Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy, angered by protest incidents in the past, is now paying visits to local communities with protection provided by hundreds of police and gendarmes, officials confirmed Thursday.

A visit to the Loire valley town of Daumeray with a population of 1,600, took place with 700 police providing security, the gendarme office in Angers said.

Sarkozy visited a farm there, where he made remarks about modernisation taking place in French agriculture.

The French president has lately expressed his frustration at demonstrations staged during visits to the provinces.

For example, in Saint-Lo in northern France a demonstrator hurled his shoes at Sarkozy, an incident for which he punished two high- ranking province officials by having them transferred elsewhere. (dpa)