New legislation on touting and security welcomed

New legislation which aims to prevent the growing illegal trade in ticket touting and help stadium managers to steward sporting events is to be introduced today.

Amendments to the Violent Crime Reduction Bill are due to be given Royal Assent today and contain two key rulings which are being welcomed by sports administrators in the fight against ticket touting and hooliganism.

The sale of football tickets on the internet by unauthorised agents will be illegal from today, clamping down on the change in touting practices, which have moved away from street corners, to the internet.

The move is hoped to stamp out the growing trade in vastly overpriced tickets for Premier League football, where seats with a face value of £30-£60 are sold for many times their worth.

The revisions to the Bill have been championed by Lord Pendry, a former shadow sports minister, who said: "These new measures are the most stringent laws against ticket touting anywhere in the world."

Venue operators will also welcome new legislation which exempts stewards from having to register as part of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

The legislation was introduced to improve standards and reduce criminality within the security sector, but failed to recognise the distinctions with event management and stewarding, saddling operators with the costs of achieving inappropriate qualifications and training.

The amendment ensures that operators of sports facilities have exemption from the licensing requirement. Football clubs will carry out criminal record checks on security staff, and they will attend training on conflict management.