LONDON, June 20: British police are investigating around 30 unauthorised websites illegally selling tickets for the London Olympics and warned fans they risked being ‘ripped off’ if they use them.

Ticketing has been the most contentious issue for London organisers in the run-up to the July 27-Aug 12 Games.

Demand for many events has outstripped supply, prompting complaints about the way tickets were allocated, the cost and technical glitches in handling applications.

Anger was fuelled at the weekend when Britain’s Sunday Times reported that National Olympic Committees and Authorised Ticket Resellers representing 54 nations had broken rules over the sale of London 2012 tickets.

With Olympic tickets now being delivered to British homes, police are stepping up efforts to halt black market trade, or ticket touting as Britons call it.

“At this time when the majority of tickets have been sold, the public need to be more wary than ever about buying from an unauthorised source,” said Detective Superintendent Nick Downing.

“If they are tempted to do so, they run the risk of being ripped off for non-existent tickets or having their personal details stolen and used in other crimes,” added Downing, head of the ‘Operation Podium’ drive to stamp out illegal sales.—Reuters