The Eiffel Tower was evacuated by police following a bomb alert at the famous Paris landmark.

The 324-metre-high (1,062-foot) iron tower was cleared around 2pm local time and was kept closed to tourists for two hours.

French media reported that the alert was triggered after an anonymous call was received, indicating the presence of a suspicious package.

It re-opened at 4.30pm local time after police had carried out a search.

Built in 1889 and one of the world's most recognisable monuments, the Eiffel Tower sees some 7 million visitors each year and up to 30,000 a day in the peak summer season.

It is regularly subject to bomb scares but these threats are usually quickly found to be hoaxes and only cause full evacuations a couple of times a year.