Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has described the prison where he spent 20 days as a noisy, harsh “all-grey” world of violence in a new book.

In Diary Of A Prisoner, the 70-year-old says his own tough-on-crime stance has taken on a new perspective as he recounts the uncommon turn in his life after being found guilty of criminal association in financing his winning 2007 campaign with funds from Libya.

A court sentenced him in September to five years in prison, a ruling he appealed against. He was granted release under judicial supervision after 20 days behind bars.

The book provides a rare look inside Paris’ La Sante prison, where Mr Sarkozy was held in solitary confinement and kept strictly away from other inmates for security reasons.

His loneliness was broken only by regular

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