Scalpers cash in on 'Concert for Diana' (From This Is Local London)

Scalpers cash in on 'Concert for Diana'

11:07am Wednesday 13th December 2006 in

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TICKETS for Prince William and Prince Harry's "Concert for Diana" have already sold out and are now being sold at up to £200 each on the internet.

The £45 tickets sold out in minutes when the Ticketmaster hotline opened at 9am this morning.

The official website said more tickets would be released in the New Year.

The likes of Elton John, Duran Duran and the English National Ballet will take part in the event at the new Wembley Stadium on Sunday July 1, the Princess's 46th birthday.

Proceeds from the Live Aid-style event will go to charity, including some of the causes closest to the late Princess's heart.

But scalpers are attempting to make a huge profit, with groups of four tickets being re-sold at £800 - more than four times the face value.

This is Local London reader Linda Jones said she and friend had called the hotline at 9am but got a message to say tickets had already sold out.

"Once again the Joe public are fooled into thinking that tickets would be available to them from 9 am this morning, when it was stated that tickets for the Diana concert would go on sale," she said.

"A friend and I tried from 9 am and both got a message to say that tickets were sold out.

"However, isn't it strange that ticket touts and the like, manage to get large quantities, it would seem, and are now selling them on e-bay for astronomical amounts.

"As one seller quoted 'I bought too many'. It is absolutely disgusting."

One ebay user selling four tickets for £800 said: "To all the ebayers that want to waste my and your time emailing me to say price is high, I am a ticket re-seller and have to buy at higher prices than face value to garuntee me tickets.

"People that afford to sell at closer face value probably haven't got tickets."

An ebay spokeswoman said the website was removing ticket sales from its site.

"In view of the unique and commemorative nature of the Concert for Diana event, and as a mark of respect for the memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, eBay has decided to not allow the re-sale of tickets to this event on the site," she said.

"We are taking these ticket sales down as quickly as possible when they appear on the site. We have also posted an announcement on eBay and we urge people not to sell these tickets."

CONFIRMED ACTS Elton John Duran Duran Joss Stone Pharrell Williams Bryan Ferry English National Ballet Andrew Lloyd Webber

William said he wanted the pop concert to be "the best birthday present" his mother ever had.

He said: "We wanted to have this big concert full of energy, full of the sort of fun and happiness which I know she would have wanted."

Money raised will help Sentebale, Harry's charity for children in Lesotho, and William's homelessness charity Centrepoint.

Of Diana's charities, the Royal Marsden Hospital, National Aids Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Leprosy Mission, and English National Ballet will benefit.

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