The Olympic rings, which adorned the Eiffel Tower during this summer's Olympics and Paralympics, will be given a permanent place on the classic building, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the other day.

A bad idea, say the descendants of Gustave Eiffel, who designed the tower for the 1889 World's Fair.

Olivier Berthelot-Eiffel, chairman of the Association des Descendants de Gustave Eiffel, says that the rings are welcome to remain for some time after the Paralympics end on September 8 – but not forever.

"The Eiffel Tower should not become an advertising pillar. Anne Hidalgo should have said that she wanted to keep the Olympic rings, not that she had already decided, and then discussed the idea with the Paris city council and other relevant people," Olivier Berthelot-Eiffel told AFP.

Hidalgo's plan is to take down the current Olympic rings and replace them with a lighter version after the Paralympics.

Source: TT