Tourists taking the freeway to Hel will now not find a way journey on bus route 666 after non secular teams stated the reference to "the number of the beast" - seen by some as a innocent joke - was "Satanic stupidity".

The seaside resort in Poland is well-liked with holidaymakers for its distant seashores and forest trails - a far cry from the fiery pit of everlasting damnation evoked by its identify.

The 22 mile-long (35km) Hel peninsula in northern Poland is alleged to be probably the most lovely and unspoilt elements of the Baltic coast.

Locals have lengthy seen the humorous facet of the identify with the bus route, referencing the variety of the beast, seen by many as a "harmless joke".

But transport operator PKS Gdynia has determined to alter the identify of the path to 669 after being bombarded with complaints from Christian teams and people for nearly 10 years.

Spokesperson Marcin Szwaczyk stated: "The management board buckled under the weight of letters and requests that were sent to us, maybe not in large numbers, but cyclically for many years with a request to change the line number."

Catholic publication Fronda branded the usage of the quantity 666 as "Satanic stupidity" in 2018.

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The group wrote in an article: "Hell is the negation of humanity. It is eternal death and suffering. You can only laugh at this reality if you simply don't understand what it is."

The new 669 bus service is because of start working on 24 June.

However, Mr Szwaczyk stated route 666 may return if passengers demand it.

"If in fact the response is large and strong enough to restore the line 666, it seems to me that we will listen to our passengers and change this number," he stated.