Up to 10 tonnes of ‘love locks’ recently removed from bridges in the French capital will be sold, raising up to €100,000 (£85,080) for refugee groups

Since opting 18 months ago to clamp down on the trend of lovers attaching symbolic padlocks to the city’s bridges, Paris has been left with 65 tonnes of scrap metal.

Bruno Julliard, the city’s first deputy mayor, has announced that around 10 tonnes of the locks will be sold to members of the public and the proceeds sent to refugee groups.

Julliard told the Guardian: “Members of the public can buy five or 10 locks, or even clusters of them, all at an affordable price. All of the proceeds will be given to those who work in support and in solidarity of the refugees in Paris.”

He hoped the sale, which is likely to take place in 2017, could raise up to €100,000, while the remaining locks will be melted down and sold as scrap.

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