Eiffel Tower evacuated as man seen climbing structure hours before closing ceremony

The closing ceremony is in five hours time

The Eiffel Tower was evacuated hours before the Olympic closing ceremony after a man was seen climbing up the Parisian landmark.

The shirtless man was spotted scaling the 330m tower on Sunday afternoon prompting an evacuation of the area.

Footage of the incident began circulating on social media as the man appeared just above the Olympic rings, slightly higher than the first viewing deck although it is unclear where the man started his ascent.

The police swiftly evacuated the base of the tower as a precaution as they detained the man before he could climb any further as shocked tourists watched from afar.

A number of visitors were reportedly locked on the second floor of the structure whilst the incident unfolded but were allowed to exit around 30 minutes later.

The closing ceremony is scheduled for 9pm which is 8pm BST, with 30,000 police officers deployed around the French capital to ensure the smooth running of the final day of the games.

The Eiffel Tower is not thought to play a part in the closing ceremony as the Stade de France will play host to the show which will see the baton passed to America who host the 2028 games.

More to follow.