The French government is planning is triple its CCTV network over the next two years as part of the fight against terrorism and street crime.

By 2009, it is estimated that Paris will have 6,500 CCTV cameras on the public transport systems alone.

It is also proposed to introduce flying spy drones as a crime prevention measure. The flying drones, which are four feet long and powered by two electric motors, will carry day- and night-vision cameras.

They will be used to track rioters and fight crime. Gang violence is a growing problem in Paris, which has seen repeated clashes between rival gangs in recent months.

The security initiative in France was stepped up after the 2005 attacks in London’s transport system, which killed 52 people. It is considered that the video surveillance system in London is ten times more developed than that presently deployed in Paris.