Police in the northern Belgian city of Antwerp said on Thursday they had detained a man who tried to enter the main pedestrianised shopping street in a car at high speed, adding security in the city would be stepped up.

"At about 11 am this morning a vehicle entered De Meir at high speed due to which pedestrians had to jump away," a police spokesman told a news conference, referring to the street name.

He added the driver was later arrested and additional police and military personnel had been deployed to the centre of Antwerp, but did not give any further detail.