Officials in Marseille are evacuating an area around the French city's port so they can remove a one-ton German bomb that dates back to the Second World War.

Around 1,000 people have been asked to leave today. Boat traffic has been halted and access to several coastal roads blocked.

The bomb will be taken to a military base to be safely detonated.

It was discovered a week ago by construction workers who accidentally pierced the explosive with their equipment.

The regional government says the bomb's ignition system no longer works but the sheer amount of explosives - 1,400 pounds - made it dangerous.

The bomb was apparently buried by German soldiers, who had planned to destroy the city's port, as they retreated near the end of the war.