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"I may have only been at the Edinburgh Fringe for 24hrs but my hatred of silent disco feels as ancient and strong as the foundations of the earth", says one recent tweet by Londoner Steve Duncan-Rice.

A second tweet in the same vein says: "I’m not saying the walking silent disco is the worst thing to happen to Edinburgh, I’m saying it's the worst thing to happen to the world."

The tours - where large groups of people pay to be taken on a walking tour of Edinburgh, all wearing headphones and dancing along to various music tracks - are very popular, but have increased in number dramatically in August, leading to a flurry of online complaints to the police and Edinburgh city council.

One major operator - Guru Dudu - is running six tours a day starting from the Grassmarket, while competitors Silent Adventures run three a day in the same area. Boogie Shoes: Silent Disco With A Scottish Twist, based on Niddry Street, are managing five a day.

Most of the complaints directed to the police and council relate to the size of the tours and the fact that they block pavements and cycle paths and obstruct traffic in the Grassmarket, amongst other places.

And while Boogie Shoes and Guru Dudu won't continue beyond the Fringe, Silent Adventures are based in the capital all year round, so they won't be disappearing from Edinburgh's streets any time soon.

Many people have complained that the so-called 'silent' tours are anything but. The revellers sing along to the music, clap their hands and shout, meaning that they're actually very noisy.

One local tweeted: "10.15pm and the 10th silent disco of the day outside my house. If folk want to make an a*** of themselves could there not be a more appropriate place for them to do it than the WHS (World Heritage Site). Rename it non silent disco for w**kers."

Guardian journalist Chris Godfrey shared a video of one group, saying: "Biggest takeaway from the Edinburgh Fringe so far is that anyone paying money to go on a silent disco walking tour should be sent to a facility in the middle of the ocean and left there."

It certainly seems to be an issue that unites both locals and Fringe-goers alike. Well, the portion of Fringe-goers who aren't going on the silent disco tours, anyway.

There were rumblings that the council were planning to ban the tours back in November, with officials saying they were reviewing the popular events over claims they make too much noise.

However, in a recent tweet by Claire Miller, Green Councillor for Edinburgh City Centre, she confirms that there is nothing currently in place to restrict the silent tours.

After being asked asked: "Can nothing be done about the Fringe 'silent' discos? They made living and working in the city centre completely unbearable last year. (Also, it's been one day and I already have YMCA stuck in my head...)"

She replied: "We have been working on how to manage 'silent' discos - but I'm afraid this year we don't have anything in place to change the situation."

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