Three people were shot dead in southern France last night as a man claiming to belong to al-Qaeda went on the rampage near a popular Mediterranean beach.

Two of the victims, both men, were killed as they did DIY work outside their homes in Istres, near Marseilles. A third man was shot in his car. Another person was injured as the killer fired at passing vehicles.

The gunman, aged about 20, was arrested within minutes near Romaniquette beach. Police said he was known to them as a petty offender and appeared to be mentally unstable. It will fuel fears of an upsurge in violence following calls by Islamist extremists to target France.

President Hollande, who was on a state visit to China, expressed “strong emotion”