French crime writer dead

One of France's best-known authors Frederic Dard, creator of the humorous fictional detective, San Antonio, has died at the age of 78 at his home in Switzerland.

There were more than a hundred books featuring the truculent San Antonio and his wine-drinking, Gauloise-smoking assistant Berurier, and more than two hundred million copies were sold.

The author described them simply as station bookshop thrillers but, in a tribute, President Chirac said the death of Frederic Dard was the loss of a long time travelling companion.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service