Touts top the league this summer

Tickets to some of the summer's most sought-after events are being sold by touts at mark-ups of 4,000per cent, an Evening Standard investigation has revealed. Many fans will find they have been priced out of the market by the highest tout charges ever seen.

Our investigation found that tickets for the men's final at Wimbledon on 7 July are selling for up to £2,846. The All England Lawn Tennis Club had sold most of the tickets to fans and club members who sent in postal applications. The cost to them was £69, but many tickets are now being resold at hugely inflated prices.

A spokesman for the All England Club, which runs Wimbledon, said he was shocked. "The price of £2,846 is an incredible amount. I have heard of tickets going for around £2,000 before as the final gets close. But the prices often depend on who is playing.

"Obviously if a Briton made it this year, that could push prices even higher. But we always warn people not to buy from touts. If you buy a ticket which was awarded in the ballot and does not have your name on it, you can be refused entry. The only ones you can buy are debentures tickets. These are awarded to club shareholders, who are allowed to sell them on."

Some of the worst-hit fans will be those heading to the Grand Prix at Silverstone on 7 July. Capacity at the stadium has been reduced by 20 per cent, pushing up prices enormously. Although tickets for the Pits Straight Grandstand were selling at £165, they are now being advertised for £655. One tout said even he was "stunned" at the price which was "an appalling rip-off ". He said that tickets usually sell for 25 per cent above the official price.

Football is the only sport in which the resale of tickets is a criminal offence. For the rest it is legal.

The internet has caused an explosion in the market. Once, touts were seen as shifty men who loitered around stadia. But the touts of today are often based overseas and hard to track down. Their tickets need to be ordered weeks or months in advance and buyers are unable to check they are valid.

Even the West End is the victim of touts. Proof, the play starring Gwyneth Paltrow, sold out before the opening night. But touts are selling tickets for matinee performances for £199 - an 800 per cent mark-up on the face value of £23.

Tony Northcote, from the Trading Standards Institute, said until people refused to pay such sums, the touts would continue to trade. "It never fails to surprise me how much these tickets go for. And how much people are willing to pay. While there is a demand, the problem will grow and grow," he said.

"But for those buying over the internet, they should be very wary of getting a genuine ticket. And they should be aware that tickets are often restricted view and can be behind pillars or at the top of stands. Without seeing the ticket before you buy, you cannot ensure you will get what you pay for. It is a big, big risk."

However, consumers can still shop around. Bespoke Entertainment is offering seats for the men's final at Wimbledon for £1,500 - saving more than £1,000 on the highest tout price to spend on the champagne and strawberries.

The touts' top five

1. Wimbledon, Men's Final (7 July)
Official price: £69
Highest tout price: £2,846
Lowest tout price: £1,500

2. Ascot, Grandstand and Paddock pass on Ladies Day (20 June)
Official price: £49
Highest tout price: £100
Lowest tout price: £86

3. Gwyneth Paltrow in Proof (15 May - 15 June)
Official price: £23
Tout price: £199

4. Stella Artois, Men's Final (16 June)
Official price: £60
Highest tout price: £175
Lowest tout price: £135

5. Grand Prix, Pitt Straight Grandstand (7 July)
Official price: £165
Highest tout price: £655
Lowest tout price: £199