New rules for ticket agencies

SPORT and theatre agencies will have to reveal the face value of tickets and the type of seat on offer under planned Government regulations. Baroness Denton, the consumer affairs minister, said yesterday she wanted to ensure tourists were not haunted by the price they had to pay for a night out.

Agencies for theatre, concert and similar events will have to say if seats have a restricted view and what the cost would be at the box office. Many tourists make bookings by telephone through agencies rather than at box offices. Baroness Denton said: 'Consumers can often pay pounds 50 or more for a ticket whose face value is much lower, say pounds 6.'