Paris mayor wants Olympic rings to stay on Eiffel Tower

The French capital Paris has played host to two of the biggest sporting events this summer, the Olympics and the Paralympic Games - which are currently underway.

However, what happens to the city's most famous landmark afterwards, is causing a bit of argument.

The Eiffel Tower is still decorated with the Olympic rings, which were mounted on the side of iconic monument to celebrate the games held between July and August.

But a big row has broken out whether the rings should stay, or be taken down once the Paralympics are over.

What's happened?

The Olympic rings can be seen from across the city

The five rings weigh 30 tonnes and are 29 metres wide and 15 metres high.

They were installed on the Eiffel Tower before the Paris Olympics began in July, and were expected to be taken down after the Paralympics' closing ceremony this weekend.

However, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced over the weekend that the Olympic rings would be replaced with lighter models and will stay on the Eiffel Tower after the summer Games are over.

Speaking to the Ouest-France newspaper, she said: "The decision is up to me, and I have the agreement of the IOC [International Olympic Committee]."

She explained that she wanted "this festive spirit to remain" after claiming that "the French have fallen in love with Paris again."

However, her decision has caused a huge debate in the country.

While some support her plans, others - including heritage campaigners - said it was a bad idea and would spoil the French capital's iconic monument.

The descendants of the designer of the Eiffel Tower - Gustav Eiffel - criticised the announcement.

They argue that it isn't appropriate to have the symbol of an outside organisation permanently displayed on the Paris landmark and said that she should have discussed the idea with Parisians.

The Eiffel Tower took two years to build and was unveiled in 1889 in the French capital.

It's one of the world's most popular tourist attractions with around seven million visitors each year.

The Olympic rings of blue, yellow, black, green and red, symbolise the world's five continents.

Meanwhile, the Paralympics uses a different symbol, three crescents, coloured red, blue, and green.