Smurf village enjoys blue boom

A Spanish village has reportedly had a dramatic rise in tourism since it was painted blue for the Smurfs 3D movie.

The tiny Andalucian settlement of Juzcar has received around 125,000 visitors since its striking makeover last summer.

Mayor David Fernández Tirado told the local Sur newspaper: "The number of visits is not going down.

"Apart from colder, wintry days, it's been quite the opposite - it's continuing to spark a lot of interest."

The residents voted to keep the facades of their houses the same distinctive hue in December, after realising the tourism potential of the village's new look.

They needed to seek special permission from the regional government and the local bishop, as even the church was painted blue.

Previously, the houses were white, typical of the pueblos blancos of the Andalucia region.

However, Mr Fernández Tirado stressed that the blue makeover was not necessarily permanent.

If villagers wanted to change the colour of their houses back to traditional white, then another vote would be held, he told the newspaper.

"We'll see how everything is going in a while," he said.