Macron lashes out at 'stupid slap' and vows to keep mingling with crowds on campaign trail

French leader describes incident as an 'isolated event'

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will continue to meet crowds despite a security scare that saw him slapped by a man in the south of France.

Mr Macron described the incident as an "isolated event" and "stupidity" as he greeted supporters and locals at the town of Valence on Wednesday.

"I always seek out contact, within shouting distance, as I say. I want it," he said after the event.

A man, 28, identified by French media as Damien T, was arrested over the incident which took place in Tain l'Hermitage on Tuesday.

He is expected to be charged with assaulting a public figure, an offence that carries a maximum three-year prison term.

French media raked over his social media activity looking for clues to his political sympathies and discovered he subscribes to several far-right YouTube channels. He was described as a fan of medieval martial arts and board games.

Popular evening talk show Quotidien aired footage of one of its journalists meeting Damien T and friends earlier on Tuesday.

In the recording, one of the friends said he identified with the anarchist movement and that they had come to speak to Mr Macron about the "decline of France".

The slap led to a debate about whether it was safe for Mr Macron to continue spontaneous meetings with the public.

A French court sentenced Damien Tarel to jail for slapping French President Emmanuel Macron in the face. Reuters

The centrist began a nationwide tour of France last week, promising to "take the pulse" of the country a fortnight before regional elections and 10 months before a presidential vote.

In an interview with a local newspaper, Mr Macron, 43, said he was unafraid and would continue to meet people in this way.

"I am doing fine. We must put this incident, which I think is an isolated event, into perspective," he said.

He is widely expected to seek a second term in April and May next year, with polls giving him a narrow lead over far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

The former investment banker decided to get out of his car to greet onlookers on Tuesday who were calling his name after a visit to a school.

He strode over to a barrier with his security behind him before greeting Damien T, who grabbed him with his left hand and struck with his right.

Experts highlighted how French security services advise French presidents on their safety, but do not have authority or powers to prevent them from putting themselves in danger.

Macron has been regularly booed and heckled in the street since coming to power in 2017, above all by anti-government "yellow vest" protesters, but he had never been physically assaulted before.