A notorious gangster has escaped by helicopter from a prison in the Paris region, the French authorities say.

Redoine Faid was helped by three heavily armed men who created a diversion at the prison entrance while the helicopter landed in the courtyard.

The helicopter flew to the nearby Gonesse area, where it was found by local police.

Faid, 46, has been serving a 25-year sentence for a failed robbery during which a police officer was killed.

This is his second prison break: in 2013, he escaped after seizing four guards as human shields and blowing several doors off with dynamite.

He staged that escape less than half an hour after arriving at a prison in northern France, and spent six weeks on the run.