EXCLUSIVE: Wirral Globe reporter caught up in Barcelona terror attack

At least 13 people died and more than 100 were injured after a white Fiat van ploughed into pedestrians in Las Ramblas, a busy tourist area of the Spanish city, which was packed with shoppers and holidaymakers.

Our reporter Lauren Jones was on a week's holiday in the city with boyfriend Chris Parkes, staying in city centre hotel NH Sants.

They had spent the day sightseeing and were travelling on a train back to Barcelona at the time of the attack.

Lauren, who is set to fly home later today recalled: "We were having lunch near the Sagrada Familia temple yesterday afternoon and I kept getting text messages from family and friends asking if I was ok.

"Didn't know why.

"It wasn't until we got back to the hotel and turned on the TV that we learned the full horror what happened.

"We weren’t allowed out of the hotel. Our hotel is about half an hour's walk from Las Ramblas, but we could hear the sirens from our hotel room.

"The place is in total lockdown."

Spanish police arrested two people after the white Fiat van tore through the Las Ramblas district which was packed with shoppers and holidaymakers.

The vehicle careered into terrified pedestrians in the busy tree-lined promenade, one of the most popular parts of the city.

Following the van attack, police had reportedly been searching for a man named Driss Oukabir after the passport of a Spanish citizen, of Moroccan origin, was found at the scene.

But El Pais newspaper said Oukabir had denied being involved in the attack and told police that his documents had been stolen.

There were also reports that detectives believe two vans were used, one for the attack and a second as a getaway vehicle.

Unconfirmed local reports suggested an attacker had been shot by police on the outskirts of the city.

Police also said a driver had run over two police officers in a town north of the city, but it was not clear if this was related to the attack.

The Islamic State terror group has claimed responsibility.

Lauren continued: "There were so many police in Barcelona all week and I said to Chris as we had lunch near the Sagrada Familia temple that I wouldn't be surprised if something big happened.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine anything like this.

"We'd been to Las Ramblas the day before, visiting the Hard Rock café and I was going back yesterday to buy my sister a t-shirt.

“The Metro stops at Las Ramblas, but we weren’t allowed off and had to get off at the station Sants Estacio and back to the hotel.

"It's such a beautiful city and eerily quiet after the attack.

"If this had happened in the middle of my holiday I would have had no hesitation in coming home.

"It's just been hell.

"Just want to let the family know that we're okay."

The terror attack – the deadliest on Spanish soil since more than 190 people died in the Madrid train bombs in 2004 – brought widespread condemnation.

Carles Puigdemont, the president of Catalonia, confirmed the two arrests at a press conference.

He also said 12 people were confirmed dead and at least 80 taken to hospital, which conflicted with interior minister Joaquim Forn, who said 13 people had died.

A Belgian national is among the dead, Belgium's deputy prime minister Didier Reynders confirmed on Twitter.

Catalonian police said 15 people were seriously injured in the attack.

The Government of Catalonia said Mr Puigdemont had declared three days of mourning for the region.

The two suspects in custody are a Spanish national from Melilla and a Moroccan but neither were the van driver, Catalan authorities said.

Officials are also linking the van attack to an explosion in Catalonia the previous day in which one person was killed.

In another incident, police said a driver had run over two officers in a town north of Barcelona, but it was not clear if the incident was related to the van attack Local media reports said a white Ford Focus ran over the officers and that a person from the car was shot and killed by officers.