The authorities of a town in southern France controlled by the far right National Front Party, have announced plans to give parents of newborn children a special allowance, but only if one parent at least is French or European. Details were given by one of the deputy leaders of the National Front, whose wife is mayor of the town. The plans have been attacked as racist. The BBC's Stephen Jessel reports from Paris.

Vitrolles is one of four local authorities in southern France controlled by the extreme right-wing National Front, which campaigns on an overtly anti-immigrant platform. Its mayor, Catherine Megret, the wife of Bruno Megret, was one of the two chief lieutenants of the leader of the Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Mr Megret was disqualified from holding office, but is effectively the mayor, and it was he who announced the plan for Vitrolles, to award 5000 francs (about $800) to the parents of all newborn babies, provided at least one parent is French or European. The plan is justified as being in line with the Front's declared policies of giving preference to French nationals, and encouraging French families to have more children, and it would cost the town 1m francs ($165,000) a year.

Vitrolles, like many towns in the south, has a large immigrant population, principally made up of North Africans who would be excluded from the allowance. The mayor's office insist that the measure is constitutional, but a similar scheme in Paris in 1985, was ruled to be discriminatory.