Eiffel Tower evacuated after threat claim Published duration 30 March 2013

media caption A security perimeter was set up around the famous Paris landmark

The Eiffel Tower in Paris has been evacuated after an anonymous phone-call threatening an attack.

An estimated 1,400 people were visiting the site when France's anti-terrorism police made the decision to clear it.

A security perimeter was set up around the world-famous monument and police said a search could take several hours, local media reported.

The tower has been threatened several times in recent years. In 2011, 4,000 people were cleared from it.

L'Express news website said that tourists and staff were told to come down from the tower at around 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Security guards were also ordered to leave, a decision described as unusual.

Police then searched the area with sniffer dogs for possible explosives.