Conservative French presidential candidate Francois Fillon moved a step closer to being charged on Friday night after a financial prosecutor asked an investigative judge to launch a probe into whether his British wife was paid large sums of money for a fictitious job.

The prosecutor had been conducting a preliminary probe into allegations that Penelope Fillon received more than €900,000 (£764,000) for a "fake job" as parliamentary assistant to her husband and his successor over several years.

He has denied any wrongdoing in a case dubbed "Penelopegate".

The affair has seen Mr Fillon, candidate for Right-wing The Republicans, lose ground in opinion polls, with the latest suggesting he stands to be eliminated by Front National candidate Marine Le Pen and independent rival Emmanuel Macron in the first round of the presidential election on April 23.