PARIS — French police have seized 72 firearms and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition from the home of screen legend Alain Delon.

A shooting range was also found at the actor's home in Douchy-Montcorbon, about 135km (84 miles) south of Paris.

Prosecutors said Delon did not have a permit to allow him to own a gun.

The actor, 88, was a star of the golden era of French cinema, known for his tough-guy persona on screen in hits like The Samurai and Borsalino.

The search on Tuesday was ordered after a court-appointed official sent to Delon's home noticed a weapon and alerted a judge.

The star has been in poor health in recent years after having a stroke in 2019 and suffering from another serious condition, unnamed in French media.

The breakdown of his family has also been making headlines in France.

His three children have laid their mutual grievances before the media in a series of insults, accusations, lawsuits and secret recordings.

The latest legal exchanges were over Delon's medical treatment and last month a court-sanctioned doctor examined him, but his conclusions were immediately disputed by the children.

Concerns were first raised about him last year when his children filed a complaint against his former live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin.

They allege the Japanese film production assistant engaged in "moral harassment" of their father. Her lawyer denied all the allegations at the time.

Delon's last major public appearance was to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.

In September 2019, he attended the funeral of his friend and fellow star Jean-Paul Belmondo in Paris. — BBC