Famed Paris avenue losing its charm

PARIS (Reuters) - The Champs Elysees, held up by France as the most beautiful avenue in the world, has become blighted by prostitution, racketeering and violence, a top police officer said on Saturday.

The broad boulevard, which connects Napoleon's grandiose Arc de Triomphe with the regal Tuileries Gardens, was always a byword for elegance and a focal point for national celebrations.

But in recent years, the avenue has increasingly drawn low-life criminals, its famed cinemas giving way to night clubs, and its tourists frightened away by gangs of drunken youths.

"It's no longer the nice child it used to be," Guy Parent, head of Paris's anti-prostitution unit, told Le Parisien daily.

"The Champ Elysees' clientele is often unstable ... there are regularly fights between guards and clubbers. The tension is palpable," Parent added.

Le Parisien also quoted the mayor in charge of the Champs Elysees district, Francois Lebel, as saying the famous road was becoming: "A meeting place for thugs and suburb-dwellers."

Locals have complained that large groups of youths from poor neighborhoods bordering Paris descend on the avenue in the evening, drawn to its vibrant nightlife.

They also estimated that an army of 200 to 300 prostitutes pace the pavements seeking wealthy clients.

Parent said he thought that number might be exaggerated, but confirmed the 2-km (one mile) long street attracted many foreign call girls, especially from north Africa.

"They are very chic to seduce very smart clients. They hunt down Saudis and Kuwaitis ... (and) offer their favors for perhaps up to 5,000 euros an evening," he said.

Local businesses complain that rents, which reportedly top $1 million a year for 100 square meters, are chasing away long-standing residents and drawing in big chain stores, bars and nightclubs.

(Writing by Crispian Balmer)