Three backers of Catalonia's independence have sought to secure release from jail for their role in the region's push to break from Spain which triggered the country's worst political crisis in decades.

A Spanish judge has ordered that four prominent members of the Catalan independence movement should remain in custody, including the vice-president of the ousted regional government.

Spain's central government and regional Catalan authorities argued on Saturday over who controls the regional police force that is considered key to the success of a planned independence vote for the north-eastern region.