French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has defended his controversial anti-crime bill, which forms a key part of the centre-right government's drive to tighten law and order.

The government knows that it has massive support from the French Nicolas Sarkozy

Addressing the lower chamber of parliament during a debate on the draft law, Mr Sarkozy said the government was "engaged in a relentless fight" and had massive public support.

The proposal 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, and DNA records of suspects would be expanded to cover a large number of non-sexual offences.

The bill has been criticised by human rights groups and trade unions, who say it is repressive and targeting the poor.

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.

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.

2002 STATISTICS

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

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 government knows that it has massive support from the French," Mr Sarkozy said to the whistles and jeering from opposition lawmakers.

"The government is engaged in a relentless, determined fight, every inch of the way against crime, and there is no other possible way to obtain results."

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

Under the bill, prostitutes face fines and imprisonment

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.

Correspondents say that by cracking down on crime, the government wants to undermine support for the far right.

They say it particularly targets the National Front, whose leader Jean-Marie Le Pen came second in last year's presidential poll by capitalising on public fears about crime and immigration.

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.