Nice authorities had actively prepared for attack

Authorities in Nice had been actively preparing to face an attack, fearing a repeat of the two previous deadly assaults to hit France in the past 18 months, Le Monde reports.

Nice, which in February hosts the world's third-largest carnival after Rio and Venice, had "special safety devices" in place, co-ordinated by the French Interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve.

On 8 March security forces staged a simulated attack, ahead of the Euro 2016 football tournament hosted in France.

At the time a police spokesperson said they were preparing for any eventuality: "nuclear, radioactive, biological and chemical".

Authorities had also attempted to guard against attacks from the sea, hiring Nitzan Nuriel - a former Israeli general - to carry out an audit of Nice's security.