John Galliano was arrested in the French capital on Thursday for allegedly making anti-Semitic remarks.

The incident took place in the fashionable district of Marais, where the Dior chief designer, 50, reportedly verbally accosted a couple outside a Parisian cafe.

The police were called and they detained him. He is believed to have been drinking heavily.

"We arrived extremely quickly and managed to break up the disturbance," a police source said.

"The man involved was briefly arrested and then released pending charges for assault.

"Witnesses said he swore heavily, using anti-Jewish insults, before attacking a couple.

Gibraltar-born John  is currently preparing to show Christian Dior's autumn/winter 2011 collection at Paris Fashion Week on March 4.