Paris seeks to end bridge padlocks

PARIS, May 3 (UPI) -- Officials in Paris said authorities will be cracking down on the practice of attaching engraved padlocks to the Pont des Arts bridge's railings.

Mayor Bertrand Delanoe's office said the practice, often performed by lovers seeking a permanent symbol of their bond, amounts to defacement of a location important to the city's heritage, Radio France Internationale reported Monday.

"This raises an issue of the preservation of state property," an office representative said. "We will have to take off the padlocks."

Officials said more than 1,600 padlocks have been attached to the railings since 2008. They said suggestions for dealing with the issue include the creation of a metallic tree for lovers to attach their locks.