The Royal Albert Hall management has been warned by the Charities Commission to stop members selling tickets to touts, bringing the venue into disrepute and putting at risk the funding received from the National Lottery, £40 million since 1996.

Members have been selling their debenture-style seats and boxes for major events to touts for ten to fifteen times their face value. One member has set up his own touting company to buy tickets from other members.

As well as censure from the Charities Commission the hall management has come under pressure from MPs to ban the sale of member tickets to touts, a move that would significantly reduce the potential financial value of the tickets and, for some, the financial value of membership.