ECB clamps down on Ashes touts

	Ashes tickets on offer on eBay ...the ECB has vowed to clamp down on such sales © eBay

The ECB has announced a further clampdown against touts ahead of this summer's Ashes.

In the light of massive interest in the series, the ECB is upping the measures it takes to find the source of tickets appearing on the black market. It has warned that on match days, spectators may be subject to spot checks to ensure that the person entering the ground is the one who purchased the ticket.

"We are committing considerable resource to the fight and have already succeeded in cancelling hundreds of touted tickets for the major events of this summer," said ECB chief executive David Collier. "We have also introduced an electronic exchange system for the ICC World Twenty20 which provides supporters with the opportunity to dispose of tickets which, for genuine reasons, they can no longer utilise through an official channel."

Collier also called on the government to introduce tighter legislation if what he referred to as the "second market" did not police itself. This is believed to be a direct reference to the leading online auction site, eBay, where many tickets appear for sale, often only hours after they are released to the public and at inflated prices.

The ECB has a team of people who scour websites searching for tickets being resold. All such tickets are traceable.

"The ECB have previously proposed to the secondary market that they work with us to prevent touting abuses at the very top matches," Collier said. "Unfortunately they have not agreed. We hope the clear statement of intent from the [government] makes them reconsider their actions."