The police can hold you in custody for 24 hours, although you’re entitled to see a lawyer within three hours of arrest. After 24 hours they need the authority of a magistrate. If the offence under investigation involves state security (which may include their precious Tour), two further 48-hour extensions can be granted, making a total of five days. If you’re accused of a serious offence, such as possession of, or trafficking drugs, it may be difficult to obtain bail. A Council of Europe commission recently stated that suspects in France ran a ‘not inconsiderable risk’ of being mistreated while in police detention.