A suspicious car containing two canisters of gas has been found near a synagogue in Marseille, French news outlets have reported.

The car was spotted on Saturday morning in the southern city, reported the La Provence news website.

It comes days after police said they had foiled a plot directed by so-called Islamic State after making arrests linked to a similar vehicle found in Paris.

Police said the first car, found near the Notre Dame in central Paris, contained six full canisters of gas and three jerry cans of fuel.

There is speculation that the vehicle was prepared as a car bomb - though there was no detonator.

French officials said that three women arrested in connection with the Paris car were "radicalised" and had planned to carry out an attack on a train station within days.