Armed police end Paris bank siege

Police surrounded the scene and opened negotiations

A bank hold-up that turned into a hostage crisis has been ended by French police, who entered the building with guns drawn and arrested two men.

Six hostages were taken at a Credit Lyonnais bank branch in Rungis, south of Paris.

Three hostages were released by the bank raiders as the crisis unfolded, while police ringed the building and hostage negotiators arrived.

The other three were freed by police when they stormed the bank.

An employee who escaped as the robbers entered the bank at about 1000 local time (0800 GMT) raised the alarm.

Conflicting reports emerged of the number of people trapped inside, but eventually police said there were six hostages and two raiders.

Three women were released after about two hours.

Three others - two bank employees and one customer - remained inside the bank until they were freed by police at about 1330.

Officers left the bank, leading two suspects whose heads were covered by jackets.

The bank is one of about 20 grouped together in an area known as "the money wall" by employees in Rungis, which is France's biggest wholesale food market, and claims to be the largest in the world.

The stand-off took place at the foot of a tower block that houses the administrative offices of the Rungis market.