A POLICE commander in Worcester has paid tribute to a brave officer who died after he chose to swap places with a hostage during a supermarket siege in France.

Supt Kevin Purcell, policing commander for south Worcestershire, paid tribute to Arnaud Beltrame, the French police 'hero' who died of his wounds after changing places with a hostage.

Supt Purcell wrote on Twitter: "What a sad, upsetting end to a story of such incredible bravery. A man who knew what was likely to happen, who to save a member of the public became a hostage."

Lt-Col Arnaud Beltrame, 45, "fell as a hero" and showed "exceptional courage", French President Emmanuel Macron said.

The gendarme helped bring an end to a gunman's shooting spree that killed three in southern France, leaving his phone on so police could hear what was going on and swapping places with a female hostage.

The radical Islamist gunman, 25-year-old Redouane Lakdim, was shot dead as police brought the siege to an end.

Arnaud Beltrame was left fighting for his life after being shot by the Moroccan-born gunman.

Announcing the police officer's death on Twitter, Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said: "He died for his country. France will never forget his heroism, his bravery, his sacrifice."