French air force chief 'borrowed fighter jets to fly home at weekends'

The acting chief of the French air force has come under fire for allegedly using fighter jets to fly home on weekends .

Gen Richard Reboul is under investigation after French newspaper Canard Enchainé alleged he borrowed an air force Alphajet training aircraft so he can travel the 600km (373 mile) journey from his training academy base in Bordeaux to his country home near Salon-de-Provence.

The newspaper alleged the general has made the one-hour round trip in the jet around 10 times since last August.

The journey would take an estimated six hours in a car, or seven hours via train.

Reboul is also accused of taking a six-seater TBM-400 transport plane, complete with pilot and co-pilot, for the same trip just a matter of days prior to the investigation being launch (28 June).

Announcing the internal inquiry, the defence ministry in Paris said in a statement: "Information about an abusive use of air force assets by a senior military official has been handed to the minister of defence."

New defence minister Florence Parly said she hopes to "draw the necessary conclusions, including those of a disciplinary nature" as part of the investigation into the allegations surrounding Reboul.