MPs reject call to ban ticket touts

An influential committee criticised the large sums being made by firms and individuals selling tickets for popular events online at huge mark-ups.

The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee said eBay and other websites had to "clean up their act" especially over the "distasteful" sale of tickets for charity events. And it also called on promoters to provide refund systems so that fans who genuinely could not attend were not forced to recoup their money through other channels.

But its report concluded that legislation should remain "a last resort" and encouraged moves towards negotiating a voluntary solution.

Some estimates suggest as many as 40% of tickets are now being sold on via the internet, making around £200 million a year - although the MPs said more evidence was needed of the true scale.

Dozens of the UK's best-known venues, events and promoters told the MPs touting "marginalises fans, rips-off consumers and damages every industry in the sector" and should be banned.

However consumers opinions are mixed on the issue and the committee itself was split right down the middle in a row over whether or not tickets should be treated like any other "commodity".

The report accepted that the demands for curbs were "largely motivated" by concerns for genuine fans - pointing out the industry could simply raise its own prices if it wanted to boost profits.

However it concluded that a self-regulated secondary market could be a benefit to consumers and welcomed evidence that promoters would consider a deal if they got a cut of the sell-on price.

Stars such as Robbie Williams, the Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, KT Tunstall and The Verve, have given their managers consent to back a levy system.