A controversial anti-crime bill goes before the lower chamber of the French parliament on Tuesday - a crucial stage in the centre-right government's drive to tighten law and order.

2002 STATISTICS

Crime up 1.28% Murder up 26% Rape up 10% Drug offences up 18% Car theft down 9.5% Armed robbery down 2.2%

The debate comes a day after statistics were published showing a 1.28% rise in crime in 2002, including a 26% rise in the number of murders.

The draft law - written by Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy - aims to introduce jail terms for a range of petty offences such as begging, unauthorised camping by travellers, insulting security guards, or loitering in communal areas.

Prostitutes could also go to prison for wearing provocative clothes.

Popular support

Civil liberties groups have criticised the bill, describing it as tantamount to "waging war on the poor", while prostitutes have protested that it threatens their livelihood.

But correspondents say there is strong popular support for Mr Sarkozy, from left-wing voters as well as the governments core right-wing supporters.

The bill also includes measures to tighten gun laws and curb illegal immigration.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's government came to power in May on a tough anti-crime platform, and made Mr Sarkozy its security czar.

Urban crime drop

Drug offences, rape, burglaries and vandalism all rose in 2002, and the total number of violent acts surpassed the four million mark for the second year in a row.

A record 7.7% rise in crime was recorded in 2001.

Last year eight policemen were killed in the line of duty, and another 2,923 were injured.

At the same time, there was a 9.5% drop in car theft, and a 2.2% drop in armed robbery.

Overall crimes committed in urban areas dropped 1.4%, but were offset by an 8.6% rise in crime in rural areas.