Man held after knife attack on three women in Paris metro stations

French police have detained a man suspected of attacking three women with a knife in three metro stations in the centre of Paris, the city prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The three women were stabbed at Republique, Arts et Metiers and Opera about 4pm on Friday (local time). Their wounds were not life-threatening, the prosecutor's statement said.

The man, in his mid-20s, was identified thanks to CCTV cameras, the prosecutor's office said.

It added that he was previously known to the police for misdemeanours, including damage to property.

It did not elaborate on the attacker's motives.