PARIS, January 16. /TASS/. An unidentified man has taken hostages in a post office in the city of Colombes, northwest of Paris, the local police confirmed on Friday.

Police officers cordoned off the area around the building, a helicopter of the civil defence forces is patrolling the air over the site.

The French iTele internet television channel said the mentally unstable man is not connected with terrorism. Sources say he has suffered a tremendous disappointment.

Meanwhile, contradictory reports are coming.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency reports that the man is armed with fire-arms while the reports about the number of hostages are varying from two to eight people.

At the same time, it can be definitely confirmed that a postal worker is held hostage.

At the time of reporting the wrongdoer has barricaded himself in the post office building.

His identity and demands have not been made known so far.

Earlier, the French news television channels said that there was no terrorist character in the events in Colombes.