Paris, Wednesday

Tourists hoping to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower were locked out today by striking workers.

A surprise strike by staff angry over the sacking of one of their colleagues prevented the tower from opening. A spokeswoman did not know how long the strike would last.

Disappointed Scots were among the tourists turned away from France's most recognisable landmark.

''I'm quite annoyed because we're here for only one day,'' said Karyn Beaten, 36, of Aberdeenshire. ''We thought the tower was closed for lunch.''

However Karen Bradley, 27, of Athens, Georgia, said: ''We weren't surprised. That's life in France.''

The spokeswoman said the worker was dismissed for shouting at and shoving a British tourist who was apparently suffering from vertigo and did not want to take the lift to the tower's second level.

That amounted to ''gross negligence,'' which, under French law, means he loses his job on the spot and receives no severance pay, the spokeswoman said.

With more than 5.5 million visitors in 1996, the Eiffel Tower beats any other paying attraction in the world. Ticket sales are estimated at around a #375,000 daily.- AP/Reuter.