Eiffel Tower loses sparkle for Parisians ahead of Olympics

PARIS - The Eiffel Tower is set for a starring role during the Paris Olympics this year, but the landmark and its park have become symbols of the capital's struggles with cleanliness and crime.

In the shadow of the 330-metre monument, workers are already building the temporary stadium that will host the beach volleyball during the Games, which start on July 26.

The opening ceremony along the river Seine will also finish in front of the attraction, while judo and wrestling will take place in a semi-permanent exhibition space at the far end of its park.

Although the sport will look spectacular in the TV coverage, behind the scenes the area has become a lightning rod for complaints about the management of public space in the capital and the pressures of mass tourism.

"It's very dirty and it's getting worse and worse," local resident Frederic Mabilon, 78, told AFP as she walked her dog in the Champ-de-Mars park beneath the iron monument known as the "Iron Lady".

Mabilon remembers visiting the area as a child, enjoying the merry-go-rounds and play areas that have been closed ahead of the Olympics -- much to the anger of their operators.

Mikael Dalle, a 53-year-old local out with his son, said he was bothered by the illegal hawkers who shout out to passers-by, offering unlicensed food and drinks, trinkets and berets.

"It's definitely got worse and we've lived around here for the last eight years," he said.

With so many visitors, the park's lawns are often rubbed bare, while at night they are left strewn with rubbish by revellers.

"You should see it at 6 o'clock in the morning. It's catastrophic," complained another local dog walker, Louis, who preferred not to give his surname. 

Left-over food and overflowing bins are a delight for the flourishing local rat population.

Much of the Champ-de-Mars now stands behind steel fencing, its protected lawns growing back, its gardeners busy preparing it for hundreds of thousands of foreign sports fans.

"Paris will shine, Paris will be beautiful, Paris will be ready to welcome the world," deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire promised last week.