A picture shows a car on fire in the Gresilles area of Dijon, eastern France, on Monday. AFP

French police said they had intervened overnight to restore calm and order in the city of Dijon after youths set fire to vehicles and dustbins over the last three days, and added they were prepared to bring in more police forces if needed.

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"The events of the last few days in the Gresilles district of Dijon, where there had been gatherings of youths which had led to vehicles and dustbins set on fire, only leads to more insecurity and worries for the local population, following on from the events of the weekend," the local police force said in a statement late on Monday on Twitter.

Firefighters put out a fire in the Gresilles area of Dijon, eastern France, on Monday. AFP

Local French media said clashes had broken out over the weekend between rival gangs of youths, and that deputy interior minister Laurent Nunez was due to go to Dijon later on Tuesday to monitor the situation.

Clashes have broken out in recent months amid some of the high-rise, low-income housing estates across France, where the strict lockdown rules imposed earlier to tackle the coronavirus had exacerbated social tensions.

Reuters