Chanel is making a stink over a possible high-speed train line through French jasmine fields in Provence, warning it could threaten production of its famous Chanel No 5 perfume.

The SNCF rail authority wants to build a new line to relieve congestion along the French Riviera, and one option would go through fields near the town of Pegomas, where local growers cultivate jasmine and rose used in Chanel No 5, according to a letter from the luxury house.

The letter said: "The construction of a viaduct and the regular passage of high-speed trains above the flower fields would force Chanel to stop supporting its artisanal activities in the region."

It is lobbying authorities to support an alternative route.

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