Paris to break hearts with removal of a million 'love locks'

PARIS: Too much love can be a bad thing: Paris city officials, exasperated with lovers sealing their passion by clipping padlocks all over the city, are set to remove 45 tonnes of the locks next week.

Starry-eyed tourists from all over the world flock to the Pont des Arts bridge spanning the Seine River to attach a lock representing their eternal love, and throw the key into the river.

But the now-iconic bridge is buckling under the weight of such devotion, and authorities are desperate to stop the craze.

Last year police hurriedly ushered tourists off the Pont des Arts when a section of the footbridge collapsed under the weight of the locks covering the 155-metre-(509-foot-)long bridge.

Plastic panels were put up in places to deter lovebirds and authorities launched a drive to get tourists to upload selfies instead of attaching a lock.

But nothing stands in the way of true love, and tourists have kept piling the locks on the bridge and elsewhere.

The Pont de l´Archeveche bridge in front of the Notre Dame cathedral is now as inundated with locks, while stray locks can often be spotted around the city.

Deploring "destruction of heritage" and a security risk for tourists on the overloaded Pont des Arts, Paris officials have decided enough is enough and will remove all locks from Monday.

"We will remove nearly one million padlocks, or 45 tonnes," said city official Bruno Julliard, criticising the "ugliness" of the locks on some of Paris´s most beautiful bridges.

The metal grills of the bridge will be replaced with works of art over the summer, and will later be replaced with clear panels.

"We want Paris to remain the capital of love and romance," Julliard said, adding a campaign encouraging lovers to express their love in different ways -- such as the selfie initiative -- would get underway soon.