Annual tomato fight kicks off in Spain
An annual food fight called the Tomatina Festival has been held in Bunol, near Valencia on Spain's eastern coast. Thousands of locals and visitors have hurled tons of ripe tomatoes at each other transforming the town into a sea of red mush.

The event has its roots in a food fight between childhood friends and has become a major tourist attraction for Bunol. Locals use garden hoses to spray down the tomato-throwers and the rest of the town.

The festival draws tens of thousands of revellers from around Spain and abroad, some are from countries as far away as Japan, Australia and the US. This year an estimated 40-thousand people took part. Tomatina Festival participant, said, "It was amazing, we had a great time, and the people can let off steam - it's de-stressing." Tomatina Festival participant, said, "I've been here several times and I ended up covered in tomato - that's why I brought protection." A city councilor spokeswoman says there were no reports of injuries in this year's fight. She says participants receive a list of recommendations on how to fight without hurting anybody.

Local legend claims the event began in the mid-1940s after a group of youngsters waged a food fight near a vegetable stand on the town square. They met again the next year and pelted each other --creating the annual tradition. The Tomatina, held each year on the last Wednesday in August, is said to be the world's largest tomato fight.