Statue by Camille Claudel and Rodin found in the Seine

PARIS (AFP) - A small statue presumably sculpted by French artist Rodin and his student Camille Claudel has been found in the Seine river in Paris, police said.

On Tuesday a recreational diver found the statue by chance. Police divers had been looking for the small statue since July 8 without success.

Paris police were tipped off that the statue might be in the river by police in the neighboring suburb of Versailles, who were investigating a theft.

The thieves claimed they had thrown the statue in the Seine to get rid of it, and witnesses said they saw it tossed into the river near the Arsenal Marina, not far from the Bastille.

The statue is 15 to 20 centimeters high (6-8 inches) and worth 800,000 euros (995,000 dollars).

According to Francois Cerdan, head of the Paris police's river squad, the statue is so valuable because it is one of the rare works attributed to the famous couple.