Ex-L'Oréal chief tries to shut chip stand
The former head of cosmetics giant L'Oréal, Lindsay Owen-Jones, has asked a court in France to shut down a chip stand near his apartment in the ski resort of Val d'Isère.
Owen-Jones, a British citizen who led L'Oréal from 1988 to 2006, filed a complaint along with three neighbours in October asking a court in nearby Albertville to order the chip stand closed as a neighbourhood nuisance.
The complaint said the stand was a visual, auditory and olfactory nuisance and was violating local planning by-laws. The plaintiffs are also demanding compensation for a decrease in their property values.
"Of course rich people are bothered by having a chip stand in front of their homes, but some of us need to work for a living," said the stand's owner, Valerie Maertens.
"They complain about the noise and the smell of chips, but if you want peace and quiet, you don't buy an apartment at the foot of the slopes," she said.
Contacted by AFP, a lawyer for Owen-Jones refused to comment on the case.
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