Battle of the Tomatoes

Located at Buñol in Spain, every year in the month of August, around 30,000 people from around the world take part in a massive tomato fight.

The fight lasts for two hours in which people battle with more than 150,000lb (68,000 kg) of over ripe tomatoes.

The battle, which is called The La Tomatina festival, dates back to 1944 when hooligans at the local carnival in Buñol hurled tomatoes at the procession. The fruity frolics where so popular that they were re-created a year later making the carnival a mere warm up act for the huge tomato fight.

Large trucks bring in the tons of tomatoes each year from the Extremadura region of Spain where fruit is a lot cheaper. Participants in the battle are encouraged to wear goggles and gloves for their protection and are told to squash the tomatoes before using them in battle to stop causes of injury.

At 11am a ham is placed on top of a greased pole and once someone has managed to climb up and take the ham from its resting place, the carnage begins.

A cannon is fired to sound the end of the battle, in which hoses are sprayed through the streets and once again Buñol returns back to normal until the battle begins again next year.

People slip and slide as the mass battle takes place

One man is over come by the sludgy mess