Euro 2016: French riot police fire tear gas at supporters as fans told not to travel to Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees

Police armed with batons attempted to disperse the crowds beneath the Eiffel Tower

French riot police have allegedly fired tear gas at crowds attempting to force entry into the Paris fan zone at the Eiffel Tower during the Euro 2016 final.

Plumes of smoke scarred the night sky in the French capital as litter was set ablaze by the large crowd who were reportedly denied entry into the official Uefa fans’ venue during the match.

Police armed with batons attempted to disperse the crowds beneath the city’s most iconic tourist attraction as fans watched the match between France and Portugal on big screens.

Groups with their faces obscured by scarves and French flags threw bottles at the police as they strived to prevent the ugly scenes from spilling into the park. The fan zone has a capacity of 90,000.

Tonight’s incident is just the latest security risk which the French authorities have faced during a fraught month. England and Russia fans clashed in Marseille during the opening week of the tournament as the violence then moved to Lille the following week.

This afternoon, as the French national team left the Equipede Hotel for the Stade de France, a controlled explosion was carried out on a suspect package left unaccompanied outside the complex. The violence at the Eiffel Tower appeared to have been controlled by the time the second half of the match in Saint Denis had got underway.

French police fire tear gas at crowds in Paris

(Getty)

(Getty)

(Getty)

(Getty)

French police confirmed after Portugal beat France that fans were being advised not to travel to the Eiffel Tower of Champs Elysees because the situation "is not safe", with incidents of fighting between rival fans reported by local media.