Police in Paris have arrested a man brandishing a knife who tried to breach security at the Eiffel Tower.

The monument was briefly evacuated but no one was hurt in the incident, which occurred shortly before closing time on Saturday night. The tower reopened as usual on Sunday morning.

Paris police said the man tried to force his way past security forces to go beneath the tower but was quickly subdued. His identity was not released and his motives are unclear.

Monuments in the French capital have occasionally been evacuated for security reasons, as the country remains on alert after deadly attacks since 2015.