A British ski instructor has been ordered to serve 200 days in a French prison or pay a 30,000 euro fine for teaching illegally in the Alps.
Simon Butler, 51, one of Britain's top skiers, said he would "serve time behind bars" rather than pay a fine after a French court ruled he has been giving skiing lessons without the right licence.
The row centres over the fact that Butler qualified before the introduction of a controversial rule that all non-French teachers had to pass the 'Eurotest', a timed high-speed slalom run, in order to work in France.
The French authorities introduced the test in 2004, in order to ensure on the best and safest instructors are able to teach. Mr Butler insists his qualifications, which he achieved in 1985, are the equivalent of this test.
Val says Since 2004 this man has flouted the French laws. Why oh why does he think because he is a Brit working in France he does not have to comply with the law. If he is a good skier he should pass the test easily... or is it that his level of French is not good enough or even non existent. He gets us all a bad press.
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