ANGRY theatre bosses have today said they will be taking a tough stand against people selling concert tickets on an internet auction website.The theatre is today taking legal advice about plans to refuse entry to anyone holding a ticket they have bought from a tout.

ANGRY theatre bosses have today said they will be taking a tough stand against people selling concert tickets on an internet auction website.

The theatre is today taking legal advice about plans to refuse entry to anyone holding a ticket they have bought from a tout.

The move is a bold attempt to fight back against the rising tide of touts who buy up tickets to popular events and then sell them on at inflated prices on the internet.

An announcement by the hugely popular American rock group the Foo Fighters they would be playing a one-off acoustic gig at the Ipswich Regent sparked a ticket buying frenzy on Friday.

News one of the biggest bands in the world would be playing at the 1,725 seat Regent in June quickly spread after it was revealed in the Evening Star.

But within minutes of the tickets going on sale, greedy touts had already started putting them on an internet auction site in a bid to cash in on the band's popularity.

The internet sales have caused anger amongst fans and now the manager of the Regent, Hazel Clover, has said the theatre will be fighting back.

Ms Clover spoke about her disgust at tickets being sold on the internet and warned then the auctions broke the terms of the Regent's selling policy - meaning all tickets resold will be void.

Today, she said the theatre would be continuing it's hardline approach and staff were taking legal advice about what they can do.

“We have had a number of emails from disappointed customers who have seen the tickets on sale and are thinking we are allowing people to sell them,” she said.

“Some sellers are claiming they are selling because they don't want them any more, but how can you just change your mind in a matter of hours like that? If you'd bought them and then couldn't go you would given them to friends. These people are claiming to offer a service but actually they are just trying make money out of genuine fans.”

The theatre's terms and conditions of sale clearly state no ticket may be resold for profit and they are now planning to enforce that rule.

“If a ticket has clearly been resold for profit then we can resell that ticket and the one that has been sold before will be void,” Ms Clover said.

Several internet auctions have already been cancelled after Regent staff contacted the sellers and told them the tickets would be void.

“We will do everything we can to contact people who have bought tickets. Legally we can declare these tickets void and not allow that person with it into the theatre.

“We are furious about this because people are denying others the opportunity to be there. I would seriously urge anyone who has bought a ticket from a tout to contact the theatre as a matter of urgency.”

What do you think about touts selling on the internet? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.