Pamplona hotel bomb defused

The Pamplona festival attracts thousands of people

A bomb has been defused at a busy tourist hotel in the Spanish town of Pamplona, after a warning by Basque separatist group ETA.

Thousands of tourists are in Pamplona for the annual bull-running festival.

The 4kg (9lb) device had been left in a bin in a women's toilet at the 100-bed Maisonnave hotel in the town centre.

The Navarre regional government said the device was made safe after the warning.

Spanish news agency Efe said the bomb had been left because the hotel had refused to pay protection money.

'Revolutionary tax'

ETA has attempted before to disrupt Spain's lucrative tourist industry by targeting resorts in the summer season.

Three weeks ago a newsletter sent to reporters said ETA would again try to disrupt the tourist industry and multi-national companies.

It also said it would raise money using what it calls a "revolutionary tax" - seen as a euphemism for protection money - the phrase reportedly used by the person who made the call about the Pamplona bomb.

ETA is blamed for killing more than 800 people in its fight for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and south-western France.