Hundreds of Parisians queued up to give blood today as the city's hospitals struggled to cope in the wake of a wave of terror attacks last nights.

In an incredible show of solidarity, residents formed long lines at the donation centre opposite La Carillon bar and bistro, where 14 diners were shot dead by gunmen in one of six attacks in the French capital.

Emergency staff opened their doors at 8am, with some volunteers donating blood for the first time in an effort to help the seriously injured being treated in hospitals around the city.

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Parisians queued in their hundreds as they waited to give blood in the wake of last night's terror attacks

In an amazing show of solidarity, residents waited to donate as hospitals were overwhelmed with the injured

Staff said they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, less than 12 hours after the massacre

Parisians said they came to donate as they 'needed to help' in the wake of last night's atrocities

Staff said they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, less than 12 hours after the massacre.

The cause of the donation spree was only too obvious to those who spent their day queuing, with people winding around the pavement to avoid the blood-splattered stones beneath their feet.

One donor, 29-year-old William Haddad, who lives 500 metres from the bistro, said: 'There were attacks yesterday, and a lot of people died and were injured. They need help.

'I am in good health, I am in good shape, and so I can give blood. It's the least I can do to help them and probably save lives.

'I've been waiting an hour but I don't mind waiting. I've got all day. They have said it might take a while but I don't care.

'I haven't given blood in about three years so it is a good time to start again.

One worker at a blood bank said it had been 'so important' to have so many volunteers come forward today

'We have to help, to have this sense of belonging. We belong together and we have to be strong. We have to fight with everything we have, with our health and with our blood.'

Carole Bagot, donations organiser at the Etablissement Francais du Sang, said: 'On a normal Saturday we would have maybe 40 people. Today it was more like hundreds.

'We were open from 8am to 3.30pm and we had to turn people away and ask them to go to another centre or come back another day.

'It was so important to have people turning up to donate today.'

Cafe horror: A woman wipes tears from her eyes as she and other survivors help comfort some of the wounded in the aftermath of the attack

A soldier stands by victims in the 10th district of Paris where an AK47 wielding fanatic gunned down 11 people at a Cambodian restaurant

People run after hearing what is believed to be explosions or gun shots near Place de la Republique square in Paris