Video | Sarkozy attacked during walk-about in Brax

The 55-year-old President was grabbed by a 43-year-old man as he visited the town of Brax, near Toulouse, in the Lot-et-Garonne department.

'President Sarkozy was shaking hands with people across a crash barrier when he was attacked,' said an onlooker.

An Elysee Palace source in Paris confirmed that the attacker had been restrained by four members of the presidential security and protection service.

He said the unnamed attacker, who is French and a local man, was now in custody in nearby Agen.

'He was taken away very quickly, allowing President Sarkozy to continue with his walk-about,' said the Elysee source.

The man faces up to three years in prison and a £40,000 fine if found guilty of assaulting a public figure, said a judicial source in Paris.

Sarkozy's aggressive manner has led to frequent unpleasant incidents while on walk-about.

In 2008 he was involved in a crude slanging match with a member of the public at a farm show in Paris, telling him: 'Get lost, you poor cretin'.

Earlier in his presidency,  Sarkozy threatened to have a fight with a fisherman who had been baiting him about his high salary.

Sarkozy has also frequently had projectiles including coins and stones thrown at him during trips to high-rise housing estates around major cities.

He also caused widespread anger as Interior Minister by describing a gang of his young tormentors as 'scum'.

Death threats including bullets have also been received for Mr Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace.

Despite all this, today is the first time anybody is thought to have got close enough to physically attack the President.

Earlier this year it emerged that  Sarkozy was starting to use a €6,000 bullet-proof umbrella to protect him from attackers.

It followed opinion polls which portrayed him as the most unpopular head of state in recent Gallic history.

The umbrella is carried by security guards who have to be taller than t