Armed man takes hostages in Paris shop-media

PARIS, Aug 21 (Reuters) An armed man is holding several people hostage in a shop on Paris's chic Rue Faubourg Saint Honore street, French media said today.

Police confirmed an armed man had entered a shop on the street but did not have further details. Police were at the scene, a police spokeswoman said.

France's i-tele television quoted a shop assistant in a Sonia Rykiel shop as saying an armed man was holding him and several colleagues hostage.

''There are no clients in the shop. Just three members of staff. At the moment he's calm with us,'' the man said.

''He said he is a victim of the justice system ... He does not talk about it any further. He's waiting for police to get in contact with him,'' the man told i-tele.

REUTERS GT TK2315