French right pushes for national tribute to film star Brigitte Bardot

A petition for a national homage to Brigitte Bardot - who died on Sunday - attracts more than 23,000 signatures.

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"France has a duty to honour its Marianne," said Ciotti, referring to the emblem of French liberty whose face Bardot was chosen to represent in the 1960s.

Bardot died on Sunday aged 91. A petition launched by Ciotti since has attracted more than 23,000 signatures, and has the backing of some allies on the far right.

But Socialist leader Olivier Faure has pointed out that national homages are for "exceptional services to the nation". Bardot was an iconic actress but she also "turned her back on republican values", Faure argued.

Bardot has been hailed by President Emmanuel Macron as a "legend of the century" who embodied a life of freedom, and Ciotti, who leads the right-wing UDR party, has appealed to him to organise a national send-off.