German police detain man in connection with Cologne Cathedral threat

German police said Tuesday that a man had been taken into custody in connection with a possible plot to attack the iconic Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve.

Police detained five men as they searched an apartment in the town of Wesel, some 100 kilometres north of Cologne, on Sunday.

While four of them were later released, a 30-year-old Tajik man remained in custody in order to "avert danger," a statement said.

A district court has confirmed the detention order until January 7 at the request of the Cologne police.

Police have revealed little about the man, but said they had obtained information that was relevant to state security.

"We are exhausting all legal possibilities to protect the people, the cathedral and the upcoming New Year's Eve celebrations," Cologne police chief Michael Esser said in a brief statement.

The police said they would not provide any information on the man nor his link to cathedral threat due to their ongoing investigations.

The police had increased security measures at Cologne Cathedral on Saturday due to indications of a possible attack planned by an Islamist group on December 31, dpa has learned.

While religious services continue to take place, the cathedral has been closed to tourists until further notice.

Cologne's Cathedral, a major tourist draw located right next to the city's central train station, is usually visited by more than 100,000 people between Christmas and New Year.

Careful checks of people entering Cologne Cathedral ahead of the traditional Christmas Eve service on Sunday were without incident, a police spokeswoman said on Monday.

The surroundings of the cathedral, where police had increased their presence, had also remained quiet, she said.