French authorities have detained eight minors over anti-Semitic chants on the Paris metro that were filmed and widely shared on social media, prosecutors said.

The chanting by the youths, which took place on October 31, sparked new concern about an upsurge in anti-Semitism in France.

The eight, none of whom live in Paris, are currently being interrogated by transport police, a source close to Paris prosecutors, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

The chanting took place on the widely-used line 3 that runs through the heart of the French capital. The precise ages of the eight were not immediately clear.