on Monday over the headline "Carla Bruni: The President's Girlfriend".

The two visited Disneyland on Saturday, when the park was thronged with visitors, L'Express reported. Photographers were on hand and openly snapped the pair, who seemed at ease with the attention.

Sarkozy basked in the media spotlight in his long race to the presidency. He bristled, however, at intense media attention to the end of his tempestuous marriage to Cecilia, a former model.