Jowell war on touts

The Government is planning a major crackdown on ticket touts this summer after hundreds of tickets for the Ashes series have begun to appear on the internet at astronomical prices.

Standard Sport has learned that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell is talking to the Home Office and the Department of Trade and Industry about pushing through new legislation. It is hoped that a plan of action will be set up by the start of July, which is likely to include proposals to extend the 10-year rule outlawing the secondary sales of football tickets to other major sports.

It will also become illegal to trade in tickets for the Olympics if London wins the right to stage the 2012 Games.

Jowell met officials of the Rugby Football Union, the Lawn Tennis Association, the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) this week, all of whom are very concerned about the increasing problem of touts.

The group have joined forces in response to the growing popularity of online auction websites such as eBay. They also want fines for convicted touts to be increased from the current maximum of £5,000.