Ryanair incurs wrath of Sarko the Terrible

The Elysée palace is apparently none too pleased with Ryanair, after the airline yesterday ran an ad in the French press featuring a lovely snap of Sarko and squeeze Carla Bruni.

The offending advert, designed to promote 100,000 cut-price tickets, showed the beaming couple staring up towards the line "Ryanair. For Every Occasion", while the fragrant Bruni enthuses: "With Ryanair, all my family can come to the wedding".

If official reaction to the outrage is anything to go by, Ryanair might be looking at a short walk to Madame Guillotine, because Elysée spokesman David Martinon thundered to AFP: "We're looking at all the legal avenues, because this is unacceptable."

Ryanair, of course, won't give un cuss d'un tinker what Sarkozy thinks of the ad, as long as it's getting the publicity it was looking for. And as for Sarko, we're with the unwashed French masses on this one: if you go galavanting around the world with your trophy chanteuse on your arm, you're going to attract a bit of unwanted attention. ®

And the Paris Hilton angle?

Sadly, as far as we're aware, Sarko has not as yet enjoyed even a single night in Paris with the lovely Paris, although we're sure they're both chomping at the bit to indulge in some light entente cordiale.