Security tight ahead of key Catalan parliamentary address

Police were guarding public buildings and closing off a park surrounding the regional Catalan parliament in Barcelona where a declaration of independence on Tuesday evening is likely to be met with a harsh response from Spanish central authorities.

Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has not revealed the precise message he will deliver in a plenary session at 6pm local time (1600GMT), but separatist politicians have said they expect a declaration based on the results of the disputed independence referendum on October 1.