Police have detained a French tourist who stole a piece of the wire fence at the Auschwitz concentration camp - because he wanted a souvenir.

According to a Polish news site, the man was arrested as he attempted to board a plane in Krakow.

After the wire was spotted when his luggage was scanned, he admitted to the border guards that he had taken it.

Police are investigating the incident.

Around 1.38 million people visited Auschwitz last year, making it one of Poland's most-visited tourist destinations.

This week the Auschwitz Museum announced that it had repaired the notorious "Arbeit macht frei" sign, stolen from the gates of the camp in December 2009.