Paris 'love locks' to be removed from bridges Published duration 29 May 2015

image copyright AP image caption Parisian city officials say they plan to start removing the so-called 'love locks' on Monday

Paris is to remove padlocks symbolically fastened to one of the French capital's main bridges by couples.

Tying a 'love lock' on to the Pont des Arts before throwing the key into the River Seine beneath has become a tourist tradition in recent years.

City officials say all locks will all be removed from Monday as they pose a safety risk.

Close to a million padlocks - weighing 45 tonnes - are expected to be cut off.

The Pont de l'Archeveche, near the Notre Dame cathedral, will also have locks removed from its side.

image copyright AFP/Getty Images image caption See-through panels will replace grilles on the Pont des Arts

image copyright AP image caption Part of the Pont des Arts collapsed last year

Metal grilles on the side of the Pont des Arts, which dates to 1804, will be replaced by paintings over the summer, before transparent panels are put in place later this year.

"We want Paris to remain the capital of love and romance," said Bruno Julliard, Paris' deputy mayor, adding that there would be new initiatives encouraging people to express their love in other ways.

A campaign by the city last year to get people to take selfies instead of attaching locks was not successful.

On Friday, a statement by the city council said the tradition "has led to two big problems: significant damage to our heritage, and a risk to visitors' security".