Police forces were guarding the HDI Arena on Tuesday

Germany's friendly against Netherlands on Tuesday was cancelled after indications of a "concrete terrorist threat", according to the country's interior minister.

The HDI Arena in Hannover, which had been under increased security by armed police, was evacuated at around 6pm with the match scheduled to kick-off at 7.45pm.

Germany were caught up in the attacks on Paris on Friday, with explosions heard outside the Stade de France during their friendly against France as suicide bombers detonated devices.

At a press conference in Hannover, German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said he could not confirm that any explosives had been found at the stadium, and added that no arrests had been made.

De Maiziere said that the decision to call off the match had been made after "an increase in tip-offs in the early evening" from a foreign intelligence source.

"It was an extremely tough decision to cancel the match, which was made after many pieces of information indicated a concrete threat," he said.

German police forces secured the area around the HDI Arena

"We were all looking forward to the game, which was a special gesture of football and this makes it all the more bitter to have to take this decision, which was particularly hard to take, but in the slightest doubt, our priority was to protect people.

"I can understand all the questions relating to what was the background? What could have happened? Why we had to call the game off? What made the decision so clear? I can understand these questions, but please understand that I would not like to give an answer.

"Why? Because some of the answers would unsettle people, and it could make things difficult for us in future in making such decisions, be it in Hannover or elsewhere.

"I would just like to ask the German public to trust us, the Interior Ministry, that we had good reasons to make this decision, but it does not help for us to provide any further details."

Police forces were on patrol inside and outside HDI Arena in Hannover on Tuesday

The German chancellor Angela Merkel and members of the German cabinet were expected to have been among the guests at the match, with more than 40,000 supporters also heading for the stadium.

There were no signs of panic nor distress among supporters as they were urged by stadium announcers, staff and police to leave the ground and its immediate vicinity in a calm manner.

Acting DFB president Reinhard Rauball said: "It's a sad day for Germany and a sad day for German football.

"It's a shame for many football fans who were looking forward to a great game, a game which was to be played under different conditions to usual football games - in the spirit of respect, and as a sign against violence and terrorism.

"For our team, within just four days, to have to go through such a tragic situation twice is not something I could have imagined."

The HDI Arena in Hannover is home to Bundesliga club Hannover 96 and is also known as Niedersachsenstadion.