The police said Mr Venner had made no statement before killing himself, although a note was found next to his body.

BBC: Man kills himself inside Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris

Mr Venner's death sharply divided opinion on social media in France.

BBC: Venner suicide at Notre-Dame 'political' - Le Pen

Mr Venner is also a former member of the Secret Army Organisation (OAS), which opposed Algerian independence in the early 1960s and tried to assassinate Charles De Gaulle.

BBC: Man kills himself inside Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris

Mr Venner once served time in prison for his activities with the Secret Army Organisation (OAS), which opposed Algerian independence in the early 1960s and tried to assassinate President Charles De Gaulle.

BBC: Venner suicide at Notre-Dame 'political' - Le Pen