Thousands of revellers hurled around 145 tons of tomatoes at each other on Wednesday during the annual "Tomatina" festival in the Spanish town of Bunol, 38 kilometers west of Valencia.

A fire cracker signal marked the start of La Tomatina at 11:00 am and over the next hour, six trucks loaded with tomatoes drove through Bunol's main street providing red ammunition for the revellers to enjoy themselves.

The food fight originates from a spontaneous bust-up among villagers in 1945. It was banned for a time during the 1950s at the height of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, but has gained popularity since it was re-instated, drawing a huge international crowd.

At it's peak, the Tomatina attracted approximately 45,000 people, but it has now become a ticketed event with only 22,000 places, 5,000 of which go to local residents.