05/03/2008

Arrest In Premiership Ticket Tout Probe

Police investigating alleged ticket touting at Premier League football clubs have arrested a 32-year-old man.

The man, who is from Blackburn, was arrested at Manchester United's ground Old Trafford during their Champions League match against Lyon last night.

He is being held on suspicion of fraud, ticket touting and money laundering. He was arrested by Lancashire Police, acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, and was taken to Blackburn police station.

Two houses in Blackburn were also searched as part of the investigation.

The investigation into alleged ticket touting began last October and is funded by the UK football-policing unit, working in partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League.

It is believed that tickets for matches involving top clubs are being sold at inflated prices via a website and police believe that the scale of the fraud could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Detective Sergeant Will Hodgson, from the Metropolitan Police's public order crime team unit, said: "Ticket touting is not only illegal, but it can lead to an increase in violence at football games, primarily through segregation breakdown.

"Genuine fans should not buy tickets from touts as they are potentially fuelling violence and lucrative criminal activity."

It is illegal to sell tickets outside a football ground, under the Violent Crime Reduction Act, and anyone caught doing so faces a maximum fine of £5,000.

(KMcA/JM)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

03 August 2012
Olympic Ticket Tout Jailed
A ticket tout who was seen to be selling Olympic tickets outside the Excel Centre has been sentenced to 28 days in custody. Josef Aguirre, 29, was arrested on Tuesday, 31 July by officers from the Metropolitan Police and handed the custodial sentence following an appearance at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 1 August.
13 May 2005
US tycoon’s bid secures control of Man United
A £790 million takeover bid has given control of Manchester United to US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer. Glazer’s stockholding company Red Football Limited has secured the 28.7% stake held by Cubic Expression Company Limited which represents the interests of Irish tycoons JP MacManus and John Magnier. The bid will give Mr Glazer a 56.
18 February 2011
Operation Podium Tells Olympic Ticket Buyers Beware
The Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) Operation Podium team have joined forces with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to make sure it's the criminals who miss out when Games tickets go on sale, not you.
02 February 2015
First Tube Ticket Offices Close
Tube ticket offices in South Wimbledon and Queensway are to close today, the first of Transport for London's (TfL) controversial plan to shut all of its ticket offices. Staff at the two stations will be moved into ticket halls and on to platforms as TfL begin the closures.
24 February 2014
Tube Staff Who Worked During Strikes Given Gift Vouchers
Vouchers worth £25 have been given to Tube staff who worked during this month's strike. Staff had walked out earlier this months in protest at London Underground (LU) plans to close all of its networks ticket offices, with the lose of 950 jobs.