Polling station evacuated in eastern France due to suspicious vehicle: media

French police on Sunday evacuated a polling station in Besancon, east France, after a suspicious vehicle was abandoned with the engine running, according to local media.

At 09:30 local time (0730 GMT), security forces evacuated the polling station, and bomb disposal experts were deployed to examine a reportedly stolen vehicle with fake number plates which was abandoned with the engine running in front of the city hall.

The evacuation came about one and half hour after the first round of the country's presidential election started.

Besancon's mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret was quoted by local media as saying that "the car arrived at very low speed, with two people on board, before stopping, then the two people fled."

According to Benoit Desferet, regional director of public security in Doubs, the incident "is not a terrorist but a matter of common offenses."

An ongoing police operation is searching the two perpetrators, according to the reports.

Sunday's voting kicked off under high security after security fears came back to the fore in last days of presidency campaign.

More than 50,000 police and elite security units have been mobilized across the country for two-round election. Endit