FREE public transport is being offered in Paris after air pollution hit health-threatening levels.

Road speeds have also been curbed and charges waived for the city's cycle and electric car-sharing schemes as a visible haze hung over the streets. The emergency measures introduced on Friday will end today.

European Environment Agency figures for Thursday showed there was 147 microgrammes of particulate matter per cubic metre of air in Paris, compared with 114 in Brussels, 104 in Amsterdam, 81 in Berlin and 79.7 in London.