Police kill man wielding knife at Paris station

The man is said to have threatened police officers on patrol at the station

French police have shot dead a man wielding a knife who threatened them at Paris's Gare du Nord train station.

The man attacked two police officers on patrol at the station, with a 30cm (12in) knife, police said.

An anti-police inscription was found on the man's knife, reports say. No police officers were injured in the incident, which occurred at about 07:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Monday.

The authorities believe the incident was not terrorism-related.

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"The police used their firearms, thus eliminating all danger, both for themselves and for travellers," Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote in a tweet (in French).

An eyewitness told BFMTV: "I was climbing up the stairs that go up to the Eurostar platform, I heard screams on the right. I saw a man, quite tall, a large knife in his hand with a very impressive blade who threatened two or three policemen who were armed… The police made us go up on the platform, made us lie on the ground."

Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari later told RMC TV the man was known to the police "as someone who wandered around in the station".

"He appears to have attacked the police with a knife, forcing them to use their weapon."

A security perimeter has been set up at the departure level of mainline trains. Several trains were delayed as a result, including international Eurostar trains, BFMTV reports.

An investigation has been opened for attempted homicide, the Paris prosecutor's office is quoted as saying by Le Parisien.

The Gare du Nord station is one of Europe's busiest, serving as a hub for high-speed trains to a number of countries, including Eurostar services to and from London.