Anarchists arrested over French rail sabotage

French anti-terrorist police have arrested 10 members of a violent anarchist movement for sabotaging power cables on high-speed TGV train lines.

The Interior Ministry said the "anarcho-autonomous" movement had been under surveillance for several months by domestic intelligence services and anti-terrorist police.

"These individuals are characterised by a total rejection of any democratic expression of political opinion and an extremely violent tone," said Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.

Severe delays were caused at the weekend when power was cut by metal bars hooked on to overhead electric cables on TGV lines in the area around Paris.

Television pictures showed masked police on the streets of the tiny village of Tarnac in Correze where residents said a group of suspects had lived quietly.