France’s last newspaper hawker is to be awarded one of the country’s highest honours by Emmanuel Macron.

Ali Akbar will be decorated in September with the National Order of Merit by the French president, who was once a former customer.

Mr Akbar has sold newspapers in the tiny Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood of Paris , historically an intellectual and artistic hub , for over 50 years.

“When he [Macron] was a student at Sciences Po, he used to offer me coffee or a glass of red wine,” Mr Akbar told lifestyle magazine Beau. “But now that he’s president, I see less of him.”

The order of merit medal recognises those who have rendered “distinguished service” in either military or civilian life, for a minimum of 10 years of activity.

Mr Akbar, 73, is the last of a dying breed. When h

See Full Page