An Edinburgh mum has slammed Waverley Mall after discovering they have installed "anti-loitering" alarms - known as mosquito devices - that only young people can hear.
Marina-Jane Juel-Beer, 41, told Edinburgh Live she became aware of them when she was heading for the train with her daughter.
She said: "You can hear it as you go in from the main entrance, I heard it all the way through and still heard it on Waverly Steps, unfortunately as the noise is unpleasant it's difficult to locate the source.
"I know I am unusual being over 25 and able to hear the things, but my main concern is for the damage done to children whose parents can't hear it.
"They are particularly distressing for noise-sensitive people with autism."
A spokesperson for Waverley Mall confirmed they have installed three of the controversial devices but claim they are there to deter nuisance pigeons, not young people.
Waverley Mall Management Team said: "Following a number of instances of pigeons creating a nuisance within Waverley Mall and resulting customer complaints, we have taken the measure of installing three devices, to deter the birds from entering the centre.
"The devices are located at the three main entrances to Waverley Mall, where we know pigeons habitually enter.
"The presence of pigeons, and associated health concerns are of particular significance in our food court, where we have a number of customers enjoying food and drink from our outlets, and it is therefore of utmost importance that we address this ongoing issue."
However, the alarm is marketed by the manufacturer as an "anti-loitering" device that will "end problems with teenagers and kids behaving badly".
Last year, there were calls from the Scottish Youth Parliament to ban mosquito alarms in Scotland. They say the devices violate the rights of children and young people.
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