Paris

François Fillon, France's new minister for education and research, has given in to researchers' demands to restore axed jobs.

Last week he announced the creation of 1,550 tenured posts between now and next January - 550 for researchers, engineers and technicians, and 1,000 for academics who combine teaching and research, and assistant and technical staff.

Alain Trautmann, representative of action group Sauvons la Recherche, said:

"It is a great day for French research - we have obtained everything we asked for as emergency measures."