A bitter battle has broken out in the French Alps with locals launching commando raids on shops and equipment owned by a new cut-price ski hire company. Last October, Ski Republic, a new French rental chain, promised a "new dawn for ski lovers" at a glitzy launch in London, in which former Miss England Danielle Lloyd posed in a bikini with the company's skis and boots. But its aggressive marketing tactics and offer of two pairs of skis for the price of one for online bookings received more than just a frosty reception when it opened 23 shops in the...