The habit of delivering two, three or even four kisses is spreading

The French penchant for kissing has long been viewed with horror by the Celtic people who live along the windswept shorelines of western Brittany. A single peck on the cheek has been more than enough to keep them happy.

However, now Breton purists say the inhabitants of the farthest flung parts of the region are adopting the altogether unnatural habit of delivering two, three or even four kisses. They have launched an internet campaign to return to the old tradition of a solitary smacker.

A debate on the issue is planned at a bookshop in Brest — the one-kiss capital of France — a week on Saturday.

Not only has the row thrown a light on the struggle to maintain regional identities in a country