A SPANISH mayor has issued an official edict insisting that all those living and working in his town be allowed to take a three-hour nap every afternoon.

    Joan Faus Vitoria, the mayor of Ador in the province of Valencia, has formally designated the hours between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. as a time for locals to take their afternoon siestas.

    During the official nap time — the first of its kind to be introduced in Spain — parents have been told that children must be kept indoors and residents and tourists are instructed not to make unnecessary noise.

    Vitoria said the plan was introduced as a way for farm employees and manual laborers to take a break from work at a point in the day when temperatures reach their peak.

    His edict states that the three-hour pause be respected by employers.

    As well as allowing residents to return to their properties and spend a few hours catching up on sleep, the siesta time is also intended to bring quiet to municipality of Ador.(SD-Agencies)