PARIS, Sept 16 — French police closed off part of the Champs Elysees boulevard in the capital today as bomb disposal officers used a sniffer dog and robot to investigate a suspect vehicle, before determining there was no security threat.

A Reuters photographer said police cordoned off the avenue close to the Arc de Triomphe and that onlookers had been kept 150 metres from the scene.

With its luxury boutiques and terraced cafes, the Champs Elysees is a major draw for tourists and was the site of two attacks on French security forces last year.

A Paris police spokeswoman said the investigation was complete.

In June, 2017, a man rammed a car carrying weapons and explosives into a police van as it drove in a convoy down the boulevard. Two months earlier that year, a gunman shot dead a policeman on the Champs Elysees in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

The streets of the French capital were closed to traffic from 11:00 (0900 GMT) today for a no-car day in the city. — Reuters