Blue Peter takes on badge sellers

The way Blue Peter badges are given out is changing after it turned out winners have been putting the prize up for sale on the internet.

The CBBC programme is set to start issuing badge holders' cards to prove that any person who owns a badge is the rightful winner of it.

A variety of badges are available and they are presented for everything from good letter-writing to heroic acts.

People want them because badge holders get free entry to many attractions.

Types of BP badges Blue: For interesting letters, good ideas, stories, poems, pictures and for having appeared on the programme Silver: For doing something different from what you did to win your blue badge. If you won a blue for a letter, you could win a silver for a picture or poem Green: For letters and pictures with a conservation theme Gold: For outstanding achievements - like saving somebody's life Competition: For winners of BP competitions

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People have been bidding for the badges. Newsround spotted one for sale which had reached the price of £72.

Blue Peter editor Richard Marson said: "We know how hard children work to earn a badge, and we are doing our best to try and ensure that this long-standing BP institution is not undermined."

Blue Peter has been handing out the badges for nearly 50 years.

Hampton Court Palace, Warwick Castle and Edinburgh Zoo are just some of the places which offer free entry to badge-holders.

Badges are sometimes given to famous people too, with the Queen, David Beckham and Madonna among those who have been presented with the prize.