Bardot fined for inciting racial hatred

Brigitte Bardot has been fined £11,662 after being convicted of inciting racial hatred.

The French actress-turned-animal rights activist was also ordered to pay £800 damages to two anti-racism groups during the hearing at a Paris court.

She was accused of publicly criticising Muslim religious festival Eid al-Adha, during which sheep are slaughtered as a sacrifice, as well as other Islam traditions.

The 73-year-old made the remarks in an open letter to French president Nicolas Sarkozy in December 2006.

She wrote: "I am fed up with being under the thumb of this [Muslim] population which is destroying us, destroying our country and imposing its acts."

Bardot, who has been fined on similar charges four times since 1997, faced a possible two-month suspended jail sentence.

Her lawyer Francois-Xavier Kelidjian told French newspaper Le Monde that she is unlikely to appeal because she is "tired of this type of proceedings".

He added: "She has the impression that people want to silence her. She will not be silenced in her defence of animal rights."