A hundred residents of a Russian village have refused to switch to new passports because they believe the documents' barcodes contain satanic symbols, state television has reported.

"We believe these new passports are sinful," Valentina Yepifanova, an elderly resident of the village Bogolyubovo, told Rossiya television as she clutched an old, tattered passport she said she wanted to keep.

"They have these barcodes and people say they contain three sixes. We are against that."

Some residents of Bogolyubovo, which means "God-loving" in Russian, have also stopped collecting their pensions at the local post office because the payment slips also have barcodes that might contain the mark of the devil, Rossiya TV reported.

So once again we have superstition rearing it's ugly head in Russia.

I don't wish to appear too cynical but maybe some official decided that by including 666 in the documents they might save on a few pensions being paid out? You know...'we could get a new limo for the department if we can just stop 50 pensioners drawing their money out...' that sort of thing.

I owe my good looks to a pact with the devil.