Paris streets are closed off due to bomb alert

Paris : One of the most famous streets in central Paris has been closed off this morning by police investigating a possible car bomb.

The Boulevard de la Madeleine and surrounding roads were cordoned off to all traffic and pedestrians in the French capital after police said they discovered a bomb.

Pictures from the scene appear to show officers focusing their investigation around a black car that is parked in the street.

Officers near the Madeleine Metro station would give no further details.

However, at 11.15am, a controlled explosion was carried out on the Place de la Madeleine in order to blow a hole in the window of a small, Fiat.

Police were then seen examining the car with mirrors and other equipment.

The famous street is one of the four 'grands boulevards' in Paris, which are a chain of roads running across the city from east to west.