An ETA car bomb failed to explode outside the regional Defence ministry building in Logroño (La Rioja) last night. Guardia Civil bomb squad experts worked throughout the night to disactivate the device after which the police cordon was lifted at around 7.30am this morning.

A spokesman for the terror organisation phoned in a warning to the offices of the Gara daily newspaper at around 11pm to advise that a car bomb had been left outside the Defence ministry building on the calle Antonio Sagastuy in the centre of the regional capital.

Half an hour later, a small detonation device went off, causing a small explosion but failing to ignite the main bomb, which consisted of two large cooking pots packed with between 80-100kg of explosives and a full petrol can containing around five litres.

The device, which has been described by the police as "very sophisticated," had been left in the green Ford Fiesta shown being removed from the scene that had been fitted with licence plates stolen recently from a similar vehicle in Fuengirola (Málaga).

Including this incident, ETA have now launched four attacks since the official end of the recent ceasefire announced on the 5th June.

A peace demonstration to condemn the attack has been organised for 11am this morning outside Logroño Town Hall.