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Cricket fans warned against touts Cricket fans warned against touts
(10 minutes later)
Cricket touts hoping to entice fans for the final match of the Ashes series at The Oval are being targeted by undercover trading standard officers. Cricket touts hoping to entice fans for the last Test match of the Ashes series at The Oval are being targeted by undercover trading standard officers.
Uniformed officers from Lambeth Council will also be part of the clampdown on people illegally selling tickets near the south London cricket ground.Uniformed officers from Lambeth Council will also be part of the clampdown on people illegally selling tickets near the south London cricket ground.
Those caught could be given a £150 on-the-spot fine. Those caught could be given a £150 on-the-spot fine and more persistent offenders face prosecution.
The final Test of The Ashes begins on Thursday with the series poised at 1-1.
'Dangerous individuals'
Fans can pay thousands of pounds for sought-after tickets only to discover they are fakes, the council warned.Fans can pay thousands of pounds for sought-after tickets only to discover they are fakes, the council warned.
"It's just not worth the risk buying from a tout," said Lambeth Council's Jamie Akinola."It's just not worth the risk buying from a tout," said Lambeth Council's Jamie Akinola.
"For people without tickets it can be tempting, but often the 'tickets' they sell are fakes, and they are usually sold at a much higher cost than face value." "For people without tickets it can be tempting, but often the tickets they sell are fakes, and they are usually sold at a much higher cost than face value."
He added: "Touts are often the cause of ticket shortages in the first place.He added: "Touts are often the cause of ticket shortages in the first place.
"They often have links to serious crime and can be quite dangerous individuals so the best thing is to steer well clear of them.""They often have links to serious crime and can be quite dangerous individuals so the best thing is to steer well clear of them."