IN FRANCE, A HUGE POLICE HUNT IS GOING ON FOR MADAME MADELEINE DASSAULT - THE MILLIONAIRE PLANE - MAKER'S WIFE, KIDNAPPED ON FRIDAY NIGHT OUTSIDE HER PARIS HOME. MADAME DASSAULT, WHO IS 65, WAS RETURNING FROM THE OPERA WHEN THREE GUNMEN BUNDLED HER INTO A CAR. THEY KNOCKED HER HUSBAND TO THE GROUND - HE WAS SENT TO HOSPITAL TO RECOVER FROM SHOCK.

THE GET-AWAY CAR - A YELLOW CITROEN - WAS FOUND EMPTY IN NORTH WEST PARIS. ANOTHER MOTORIST HAD CHASED IT AT 80 MILES AN HOUR, BUT IT ELUDED HIM. THE DASSAULT'S CHAUFFEUR, WHO IS 48, WAS ALSO KNOCKED DOWN BY THE KIDNAPPERS, AND INJURED ON THE HEAD.

POLICE ARE TRYING TO DISCOVER WHETHER TWO ANONYMOUS TELEPHONE CALLS TO PARIS NEWSPAPERS WERE MADE BY THE KIDNAPPERS. ONE DEMANDED RANSOM OF 1,000 MILLION OLD FRANCS (GBP700,000) - OR MADAME DASSAULT WOULD BE RETURNED IN PIECES; THE OTHER DEMANDED THE RELEASE OF EX-GENERAL SALAN, SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE AFTER LEADING THE ANTI-GAULLIST SECRET ARMY, OAS.

MONSIEUR DASSAULT, A GAULLIST DEPUTY WAS GIVEN POLICE PROTECTION DURING THE OAS TROUBLES. HIS FIRM MAKE THE MIRAGE AND MYSTERE AIRCRAFT THAT HAVE PUT FRANCE'S AIRFORCE IN THE FORE.

A ROUND-THE-CLOCK WATCH AT ROADBLOCKS SET UP BY THE POLICE IS BEING MAINTAINED ON MAIN ROADS OUT OF PARIS, WHERE MADAME DASSAULT IS STILL BELIEVED HELD. BUT SPECIAL WATCH WAS ALSO GOING ON AT AIRPORTS AND FRONTIER POSTS AS A PRECAUTION.

REPORTERS SEEKING FOR NEWS THROUGHOUT THE DAY BESEIGED POLICE HEADQUARTERS WHERE INTERIOR MINISTER FREY WAS PERSONALLY IN COMMAND OF FRANCE'S BIGGEST DRAGNET OPERATION FOR KIDNAPPERS SINCE THE PEUGEOT SENSATION IN 1960.