French athlete fined for biting

Eunice Barber said she would appeal against the verdict

French former athletics world champion Eunice Barber has been fined 5,000 euros (£4,271) for resisting arrest, insulting and biting a policeman.

Barber described the verdict by a court near Paris as "worse than injustice".

The 34-year-old said she was the victim of police brutality during the run-in with six police officers in 2006, vowing to appeal.

The Sierra Leone-born athlete won heptathlon and long jump world titles for France in 1999 and 2003.

However, she never won an Olympic medal.

'Protecting body'

The incident happened in Paris' suburb of Saint Denis in 2006, after Barber's car was stopped by police for entering a street that was closed for traffic.

During the trial, Barber had said he was then slapped on the face by one of the policemen - a charge denied by the officer.

She said she had bitten the officer to "protect her body", describing it as her "source of work".

The former world champion spent 28 hours in custody after the incident.