A court bailiff was killed while on duty in the Saarland town of Bexbach on Tuesday, officials confirmed, prompting shock and grief across the regional judiciary.

In the Saarland town of Bexbach, a court bailiff has been killed while on duty. The employee of the Saarland judiciary "lost his life on Tuesday morning while serving our constitutional state", Saarland Justice Minister Petra Berg (SPD) said in Saarbrücken. No further details were initially provided.

Berg said she was deeply shaken by the man's death. "This news leaves us all in grief and disbelief", she added, saying her thoughts were with the relatives, friends and colleagues of the deceased. The Saarland judiciary will stand firmly by the side of the bereaved, she underlined: "We will honour our colleague's memory."

An investigation into the case is underway. The ministry announced that further information would be provided on Wednesday. A request for comment from AFP to the Saarbrücken public prosecutor's office initially went unanswered.