Man seen climbing Eiffel Tower hours before Olympics closing ceremony

French authorities evacuated the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the Paris landmark hours before the Olympics closing ceremony (Robert F Bukaty/AP)

French authorities evacuated the Eiffel Tower after a man was seen climbing the Paris landmark hours before the Olympics closing ceremony.

The shirtless man was seen scaling the 1,083ft (330m) tower on Sunday afternoon.

It was unclear where he began his ascent, but he was spotted just above the Olympic rings adorning the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck.

Tourists take pictures of the Eiffel Tower from a residential street in Paris (David Goldman/AP)

The closing ceremony is set to begin at the Stade de France in the Saint-Denis area, well away from the Tower, at around 9pm.

More than 30,000 police officers have been deployed around Paris and beyond to watch over the last Olympic events and Sunday’s closing ceremony.

France’s interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, said about 3,000 police officers will be mobilised around the Stade de France, and 20,000 police troops and other security personnel in Paris and the Saint-Denis area will be mobilised late into Sunday night to ensure safety on the last day of the Games.