French police arrested eight known Batasuna sympathisers in various towns in southern France during the early hours of yesterday morning as part of an investigation into the financing of a bar in Bayonne frequented by members of the banned political organisation.

Zigor Goieaskoetxea, who was arrested in Biarritz, is one of the leaders of the French branch of Batasuna and has previously been investigated in connection with a bomb attack in June 2006 on a restaurant owned by French chef, Alain Ducasse, and for payments made to the Basque Communist Party.

Luis and Vivian Barriola, who were detained at the Aita Seama bar they run in Biarritz (photo), were sentenced to two years each following their arrests in March 1991 for harbouring ETA boss, Josu Mondragón.

For his part, Ortzi Idoate was sentenced to serve four months in January 2003 for providing logistical support to the Basque terror group while Jerónimo Prieto has a number of previous convictions for 'kale borroka' acts of vandalism.