"Welcome to the poorest town in France", calls out a schoolgirl, one of the 21,000 inhabitants of the former mining and steelworks hotbed, Denain. It has become an impoverished battleground in the presidential election, in which a third of the country's population are undecided voters. "We are going through a crisis, an economic crisis, which is very complicated" says Othman Iquioussen, a fourth generation French Imam in the 15% Muslim town. He accuses the newly popular National Front of inventing a "Muslim problem" narrative for votes. One in three of Denain's adults are unemployed, with a life expectancy under 58. Hard times have made the allure of the far-right stronger than ever in this traditionally left wing town. "Socialism is dying!" says local National Front hopeful Regine Andris.

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