France gives all clear after embassy toxic alert

PARIS, Feb 19 (Reuters) French authorities said a suspect letter which triggered an evacuation of the Canadian embassy today did not contain a toxic substance.

''The alert is over,'' Florent Hivert, deputy spokesman for the Paris fire brigade, told reporters.

The embassy was evacuated after a member of staff fell ill after opening a suspect letter. ''We don't know what it was but it's not a toxic substance,'' Hivert said when asked what was in the envelope.

REUTERS AKJ ND1636