Time for crackdown on the ticket touts

LOCAL MATTERS

Getting to the front of a lengthy queue after standing for hours in the rain only to be told the item one wants is no longer available is understandably irritating. Doing so virtually, online, is no easier.

To then find out the same item has been bought by profiteers and is being resold for five times its face value is downright infuriating.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to fans of the Stereophonics who tried to get the limited number of tickets available for the band’s Dundee show – the “sold out” signs went up and the online resale sites pounced.

Moments after the sub-£40 tickets became, apparently, unavailable, they were on offer for more than £200 on a variety of websites.

That is the reality facing those seeking hard-to-find tickets for music concerts and shows in an increasing number of cases.

Almost the moment they go on sale, tech-savvy touts are able to get their hands on bundles of briefs for the biggest gigs, pricing most fans out of contention and forcing fanatics to pay over the odds.

Music industry complaints, including from the biggest music stars on the planet, and a growing backlash from angry consumers saw a crackdown on shady practices promised by the Government.

Unlimited fines for offenders have been suggested. They cannot come quickly enough.