By Mark Mackay

IT’S LESS than a week since T in the Park drew to a close, but music fans are already being asked to pay more than double the face value of 2008 briefs.

The tickets are already being resold for substantial profit just days after selling out in little over an hour.

Sellers claim now is the time to buy rather than wait for prices to soar even further as details of next year’s extravaganza are revealed.

The news has been met with disappointment from festival director Geoff Ellis who has long campaigned to ensure festival-goers buy from official sources and pay no more than face value for tickets.

He urged music fans to wait until 2008 when the next batch of tickets go on sale rather than buy from unofficial sources.

“It is disappointing that once again T in the Park tickets are already being sold on unofficial ticket sites online,” said Mr Ellis, of DF Concerts.

“As always, we strongly urge fans only to buy from official ticket outlets otherwise they risk paying well over the odds and also take the risk that ultimately they might not even gain access to the event next year.

“A second batch of T tickets will go on sale early next year and we advise people to be patient and wait until then.”

It took little more than an hour for 40,000 “early bird” tickets for next year’s T in the Park to sell out, but as has become customary, the tickets were offered at the same price as this year’s event.

Mr Ellis added, “We have tried extremely hard to counter ticket touting by introducing a variety of different measures and deterrents, however, what is really needed is a change in the current legislation outlawing the immoral practice of reselling tickets for a profit.

“As a member of the executive of the Concert Promoter’s Association, I will continue to lobby the Government on behalf of promoters, event owners, artists and, most importantly, fans until this happens.”

However, the boss of one of Scotland’s largest professional ticket reselling services believes his firm offer a safe and ultimately “cheap” way of securing tickets.

Grant Lillie, founder of ticketnova.com, which provides a “stock exchange” for sought after tickets, claims paying twice the price now could prove a bargain.

“It might sound odd, but I think paying twice the face value now will prove to be a real bargain in the long run,” he said.

“T in the Park gets bigger and better every year and the demand for tickets rises accordingly.

“I’ve no doubt at all that by the beginning of next summer people will be prepared to pay really silly money for tickets.”

Mr Lillie believes his firm, run from the Borders, provides the way forward in beating unscrupulous touts who sell fake, forged and non-existent tickets.

Ticketnova.com sold more than 1000 tickets for the 2007 T in the Park at an average price of £299.

“I realise the whole issue of ticket re-sales is controversial and gets people really fired up, especially when people have to pay a small fortune if they want to see their favourite bands or sports stars,” Mr Lillie added.

“Quite simply T in the Park is one of the biggest events on the music calendar.

“Demand is huge and that drives the prices.”