London leads fake World Cup ticket crackdown

Specialist detectives from the Metropolitan police have closed more than 100 websites selling counterfeit tickets for next year's World Cup, it has been claimed.

According to the Times, the London-based e-Crime Unit has helped save tens of thousands of fans from buying bogus tickets.

Fifa called in New Scotland Yard after uncovering a raft of fake websites springing up claiming to sell official tickets.

Half a million fans are expected to descend on South Africa next summer for the tournament, where three million tickets for 64 matches are on sale.

The Fifa website is the only place to buy official tickets, although some are being sold as part of a package to tour operators.

Jerome Valcke, Fifa general secretary, told the Times: 'Our work with New Scotland Yard is yet another example that we are taking serious steps to stop unauthorised entities from selling tickets to the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

'We applaud the work of New Scotland Yard in its efforts to ensure that our common goal is to target and shut down illegitimate entities or unauthorised tickets. We simply cannot accept that true fans are being cheated in this way.'