Ticket 'scramble' likely in 2012

About 80,000 people are expected to attend the Olympics opening ceremony

Londoners may be left fighting with European visitors and Olympics sponsors and officials to get tickets for 2012.

London Assembly Member Dee Doocey, who is reviewing ticketing plans, said her "bug bear" was the whole Olympic Family would be "ahead of me in the queue".

There would also be no preference shown to the capital's residents as European law forbids discrimination in favour of the host country.

Which? magazine has warned that demand for seats will fuel ticket fraudsters.

No London quota

Speaking to BBC Inside Out programme Ms Doocey said: "I suppose my big bug bear is the hangers on - all of the Olympic Family that will be ahead of me in the queue."

The Olympic Family includes sponsors, officials, their guests, the media and athletes, who will get tickets for the events, specially at the opening and closing ceremonies in the 80,000-seat stadium.

It's called European law and there's nothing you can do about it, you're not allowed to discriminate in favour of the host country London Assembly Member Dee Doocey

During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta it was reported that four million of the 10 million seats went to members of the "Olympic Family" while in Sydney a ticketing scandal was uncovered.

Jacqueline Magnay, the Olympic correspondent at Daily Telegraph, who covered the Sydney Games, said: "I would like to think that all British people do have a quota and have the right to some kind of priority when it comes to the tickets.

"But I think the Europeans will have the same access at the same time and I think the British public will be fighting for those same tickets with 200 million Europeans."

Ms Doocey said: "It's called European law and there's nothing you can do about it, you're not allowed to discriminate in favour of the host country."

Ticket fraudsters

Although the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) are yet to reveal ticket prices, going by the previous Games people could be expected to pay up to £1,000 for an opening ceremony ticket.

The Olympic Stadium can accommodate 80,000 people

Ms Magnay said: "In Sydney the opening ceremony tickets were $1500 dollars, so that's about £700, so I would think that an opening ceremony ticket would be at least £1000."

Taking advantage of the demand would be fraudsters, warned Which? magazine, who have already spotted websites offering tickets for the Games.

A spokesman said: "They are going to create something that looks like the real deal in the hope that in the enthusiasm, you get carried away and you hand your details."

The real tickets will be available on LOCOG's web site and will become available next year.

Chris Hollins looks at what life in the capital will be like when the 2012 Olympics begin on The Day The Olympics Comes To Town on BBC One at 7.30pm.

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