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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
James Tapper

‘They do my head in’: tour guides call for loudspeaker ban at London attractions

London Andy Hall David Cox Buckingham Palace ITG Mall the Grenadier Guards
Crowds watch the band of the Grenadier Guards march towards the Mall and Buckingham Palace.
Crowds watch the band of the Grenadier Guards march towards the Mall and Buckingham Palace. All photos by Andy Hall/the Observer Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

They’re changing the guard at Buckingham Palace – but these days Christopher Robin would have trouble making out anything Alice says to him. Official Blue Badge guides working in London say a new wave of freelance tour guides at major tourist sights are deafening them and their guests by using megaphones and portable voice amplifiers.

The Institute for Tourist Guiding (ITG) says its members are increasingly concerned about the unofficial guides who have begun operating this summer around Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament.

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