T IN the Park’s status as the UK’s fastest-selling music festival has been underlined with the last batch of 12,000 tickets selling out in just 10 minutes.

The organisers of the event at Balado by Kinross described the stampede for the extra day passes, which got under way at 9am on Saturday, as “staggering.”

The additional allocation was made available by a capacity increase but also included tickets reclaimed as part of anti-touting systems implemented this year.

A total of 6000 passes released for each of the two days of live music could be purchased only by phone or over the internet.

“We are thrilled that the final tickets for the event have sold so quickly,” said Geoff Ellis, chief executive of festival organisers Big Day Out Ltd.

“We work hard all year round to ensure that we are providing the best event possible come July and we have taken considerable measures to reclaim tickets from those attempting to make multiple purchases.

“These have now been redistributed to fans who will witness the best ever T in the Park this summer.”

It was widely predicted that the briefs would sell out within minutes as the main batch of tickets was exhausted in less than an hour earlier this year.

This year’s site and camping area will be completely enclosed by what is described as a “fortress fence” which will include an exclusion zone.

Organisers reiterated that there will be no tickets to buy at the gates and advised fans without tickets not to make the journey to Balado.

They also recommended that people should not buy tickets from any unofficial outlets or website auctions as “there is a high chance that the ticket will either not exist or will be a fake.”

A total of 75,000 music fans will be able to enjoy headline acts including The Who and Red Hot Chili Peppers over the weekend of July 8 and 9.

Other acts performing at Scotland’s biggest live music festival include Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and the Arctic Monkeys.

George Kyle of sponsors Tennent’s said, “We are thrilled that this weekend’s sell out continues to make T in the Park the UK’s fastest-selling music festival.”