Music fans have been warned to steer clear of touts after tickets to The Killers' gig in Norwich were resold for almost three times their value.

Eastern Daily Press: People struggled to get tickets for The Killers at Carrow Road in Norwich. Picture Ticketmaster.People struggled to get tickets for The Killers at Carrow Road in Norwich. Picture Ticketmaster. (Image: Archant)

Thousands of the American rock band's fans joined online queues at 9am on Friday to buy tickets for the band's Carrow Road gig on June 1 next year.

The popularity of the gig saw tickets sell quickly, and by 9.40am Gigs and Tours, one of the official sellers, said there were none available, while on Ticketmaster buyers found themselves in queues as the website struggled to cope with demand.

And while many did managed to land tickets, others said by the time they reached the front of the virtual queue, there were none left.

And shortly after, the tickets reappeared on resale websites such as Viagogo, where standing floor tickets, which originally cost £71.50, were being sold for as much as £203.

On Stubhub, a similar website, they were listed for as much as £206 and £208.

Resale tickets with steep prices are not uncommon - the issue has been debated in parliament and trading standards teams have launched crackdowns around the country on touts.

And artists are beginning to crackdown in the issue - popstar Ed Sheeran has made his concerts paperless, meaning fans have to bring the card they purchased the ticket on, as well as the original email booking confirmation and government-issued ID.

A spokesperson for Norwich City Football Club said: "Norwich City are asking those interested in purchasing tickets for The Killers to ensure they do so from partnered ticket sellers only. Hospitality packages are only available to purchase from Norwich City on tickets.canaries.co.uk and can be ordered online or by calling 01603 721902 option 2."

Alice Barnes, safety and fair trading manager at Norfolk County Council Trading Standards, said: "It's always disappointing when tickets sell out before you can buy some, but buying from alternative sources puts people at real risk of being scammed."

She said scammers on fan pages often claimed to have tickets, but once the money is transferred their account can be deleted, leaving the buyer with no way to contact them.

"The safest way to buy tickets is from the venue box office, promoter, official agent or a reputable ticket exchange site, and you should never pay for tickets by transferring money directly to a seller's bank account with no protection," she said.

On our Facebook page, Lisa Harris described the resales as "disgusting", while Jo Birchenall said "no-one should have to pay more than what they originally started at".

More than one person said the band should adopt the same principles as Sheeran.

Charlene Green said she had been trying to get tickets online and by phone since 8.50am, but despite being in a queue they were unable to, adding that places were selling them for £140 to £220.