Security is stepped up around Christmas celebrations in Germany and Austria over attack concerns

Tourist visits have been barred at Germany’s landmark Cologne cathedral and Christmas Eve worshippers face security checks to get into midnight Mass as police respond to indications of a potential attack

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Sightseeing visits were barred at Germany's landmark Cologne cathedral and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass on Sunday as police responded to indications of a potential attack.

However, a top security official urged people not to shy away from holiday celebrations out of fear.

Churchgoers attended multiple services at the cathedral despite the ban on visits purely for sightseeing, a day after police descended on the cathedral and searched it with sniffer dogs.

In Austria, police in Vienna also said they were stepping up security around churches and Christmas markets, apparently responding to the same intelligence about a potential threat. They did not give further information but the dpa news agency reported without citing a source that the threat was from an Islamic extremist group.

Police in Cologne said they were taking precautions over Christmas even though the information they had was for an attack on New Year's Eve.