Catalan independence activists being investigated by a Spanish court have admitted to knowledge of a plan to storm Catalonia’s parliament, and carrying out bomb-making experiments.

According to footage of interrogations obtained by several Spanish media outlets, two suspects belonging to a pro-independence group confirm some of the accusations levelled at them.

An 18-month-long police operation into the so-called Committee in Defence of the Republic (CDR) led to seven arrests in September.

In one clip, Ferran Jolis, an IT expert and CDR member, tells the National Court investigating judge that he was asked to work on the communications aspect of a plan to stage an occupation of Catalonia’s parliament with Quim Torra, the Catalan president.

Mr Jolis says he was told that the idea to occupy the parliament building in Barcelona “came from on high, from the presidency – Torra.”