Charity refuses cash from Bruni snap

A charity has rejected a £45,000 donation from the sale of a nude photograph of Carla Bruni.

The picture was taken by Michel Comte in 1993 during Bruni's previous career as a supermodel. She became first lady of France after marrying President Nicolas Sarkozy in February.

The snap was sold to a Chinese collector during last week's auction, with profits to be donated to Sodis, a charity providing clean drinking water for undeveloped countries.

However, Swiss medic Dr Beat Richner, who runs children's hospitals in Cambodia, said the gift was "inappropriate because Cambodians disapprove of exploiting female flesh for money".

He also suggested that the donation was a PR exercise on the part of Comte and Christie's auction house in New York.

He said: "It would be seen as an insult. In Cambodia use of nudity is not understood as it is in the West.

"The idea behind this gift was to get publicity for the auction and the photographer. It was using us."