gunmen broke into a discount clothing store near Paris this morning, trapping 18 people inside before fleeing and prompting a manhunt.

All 18 people were safely evacuated from the Primark store in a shopping centre in the town of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.

The men entered the store around 6.30am in an apparent attempted robbery.

Officers from a special police unit later entered the store, and emerged accompanying store employees.

Paris remains on high alert after Islamic extremist attacks in January which left 20 people dead, including the attackers.