Paris on alert after terror attack
The Champs Elysees was sealed off last night after a policeman was shot dead and two other officers were wounded.
The whole of the famous Paris boulevard and the surrounding area was evacuated and extra police and military were drafted in to the city centre.
Gunshots were heard at around 9pm last night near the Marks & Spencer store on the famous tourist street, causing a panic among tourists and shoppers.
A female foreign tourist was also injured in the shooting. It believed she was hurt by fragments from the gunshots.
Security remains high in the city, which has been the target of several terror attacks since the start of this year.
It had already been stepped up in light of the French presidential elections due to take place on Sunday.
Several candidates have ended their campaigns early as a mark of respect.
EasyJet is inviting concerned passengers booked on flights to Paris to contact its call centre.
"Our schedule to and from Paris is operating as normal today. Following the incident in central Paris our thoughts are with the people of Paris at this difficult time," it said.
"Any customers due to travel to or from Paris who feel this will change their travel plans today, please call us so we can help."
According to reports, the suspected attacker was killed by security forces as he fled the scene.
The 39-year-old had been on the police terror radar as a potential Islamist radical.
Another suspect, identified by Belgian security services, has reportedly handed himself into to Belgian police today.
In February, a man armed with a machete in each hand was wounded after attacking soldiers on patrol at the city’s Louvre Museum.
In March a 39-year-old man was killed at Orly airport after attacking a soldier.
On Friday 13 November 2015, gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people and injured hundreds more when they targeted a concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars in the French capital.
France has been in a state of emergency since the 2015 attack.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026