SPANISH police have arrested a man whom they suspect hired a contract killer to murder his boss in a desperate bid to avoid being laid off, newspaper El Pais reported yesterday.

The German drama Head-On was the big winner at the 17th annual European Film Awards in Spain, picking up the prize for best European film, while the Spanish film The Sea Inside won for best director, Alejandro Almenabar, and best actor, Javier Bardem.