New curb on ticket touts

<a href="javascript:albumViewer('viewer','http://pds24.cafe.daum.net/download.php?grpid=2jFR&fldid=3Nz&dataid=301&fileid=1&regdt=20060427201900&disk=10&grpcode=GeorgeMichael&dncnt=N&.jpg')"><IMG hspace=0 src="https://img1.daumcdn.net/relay/cafe/original/?fname=http%3A%2F%2Fpds24.cafe.daum.net%2Fdownload.php%3Fgrpid%3D2jFR%26fldid%3D3Nz%26dataid%3D301%26fileid%3D1%26regdt%3D20060427201900%26disk%3D10%26grpcode%3DGeorgeMichael%26dncnt%3DN%26.jpg" width=370 align=absMiddle vspace=3 border=0 id=upload_image1 onload='controlImage(this.id);'></a> Greedy ticket touts who prey on sports and music fans will be hammered under a Government crackdown to be unveiled today.   Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will meet agents, sports bodies and music promoters and ask them to sign up for a new ticket code of practice.   It includes a clause that limits the number of tickets that can be sold to an individual or company. There will also be a blacklist of known touts.   The touts currently make hundreds of pounds profit by buying-up huge numbers of tickets then selling them on to fans at sky-high prices once legitimate sources run out.   Tickets to George Michael's upcoming concert in Manchester should cost between ￡40 and ￡100 - but are currently changing hands for ￡520 a pair on internet auction site eBay.   A source close to Ms Jowell said: "This summer's music festivals, pop concerts and sporting events such as Wimbledon risk becoming the preserve of people with bulging wallets. Tessa Jowell will call on ticket agencies to starve ticket touts out of business to protect genuine fans from being frozen out of the market." <DIV class=center id=mpuad style="DISPLAY: none">  </DIV> <DIV class=center style="DISPLAY: none"> </DIV> The code will not make it illegal to re-sell tickets. But ministers hope it will make it harder for touts to make profits. The FA, ebay, Rugby League and Ticketmaster are signing up to the code.