Madrid - The Spanish city of Pamplona on Monday banned World Cup vuvuzela trumpets on the eve of its famous bull run, with the deafening instrument already popular ahead of Spain's football semi-final.
"The municipality has banned the sale of vuvuzelas in the stands set up for the San Fermin festival, due to the noise disturbance they produce," the mayor of the northern town said in a statement.
The trumpets would produce "unpleasant and dangerous noise for neighbours," the mayor said, the day before the annual San Fermin festival begins, which involves the famous bull run through the streets of Pamplona.
The tuneless, deafening plastic vuvuzelas have become the defining sound of South Africa's World Cup, leaving television networks hunting for ways to filter out the constant buzz.
With Spain playing Germany on July 7 for a place in the World Cup final, football excitement will no doubt mix with the festival activities.
During the bull run crowds race ahead of a pack of animals that thunder along a course through urban streets to the town bullring, where a bullfight is staged.
Last year at the event in Pamplona a man was killed after he tripped and a bull gored him in the neck. - Sapa-AFP