massy

"Around the town we have 250 security cameras - far too many for our team of four to monitor," says Massy's mayor Nicolas Samsoen.

One of the pioneers is the southern Paris suburb of Massy.

Look at the spanking new public buildings in Paris suburbs like Nanterre or Massy.

"Mars at the moment is at its best from the UK now until about 2032. It's going to be quite a long time before we see this one again, so it's well worth taking a look now," Dr Robert Massy of the Royal Astronomical Society told BBC News.

Dr Massy advises sky-watchers to try to find a clear vantage point to look towards the south-west horizon shortly after sunset.