THE Eiffel Tower was closed after a man was seen climbing at 900ft up the Paris landmark.

Terrifying pictures show the climber close to the observation deck near the top of the monument.

8 The man is seen climbing the tower as two rescue workers above try to reach him Credit: AP:Associated Press

8 The tower was evacuated as rescuers swooped to arrest the man Credit: Reuters

8 The climber clings to the tower at 900ft after scaling the famous landmark Credit: AP:Associated Press

8 Picture shows the man scaling the outside of the Eiffel Tower Credit: @PaigeMcSorley

8 Pictures posted on social media suggest the man climbed about 900 ft up the structure Credit: @PaigeMcSorley

8 Firefighters arrive at the scene Credit: AP:Associated Press

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was arrested as rescuers with safety ropes swooped.

Pictures posted on social media suggested the climber had reached 900ft up the tourist attraction, which has just celebrated its 130th anniversary.

Security agents spotted the man climbing up from the second floor in the early afternoon, triggering an operation to evacuate the 2,500 visitors on the monument.

The man eventually stopped his climb just below the third level, which is the highest level of the 1,063ft tower, and stayed there.

His motives remained unclear, and authorities refused to give details about his identity.

Members of a special firefighter climbing unit and police negotiators eventually persuaded the man to surrender, a Paris police official said

A spokesman for the tower said: "A man in his 40s has been arrested after climbing up the Tower."

He confirmed that the structure had been "closed until further notice" so that it could be secured against other potential security breaches.

A spokeswoman for the attraction later told Reuters: "The man entered the tower normally and started to climb once he was on the second floor."

A man in his 40s has been arrested after climbing up the Tower Eiffel Tower spokesman

Police spent some half-an-hour negotiating with the unidentified man, who was considered to be in "a very dangerous position".

A Paris police spokeswoman said a team of firefighters, including a climbing specialist, remain at the scene.

The official Eiffel Tower Twitter account said: "The tourEiffel is currently closed until further notice.

"To avoid too long a wait, we advise our visitors to postpone their visit."

The building was cordoned off amid the incident but managers said the tower would reopen on Tuesday morning as usual, and promised to reimburse people with reserved tickets whose visits were thwarted.

It's not the first time someone has attempted to climb up the tourist attraction.

In 2015, British "freerunner" James Kingston climbed the edifice without safety ropes and without permission, dodging security cameras as he went.

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The so-called ‘Iron Lady’ welcomes more than six million visitors a year, but has been hit by repeated strikes by its 300-strong staff in recent years over issues ranging from pick-pocketing to maintenance work.

It has also been beset with multiple security issues and last last year perimeter defences were placed around the monument to protect against terror threats.

8 The unnamed man was spotted at the platform close to the top of the tower Credit: Reuters

8 The Paris landmark where the climber was seen beneath two iron columns Credit: Getty Images - Getty

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