Spanish PM dissolves Catalan government and fires police chief after independence vote

The Spanish government has sacked Catalonia's president Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet after the region voted for independence from Madrid, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced.

It will dissolve Catalonia's parliament, and new elections will take place on December 21.

Madrid will declare today's declaration of independence illegal, and ministries in central government will assume the powers of Catalan administration, he said.

Mr Rajoy added that Catalan's police chief will also be fired and that he will shut down Catalonia's foreign affairs department, dismissing its delegates in Brussels and Madrid.

He said "we never wanted to come to this point" and the aim is "to return (Catalonia) to normality and legality as soon as possible".

He announced that the moves, which came after an extraordinary day of drama in Spain, after chairing an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Friday evening in an urgent bid to bring the region to heel.

"Spain is living through a sad day," Rajoy said. "We believe it is urgent to listen to Catalan citizens, to all of them, so that they can decide their future and nobody can act outside the law on their behalf."

In a square outside the government palace in Barcelona, an announcer told the crowd the news that Catalan's parliament would be dissolved - which was met by jeers and whistles.

A band took to the stage immediately after the announcement and the crowd once more began singing and dancing.

The crowd in Sant Jaume Square shouted "we are not moving!"

Later on Friday evening, a heavy police presence was seen through Barcelona as demonstrators reported that the mood grew tense.

The Spanish government had been authorised earlier in the day by the country's Senate to dismiss the regional government and curtail the Catalan parliament's powers.

It is not clear whether the snap regional elections will resolve the worst political crisis seen in Spain for 40 years.