New Year violence in Strasbourg

An explosion at a village hall in the French town of Barr, near Strasbourg, is reported to have left at least nine people injured.

The cause of the blast, which occurred in the early hours of the morning, was not immediately known.

However, local fire brigade chief Pierre Koenig said it was apparently caused by a bomb placed outside the village hall where about 150 people were celebrating the New Year.

Reports say that earlier in the evening, another explosion destroyed an electrical transformer in the local sports stadium.

Elsewhere in the Strasbourg area, about 40 vehicles were set alight and three police officers injured by gunshots.

Correspondents say there has been trouble during New Year celebrations in Strasbourg for several years.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service