Police in Paris have launched a murder probe after four bodies were found floating in the French capital's River Seine.

A horrified train passenger saw one corpse in the river last week - and when police rushed to the scene, they found three more.

Now, a man has been taken into custody and has been accused of committing multiple murders.

Creteil prosecutor's office told French newspaper Le Monde: "A man was taken into custody this morning on suspicion for multiple murders at the headquarters of the criminal brigade of the Paris judicial police."

It is currently not known how many of the four victims, whose bodies were found on August 13 in Choisy-le-Roi, the man is accused of killing.

The accused is a 24-year-old Algerian man, according to The Sun.

On Saturday, the local prosecutor confirmed one of the victims had died from strangulation, while another had suffered "violent injuries".

PCTURED: The Seine River where emergency services pulled out four men's bodies from the river after a passenger on a train reported seeing a corpse floating on the water

It is understood that because the first body found had been underwater for a shorter time period, identification has been possible - and suggests it was a man aged around 40 who lived in the local area.

According to prosecutors, the body observed by the bystander was "relatively well-preserved", but the other three were in "a very advanced state of decomposition" when they were found.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told Actu17: "There are three men of African descent and a fourth of North African descent."

The police were originally made aware of the bodies last Wednesday at around 1pm.

Just one month ago, the Seine reopened for swimming to the public for the first time in a century

Alongside river brigade authorities, police are said to have found a second corpse around 50 metres away from the first, a third stuck in branches in the river, and a fourth drifting with the current.

Prosecutors have stressed that so far, there is no evidence of the victims having known each other.

The bodies could have entered the water in separate places before being taken downstream by the current to the foot of the Choisy bridge.

Just one month ago, the Seine reopened for swimming to the public for the first time in a century.

Swimming in the river had previously been banned as it was feared the high levels of water pollution would make people ill

It came after the river was cleaned under a £1.2billion scheme for events during last year's Olympics.

The swimming points are open until the end of August for free at scheduled times with lifeguards on duty.

Swimming in the river had previously been banned as it was feared the high levels of water pollution would make people ill.