A protester is in a critical condition and an injured officer has been evacuated from the scene by helicopter as police clash with thousands of people opposed to plans for a large water reservoir in France.

Several people have been injured in the clashes which have taken place in the western rural district of Sainte-Soline.

Police fired tear gas to repel some protesters who threw fireworks and other projectiles as they crossed fields to approach the construction area in the district.

At least three police cars caught fire, television footage showed.

The demonstrators, who have come together despite a ban on gatherings in the area, are opposed to a large water reservoir for farm irrigation.

The protesters were met by 3,000 police at the site of the planned reservoir.

France’s worst drought on record last summer – which was also felt across the UK and Europe – sharpened the debate over water resources in agriculture.

Supporters say artificial reservoirs are a way to use water efficiently when needed, while critics argue they are outsized and favour large farms.

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Similar protests erupted last October and resulted in injuries.

The unrest over the irrigation project comes after weeks of demonstrations in France against a pension reform that sees the retirement age rise from 62 to 64.

The protests have turned violent since the government pushed through the legislation without a final parliamentary vote, with piles of rubbish set alight on the streets of Paris, riot police firing tear gas and more than 300 arrests.

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The King’s state visit to France, which was due to begin on Sunday, has been postponed amid the ongoing violence and unrest.

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