Hundreds of Spanish civil servants chanted protests in central Madrid today as they took part in a one-day strike over wage cuts aimed at reducing the country’s huge deficit.

Tens of thousands of people, including victims of ETA bomb attacks, marched through central Madrid in the rain today to press the Socialist government not to negotiate a peace deal with the armed Basque separatist group.

At least five people have been injured in two car bombs which exploded in central Madrid this afternoon.