The National Police arrested 29 people on Saturday night who climbed into the bullring at la plaza de toros de Las Ventas (Madrid) minutes before the start of the evening’s bullfights. All those arrested are adults and mostly Spaniards,

According to sources they held up the proceeding for just over an hour.

Initially the organisers asked them to leave the ring but were refused, upon which the National Police were called to effect the arrests. All were held overnight and charged with public order offences during the course of the day but released mid-afternoon on Sunday.

The detainees, who are all between the ages of 57 and 23 were all wearing T-shirts – with slogans such as’ Stop Cruelty ‘and’ Dejad de maar, por favor’- asking for a national ban.