Police bosses were alerted after a video clip appeared on social media showing couples using padlocks to profess their love along the corniche of the Red Sea city. The craze imitates a phenomenon in Europe, which started on Paris’ Pont Des Arts bridge over the Seine, where couples snap padlocks onto bridges. Angry citizens have taken to social media to express their disgust.

ALAMY Love locks are placed on bridges by couples in a mark of their love

GETTY Love locks on the River Seine in Paris had to be removed

This is not Paris this is Jeddah a city situated between the two holy mosques

One wrote: “Those who thought about replicating the love padlock phenomenon in Jeddah should have thought about imitating the Europeans in their industrial and scientific advances. “People cant reach higher standards through copying trivial things.” Another said: “This is not Paris this is Jeddah a city situated between the two holy mosques.” One added the actions were “imitating the infidels” in the West. A user said those in love should declare their passion in private, and not by using “rusty locks that turn into an eyesore”.

ALAMY Locks and keys, Souq al-Alawi in Old Jedda

Saudi Arabian protests Sun, January 3, 2016 Demonstrators in the Middle East have protested against the killing of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 12 Demonstrators burn tires during a protest, against the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi authorities, in Manama, Bahrain

GETTY Jeddah is one of there liberal areas in Saudi Arabia