Paris  - Metro traffic in central Paris came to a halt Thursday after police received a call saying that a bomb had been planted at a key switching station, a police spokesman said.

Police were searching the platforms at the Opera station, which is served by three Metro lines and used by thousands of people every day. All three lines were halted while the search was carried out.

The station is also used by many tourists because of its proximity to the popular Garnier Opera. (dpa)