A group of Notting Hill residents who painted their homes black to deter selfie-taking tourists and influencers have found the ploy has backfired - because the unique paint job is actually drawing more people in.

Locals on Lancaster Road took a leaf out of the Rolling Stones' songbook last year and applied the pitch-black coat to their three homes on the street in marked contrast to the rainbow hues of their neighbours.

But the trio of houses - a stone's throw from trendy Portobello Road Market, which draws the Instagram elite - are swarmed with selfie-takers as usual, some of whom say the dark paint job is actually a draw.

Inès Bourdet, 23, a French tourist, said she thinks the black has made the houses even 'more classy'. She deliberately came to the street after seeing it online.

Standing with her mother Bertrice Marreiot, 43, she said: 'The colour is black, but it's very attractive for the eyes. I think it's different from the other houses. It's a statement near the other colours. It's more classy.'

Edelweiss and Jose Rodriguez, both 27 and visiting from Spain, also snapped a few photos in front of the black houses, drawn in by the accidental appeal of the new paint.

'I think it's a good idea, but the other houses are white, all in London are white. It's a contrast,' Edelweiss said.

'I think the people who live here are sad, because there are a lot of people in the street. If I lived here, my opinion would be the same.'

Jose said: 'For me, that colour makes me sad – it's not a good day if you see that house. But (the colourful houses) give me peace and make me joyful.'

Leonardo Lepri, 43, and partner Laura, from Italy, were visiting Notting Hill with their four-year-old daughter Flaminia.

Undeterred by the dark colour, they chose to take photos of their daughter standing on the stairs going up to the entrance of one black home.

Mr Lepri said: 'It's just a little bit sad – it's [an] austerity colour. It could be a good way to avoid too much chaos.'

One resident who lived nearby, who asked not to be named, said more people had come to the area after someone, presumably American, had created a Google Maps listing designating it as the 'Notting Hill House of Colors (sic)'.

They said: 'We get lot of rubbish left on our porch – there are people shouting and screaming, if you ask them to pipe down they talk back to you.

'They don't want to move to let you get into your house, they're really quite impolite – they ask me to wait until their picture is done.

'It's impeding our neighbours' lives, we all accept we live in London and it's a very busy city, but it gets to a point where it's not respectful – we do actually live here.

'We regret moving up to this street from where we lived prior, it wasn't like this when we bought the house.'

Notting Hill has undergone significant transformation in the last 30 years, shifting from a bohemian, gritty slum home to much of the Windrush generation to the highly gentrified and expensive hotspot for the trendy that it is today.

One local said this week: 'This was a no-go area in the '90s – there were prostitutes, pimps, and drugs. These were hard to let properties.

'Then gentrification came along. In the last two or three years there have been a lot of tourists around.

'Sometimes I'm a tourist in other countries. Sometimes some of them are a bit rude, but mostly people are nice, so it's fine.

'It's good for the economy. Sometimes I'm in my kitchen and I quite like listening to the babble of different languages. I'm quite an internationalist, really.

'Sometimes it's annoying if you're in a rush with your shopping, but it's generally OK.

'There's them [in the black houses] with their views, and there are definitely other people in the street who are militantly wanting bright colours.'

Those living in the black homes, who declined to be identified, have previously admitted that they were hoping to put influencers off after they began treating the street as their own personal photo studio. 

A letter was distributed among homeowners urging them to 'consider' repainting, adding: 'If more of us consider collectively doing the same, we may be able to restore some peace and privacy to our community.'

Some have even resorted to installing 'quiet zone' signs and ropes across their front terraces in the hopes of sending wannabe social media stars packing.

Speaking last year, one resident of a black house said: 'My family moved in about a month ago and the previous owner painted it black just before because they were fed-up with how many people stop out front.

'It gets crazy. People get on the steps and take loads of photos. On the weekends, there can be hundreds of people.

'It's not Londoners - it's mainly tourists. But it just gets stressful. The hope with the black houses is that it's less picturesque. They basically want to attract less attention.'

Another resident, who also wished to anonymous, said: 'Our house was actually originally black and the others weren't.

'But the other two decided to join us a couple of months ago as we all agree that black houses don't look good on social media.

'I understand why people take photos - because of how it looks - but it just gets so packed. We can have hundreds of people on the street at once and it's a residential road - we're not able to cater to tourists.

'I think people just forget that people live here. So the hope with painting the houses black is that tourists will relax a bit.'

Those dreams of peace and quiet have seemingly come to naught, prolonging the agony and inconvenience for those who happen to live in a photogenic street.

George Hencken, who has lived in Notting Hill for 29 years, painted her house grey seven years ago after tiring of the attention her pink facade was getting.

'The thing is, and something those who have painted their homes black will soon find out, is that even if people aren't using their house as a photo backdrop - they'll still be here,' she said last summer.

'They'll be having their picnic lunch in their doorway, sheltering outside when it's raining, and even changing outfit on their front steps. Instagram and TikTok are having this effect all over the world. 

'And over the years I've only had one tourist say to me, "You must get so sick of it". With lots of the others - there's just this sense of arrogance and entitlement.'

Ms Hencken rues the day that Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts' twee rom-com put Notting Hill on the map.

'Ever since Richard Curtis made that stupid film every American banker or rich guy from Switzerland who spends a few months here, when asked where they want to live, says: "Oh, my wife likes that film."

'It's changing the area. Our doorsteps used to be social places. We'd sit out here and chat to friends and neighbours.

'But now you can't do that. If you do, any random person thinks they can come and sit here too.'