Festival fans warned over tickets

Hundreds of fans missed out on last year's events because of ticket fraud

Unofficial websites have been set up offering tickets for this summer's Leeds and Reading festivals, music fans have been warned.

The sites are asking people for payment despite the fact tickets have not yet officially gone on sale.

Official promoters Festival Republic said they were trying to get the sites - leedsfestival2009.com and readingfestival2009.com - removed.

Last year hundreds of fans who bought from fake sites did not get tickets.

Festival Republic said tickets for this August's events were not yet available, although official sales were expected to start in March.

A Festival Republic spokesman said: "We wish to make it clear that no tickets are currently available for this year's festival following the appearance of websites claiming to be selling tickets for this year's event.

"Line-up and ticketing details for the event will be announced in due course and our advice is, as ever, to only purchase tickets via official links at the event."