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A German man has been arrested after his wife was allegedly kept captive for 12 years at their home in France.

The woman, also German, was semi-naked with her head shaved when they found her in a bedroom in the apartment, a French police source told AFP.

Police said the bedroom where the woman was found was closed off with metal wire at the residence in Forbach, close to the border with Germany.

The 55-year-old man is being held on suspicion of kidnap and other offences.

The woman, who is 53, was believed to have had access to a phone and called police in Germany, who alerted their French colleagues, the source said.

After an examination her health was described as "not good" by local prosecutor Olivier Glady, who also said there were about nine cats in the apartment.

He played down reports in French media that the apartment contained metal bars used to imprison the wife, saying they were in fact there to ensure the cats did not escape.

Mr Glady also said there were no traces of blood or violence when police found the woman, contradicting earlier reports.

He said the man was unemployed and had previously worked in German industry.

The suspect is being held in the eastern French city of Metz, broadcaster BFMTV said.

Germany's Bild newspaper interviewed neighbours, who said the man told them his wife had cancer and was "screaming in pain because of her illness".

Alicia, a neighbour, told AFP the lady never left the house. Although she heard screams, she thought they were caused by the illness.

She described the man as "very polite, nice".

Erika, another witness who lives in a nearby street, said she last saw the woman "maybe 10 years ago" and thought "maybe she had died or moved out".

French media reports also said police found a diary-type notebook in the flat, in which it was believed the man kept a record of his actions, including the times he gave his wife food.